"I'm 87 years old!"
This weekend my wife and I accompanied my 87 year old mother on a trip to a family wedding. This was the first flight for either of them since the NoS and related TSA insanity was introduced.
Preparing for TSA I told my mother that due to her age she could keep her shoes on.
We departed from NoS-free DCA Terminal A. I went through the cattle chute first, followed by my mother and wife. At the luggage belt (right side) I observed an elderly gentleman get out of a wheelchair. A TSO was yelling at him to sit in a chair to take his shoes off. When the gentleman did not respond, the TSO simply yelled louder. And louder, and louder. Eventually someone accompanying the man saw a chair hidden behind a pole, and took the man there. The yelling subsided.
I went through the WTMD uneventfully and gathered our belongings. Suddenly I here the same TSO screaming "TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!" I looked back and saw my mother behind the WTMD, being screamed at. The TSO screamed the same thing at her again. Evidently she wasn't processing his vitriol; my wife whispered the message in her ear. My mother then looked at the TSO and shouted "I'M 87 YEARS OLD!"
That infuriated the TSO and he screamed his message even louder.
My mother had to take her shoes off and slowly stumble through, despite the clear signs saying that if you were born on that date before 1938 you could keep your shoes on.
I did not witness anyone else getting yelled at, leading me to conclude that we travelled on TSA's unannounced "Abuse The Elderly Day"
My wife was considering flying to Florida next month. Now she's set on driving.
My mother took her last flight. We're not about to give TSA another shot at her.