Medical Implants and the TSA

Old Jan 29, 2010, 10:55 pm
  #76  
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Originally Posted by onlyairfare
I think most people in the US have positive viewpoints of many government agencies. Most people on Medicare seem very satisfied with their insurance, and the only complaints I've heard about the Social Security Administration are from those whose approval for disability benefits takes too long. They are very anxious to be part of the program ASAP. Popularity is not limited to those agencies that give out money or health care: most Americans love the National Park System, even though admission fees are required.
A couple things here.

Of course people want into Social Security and Medicare ASAP - We've been paying for it all of our lives! So yes we want that return on what we've paid.

Keep in mind that many also need private insurance still even with Medicare to supplement what it doesn't pay for.

Only problem is, it's likely going to be bankrupt by the time I'm eligible in 30 years. I'm not counting on it being there for me despite dumping tens of thousands of dollars (or more) into it. And depending on what happens with health care reform, that positive perception may change if it gets gutted.

There are some things that the government can do well - National Park System is a good example as you mentioned.

However, there are a lot of things that it doesn't do well. Security tends to be one of them (and I'm not just talking TSA here).

Generally, frequent flyers approve of the concept of airline security; even more than the TSA, we do not want WEI on our flights. However, the way in which TSA executes "security" is flawed - the rudeness, the foolish knee jerk responses, the theater, the thievery - and that is what we object to. As others have noted, my experiences with airline security in other countries has largely been positive. No one likes being searched, but if the agent is professional, respectful and fair, we appreciate the value, despite the inconvenience.

Security and respect need not be mutually exclusive.
Agreed. IF there is value added and it's done professionally, people will be happy. That's true whether it's private or public. However, it's definitely a fair question to see if we really are getting the value (especially for what we pay for TSA), especially considering the inconvenience and often rude service we get..
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Old Jan 29, 2010, 10:58 pm
  #77  
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Originally Posted by TSO1973
I completely agree with you here. Contrary to what appears here on this board, there are many TSO's out there who do try their very best to do their jobs with respect and courtesy to the passengers. Unfortunately it's the bad ones we all hear about. It's a well known fact that word of a bad experience get's out exponentially faster than a good experience does, and that while unfortunate, is simply the reality. I'm sure many of the most ardent disparagers of TSA ( hi Spiff!) have had decent encounters with TSA, but it's the bad encounters that get the attention.
I don't doubt there are good people in TSA. Problem is though we never know who we're going to get, and TSA management has no interest in filtering out the bad apples so we're reasonably assured we're going to get a "good" one. TSA has way to many bad ones that it will have a perpetual PR problem until it addresses it (and stops trying to spin its way out of stuff).

Of course, this isn't even addressing the security aspect.
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Old Jan 29, 2010, 11:29 pm
  #78  
 
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Originally Posted by TSO1973
Contrary to what appears here on this board, there are many TSO's out there who do try their very best to do their jobs with respect and courtesy to the passengers. Unfortunately it's the bad ones we all hear about. It's a well known fact that word of a bad experience get's out exponentially faster than a good experience does, and that while unfortunate, is simply the reality. I'm sure many of the most ardent disparagers of TSA ( hi Spiff!) have had decent encounters with TSA, but it's the bad encounters that get the attention.
There's a reason for that.

First, there's something called the hygiene factor (first applied to a study of what made employees happy or unhappy, but easily applied to situations such as the checkpoint staff and passengers). It refers to some characteristic which is no big deal when it goes right, but unacceptable when it goes wrong.

There's a restaurant I know where the wine is stored near the open doors to the terrace; sparrows fly in and out all day and the bottles in the wine rack are dusted with birdshit. I don't eat there, because I don't really want birdshit on my table when they bring the bottle. On the other hand, when I decide to go to another restaurant, I never say "let's eat there; it's really clean!" Hygiene is a requirement, but not a selling point.

Second, no matter how much respect and courtesy you bring to your job, you're implementing rules (liquid restrictions, shoe carnival, ID checks, WBI, patting down 8-year-olds) that many of us find illogical, repugnant, unnecessary and/or illegal. It's better to do those things politely than rudely, of course. And I notice that you distinguish between "decent" and "bad" experiences rather than "good" and "bad", so I think you understand this.

Putting these two things together, it's almost inevitable that a person carrying out stupid rules from HQ in a rude way is going to provoke a very negative response, while someone carrying out those rules in a polite way is going to get a shrug and be forgotten. As you say, it's the reality. I imagine the people who clean the tables at my favourite restaurants know how you feel.
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Old Jan 20, 2017, 10:53 pm
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Medical Implants and the TSA

I'm not sure if this is a violation, or a TSA operative on a power trip, but,

My mother, who has a implanted defibrillator was flying on B6 on BOS-DFW. At the checkpoint, she identified that she has an implanted medical device and knew that she would be subject to a patdown. However, the TSA operative demanded that they see the registration card, which contains the model number, lot number, serial number and other information for the device. When she questioned it, she was told that, "the TSA needs to verify whether the implant is valid."

It was at this point that someone (I'm not sure it was her) flagged down a Massachusetts State Police officer to help mediate. When the officer showed up, the TSA operative got more demanding and even asked to see the scar. It was at this point that the MSP officer stepped in and advised that the line of questioning was done, and for my mom to be screened, and left alone if she didn't alarm during the patdown.

So, I know it isn't right, but I have a feeling that being a poorly-worded law (the PATRIOT Act), there are loopholes that allow this. So, what should have been the SOP in this situation?
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 12:28 pm
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Originally Posted by fgirard
I'm not sure if this is a violation, or a TSA operative on a power trip, but,

My mother, who has a implanted defibrillator was flying on B6 on BOS-DFW. At the checkpoint, she identified that she has an implanted medical device and knew that she would be subject to a patdown. However, the TSA operative demanded that they see the registration card, which contains the model number, lot number, serial number and other information for the device. When she questioned it, she was told that, "the TSA needs to verify whether the implant is valid."

It was at this point that someone (I'm not sure it was her) flagged down a Massachusetts State Police officer to help mediate. When the officer showed up, the TSA operative got more demanding and even asked to see the scar. It was at this point that the MSP officer stepped in and advised that the line of questioning was done, and for my mom to be screened, and left alone if she didn't alarm during the patdown.

So, I know it isn't right, but I have a feeling that being a poorly-worded law (the PATRIOT Act), there are loopholes that allow this. So, what should have been the SOP in this situation?
I am uncertain if you have done so, but please feel free to contact TSA directly to complain. I am a TSO, and I have not heard of demanding to see a scar, I have not heard or seen any requirement or regulation for TSA that covers that demand. Please file the complaint at the address below - YMMV in terms of a response. I have heard good things of late with regard to response, so I hope that you will be able to get some form of communication going.

https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 5:34 pm
  #81  
 
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Originally Posted by fgirard
I'm not sure if this is a violation, or a TSA operative on a power trip, but,

My mother, who has a implanted defibrillator was flying on B6 on BOS-DFW. At the checkpoint, she identified that she has an implanted medical device and knew that she would be subject to a patdown. However, the TSA operative demanded that they see the registration card, which contains the model number, lot number, serial number and other information for the device. When she questioned it, she was told that, "the TSA needs to verify whether the implant is valid."

It was at this point that someone (I'm not sure it was her) flagged down a Massachusetts State Police officer to help mediate. When the officer showed up, the TSA operative got more demanding and even asked to see the scar. It was at this point that the MSP officer stepped in and advised that the line of questioning was done, and for my mom to be screened, and left alone if she didn't alarm during the patdown.

So, I know it isn't right, but I have a feeling that being a poorly-worded law (the PATRIOT Act), there are loopholes that allow this. So, what should have been the SOP in this situation?
You should also file a complaint here: https://www.oig.dhs.gov/hotline/hotline.php Name names if you can.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 6:22 pm
  #82  
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Isn't this covered under 'screener discretion'?
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:29 pm
  #83  
 
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Thanks for the advice, and my mother went ahead and wrote the letter. It was just a bit strange to be asked that.
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