They can't deprive you of your mobility aid... except when they can

[staranise]

By the time I shuffled into the domestic terminal at Toronto's Pearson airport, I was pretty bushed and my knee was transitioning from "aching pain" to "stabbing pain", so when I tossed all my stuff on the security screening counter, the security person said, "Can you walk without your cane?" and I said, "Can I keep it, please?"

They assented, so I went through the metal detector with the cane. Of course, it went off. The woman with the handheld metal detector therefore pulled me aside for a personal screening and pat-down. "Arms out to the side, please," she said. I put my cane as far out to the side as I could, and held my free arm horizontal. She started to scan me, then gestured to my cane arm. "Arms out to the side."

I waggle the cane. "But I--"

"Arms out to the side, miss. This is a security procedure."

So I have to stand there with my arms straight out, both feet flat on the floor, without a lick of help from my cane, as she pats me down looking for nerfarious items.

For five minutes. Like, apparently the last two patdowns of my shins and biceps weren't good enough. Maybe THIS time she'll find something!

Quite honestly, it'd have hurt less if I'd just limped through the metal detector.

Comments

[roserodent]

I am still waiting for someone to actually *notice* when they say "can you put your hands out like this?" (directly out in the crucifix position) and I say "no, sorry, I can't". All that happens is they totally fail to listen and repeat the question. Usually takes 3 rounds before it starts to dawn on them that with the electric wheelchair and all maybe I really can't put my arms up in the air and hold them there while they prod bits of me. Heck, I could maybe hold one arm up, but if they poke me in the wrong nerve they will get an automated slap in the head when my arm takes off of its own accord. And then I will end up in a police cell trying to explain that if my own mother touched me there I'd have slapped her too, it's a reflex, darnit!