What to do about throwing up at the checkpoint?
 

I will be travelling from SFO->LHR->BCN in June and I wear an insulin pump so I figure I'll be subject to the TSA grope, but heres the issue, when I get nervous, upset, creeped out etc I have a tendancy to throw up :eek: . This usually happens without warning, so what do you think TSA will do to me if during this happens? Am I subject to a visit to the "room"? Should I give them advance warning?

I realize some may find this amusing, but I'm really concerned about how I will be treated if this happens, not to mention a bit mortified and embarrassed over the orderal.

That's one of the reasons why I don't fly any more. I tend to hurl when pawed. Unlike you, I can usually feel it coming for a while before the urge becomes overwhelming. I worry about BDO's interpreting my "gonna hurl" facial expression as some kind of threat display. The TSA's BDOs seem to be dumber than stumps.

I wouldn't warn 'em. It'll make 'em more abusive. Just scan for a place to barf, such as a trashcan. I hope you make it.

You know, stuff happens. Maybe they'll get out of the way in time.....then again, maybe not.....

you all really take this just so far. i was enroute to israel, the middle east is the middle east to most and warrants the extra careful eye, first time i was ever told to go through the machine (those who did werent patted!). i told them id rather do whatever the alternative is, and it was a simple frisking no big deal, get frisked going into many places in israel and its not a big deal.

its simple go through the machine or get a quick pat down

definitely no rubbing, while i do believe it happens many of you are going truly overboard with all this. have fun with it pass a little gas do whatever but please when you get zip tied by security for throwing up on someone dont wonder why

...or better yet the smurf doing the groping. ;)

sorry, guess that's repetitive.

First of all, TSA employees do not have the power to physically restrain anyone. Are you suggesting law enforcement will arrest someone if they become physically ill while being subjected to an intrusive search?

I have never received a pat down due to the pump. When going through a mag, it almost never alerts in the first place. When going through a scanner (and therefore need to hold the pump above my head), all TSA does is swab the pump (or give me the option of using my hand to swab the pump and then swab my hand) and run that through the spectrograph. Doesn't mean you won't be subject to secondary search for some other reason, but don't worry about it. If you do worry, remember that you can ask that the pat down be conducted by a TSO of your sex and in private. If you need a trash can, bin or other container near you, I doubt that you will be denied. Just be nice and non-belligerent and you will be through the checkpoint and at your gate before you know it.

No. He's conveying through his particular grammatical style certain aspects of his personality which the forum rules prevent me from describing explicitly. (You don't have to be a BDO to observe certain patterns and corollaries.)

Often1 - curious as to what type of pump you use, i'm wearing a Paradigm, by medtronics minimed - they told me not to put the pump through the xray at baggage check or to wear it in the scanner as it could make the pump malfunction.

thegreathabibi - Get over it yourself - I understand that I am choosing to fly, and that I am subject to a pat-down and I am hoping all goes well without any incident by TSA or myself, however if things didn't go as planned my main concern is for my health, as once it starts, it doesn't always stop, which in turn can cause blood sugar issues, which in turn (if extreme enough) can lead to hospitalization.

:rolleyes:

Is thinking for yourself really that difficult?

I wonder if one of those medical cards that you present to the TSA on arrival might be a good idea to have on hand. It could say "prone to uncontrollable vomiting in stressful situations" or something like that. The cards seem kind of dumb overall, and I would save it in case you feel like the situation is going south, because you'd ideally not want to draw attention to yourself. But from what you describe, the card *might* act as a wake-up call to defuse the situation if you get a "bad apple" TSO who is stressing you out.

uh, "medical cards" ??..... any/all medical conditions I may/may not have are absolutely none of the smurfs business

I have a pump and usually they don't care or even notice it in my front pocket. I have been stopped 3-4 times though and once the idiot said I had to get the pat down. I made a big enough fuss that I didn't receive a full pat down and the TSA guy checked with his supervisor to see if he had to give me one at all. I guess got to him enough that he didn't want to bother.

I will not go through the xray machines with my pump and I'm not taking it off. I don't know what it may do to the insulin, but I don't think it will do anything helpful. I'm sure the TSA also hasn't tested it, so I'm not going through it.

This would be great!
 

I would love to hear about you doing this! What a great way to protest these assaults! Do it! We want to hear about it. Have a companion tape it.
It will go viral in minutes.

I totally agree. But in this person's situation it might be prudent to be prepared to divulge, if she wants to avoid an incident that might land her in the hospital caused by stress from the checkpoint itself. I'm not saying announce it right away, I'm saying be prepared with the TSA's own tool (the medical card), to diffuse the situation if necessary.

Decent people don't need an explanation for vomiting; for "bad apples," no explanation is sufficient. So, I wouldn't get into a complex explanation.

Humans sometimes vomit. Go with the obvious if you feel you need to say something: "I got sick." They're wearing gloves, they're touching people in sensitive places, they're trained to deal with hazardous waste.

Much as I would love to continue the TSA bash-fest here, it’s time to settle back into reality.

We see insulin pumps all the time. We have very good procedures for dealing with them and the folks that use them. You should have no problems because of it. Now, if you start booting all over the checkpoint, well you won’t be the first and most likely won’t be the last, but you’re going to upset the cleaning folks just a tad.

Ron, you were taking such a pasting on the legal stuff, I started rooting for you. Now you go and write something like this, makes you sound, well, at least indifferent to people being upset about their experiences with your employer. Not good.

hmm. I took it as a reassurance that she would not be singled out for bad treatment. Fair enough. I hope that means her sex organs, hair, and face will not be touched, simply because she has a pump.

Well, here's hoping, for the OP and cleaning crew, that screening goes as it should. Frankly, I'm pleased that "should" was used; it's irritating when some TSA employees insist something "always" or "never" happens, no matter what airport or employee or procedure under discussion. That feels dismissive or indifferent to me, not Ron's post. Obviously, others mileage may vary, and usually does when discussing the TSA.

Did everyone miss the post about this vomiting being uncontrollable and potentially leading to the need for hospitalization? That seems to be the bigger concern -- not just barfing at the checkpoint and being embarrassed, but having an episode that severely compromises her blood sugar. I don't have a great solution myself, but I would like to ask, Ron, what the SOP is for dealing with someone having a panic attack or somehow otherwise freaking out physically over being checked. And I'm not talking about being angry or protesting or anything like that, I mean, like, hyperventilating, for example. Thanks in advance.

If I had that tendency to hurl unexpectedly, I'd carry some sort of bag to barf into.

Presumably you wouldn't be allowed to touch that bag though while undergoing the grope. :confused:

I too am interested as to what the TSA would do if they had a genuine panic attack on their hands. Also, what would happen if you let out an involuntarily scream if they are too rough/too intrusive? (I'm more worried that my instant reaction would be to slap their hands away - I can't bring myself to accept something at the airport that would be unacceptable in every other aspect of life!)

At my level we don’t have an SOP for such a thing. TSM’s might, you’d have to ask them. People freaking on the checkpoint is quite rare, rare enough that I have not seen it happen yet. I hear about it occasionally, and from the reports I get the local LEO’s are called. They have training and procedures for those kinds of things, and to be honest its most likely better for them to deal with it.

OTOH, on New Year’s day it’s pretty common for us to get at least one person booting all over the place. Seems to happen every year. We usually just end up shutting down a lane and moving traffic over to one that is … less contaminated, then call for the cleaning crew. Sometimes the airlines even let them fly, but not often.

None of us are trained for dealing with an outright panic attack (at least not as TSO’s, some may have other types of training that might allow them to deal with it). LEO’s.

Strike a TSO, involuntary or not, and you most likely will end up facing charges. No joke, TSA takes a very dim view of folks beating on its employee’s, no matter the reason. If this is indeed an area of concern for you then it sounds like you need to make the responsible decision and find another way to travel (the frothing may begin now).

LOL, I knew some TSO would jump on that. No, it's not a real concern - was said lightheartedly - unlike the TSA I know my boundaries.

Still though, there are undoubtedly people who WILL lash out, whether it's in fear, pain or anger. If it hasn't happened yet, it's only a matter of time. And I don't blame them. Someone sticks a hand between your legs or down your pants - sometimes painfully so - and expects you to take it without murmur? I think particularly in the summer months, when you get a much greater number of European tourists coming over, people who are used to much more respectful treatment, and who suddenly get a nasty shock, there could be some bust-ups.

That's what TSA-Issue shoes are for...

It wouldn't exactly break my heart of a video of some officious smurf abusing a passenger in a wheelchair (see The Latest Barbarism for examples) were rapidly followed by videos of the aforementioned smurfs dancing the Danny Deever. Sometimes the only thing a bully will understand is the sharpened stake entering his rectum.

Don't those blue uniforms have shirt pockets?

i think for myself just fine and have been through airport security plenty of times, i dont find the searches intrusive and i opt out of the xray machines everytime. so i actually get the pat down and know what im saying. id say 90% of the people went through the machines and didnt get touched so quit the exaggerating please

you uptight people afraid of being touched by another human being, its a simple pat down no groping occurred what so ever. assault? hardly. take a trip to a country where this is the norm and try throwing up on someone, you will really get to see what assault is first hand. be glad your in america where these security guards and police use plenty of restraint compared to the majority of the world

and yes i am implying with my lamen grammer that vomiting on one of those security guards for what you call an intrusive search would definitely get you arrested and you could very well be charged with assault, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment or assault with a bodily fluid something of that nature. same as pissing on someone, try it and let us know how it goes, if you get zip tied consider yourself lucky and be thankful the bones in your face were not caved in

...and which planet are you from? :confused:

Good for you. However, I take exception to your declaration of how the screening process actually is. You don't get to tell me or anyone else how to interpret an experience. You aren't me or anyone else on this forum or any other citizen or non-citizen and you don't get to diminish anyone else's point of view with your proclamation of exaggeration.

:rolleyes:

Well, a TSA employee has already stated that one wouldn't be arrested for an involuntary round of vomiting. But I guess that doesn't count for anything when you are here to proclaim how the world really works, now does it?

All the violent commentary regarding LEOs and TSA employees just seems a bit of an exaggeration. There are bad cops, of course, and certainly plenty of bad TSA apples, but I wasn't aware that smashing faces to bits was a normal, every day occurance for something as simple as vomiting. I'm sure the vomiting pregnant women I've met would be thrilled to hear that they risk having their faces pummeled for morning sickness.

Seriously, why the rude and violent commentary? You get your First Amendment right to speak but why the vitriol?

same planet as you are i think? if someone intentionally vomits on you and it doesnt get your blood boiling id have to ask what planet might you be from.

if you can post a thread about doing this, it is a clear display of your intention and just the idea of vomiting on someone as a form of protest disgusts me. i was a soldier and can tell you if some animal vomited on me while i was searching them, theyre getting a trip face first into the ground, the person has no clue what disease you might have exposed him to and that alone can make someone not sleep

The OP was wondering what would happen if they had an INVOLUNTARY bout of vomiting, not an INTENTIONAL one. The suggestion of vomiting on the screener was made in jest.

You obviously have not had the "pleasure" of a TSA "pat-down" in an American airport. "Pat-down" does not accurately describe what they do at American security checkpoints. It is more like a "rub-down" which includes private areas of the body such as, breasts (for women), buttox, and crotch areas.

Now are you beginning to understand why we are "complaining?" Now do you understand why the OP was concerned that the stress of the situation may induce an INVOLUNTARY bout of vomiting?

The OP NEVER said she was planning on vomiting intentionally. If you can't read for comprehension and actually discuss the OP's topic, there's not a lot that can be done to help you.

I'm thankful you AREN'T the one searching passengers, although it seems you may fit right in with many of the TSA given your advocacy for violence in response to involuntary actions and calling other humans "animals". Just change it from "animals" to "fares" and you'd have a job for as long as this agency exists.

He or She is from the same planet that you are from, he or she just does not happen to agree with your perception of events at TSA checkpoints. You seem to have issue with that. If so then the issue is yours, and not theirs. And here we are back at "personal responsibility" again. It always seems to come back to that doesn’t it, someone refusing to accept that responsibility and someone who does not.

[sigh]

Based on the experiences of many of us here who do travel around the world (often to places considered much more at risk than the US), I do believe that you have that backwards.

Rubbish. :mad:

Okay Ron, you want to "settle back into reality?" All right. Here is some "reality." Three of the last four times I have flown out out of ATL I have had an issue with my pump and the "good procedures" that you have for them.

Each of these three times, I've told the clerk that I have an insulin pump. Each time the clerk (three different clerks) has asked "where is it?" to which I respond "on my person." The pump does not have tubing - it is a small device attached to my person that's controlled by a remote control device. Each time, the clerk said "come with me for a private screen" to which I respond "No. Get your supervisor." Supervisor comes, swabs my fingers, instructs the clerk that's all that has to be done for an insulin pump, and I'm done. Each time I've asked the supervisor "if your staff does not understand that proper protocol to deal with an insulin pump, how can I trust them to deal with a real live terrorist?"

This ignores the fact that it is none of your damn business if I have an insulin pump, but I'm willing to make that concession and divulge that I have the device.

Perhaps those "good procedures" you are so proud of ought to be combined with "good training" and "good employees." What say ye?

-Matt in Atlanta

i think you are somehow misunderstanding me, comments were made about vomiting on the security. intentionally exposing a person to offensive bodily fluids is definitely illegal, and it will be treated however the security perceives it at that moment. intentional or not if the guy/girl who just got puked on thinks it malicious your going to be explaining yourself to someone thats for sure....

exbayern, i am currently posting from israel which i think might just be considered more at risk then the us, and where the same patdown/rubdowns occur randomly at bus/train stations even places as common as shopping malls. when every car entering a US shopping mall has to have its trunk opened and you experience that day in day out then you can tell me you know something about security.

poor treatment of elderly and those with medical conditions is unfortunate and due to inadequate training. major difference between the us and israel is we are trained with proper profiling techniques and these people with medical problems aren't hassled the way they are back in the united states. ive said it in posts before and ill say it again, profiling is needed, when the majority of those engaging in hostile acts fit a certain profile.

Can you cite the law in the US which states such? I will personally wait for PTravel to advise as I tend to trust his legal advice as it relates to such issues in the US.

And again, the OP cannot control herself and thus there is no intent to vomit.

How frequently do you travel in the US? Have you experienced how many in the TSA treat the elderly and the ill and the disabled? I have travelled many parts of the world under heavy security and the elderly, the ill, and the disabled are still treated with respect.

Many of us here have seen the malicious behaviour and the uncaring attitudes at TSA checkpoints and we have seen the behaviour by security and the military in other countries at airports and security checkpoints. There is a marked difference in how people are treated right now.

I do not believe that people are 'misunderstanding' you - they are reading the words which you wrote here and responding to those words.

I just clearly said that military and police respect sick and elderly in israel unlike the security officials in american airports. I havent witnessed the abuse first hand but from what i have heard.

I cannot cite the laws as i am not a lawyer, but it will probably be the same charge as spiting or urinating on someone. Again i am not saying for a fact they would charge someone or even arrest them, in my opinion its more then likely but it depends on exactly what transpires and how the security takes the whole situation. Getting vomited on usually wouldnt sit well with someone, i mean really? think about it for a minute