I have Type-II diabetes, and when I travel, I carry dry snacks. Glucerna also makes bars, and those would be easier to take.

Guess it's time to be blunt - THAT'S NOT YOUR CALL TO MAKE. When you do not have the knowledge to speak on matters, as you've just demonstrated, perhaps you should refrain from attempting to do so.

Thank you for PROVING my point above, general.

We're not required to make your job convenient for you, general. You're required to abide by the rules you put in place in cases such as these. When a medical exception such as this comes up, your job is to say, "Thanks very much, let's get that scanned and swabbed and get you on your way." Not to attempt to second-guess either the passenger or her doctor.

IF you had either firsthand experience with the condition, OR a valid medical license with appropriate specialization, then PERHAPS your comment might have some validity. As it is... no. Actually, it fails under ANY rational examination. A newly-diagnosed diabetic (and most others, regardless of when they were diagnosed) NEEDS to have food available AT HAND at all times. Period, full stop. You don't get to choose what that individual gets to carry, you don't get to decide where she may or may not purchase said item, you don't get to decide that your own rules don't apply. She declares a medical exception, you run it through the machine and swab it and say, "Have a nice flight."

I would advise your friend to get the doctor's note, on letterhead, to take with her, and to call loudly but politely for a supervisor if a moat dragon decides to violate TSA's medical exception rules. No reason for her health to be endangered by some know-nothing powertripper who can't stand to see someone "getting away with flouting TSA's authoritay!". Don't forget about filing a complaint in such a case, as well. The only way this will change is if idiocy like thegeneral suggests gets opposed by those he's endangering.

Conversely, if the screener treats her with prompt courtesy and doesn't give her any flak over a medical necessity, of course the appropriate POSITIVE comment form should be filed, as well. Reward the good behavior, and we'll see more of that (I hope).

For those of you that require specific foods or liquids for your medical conditions, please be advised that not all airports have food vendors available AND open beyond the security check point. You should always carry your medical food stuff with you and do not rely on the airlines either. For example, at SFO Terminal One (servicing Alaska, Southwest, US Air, AirTran, Sun Country and Continental) food vendors close at around 10pm on certain nights and many flights leave after that time.

i think that's the real issue. this is another loophole for terrorists to exploit the system in place. glucerna comes in an opaque/nontransparent container. explosive liquids could be transported in these containers. doctor's notes are easily acquired (millions have diabetes), or they could be forged - even more accessible.

i have a very strict diet - especially when i am weight training, and because of my diet i hope to never get diabetes. while i know that certain types are hereditary i know that a large number of diabetics end up there from improper diets/lifestyles (both of my parents had varying degrees of diabetes). it's very difficult for me to find what i deem to be acceptable meal solutions at many airports. i would love to take prepackaged MRP shakes - especially on long hauls or days when i have bad connections.

i guess my point is that if anyone claiming a diabetic medical exemption can take banned items, then why can't i? my diet is equally or more important to me than my father who has been living with diabetes for 18 years next month.

i would not argue that diabetics should not be allowed to claim an exemption. i see the necessity. i would argue that it is not right to have an environment where exemptions are necessary.

if it wasn't clear, i was trying to argue that if it is a bad, unenforceable rule than why have it at all...

i should have said a system where these exemptions are necessary

Changing your diet will not potentially cause you serious physical harm; preventing a diabetic from having the appropriate diet will. Sorry, but your weight training isn't a medical issue.

Yes, the medical exemption is a huge and glaring hole. It serves to show how ridiculous the entire system is. Still, none of us are in a position to suggest that someone's medical needs are illegitimate, nor should we be.

Moreover, the TSA can run an ETD on the bottle and determine that it isn't explosive, so there is no real risk, just a bit of extra time required brought on by a ridiculous policy implemented despite a lack of credible evidence that a threat vector exists and despite the fact that a number of other countries have managed to source the appropriate hardware to ovbiate the ban, even if the threat were credible.

except that i could potentially get diabetes and die.

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2004/nhlbi-30.htm

Eating at Fast-food Restaurants More than Twice Per Week is Associated with More Weight Gain and Insulin Resistance in Otherwise Healthy Young Adults

After 15 years, those who ate at fast-food restaurants more than twice each week compared to less than once a week had gained an extra ten pounds and had a two-fold greater increase in insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

It�s extremely difficult to eat in a healthy way at a fast-food restaurant. Despite some of their recent healthful offerings, the menus still tend to include foods high in fat, sugar and calories and low in fiber and nutrients.

MRP shakes vary greatly in quality, but there are many out there that meet or exceed requirements for a healthy, balanced diet. they have an important purpose in my diet - especially as someone that travels a lot.

good, i want this right because my health matters to me, too.

Well, someone who has already contracted the disease is actually at risk. You're in the state where a piano might fall on your head and kill you, too, and not really at risk of developing diabetes, unless you spend all your time outside airports eating fast food. Seriously, this is probably one of the most ridiculous assertions I've heard in some time. To suggest that you are at risk of developing diabetes - and DIE from it - because you'd have to eat in an airport is crazy.

did you read ANY of the article?

how can you say what will and will not affect my health? numerous extremely plausible circumstances exist where i would be forced to eat inside an airport twice in a day - forget the FACT that eating fast food more than twice in a week has a DIRECT link to diabetes - something that many here are arguing is a potentially life-altering and catastrophic disease.

i think it's ridiculous that you don't care about my health. i guess i shouldn't be surprised. this is, after all, america - a "fast food nation." 20.8 million in the U.S. have diabetes. how do you think this happened?

the piano analogy is nonsensical. until someone forces me to walk under a piano every time i fly, it has no bearing on this discussion.

Though the nutrition discussion is somewhat related to the OP's question, let's try to keep to the topic of the needs of traveling diabetics.

----------
essxjay
TS/S moderator

Yeah, I read it. Particularly the part where they explain the long-term effects:
Unless you are eating in the fast food facilities in an airport all the time for an extended period of time you are not going to develop diabetes from it. I've eaten in airports twice a day many times (and often more, especially on a mileage run). Doing so on individual occasions does not increase the chances of developing diabetes. You would have to make a lifestyle choice to do so over an extended period of time. Clearly that isn't a problem for you since your diet is so well controlled. Unless you choose to change your dining patterns significantly the chances of you developing diabetes from the occasional airside meal is about the same as that of a piano falling on your head - virtually nil.

Someone who has already been diagnosed is at a whole different level of risk than you are, by orders of magnitude. You can choose to not eat the airport food. A diabetic does not have the choice to not eat if they experience an attack, or potentially to prevent an attack. They need to be able to consume an appropriate food and to do so immediately. There is an enormous difference.

I have no problem with you telling the TSOs that you have a special diet that requires you to only drink protein shakes that you have to carry with you. But that isn't a medical excuse, and they will be justified in choosing to ask you to surrender your liquids or not be admitted airside.

I've traveled with my own medically required foods since this 3 ounce thing/bagie etc started and have only had a 'discussion' one time on what I was carrying. I had a very small container of yoghurt that was in question for a few minutes, but I held on to it as I did have a letter from my doc.

The general attitude I get from the TSA people is 'well, if you need it, you need it'.

I would be in a world of hurt if I got stuck for hours on an airplane without my own food. I can't depend on the airline or anyone else to provide for me. I travel often, and often very far.

i will respect the moderator and bow out of the discussion.

i do not disagree at all with diabetics getting a pass from tsa.

i think i should be allowed to bring something i deem necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. this is consistent with my vehement complaints on AA serving pizza in international coach as an only alternative:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ighlight=pizza

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ighlight=pizza

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ighlight=pizza

to me, 100+ flights a year puts me in a different category than an occasional airside meal.

eating healthy when traveling is a nightmare, and unfortunately this is extended to the airport and the airplane because there are not very many healthy options. i would be happy/delighted/overjoyed to bring my own healthy alternatives - the easiest being MRP shakes, but since i am not already diabetic i don't have this option.

i don't want to spend my golden years with diabetes, so i choose to be proactive with my diet. hopefully you are right that hundreds of airport/airplanes meals a year won't hurt me, but i think that is a very shortsighted view.

ciao!

There are plenty of healthy options one with nutritional needs can bring into the sterile area that are not in liquid form.

http://glucerna.com/product/mealbars.aspx

There are alternatives. GOOD alternatives.

I'm not a regular flyer, in fact I took three round trips within the country last year and that was a RECORD!

I'm diabetic, I carry snacks. I make sure I'm prepared to be stranded at an airport with my test supplies, medicine, and food.

I try to plan NOT to get hassled by TSA because it's not worth it to me to win their game. Maybe someday we will be able to carry a stupid bottle of water again, but until then, I'll fight the fight outside of the terminal.