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Airport Security
We are going to visit Italy this year.
What type of airport security do they have there? My husband has a deep brain stimulator implanted and must be hand checked. He can't go through a security gate or even be wand checked, or do they have that kind of security? Will there be any problem? Is there any way that I can communicate with them to let them know to hand check him? He has a card that states that he has the implant but will anyone at the airport in Italy be able to understand even if I ask to have him hand checked? Thanks |
Italy has both security gates and wands.
Your husband's situation would seem -- I write with no medical knowledge -- as grave or even graver than that of someone with a severe allergy. My recommendation would be the same as the recommendations allergy-sufferers have been given: Have your husband's card (which presumably explains that either procedure would be harmful to him) professionally translated into Italian, printed on a card and laminated, so that you can show it to airport personnel. Relying on oral communication in a language that may be incompletely understood by either party -- English by the airport staff, Italian by you -- would, I think, be dangerously unreliable. |
IMO, security at major European airports is superior to that in the US.
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Good advice from Eloise.
I suggest that you go to www.slowtravel.com, post the material on the card and ask for translation help. They have native Italians on that board. ((I)) |
Dick: Then why are flights halfway across the Atlantic before it's discovered a passenger is on the "No-fly list"?
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The "no-fly list" is *American*. What do you suggest European airports do: board people four hours in advance and have them sit on the tarmac until the passenger list has been sent to the U.S., and the *American* authorities have put it through their *American* computers?
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I am hydrocephalus and I have a programmable valve implanted. I also cannot go through security gates and never had a problem here in Spain or England but I do speak the language :) Maybe you can tell about it to your airline and they can do some arrangement in your behalf. Anyway, if you have a card stating his condition, the only thing that can happen is a bit of delay if the security people doesn't speak English while they find someone who does :)
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Eloise: Apparently you know much more about the "American" no-fly list than I do. Perhaps the "Americans" could develop/coordinate a computer-based system shared by all. That way, passengers wouldn't have to sit on the tarmac for four hours, as you believe I would have them do.
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Here is a paragraph from a press release issued by the TSA itself:
Passengers on international flights will continue to be checked against names in the consolidated TSC database <b>by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),</b>, through its Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS). These checks are mandated by U.S. law. You can read it yourself at the Transportation Security Administration Web site: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?co...000519800c6c77 You don't really think the TSA would allow any foreign country to access its list through shared computers, do you? |
Eloise: thanks for the info.
And you seem to know a lot about what "I really think" or want to "suggest." Have a nice day. |
the no-fly list is hardly the same thing as good security. many of the alerts are false and a good many are questionable at best (Cat Stevens????).
anyway, i thought everyone knew this was an american database. the stories about it have been well publicised. |
Sera
To me, you appeared to question Eloise's knowledge of the procedures, then get "huffy" when she supplied exactly those details. "You don't really think" in her post appeared to me to be a question, rather than a supposition. |
In Europe, it is not uncommon for security people to carry automatic weapons.
There was a time, after 9/11 that our airports had very visible and well armed security. i just don't seem to see that as much in our airports anymore. |
Thanks to Eloise and kenderina. I will sure do as you advised.
I sure didn't mean to open a can of worms about that no-fly subject. Lydel |
implants on persons who have indeed Lydel-first of all, I've just skimmed through the posts here, but it seems people have gotten off on a tangent about the "no-fly" list. I don't have any idea in Hades what people think this has to do with your husband's problem, but I do know this: however well-intentioned, the "no-fly" list has NOTHING to do with your husband's issue-and your husband's medical implant issue is a HUGELY important one, not just for him, but for many hundreds, maybe thousands like him who are traveling both domestically and overseas and must handle the prospect of the screening checkpoint.
Without going into details, I happen to know a fair bit about this particular issue with respect to domestic hand screening (and problems that have arisen therefrom) of persons with medical implants. I should say that there could well be problems in Italy at the screening checkpoint regarding this sensitive matter. Some research is necessary in order to determine the best way to handle this issue abroad. TSA screeners are thoroughly trained in this country with hand checking of persons with medical implants. To that end, I'd like you to read the following information on the TSA website regarding persons with medical implants: www.tsa.dot.gov/public/display?theme=156 Italy has hand wanding and magnetometers just like in the US. Now I know that Italy must have procedures for hand screening of persons with medical implants, what I don't know is how an international traveler who does not speak Italian handles that matter at the screening checkpoint in Italy, and presents their medical card in English. Some screener supervisors in Italy should speak English, I'm sure, but you can't absolutely count on that. Accordingly, I would advise you to contact TSA and put the question directly to them using the following email address: [email protected]. TSA should do some research on this matter and get back to you within two days with information, and/or someone to contact. In the meantime, I will make some inquiries on my own as to whether there is some printed guidance on this matter for international travelers, and/or contact TSA personnel who deal with disabilities at the screening checkpoints. (they have an entire office that deals with these matters). The airlines, although they have security contractors who work for them abroad at check-in and do some questioning and redundant screening-DO NOT do the primary screening in Europe-that is handled by the governmental airport authority in each European country. However, they may be able to assist you and your husband while you are at the screening checkpoint. I would therefore encourage you to speak to a customer service supervisor for the airline you're traveling with as well. The problem with your husband and sensitive hand-wands and magnetometers is such that, were al screener to mistakenly bring the hand-wand near your husband's head, very serious injury could result. Your husband's brain implant is a new one to me- I am primarily familiar with pace-makers and gastronomic implants on persons who have in fact incurred serious injuries as a result of a mistaken hand-wanding. The point is, mistakes do happen, but I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. You must insure that it does not, and that you and your husband are armed with all available information BEFORE you leave this country. Like I said, I will do some checking on this issue as well, and get back to this post-because it is a question that is applicable to a certain segment of the traveling public with special needs, and I am unaware what, if any current information there is on the matter. |
My brother in law has an implant in his spine and he was advised by his MD to take with him a set of offical X-rays showing the implant - with the name of the MD and the hospital. The MD provided anofficial letter - on this letterhead - and suggested translations into the language of the countries through which he was traveling.
I know that security people are used to certain common types of implants (hips etc) but for anything unusual I would bring as much info as possible. |
Spygirl, thank you so very much for all your information. I too will try to find out as much as I can about security at the airport in Rome.
My husband's brain surgery implant is called a DBS (deep brain stimulator) This process has only be used about 10 years and is mainly for people with Parkinson's but in my husband's case it was done for a hand tremor he's had for years. The good news is that it has cured his hand tremor. We are going to be traveling with a tour group and I'm wondering if someone at the travel agency can give me some help with this matter. They know my husband's situation but haven't said anything about it to me. The owner of the travel agency is also going along. Maybe he knows Italian or can give me some suggestions on who to contact. But for now, thanks again, Spygirl. |
A good thing to do , nytraveler, because it's not only the "trouble" at the airport. One doesn't want to think about that when in vacation, but you maybe will need to have that info translated (even if it is only a written letter from your doctor)in case you need going to an ER or something like that.
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Spygirl,
I forgot to mention that the deep brain stimulator is like a pace maker except it's for the brain. The stimulator is implanted in the same place on the chest, just below the shoulder, the same as a pace maker. |
unfortunately, many people from the middle east use the same name (ie, cat stevens became yusef salam, "john dooe").
that's why people are stopped at customs. how many muhamad ali's can there be? |
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