Originally Posted by
InkUnderNails
This really makes me nervous.
I am one of those hearing impaired persons mentioned earlier. At a noisy checkpoint I have great difficulty with even basic instructions and I sometimes have to ask for clarifications two or three times. I fly about 50-60 times a year. If they start to ask me questions that I am not expecting, there will be a lot of "I did not get that would you please repeat it?" and "I am hearing impaired, and I have no idea what your are asking.
Originally Posted by
rgfloor
I will have to start thinking about this, as I fly 2x a month and have severe tinninitus. So far I have been able to make it thru the checkpoint but I find myself saying "What?" more and more. (Driving my wife crazy!)
Like Ink, if I am looking at you and you are in a direct line of sight I can read your lips, but if your back is to me and you speak to me, 50/50 if I hear you.
More crap and aggravation to go thru, thank goodness I retire next year!
As I stated earlier in this thread, I tend to turn off an internal switch when I am in a situation which may cause me stress.
In the midst of a long journey, tired and stressed, I sometimes 'select' the wrong language, and may find myself speaking any of German, French, or English. Wake me on a flight for instance, and win the lottery of how I will respond.
A few weeks ago I was rather short with a screener in French. I was not however in a country where French is commonly spoken. I opened my mouth, and those words came out.
I have already experienced what may happen when I speak up in German at a TSA checkpoint. It isn't intentional, it isn't meant as defiance, it is the reality that I face. Earlier today I struggled to find the correct word to use in a post here as I was watching television in German and Turkish, working on a project in French, and posting here in English.
I am really, really curious to know what plan is in place to deal with people who do not speak English as a first language (or who struggle to understand some of the very diverse accents in the US). Once again, those of us who are 'different' in some way will most likely find ourselves in some very unpleasant situations, beyond what 'normal' passengers experience.