My hardware vs. airport security ...

[titaniumed]

I've heard about security in Israel. It is the tightest in the world. Very high tech.


Pams quote;
Girl, a shot at a strip search is the closest thing to a date I've got - LMAO!!

I had a situation out at O'Hare in Chicago a few years back right after 911. The lines were long, and things were running slow, and the security lady was picking up the rivets in my jeans with her wand, that were in my crotch area. After wanding my crotch area a few times, she had this puzzled look on her face and knew that something had to be done. She then said "take it off" meaning my belt, and I motioned and said "no problemo" as if I was going to drop trow. She then panicked and said "don't do it", "you almost made my day" and the 500 people behind me that were watching, erupted in laughter.

It was a classic moment............................

It should have been on film.

I have not flown yet, but I know one thing for sure, its going to be interesting.
Ed

[Sharshe]

When we flew from Newark NJ to Cancun in the fall I had no problem with security. Hopefully things will go as smooth when we fly Philly to Phoenix this spring. Dr Anderson says Titanium is less likely to set off the detectors. Though the amount I have he said there was always a chance.
After 9-11 when we flew to AZ I had capris on with 2 teeny bells on the belt tie. That set off alarms and the MP ended up frisking me

[Qikdraw]

I've never set off any alarms and I've done a lot of flying in the last 25 years. I still have the card I got that said I may set them off though. Just in case.

[Pooka1]

We have flown twice, so four times through security at four different airports.

My daughter's hardware set it off every time. She was wanded every time.

I was told no card would help. I strongly suspect she will be wanded the rest of her life. Could be worse and I'm not complaining. I'm just saying she is batting 1000.

We will go on a trip this spring out of the country. This is the trip that was cancelled so she could have her surgery last spring. I expect at least two more wandings, maybe more.

[WNCmom]

My son, very thin, and fused (a long fusion) a little less than 3 months ago, has flown twice since and not set off an alarm yet. I expected him to, since the instrumentation has so little "padding" over it.

I wonder what causes it to go off for some and not for others. Perhaps it's the airport. We flew into and out of the same airport both times.

[laurieg6]

My son has stainless steel rods and screws and we have flown to Florida, New York, Chicago, Detroit (all my extended family is on the East Coast/Midwest and my own little family lives on the West Coast).

He has never set off any alarms since the surgery. He did set off alarms once while wearing his brace prior to the surgery.

[Pooka1]

We have flown twice, so four times through security at four different airports.

That's wrong. It's three airports total... NC, WI, and NYC.

[Sherie]

We've traveled back and forth from Houston to St. Louis twice since surgery. Sheena's set off the alarms at both airports every time and had to be wanded and patted down. I wonder if it's the amount of hardware? She has 26 screws, 2 rods (however long from T4-L4, I'd guess about 16") and 2 cross brackets, all stainless. That's a lot of metal plus she's thin. We're planning a trip to Japan this summer, hopefully it won't be a big issue over there.

[HGD24]

I don't know what type of metal I have, but I have set every airport walk-through detector off except for Shannon, Ireland & Newark, NJ. I've been through quite a few large cities on the East and West coasts as well as Heathrow and they've all gone off. My surgeon also told me I shouldn't have a problem, but it's happened 98% of the time that I travel. It makes for very interesting converstaions with the TSA agents when they realize how much hardware I've got in me

[txmarinemom]

I've always laughed (not to TSA, of course ... sense of humor there is questionable) if they'd just roll me through the scanner behind my purse, things would be a WHOLE lot easier.

BTW, since this thread started, I'm made several other trips (one to Miramar/San Diego to see my son, then Suzy and I flew from San Diego to Salt Lake City on the same flight): Neither one one us set off the detectors.

I was fine from Salt Lake City to IAH (Houston), and I'm pretty sure she was fine going home also.

What's funny is you can CLEARLY feel my hardware at the L1 attachment point. It couldn't GET any closer to the scan field unless it were on the *outside* of my skin.

Sherie, I'd be interested to hear about your Japan trip if you go before me. I'm planning to fly into Naha via Tokyo to see my son on Okinawa this summer/fall ;-).

Regards,
Pam

[fierceliketiger]

I can officially join the club .now. I went to the courthouse on wednesday and was wanded, I explained beforehand that I would probably set off their alarms. They were not in the least interested in my card. My brace set it off, as well as the rods...I had to remove all my layers...eventually they turned the wand to vibrate.

[txmarinemom]

I can officially join the club .now. I went to the courthouse on wednesday and was wanded, I explained beforehand that I would probably set off their alarms. They were not in the least interested in my card. My brace set it off, as well as the rods...I had to remove all my layers...eventually they turned the wand to vibrate.

FLT,

What I was told at the Houston courthouse is the wand scanners emit a different sound for guns - and they weren't concerned when the fusion hardware (and the screws in my ankle) set it off.

I think the woman wanding me was actually having fun: She took her time moving along the length of my fusion, and definitely didn't turn it to vibrate (and those little suckers are *loud*- LOL!).

Best guess is she was having a slow day.

When it started screeching, I'd estimate everyone within range whiplashed themselves turning to stare - and probably wondered "???" when they saw us all standing there in fits of giggles. ;-)

And, no ... they don't care about cards or letters from your surgeon. I suppose in this digital age, anyone could easily create their own. A lot of surgeons aren't even aware of this, and still issue them to patients.

Regards,
Pam

[Qikdraw]

I can officially join the club .now. I went to the courthouse on wednesday and was wanded, I explained beforehand that I would probably set off their alarms. They were not in the least interested in my card. My brace set it off, as well as the rods...I had to remove all my layers...eventually they turned the wand to vibrate.

hehe

When I was released from the hospital I had to fly home, I was 2 weeks after surgery and I go through the scanners and sure enough all the steel in the brace set it off. Well security definately had their time with me. Everytime they hit a brace rod with the hand scanner they would grab it and give it a good shake. I'm surprised my mother didn't have a heart attack. I did show them my card, and told them I had just had back surgery, but they didn't seem to care at all.

My poor mother though. She was in fits.

(This was back in '83)

[Suzy]

No alarms for me yet...

Hi all,

I just got back from another trip and still no alarms! I flew from Sacramento to Cabo San Juan Lucas, Mexico. Sac alarms never go off...
On the way home I noticed they were wanding everyone before letting you walk outside to board the plane. I turned to my girlfriend and said "This should be interesting!" (I had a security guard wand me at our state fair 6 months post-op to see if it would go off, it did.) I was wanded front then turned around for the back wanding, bracing myself, and NOTHING! WTH? Was the thing even on or just for show? Makes you wonder huh? I was shocked to say the least. What did people bring on the plane that the lame wanding did not catch?

On another note just for your amusement... As we checked into customs in Sac, I over heard the 1st officer say to the customs officer "That is my Nephews passport, I must have grabbed it by mistake." I almost snorted out loud, this guy was in the cockpit! Don't you think he should know to check his passport? OMG! Mexico.........LOL!

P.S. Yes Pam, no issue leaving Utah to head home either.

[asccbodypro]

Enjoy those meds...might as well get somethings a little enjoyable out of all of this!