[nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security

Sat Jul 17 23:07:41 UTC 2010

When I first got my dog, I also just let her go through with the
harness on, but I found that it's much easier, for me and Brie if we
do it this way.  I also trust that Brie won't make a run for it.  She
knows better than to do that.  I know people have different ways of
doing things.  This is just the one I found to be the most efficient
for us, but I really didn't feel comfortable removing the leash and
collar.  That's it.

On 7/17/10, Susan Jones <sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Julie and listers,
> You should never even take your dog's harness off.
> What if you were traveling alone, and your dog decided to make a run for it,
> have an adventure?
>
> I know there are people on this list who can verify that the regulations do
> not require removal of the harness, let alone leash and collar.
>
> I had no difficulty on either end going to National Convention.
> Though I have had variances, such as people asking that we go through
> together, and they pat us both down, this is what I usually do:
> Have my dog sit at the door, make a long leash, go through first, and then
> call her.
> They will then call a guard to pat the dog down.  I have never been asked to
> remove the harness.
> The worst thing that happened is that once, they confiscated the little poop
> patrol container that had plastic bags inside for pickup.  I didn't realize
> it until we were on the plane.  Not worth bothering about.
>
> Susan & Rhoda
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Julie McGinnity
> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 6:17 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security
>
> Hi everyone.  I hope you are having a nice weekend.
>
> I just got back from a week long trip to Philadelphia this morning.
> At the airport both going there and coming back something weird happened in
> airport security.  I am wondering if there are some policies I don't know
> about, or if the people were really doing something wrong.
>
> Last Sunday I traveled from St. Louis to Philadelphia.  When we got to
> airport security, I took the dog's harness off and put it with my purse and
> everything on the conveyerbelt.  I made her sit and stay while I went
> through and then called her after I was out.  She came right to me, and of
> course she made the thing beep because of her leash and collar.  I just
> waited at this point because this is what always happens, and someone always
> comes to pat the dog down.  The last 2 times I have traveled it happened
> this way.  Instead of coming over to pat the dog down, they asked me if I
> could take her leash and collar off and make her go back through.  I said
> that I would really prefer not to do that, and I said that I don't mind if
> they need to pat her down because that's what usually happens.  They then
> asked me again to take off the leash and collar.  I didn't know how to argue
> with them further, so I just did what they said.  I took off the leash and
> collar and let my mother call her back through.  Thankfully, she was very
> good.  I think she thought the whole thing was a game.  She went through
> without her stuff on, and it didn't go off, and she came right to me.  It
> was very hard to get a handle on her though without her stuff, and the
> security people had taken her leash and collar, so it wasn't like I could
> just put it back on her.  I had to wait for them to scan it, which meant I
> had to hold on to her awkwardly and walk to where the stuff was going to
> come out.  Brie was very good, but the whole process annoyed me.  I don't
> understand why they couldn't just pat the dog down.  That's what happened
> when I flew to and from Dallas.  It seemed to work fine.  I know how to take
> my dog through security.  They tought us at guide dog school.
>
> When I flew back to St. Louis this morning I experienced a similar thing.  I
> went through security the way I was taught.  They stopped me again after the
> dog had gone through, and again, I expected them to just pat her down so I
> could be on my way.  I was very late.  Instead they took me to the side,
> said they were not going to pat her down.
> When I asked why they weren't just going to pat the dog down, the lady
> didn't answer me.  I had to wait around 5 or 10 minutes, and another lady
> came.  She basically looked at me and the dog and said we could go.  I don't
> understand why, if they weren't going to pat her down, they made us sit
> there and wait.  I heard them talking, and it sounded like they didn't know
> what to do.  Isn't there procedure for this?  We were taught to go through
> security this way for a reason, because it works out that way.  Why are the
> security people being so difficult?
> Of course it is entirely possible that there is something I don't know or
> overlooked in the situation.  Just let me know what I should do next time in
> this situation, or even if this situation is something to think about.
> Sorry for the novel length email.  I wanted to tell this right.
>
> Julie and Brie
>
> --
> Julie McG
>  Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding Eyes for
> the Blind
>
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
> believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
> John 3:16
>
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-- 
Julie McG
 Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
Eyes for the Blind

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16