Hi
I am a very regular flyer, every school holidays, through busy London Stansted airport with my 2 children. My son is Type 1 and 4 years old and once I explain to airport security that his pump and handset can’t go through the metal detector or X-ray machine they have been ok about taking him to one side, manually patting him down and swab testing his machines and his insulin cool bag. However yesterday was a completely different story. I explained as usual and the security staff member told me that they had to bring him into a private room to search him with 2 members of staff. I explained this had never ever happened to me and I had only flown out of the same airport a fortnight ago but I was told they are clamping down and this is new procedure that because I won’t allow my son go through their machines this will have to happen every time we fly. I did have my letters from the Consultant with the explanation. I had to go to this private room feeling like a criminal and sign a form for them to pat him down and check in his shoes. I didn’t want to take his pump off him for airport security because it’s his life line and why should I!? I told the staff this is very stressful and I was travelling alone with my 2 kids, it actually triggered a migraine in me and I get the vision aurora which made my journey even more difficult to cope with that on top of everything else. Has anyone else experienced this? I have no idea what to do next time I travel? It may be the security staff member yesterday was a rule sticker but what if this is going to happen for diabetes children all the time? FYI I have flown out of Stansted for years and in the 3 years my son is diagnosed this has never happened.
I am a very regular flyer, every school holidays, through busy London Stansted airport with my 2 children. My son is Type 1 and 4 years old and once I explain to airport security that his pump and handset can’t go through the metal detector or X-ray machine they have been ok about taking him to one side, manually patting him down and swab testing his machines and his insulin cool bag. However yesterday was a completely different story. I explained as usual and the security staff member told me that they had to bring him into a private room to search him with 2 members of staff. I explained this had never ever happened to me and I had only flown out of the same airport a fortnight ago but I was told they are clamping down and this is new procedure that because I won’t allow my son go through their machines this will have to happen every time we fly. I did have my letters from the Consultant with the explanation. I had to go to this private room feeling like a criminal and sign a form for them to pat him down and check in his shoes. I didn’t want to take his pump off him for airport security because it’s his life line and why should I!? I told the staff this is very stressful and I was travelling alone with my 2 kids, it actually triggered a migraine in me and I get the vision aurora which made my journey even more difficult to cope with that on top of everything else. Has anyone else experienced this? I have no idea what to do next time I travel? It may be the security staff member yesterday was a rule sticker but what if this is going to happen for diabetes children all the time? FYI I have flown out of Stansted for years and in the 3 years my son is diagnosed this has never happened.
