Just thought I'd share a funny story with you. My friend (who's also deaf) was travelling through DCA this spring, in a hurry, and carrying an expensive bottle of perfume with her (a $100 gift from her grandma). She didn't realize that there was a restriction against perfume, plus she was in a hurry and not really thinking. She went through security without a hitch, until a rude TSA lady gave her a hard time about her perfume. She refused to let her perfume be given up, trying in vain to explain it was a gift.

She wrote with the agent, trying to explain the situation, and the agent refused to listen and sternly demanded that she give it up. Another agent, a male one, tried to tell his co-worker to let her go, that it wasn't a big deal, but she insisted. Finally, my friend, frustrated by this treatment, gathered her stuff and ignored the TSA agent insisting she stay, and stormed into the "sterile" area, sat at her gate, and crossed her arms angrily, defying TSA. ^

A cop came up to her (she assumed TSA sic-ed the cops on her) and asked what was wrong. She explained what happened in a huff (writing to him through paper and pen), and the cop went back to the TSA agents, and talked with them. He then went back to her and apologized for the female agent's rude behavior, and gave her a $10 voucher for the food/magazine vendors in the terminal area! She was also allowed to keep her perfume, too. Bravo!