to ask to prefer a “pat down” at airport?

[AragornIsGorgeous]

Hi, I will be using wheelchair assistance when flying abroad shortly, and my arm will still be in a sling.

I’m told that usually a traveler is asked to walk through a contraption (with arms raised?) instead of the traditional pat down.

As I will be in a wheelchair and arm in sling, can I ask for the pat down, or can I be “made” to go through the machine thingy whatever it’s is?

sorry I can’t be more specific, I’m not an air traveler in general.

Thank you for reading, and I would appreciate all (kind) replies.

You’ll have to go through a scanner.
What is your reluctance? They’re perfectly safe.

The new style body scanners are pacemaker safe.

A single pass through a walk-through metal detector is several orders of magnitude lower than daily exposure to natural background radiation.

So really it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the radiation you’re already exposed to just by existing on earth.

Airport metal detectors emit non ionizing radiation in the form of low-intensity magnetic fields, so the magnetic fields generated by metal detectors are considered safe and do not cause biological damage.

You’ll do what the security staff decide is the best way to check you.

You will have to let airport staff make the decision. I wouldn’t start saying anything about rights and what you want, as it might rub them up the wrong way.

There is no absolute right for a wheelchair user, or anyone, to get on the plane without being checked for the possible presence of weapons or explosives. If you have medical reasons for not wanting to go through the metal detector, presumably you can produce evidence of this, e.g. a letter from your doctor?

doesn’t flying expose you to radiation anyway? I imagine the security scanner is a drop in the ocean in comparison.

The safety and security of the airport, plane and other passengers trumps your unreasonable desire not to go through a metal detector. The airport staff will do this every day for people with a variety of disabilities - cooperate with whatever measures are necessary to keep you and the rest of the world safe.

Of course they don’t force people out of their wheelchairs!! What nonsense.

Airports have handheld scanners don't they ? Every. Time i go in my wheelchair they use a handheld and I've had a pat down. They don't drag disabled people out of their wheelchairs through scanners!

Absolutely ridiculous some people have no clue.

Yes, you can definitely ask for a pat down. I’m pregnant and the other month I requested this and they had no problem at either airport. I did the same with my first and they were always understanding of my requests.

They really don’t but then rush to advise others. Alarming.

Love that typo!!

You don't get to choose what level of security you'd like to be subjected to at an airport OP 🤣. Intrigued why you don't want to go through a metal detector though. i think it's quite funny you think just saying "I'm not going to be smuggling anything" means you can pick what security you have to comply with.

DH can't use the gates (or an induction hob) because of his pacemaker. It's never a problem.

If you can walk through the scanner then what’s the problem with doing so?? If you are wheelchair bound then be guided by protocol at the airport. Certainly, do not kick up a fuss, they’re doing a job after all.

Please don't argue with them about your rights. Just do as you are asked. Asking for a particular kind of screening will raise suspicion.

Simply ask them (using your best tingly voice😅) what you need to do to help them in order to progress through screening.

Granted, they are not the person in a wheelchair, but they have a lot more experience than you in how to do screening efficiently.

Let them do their job.

I asked for a pat down instead of using the machine while pregnant (out of an abundance of caution) and they were fine about it.

You'll be fine. Your wheelchair won't fit in the ones where you put your arms up anyway, as they have curved sliding 'doors'. And there's no point in them putting you through the normal metal detector arch as your wheelchair is metal!

While the security line is stressful and the staff busy, they're not stupid and they manage people with disabilities dozens of times a day, if not hundreds.

They really should. 😂

Fabulous typo!

My dd's a full time wheelchair user so the way airport security worldwide do with her is I push her through, step back through the metal detector and security do a search by hand and swabs on different parts of her wheelchair, some airports have hand scanners/wands. They always ask if it's ok to touch her, they are always so gentle and friendly with her in every airport we've been through and there's been a lot.

The security will always suggest the best way even before we ask and tbh it's just quicker and less stressful to go along with their rules which is usually the above.

Now DD is in her own chair and not a transfer chair you get in the airport so you could be asked to step through if you can walk unaided. If you need help walking they'll have to do a pat down as no one can walk through with you and the wheelchair sets off the alarms.

At one airport my dm and a man both had to get up and walk through the metal detector. Once through my dm plonked herself back in the nearest wheelchair causing a huge kerfuffle as it was a private wheelchair and not airport provided like dm’s.