[nfb-talk] canes and planes

[T. Joseph Carter]

I will begin by saying that I am polite about these things, but my 
cane stays with me, period.

At the security checkpoint, TSA has three rules that conflict:

1. My cane, being rigid, must be X-rayed.
2. They cannot pass anything back to me before I step through the 
checkpoint once it has been scanned.
3. My cane is a mobility device, and they may not deprive me of it.

Usually they want to give me this two foot long plastic or wooden 
support cane to step through.  If they can pass that to me, they can 
pass me my own 67 inch mobility cane and watch me step through with 
it to see that it was not tampered with after scanning.  They can, 
will, and have.

On the plane, the cane again stays with me.  It goes on the floor, 
out of the way, but it stays with me.  I will not surrender it to a 
flight attendant, because then I am confined to my seat for the 
duration of the flight.  They have restrooms on planes for a reason, 
and I drink lots of coffee and tea.

Again, I am polite, but I am also firm.  My cane is part of me, and I 
will surrender it no sooner than someone might remove a limb.

Joseph


On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 04:33:26PM -0500, Bryan Schulz wrote:
> dave,
>
> i have done the same with no problems but we were using common sense.
> what about the older people who refuse to use anything other than a rigid 
> one piece cane that you can't easily put out of the way then they raise a 
> stink or threaten legal action when it is taken from them?
> what about going thru the security point?
> in 1999 in st. louis to san fran and in 2006 st. louis to dallas, the  
> security staff will not let you walk thru the walls with your cane.  they 
> put it on the conveyer belt and reach thru from the other side, grasp 
> your hands and help you from bumping the walls then give you back your 
> cane.
>
> Bryan