I was making a connection via ORD a week ago on a flight to LAX and stepped outisde the terminal to meet a friend from the area since my connection was about 3 hours. When I came back through security, I'd already taken my shoes off, belt, emptied my pockets etc and started to send them through the machine. I have a pacemaker and always have to have hand screening with no device, and I can not walk through the detector. I have an ID card for proof, but I've never been asked for it before so it was already on its way through the scanner with my wallet and other stuff. When I stepped up to the screener, I requested hand screening b/c of my pacemaker. The agent immediately acted "standoffish" as if I was lying, and stated "people your age don't have pacemakers!" (I'm a 18yo looking 25yo
)
I was a bit taken back, and I said that would be something stupid to make up, but he acted like I was trying to hide something. I began to argue, at which point he picked up that wand thing and tried to pass it over me -- still not believing I had a pacemaker. Now, I'll admit this infuriated me to the point where I yelled for him to get that f*! thing away from me, that I wasn't lying. ( I was startled as most of those hand wands will cause a pacer to fire, shut off, or otherwise malfunction) Some other guy then came over and got in my face, I told them to just look through my wallet but they refused. B/c my flight was schedule to leave shortly and I was so upset I just pulled my shirt up and showed them where it was ! (It sticks out quite a ways) . . They then both apologised and sent me on my way.
I was later recounting this story to a FA on my flight who was horrified, and said I most certainly have a winnable law suit. My question is a) what are your thoughts? yea the guys were way out of line but really no harm was done and b)are these security screeners completely employed by the government or is there still some airline involvement (ie is it possible they may have worked for UA?)
I fly all the time and have never encountered anything close to this. Most of the time I'm screened in DSM or ORD and have almost always had an okay experience.