Originally Posted By dlkozy My family flew out of Long Beach Thursday (Nov 30). We had my 90 year old mother who uses a cane for long walking. I put her cane through the metal detector along with her purse, coat and my things as well. Because she has metal rods in her hips, knees, and ankles, I told the security dummies that she would have to be wanded-it would be useless to send her through the the regular security line because she would set off the alarms. Those IDIOTS wanded her 3 times, then patted her down 2 times-they would not let her have her CANE to lean on that had ALREADY gone through the metal detectors then they went over her wheelchair another 10 minutes-taking just about 20 MINUTES for a 90 year old woman! GGOD HEAVENS!!! If they think that a 90 year old woman is their BIGGEST threat, we are ALL in a lot of trouble! They can let hundreds of pounds of who knows what under the plane-because according to the news they scan VERY little of what goes in the luggage area of the plane-but spend 20 minutes abusing a 90 year old woman because she is such a HUGE threat! With this kind of thinking-it's not a matter IF there will be another 911 but WHEN!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<With this kind of thinking-it's not a matter IF there will be another 911 but WHEN!>> I thought the LAX TSA folks were idiots, but it sounds like the Long Beach ones are just as bad. What will prevent another 911 are the air marshals and the fact that passengers will never let it happen again. The airport screening is the biggest boondoggle ever!
Originally Posted By mickeynewe OMGosh, I am so sorry to hear that your mother was put through this. I can only imagine how upset you must have been!! I understand we need security, but lets get realistic here folks!
Originally Posted By JazzSlick I don't mean to sound like I'm being unfair to your mother, but the security guards do have a reason to appear to go overboard. The kind of people that the security guards are looking for wouldn't think twice about using an old lady or even a young child to do their dirty work. And when you're fighting a group like that, there will always be unfourtunate victims such as your mother.
Originally Posted By Mr X Jazz, I've heard that argument before but there is such a thing as common sense...you could ASK the elderly person if they'd noticed anything unusual or been in contact with any middle eastern people...they are not stupid just because they're old. Sorry to hear this, my 88 year old Grandfather went through something similar on his way to his Granddaughters wedding. Where will it end? I am seriously at the point now where I'm planning my trips around AVOIDING the United States entirely! Very sad, since it's my home. Until they finally get a clue and start profiling, like they do in the Israel airports (ever heard of a terrorist threat from a plane departing Israel?), it will continue to be meaningless and nothing more than useless harrassment by incompetent power mongers (who the hell would WANT a job like that anyway, except for the sake of giving people a hard time!?). I hope your Gram didn't suffer any ill effects. If I were you, I'd sue.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Those IDIOTS wanded her 3 times, then patted her down 2 times-they would not let her have her CANE to lean on that had ALREADY gone through the metal detectors then they went over her wheelchair another 10 minutes-taking just about 20 MINUTES for a 90 year old woman!*** Just can't help picturing this, and imagining about 15 middle eastern men passing through unmolested during that time.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^Its insane Political Correctness run amok. Once at Boston Logan I got to enjoy some TSA attitude: I took my shoes off. The TSA droid told me that I didn't have to (this was 3 years ago). So I remarked something like "Oh, they make take them off in Denver", to which the TSA droid replied "Does this look like Denver?". I was sorely tempted to reply "no, this is the airport that the 9/11 Terrorists were able to slip through". I realized that if I did that they would probably haul me off and strip search me, so I kept my mouth shut. Its no small wonder that even on TV commercials (Sierra Mist) that TSA employees are portrayed as corrupt jerks. Everybody hates them.
Originally Posted By nk28 one of the mothers that went on our trip to Disneyland for the performance had something similar happen to her. see she broke her ankle 19 days before we all left and she had a big cast on and was on crutches. she gets to the security checkpoint and she has to send her crutches through seperately, which she expected, and then she was told to hobble through without the crutches (which she did not expect)! I'm not sure if she ever did hobble through on her broken foot or if she got her crutches back, but we all thought that was pretty crazy to ask her to walk on her broken ankle (what if this caused more damage?)!
