Customs Does It Right--They Explain
 

I am traveling internationally soon for the first time since my surgery. I wanted to know how customs deals with people with ostomies. Specifically I wanted to know if people selected for a pat down could opt for a partial or full body search because they have a condition which could make touch harmful and if customs officers could compel the emptying of an ostomy device.

They answered that passengers who are selected for customs pat downs "are allowed to remove their clothing in a private room away from others," and they also replied that they can compel the emptying or removal of an ostomy appliance, but that such an action must be done at a medical facility.

Customs, unlike their DHS brethren the TSA, actually responded to my questions with useful information. The fact that I know this ahead of time makes my trip less stressful. Frankly, I would rather deal with the strip search than a pat down which ruptured the seal on my ostomy. Good to know customs actually thinks about searchees health! I am off to see the world.

Yes, you will find generally that customs agents all over are FAR more professional than the TSA minions. For one thing customs people are actually trained, and tend to view their job as a career, taking pride in their professionalism, whereas the TSA clerk jobs are just a stopover on their way up to the fryer at McDs.

Not only did they answer the question, they have policies which makes sense. If a passenger knows they have a medical device which could rupture during a pat down (and their pat downs are, I think, far more aggressive than the TSA's) and would prefer a body search in order to protect the integrity of their device, there is absolutely no reason not to allow them to consent to the next highest level of search. In fact, because such a passenger is likely to fail the pat down anyway, it probably saves customs time and money to allow that.

Further, the anxiety of waiting for a body scam result you know you would fail would be terrible. Same for a pat down. And all that ends up wasting time if you have a connection to make.

Further, this helps autistic people who may want to travel internationally bit do not like to be touched.

The removal/emptying of a bag is highly invasive but the fact that they require it at a medical facility makes me think they put the patient's safety first. I object a little in principle to this procedure but I am glad they made it as safe as possible for the person being searched.

Did the Customs officer indicate that these procedures were new? My last international flight was at the end of October 2010, and it was the usual customs declaration and passport check, nothing more.

CBP pat downs are not the norm for most travelers entering the United States, though as has been noted in other threads, CBP can monitor bowel movements even. Again that is rare. I believe that is what the OP was discussing. TSA pat down are different altogether.

Ciao,
FH

Of course, all bets are off since 11/1/10, but in 25+ years of "flying with an ostomy," NOT ONCE has anyone detected it or asked about it, even after patdowns in Arab countries. Customs was interested in agricultural items, currency, the usual stuff.

I think it is around 10% of travelers subjected to a pat down with around 5% of those being subjected to a strip search and just a handful getting a medical examination. I think the last year they jad data for it indicated that just over 100,000 travelers (out of 50 million passing through the border) were strip searched.

I am far more worried about a pat down on a ballooned device than I would be about a strip search.

Going through customs in many different countries, on an almost-monthly basis, I have never had my body searched in any manner. Rarely they use X-rays and/or dogs for luggage. Most places you just hand in the form. You´ll be fine.

US Customs used to be quite nasty, but several lawsuits (Google Amanda Buritica, for an example), for which we, the taxpayers, had to shell out quite a chunk of money, followed by a Congressional investigation, taught them a lesson.

Every now and then they still cross the line, get sued, and, again, we, the taxpayers, pay the resulting settlement.

Perhaps, TSA needs the same kind of a lesson.

You mean they don't train the clerks defending the front line of our country?! :rolleyes:

I don't believe for a second that they pat down anywhere near 10% of travellers.

I agree with your assessment.

In fact the math bears this out. 100000 strip searched of 50 million passing through the border is .2% not the 5% figure you used. If you made the same mathematical error regarding a pat down, then the number is .4% getting the patdown - that is 4 out of every thousand people.

While I understand the basis of your concern, the likelihood of a patdown at customs seems very small indeed. It really is the TSA where there is more likely to be a problem.

Thanks for correcting my math--it is not my strong suit. I suspect I have a higher than average chance of getting selected because thr ostomy looks like a bulge in the pants. But that is still an infanticimal chance.