Airport security

Airport security

by Lurker (Doc DX) - 2023-09-27 23:50:10

About 6 months ago I went to Cuba for 2 weeks. I just said I had a pacemaker and the person usually said "go right over there sir". They usually do the wanding but might ask if you want to be frisked. which might be a bit intensive. I passed on that. 
Airport security is pretty good about people with pacemakers. 
I had no problems. 
 

Doc DX

traveling

by Julros - 2023-09-27 23:51:35

Airport security is easy. You can mention to one of the TSA agents that you have a pacer, and they will direct you through the appropriate scanner. You won't need your card. Its getting easier all the time. 

Card

by Penguin - 2023-09-28 02:50:11

I agree with Julros, but I have occasionally been asked for my card on international flights. 

I'm not in the US, and only travel internationally. I have found that different countries react differently. Be prepared to declare a PM in the hand baggage security area (where the scanners are) and sometimes show your card. I always carry mine when I fly. 

Security

by piglet22 - 2023-09-28 06:26:43

Just tell them in good time.

It's not just airports where you might have to be aware, Anywhere that operates higher levels of security including courtrooms and prisons are going to do the same.

walk on through

by Tracey_E - 2023-09-28 13:05:37

I always have my card on me but never say anything anymore, just walk on through. The alloys they use now rarely set off the detectors. The scanners where you put your hands up use xray so it won't be a problem there. This goes for concerts, courthouses, government buildings, theme parks- anywhere with security.

If you do end up wanded, don't let them do it above the waist. It's actually the same thing as the detector but more concentrated so it's more likely to cause a problem than just walking through.

I've been paced 29 years and travel a lot. At first I could not walk through them and had to have a pat down every single flight. Then the body scanners came out and everyone hated them as an invasion of privacy but I loved them because I could simply say pacemaker and ask for that line. Now, my newest one does not set them off so I've stopped saying anything. It just slows things down. It won't hurt us walking through, just don't linger. 

Same as Tracey

by USMC-Pacer - 2023-09-28 20:18:48

I don't say anything and I've never set one off. If I do, then I'll say something.

I walk through the metal detectors

by PacedNRunning - 2023-10-03 18:33:38

All device websites state it is safe for us to walk through metal detectors.  I travel a fair amount and walk through every time.  The exposure from the arms up scanner is too much exposure with the amount of travel I do, so I'm glad metal detetectors are ok for us. 

aint no thing

by dwelch - 2023-10-07 06:55:44

Had pacers for 36 years, back with my first devices doing a lot of international travel.  And the good old metal detectors.  

I have my card(s), I even somehow got one that has "I have a pacemaker" blah blah pin several languages.  But never really needed any of them, I still carry them in my wallet.   

There were periods of time I would just walk through and not do anything as even those old ones wont do anything to the pacer.  The newer ones less likely so.  

There was a nice period in time at my local airport that I would tell them as early as i could and would get to go in the special line, basically cut past everyone else and go through where pilots and crew go.   (and wheelchairs).  But that has ended its the same old line.  

I dont play games with TSA.  I have set the metal detectors off for other reasons and then one wanded me and found the pacer then was not happy when I then said i have a pacemaker.  Honestly he was concerned, you should of told me its bad to wand you there.  Well no, but thanks for your concern.  

I sometimes may tell the first person just in case there is a special line but that has not worked in more year than I can count.  So if they are using the metal detector and not the xray then I will say, I have a pacemaker, and they have me go around and call for someone to wand me and you stand with your feet apart and arms up and they wand you real quick and thats it.  

The airports across the country are all going to be the same experience.   And to some extent globally as well.   Some countries may only have metal detectors.   You may or may not want to just walk through and see what happens, as the search if the detector goes off might not be just a wand. 

I made the mistake at a sporting event to mention it or maybe it was a concert, but they were not prepared they started moving tables or something to allow me to just walk around.  I didnt bother saying anyting in those situations.

My only concern really is upsetting tsa or the guard, they dont find this funny.  I would normally just walk through no worries.  Metal detector or xray machine.  My primary concern with the xray machine is my pants falling off since we have to remove our belts (do they require that anymore?), not the pacer.  In general it is more of a fun test to see, and only one time in decades was I actually setting off a detector that after you are inside you realized was set extra sensitive (not usa).  So could be fun to see if it sets it off, it wont, and then how they react if it goes off and then when you say  "Oh I have a pacemaker"  and then their reaction to that....

The machines wont hurt the pacer in any way, it is just how the people behave that is the issue and whether you want to deal with them by saying something before or not saying anything and then saying something only after/IF you set it off.

Maybe there are some airports still with a special line and you can cut the line and skate through.  (at that time it was a pat down, and sometimes now, if you tell them and skip the metal detector you get a pat down, which may also dictate your decision).

TSA Pat-Downs

by DoingMyBest - 2023-10-07 13:58:38

I had a trip last month through Denver and Sacramento, 3 weeks after my implant. I wasn't ready to take any chances and asked for the pat-down. These guys were nuts - way too thorough. First, I had to stand to the side and wait for someone qualified to pat-down to show up. My wife breezed on through and waited for me. In Denver things went pretty quickly, but they did extra swipes with wipes for their drug/bomb sniffer. In Sacramento I got frisked by two agents and they not only did the sniffer wipes on me, they went through all my carry-on stuff wiping things that had already gone through the xray.

All in all, I'll take a pass on it next time. Though, I assume I'll have to produce the pacemaker card when they discover metal in my chest as I go through the "hands up" imager.