Originally Posted by
WillCAD
My guess is that they'd never say that. They'd come out with a statement that says:
"If a traveler has a medical condition requiring them to bring aboard a prohibited item/substance, they should contact TSA in advance. Any such request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Mr. Chollie not only failed to contact TSA in advance to review his case, he chose, without prior discussion with TSA, to fly without his life-saving medication, placing himself at grave risk. TSA is not responsible if a traveler takes it upon themselves to leave their lifesaving medication at home and falls ill in transit."
Actually TSA came pretty close to that statement by including, "TSA does allow passengers to bring medications through the security checkpoint in unlimited amounts, as long as they are screened," in their response.
If nitroglycerin pills are medications, and there should be no doubt about that, then a passenger is allowed to bring them through security.
While I certainly agree that TSA seems to have a visceral reluctance to stating any rules in a clear, concise fashion, the real problem in chollie's case (as is true for many situations) is that the vast majority of TSA screeners and supervisors are dumber than a bag of hammers. Stupidity, ignorance and a tiny bit of authority make a disastrous combination for passengers.