Going to take sort of a devil's advocate perspective here. Some of you may hate me after this.

So, firstly, saizai, I applaud you for taking a stand. That mustn't been easy. As someone who also has a disability - deafness - I completely emphasize. (And, thanks for captioning your videos, BTW!) It's sometimes not easy to live in a world that's not designed for us.

With that said, to be perfectly honest with you, it really looks like the process was a bit drawn out. Saying stuff like "I can, but I refuse"; "I categorically refuse to go through the AIT" will just confuse the screeners. I would simply say "I opt out because of a medical condition." If they probe, say "you're not a doctor and hence medically licensed; I will simply say my shoulder is blown out [or xyz excuse]." Refusing to answer their questions just sets them off and prolongs the process. I could tell the STSO was really just trying to do his job, and was probably thrown off by how difficult the process was being made for him. Not saying you were being difficult, per se, but, I mean, if I were in your shoes, I would maybe take it down a notch? He was trying to ask you closed-ended questions, not ambiguous questions, and you kept giving him ambiguous answers. Unfortunately, unintelligent people have a hard time with ambiguous answers, so it may be better to give simple, closed-ended answers, than kind of a wishy-washy answer like "I can if I really need to, but I refuse" - he took it as a "no." You know what I'm saying?

I'm not trying to sound like a "sheeple" - we all have rights! And the TSA goes too far in so many scenarios. What's the 'but'? The 'but' is that, at the end of the day, those screeners are doing their jobs - they have rent, mortgages, loans, children, etc. to support/pay. (Not saying that 'doing their jobs' makes what they do/how they treat people okay - just pointing out a fact.) Of course, TSA screeners should be given more discretion, more empowerment, more ability to make common sense decisions/overrides, but you should also know that you're probably dealing with ignorant idiots who, unfortunately, do have the ability to ruin your day, and tread along that line. Confusing and frustrating them (completely unintentionally on your part, mind you, and it's also on them - they should control their reactions more and be more prepared for the "unorthodox" interactions) just makes things harder for everyone.

It's okay to make waves! It really is. It's just, in this particular situation, it really seems to have caused everyone more pain than necessary. I'd just say "yes, I am medically unable to stand, so I am opting out." You'd probably be in and out within 15 or so minutes, and without all the back and forth. I'm glad the TSM was able to override Adbul (sp?)'s decision and allow a pat down/examination of your things, though - that's the right thing to do. I do have to say the TSM was quite kind, and Abdul wasn't THAT rude, considering it could have been so much worse. I'd keep it simple, document/videotape everything, then write my Congress member, start a petition, go viral with social media, try to get support that way. Just my two cents.

I hope I didn't come across as offensive at all. If you want, you can PM me more and we can discuss this more. Obviously, I wasn't in your shoes that day; I'm just saying this as an outside, neutral observer. You did what you needed to do, and I wish you the best of luck with your lawsuit. TSA really needs a reminder that they're here on OUR dime, and they can't treat people like cattle, especially minorities and people with disabilities.