Whoa! That's One Thorough Screening!

Let me preface this post by saying I love the United States and I have no problem whatsoever with increased security and screening at our airports. That being said,I have to tell you about what I witnessed at the Las Vegas McCarren Airport. My business partner and I were coming home from an annual trade show we go to for a few days. This same trade show in my posting from a couple of weeks ago "Only in Vegas". Well, it was a successful trade show and time to go home. We head to the airport in plenty of time and get to the security line. My partner had knee surgery about a month earlier and was wearing a pretty serious knee brace. It went from his thigh down to his ankle. It was made of neoprene and metal. It was the love child of a wet suit and an erector set. So, we're waiting in this slow moving line when one of the TSA people tell us "You can come right to the front sir." He was of course, doing this because he saw my partner in his knee brace and wanted to help out a person in need. So, I'm pumped because I'm starving(you all know too well about my apetite) and I want to get some food. I walk through with everything on the converyor belt except my underwear and money(Good Rule: If you need to put a money clip through the scanner, take your money out and keep that in your pocket). Easy peasy. I'm done. Let's go get some bad fake BBQ and a Cinnabon. Not so fast. I look over and my partner is standing in a secure area with 2 TSA folks about ready to check him out. I guess because of his knee brace they have to check him out thouroughly to make sure his knee brace isn't the newest terrorist weapon, The ORTHOBOMB. My partner is being very accommodating and doing whatever they ask. He's standing with his legs spread, arm above his head and standing still. One TSA Gentlman with the blue rubber gloves is patting him down really good. I mean really good. At one point I actually hear the TSA person say to my partner "I'm now going to be checking your private areas" Holy Moly! This checking of the private areas was a combination of a prostate exam and what I expect happens when you first arrive at a Turkish prison. This went on for about 3-4 minutes. My partner was irritated but very patient and calm. The full body pat down is still going on(about 7 minutes at this point) and the TSA person stops to put on a fresh set of blue gloves. I'm thinking "Either this is standard procedure when dealing with someone with an orthopedic brace or this guy is enjoying this" My partner isn't enjoying it but amazingly stayed calm. Finally the TSA people gave my partner the pass. As we walked toward our gate and the bad food court, My partner says "Man,that was one serious screening" I replied "Screening? That guy should've taken you out to dinner before he did that to you" Well, we got on our flight and got home fine.

I will say it again, I have no problem whatsoever with the security measures our country's airports have to do. If we didn't have this type of screening and something terrible happened, people would be in an uproar over bad security.

So,for all of you out there traveling with any type of orthopedic brace on remember one thing.

When the TSA folks tell you to come to the front of the line, you take off whatever brace you're wearing, put in on the conveyor belt next to your shoes or laptop and say to them "I'm good!"