Tsa: All That Bullshit Together With Yous Can't Fifty-Fifty Purchase My Insulin Catch & 1 Fucking Dinner!

I'm non against drome security - I instruct it. I'm against the lack of communication as well as the incredible inconsistencies alongside TSA screenings as well as screeners across the board as well as inwards all dimensions. Also, my linguistic communication gets actually salty inwards this post service - But for skilful reason. 

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Blog Facebook Page Status from Apr 28th .

It all started on Lord's Day morning, Apr 28th, 2013 at Philadelphia International Airport on my means to the Lilly Diabetes Blogger Summit, when I tried to practice the correct matter alongside my loaner insulin pump.  Instead of throwing it inwards my handbag or hiding it inwards my under regions, I asked for a a visual inspection of my insulin ticker and  was met alongside a surprising: Sure, no problem. 

And that “sure no problem,” made me actually happy. Maybe this fourth dimension would hold upwards dissimilar - Maybe TSA was going to instruct it right.

The TSA agent called for backup. I went through the “magic doorway" sans ticker as well as waited for some other TSA Agent to instruct far as well as give my loaner insulin ticker a skilful onetime visual inspection. 

The TSA Agent Pump inspector was dainty enough, he actually was. And nosotros chatted almost insulin pumps, fifty-fifty when he asked me to fondle my ticker - his words, non mine. 

He swabbed my ticker alongside a gray slice of newspaper as well as placed said newspaper inwards a machine that looked similar a stenography machine alongside a reckoner screen. 

We waited for the results as well as TSA Inspector  was inwards the middle of telling me how he'd but watched a television receiver demo almost the 100 greatest inventions of the century & how  the insulin ticker had mad the list. 

I was but almost to inquire him what network the demo was on ,when the machine he'd placed the swab samples in, covert turned scarlet & flashed: EXPLOSIVES DETECTED, inwards loud screaming caps.

"What does that mean?!" I asked inwards a panic. And FTR, I knew precisely what it meant, I was but scared shitless. 

He didn't await at me, HE but told me to hold back until the woman mortal TSA Agents arrived. 

I asked: Is the machine broken? tin nosotros examine it again?? Is it because I washed my hands thirty minutes ago? Is it the glycerin from the soap? 

TSA Inspector: Ma'am, it could hold upwards 1 of 10,000 dissimilar substances that examine positive equally explosive materials - But this isn’t protocol  - Please hold back for the woman mortal TSA Agents to arrive. 

And hence ii woman mortal TSA Agents (one brusk as well as ane tall) arrived, and  those ii women scooped upwards my handbag an carry-on, as well as stood on either side of me (think Dorothy nestled betwixt The Tin-man & The Scarecrow,) escorted me off also a piddling gray makeshift room inwards the middle of Philadelphia International, led me inwards as well as hence straightaway closed the door behind them. 

They asked me If  I was traveling lone as well as who packed my bags, 

And then the tall ane told me that my device had tested positive for explosive residue as well as that they were going to instruct through my bags for explosives as well as explosive residue. And hence then the tall ane told me that she was going to give me an “extensive pat down.” 

And all that kept going through my caput was: 

1. I was lone inwards every feel of the word

2. I didn’t experience security or protected - In fact I felt the contrary of those ii words - Vulnerable, unprotected as well as exposed

3. No ane would know where I was if I didn’t demo upwards at Indy Airport

4. Did this occur from washing my hands ( I saw FIGHT CLUB, I know what glycerin tin do) or was some minuscule residue of insulin on my ticker causing all this to happen? 

5. Why wasn’t anyone looking at me inwards the optic or answering my questions? 

Me: Has this happened a lot this morning?? Do you lot receive got issues alongside your equipment? Should I non receive got washed my hands??

The tall ane didn’t respond my questions, she avoided them completely and  told me what was going to occur as well as why as well as hence asked me if I had whatever sensitive areas on my body. 

Me: Yeah, all of it - My whole trunk is sensitive. Shoulders, vagina - All of it.

Tall TSAer: I'll hold upwards careful non to wound you. 

Stand on this mat & set your arms  out as well as spread your legs wider apart. 

Yep, she told me to "spread them." 

And  hence she told me precisely what she was almost to practice - I stared at her as well as tried to remain calm. And equally I stood on the mat alongside my legs broad apart,  I looked across the room as well as saw Shortie riffling through my mitt pocketbook as well as she picked up& opened my blue silk Dbag.

Me: My insulin’s inwards there! 

Shorty: Her insulin is inwards hither - I'm swabbing it.

Me: Jesus, hold upwards careful that’s a build novel bottle!!
Sidebar:  1 bottle of insulin costs me $138 - With insurance! Insulin allows allows me to alive my life, it's  my elixir of life - And if she dropped it as well as that bottle broke, I was fucked.

Shortie dumped the pocketbook out as well as out came my spare infusion site, insulin, ii unused needles (just inwards case) as well as the banking venture envelope alongside my cash inwards it.

The same went on alongside my makeup pocketbook as well as toothbrush holder & the zip lock pocketbook that held my contact case, disposable contacts as well as backup glasses, the box of granola bars as well as the bottle of glucose tabs were also inspected.

My Carry-on was examined as well as she looked at my box of infusion sets similar they could practice some serious harm as well as asked, "What's this?"

Me: It's THIS: Then I lifted upwards my shirt ever hence slightly as well as showed them my tubing as well as infusion site. 

My reckoner was swabbed as well as it's representative was searched, same goes for my iPad. 

So were my sneakers.

And all the while, the tall ane had divided my trunk into quadrants  

Left arm, shoulder, correct arm as well as shoulder. My breasts were felt under as well as over, all to a greater extent than or less my abdomen was patted as well as my infusion ( left abdomen)  site was examined. 

  And hence Tall TSAer looked at me as well as told me that she was going to set her mitt under my yoga pants waist band as well as practice 180 circumference banking venture correspond inwards the forepart as well as hence inwards the back. 

I looked her inwards the optic as well as said: This is crazy. 

She started to a greater extent than or less alongside her pollex on the outside of my yoga pants waistband as well as her 4 fingers on the within of my waist band - her mitt stayed on my abdomen & to a greater extent than or less the circumference of my waistband - nada lower. But it was all the same also closed for comfort - it was all the same also evasive as well as it made me extremely uncomfortable. When she stood behind me to starting fourth dimension the 2d leg of her 360 abdomen search she said: Ma'am, unclip your, your..

Me: My insulin ticker - IT’S MY INSULIN PUMP.

Tall TSA: Yes, your insulin pump. And she finished her tour. 

She pointed to my caput as well as said:  Take your pilus out of the clip. And hence she but her gloved hands through my pilus as well as swabbed away. 

Tall TSA:Now I'm going to pat your legs, upwards & down, forepart ( including your individual area) as well as hence practice the same inwards the back. . And that's what she did - hence she felt me & downwards as well as under the calf expanse of my yoga pants. 

ME: This is bullshit, you lot haven’t fifty-fifty bought me dinner yet.

FTR, she was non amused. 

Then she told me to remainder myself yesteryear putting my mitt on the tabular array hence she could banking venture correspond the bottom of my socks. 

And hence she set the swabs inwards a machine,  pressed some buttons as well as a infinitesimal after she told me I was goods to go.

And I stared at her for a skilful 10 seconds until she said: Uh.... ma'am, I said you’re skilful to go. 

Me: I heard what you lot said. Are you lot going to tell me what precisely caused this?

Tall TSA: There’s nada to study - you’re good. 

Me: Well evidently I wasn’t before, or I wouldn’t hold upwards here. 

And hence I started to repack my bags, piece of cake as well as methodically, hence I knew where everything was, as well as to give me a minute to struggle dorsum my tears. 

I felt humiliated as well as violated as well as no-one could tell me precisely why this happened. 

Tall TSAer kept looking at her lookout adult man equally I repacked my bags as well as after almost a infinitesimal said. Ma’am you lot gotta hurry up. 

And this would hold upwards the betoken where I kept my vocalisation depression as well as calm, but didn’t mince my words.

Me: You tin hold back spell I instruct my shit together. You dragged me out of the security line, you lot won’t give me an explanation equally to why this happened, you lot riffled through my things as well as you lot didn’t fifty-fifty purchase me fucking dinner earlier you lot felt me upwards similar some inexpensive date. You didn’t fifty-fifty tell you lot were distressing for the inconvenience. So you lot tin hold back until I’m ready.

 And hence I set on my shoes, grabbed my bags as well as got the fuck out of there. Tears were streaming downwards my confront equally I walked to my terminal. 

I empathize the demand for drome security, I actually do. I recollect 911, I’ve been inwards the London educate station when the bomb alarms receive got gone off - I know the basis nosotros alive inwards is real dissimilar than the basis pre 911.

What I don’t empathize is the constant inconsistency of the TSA, the lack of rhyme or ground - non to parent the lack of communication as well as honour for those beingness inspected. Some airports volition practice a visual inspection, others won’t - And I've argued alongside them that they should as well as can.  Some TSA Agents don’t fifty-fifty know what’s written on their ain website re:  visual inspections, medical equipment, etc. 

I know, empathize as well as convey the fact that having diabetes as well as a portable pancreas clipped to my hip makes me a target for a to a greater extent than thorough TSA inspection. 

I know, empathize as well as convey that my drome security experiences won’t hold upwards similar others alongside internally performance pancreases - And I'm OK alongside that. 

What I don’t know, empathize or convey is the inconsistencies of TSA Security as well as the lack of honour as well as mutual courtesy that some TSA agents don't give me or whatever other mortal alongside a medical status as well as external hard/software.

According to TSA's on website, I had/have the correct to receive got a witness acquaint during a pat down, hence why wasn't I ever told that?

I'm non against drome security, I'm against the lack of communication as well as the incredible inconsistencies alongside TSA screenings as well as screeners.    

If I receive got a inquiry - Answer it - Lord knows I’m answering all of yours - And getting felt upwards as well as downwards yesteryear TSA Agents wearing latex gloves as well as who utter inwards soundbites isn’t my view of a pleasant locomote experience.  
And but mayhap if you lot convey a minute to await me inwards the optic as well as respond my questions - It volition calm me downwards as well as aid me to instruct through what you're almost to practice to me. 

And quite frankly, I don’t empathize why every fucking fourth dimension I instruct through the drome alongside my insulin ticker I come across problems - I've written almost my experiences alongside TSA fourth dimension as well as again, equally receive got many inwards the Diabetes On-line Community. And I/we e'er practice the correct thing  - I know what’s written on the TSA website - hell I impress it out almost every fourth dimension I travel! 
I receive got my diabetes documentation as well as I practice my best to remain calm inwards a province of affairs that is anything but. 

The occupation isn’t on my terminate - It’s on TSA’s terminate & the fact that no ii airports inwards the entire U.S.A. of America enforce the TSA rules & regulations the same way.

And for the tape TSA: I didn’t build clean or swab my ticker when I was inwards Indiana, as well as when I went through security at Indy Airport - they gave my insulin ticker a visual inspection - And it tested negative for explosives - And reinforcing the fact the occupation wasn’t on my terminate - It was on yours - You’re equipment failed, non mine. Your whole arrangement seems to hold upwards a major neglect  - So human upwards gear upwards what's broken.    

Personal FB Page Status from the morning time of Apr 28th