[nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security

Robert Stigile rstigile at sbcglobal.net
Wed Jul 21 16:59:55 UTC 2010


Hello All,
I have been following this thread since I returned home from both 
the convention and a vacation.
I traveled to Dallas, then from Dallas to Vancouver Canada, then 
I took a shuttle bus from Vancouver across the United States 
Border, which I also had to go through a metal detector, and then 
I finally made my way home from Seattle back to Burbank 
California.
In all of my travels, over the last two and a half weeks, every 
time I went through a metal detector, whether it be at the 
airport, the Docks for the ship, customs to come back into the 
states, I came across only one place where I had a question about 
my dog going through the screening with her gear on.
I was at the Seattle airport, going through the detector, which I 
set all of my bags on the conveyer belt, and slowly approached 
the place where one goes through the metal detector.
I made my dog sit, as I normally do, started through and the 
screener said, you have to take the dogs harness and collar off 
of her.
I said no, I do not need to do that, I will not do that, and if 
you have a problem with it, I will ask you to call a supervisor.
She said, we will have to pat your dog down when she comes 
through the screener, which I said yes, you are right, and 
proceded through.
This was the first time, I had this issue, and I expect it to be 
the last.
On another note, I am wondering, if anyone has a problem like I 
seem to have, with regards to the seat I sit in.
When I book my airline ticket, I then choose the seat that I will 
sit in.
I do not choose, nor do I want to be put in bulk head seating.
I actually prefer about the middle of the plane, for many 
reasons.
When I get to the airport, I check in and almost every time, they 
will try to move me to bulk head without telling me.
The airlines seem to think, that they know best, where I should 
sit, and many have gone as far as telling me that the faa rules 
state that anyone with a service animal must sit in bulkhead 
seating.
I have told them, that when they find that rule to come back and 
read it to me.
Usually, they will come back after a while, and say you can sit 
here.
I knew that in the first place.
So, do any of you have this issue, do any of you care whether you 
sit in bulk head or in other seats.
I am curious to hear from people on this list, who travel a lot, 
what is your preference, and if it is not bulk head, how do you 
handle this issue or does it come up with you.
Thank you for reading.


Robert Stigile
E-mail: rstigile at sbcglobal.net
Skype: robertstigile1


 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Ginger Kutsch" <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:29:01 -0400
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security

Steve,

 I believe Dawn Jenkins is the President of the Staunton chapter
of the NFB in Virginia - perhaps someone can give her a call.

   -----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Steve Johnson
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:15 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security

Could someone i.e.  list moderator and list owner check to see if
this person is an actual subscriber to NAGDU?  If I am correct,
this forward or reply has not changed at all with the exception
of the name which is now Dawn instead of Brandy.  I am going to
block it on my computer just to be safe as it is just weird as we
continuously get this same message lacking any narrative or
response from the sender whomever it is.  Anyone know this
person?

Thanks,
Steve


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Dawn Jenkins
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 7:06 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security



-----Original Message-----
From: Chasity Jackson <chasityvanda at charter.net
Sent: Saturday, 17 July, 2010 21:36
To: NAGDU Mailing List,	the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security

In the event that we get a security member who insists that we
remove the dog's gear, how can we affectively argue the point.
Perhaps saying, "The regulations don't require me to do that,"
wouldn't be enough...And you know how people can sometimes be, if
you ask for their supervisor, they are conveniently not
available, so the staff member claims.

I live in St.  Louis and have never had a problem with airport
security, but was just wondering what is the most affective way
to handle it in the event it arises.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charlene Ota" <caota at hawaii.rr.com
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security


 That is really asking too much and putting you at risk for your
dog
 running off!

 As for the pouch with the poop bags and the like, well, my boy
gets a
 bit agitated when they start digging in that pouch, I  think
he'd
 probably get rather upset if they actually removed that pouch
from his
 harness and tried to confiscate it.  I'd probably definitely
know about
 it if that happened!
 (smile!) Wonder what they'd even want with a pouch with poop
bags anyway.
 Never know about these security types, do you.

 -----Original Message-----
 From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
 Behalf Of Pawpower Creations
 Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 1:28 PM
 To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
 Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security

 This is very true.  By law they can not ask you to remove the
dogs gear.
 Both Rox and I have experienced this, and we refused to remove
either
 the harness or cape.  We have had some interesting experiences
in
 security, but so far they have not tried to force us to remove
the
 gear.  Asking you to remove the leash and collar is totally
wrong.  In
 fact I would contact the person in charge of airport security
and
 report the incident and explain the law.  If some one else on
this
 list has information on how the law reads that would be good.
I would
 be interested in knowing, and I will do some research and try
and find
 out as well.


 Best wishes from the Pawpower pack!
 Bristol, Mill'E, Rudy, and Laveau

 Pawpower Creations, Products designed with you and your Canine
in mind
 Bob Blackner/Rox'E Homstad
 504-312-2609
 pawpower at cox.net
 www.pawpowercreations.com
 Custom made guide dog harnesses, leashes, collars, and
relieving
 harnesses.
 Pawpower Creations is constantly growing and expanding as we
strive to
 provide quality products for you and your canine companions.
Soon we
 will be offering herb classes taught by a certified Herbalist,
dog
 training classes, a training tips section, and other useful
 information for a nominal charge.

 We will also be selling hand crafted soaps, bath salts, and
other
 fragrant products designed to relax the mind, cleanse the body,
and
 soothe, calm and uplift your spirit.

 With eye upraised his master's look to scan, The joy, the
solace, and
 the aid of man:
 The rich man's guardian and the poor man's friend, The only
creature
 faithful to the end.

 George Crabbe

 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "Susan Jones" <sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net
 To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'"
 <nagdu at nfbnet.org
 Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 5:41 PM
 Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dogs and airport security


 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
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