An Experience Revisited: Phoenix Security

I received a letter in the mail from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport today. This letter acknowledgeed my complaint (from Day 1) and asked for me to contact them to review further information.

Having little experience on matters of complaints, I dialed the number at the bottom of the signature. The soft voice on the other end answered bluntly only by name. I believe I began with something like this: "Uhh, my name is Ryan McLean and I am returning a call from you about a... complaint? I'm not sure if it is a considered a complaint..." The TSA Customer Support agent, simply replied with a, "Yes, it is a complaint, and that it should be."

She asked me to recount the day. I did so similarly to how I would to a friend, not even leaving out the part where I told the security supervisor that if he wanted documentation he could look at the scar on my butt. I didn't mean that statement as disrespectful. In the heat of my moment of panic, I would have gladly showed that only documentation that I had on my person!

The TSA agent was kind and concerned for my care in Phoenix. In her letter she stated that, "we need to be humane and responsive to the various medical needs of the traveling public..." She explained to me the need for this letter to be directed to the management of security, which she would do so personally. She also expressed gratitude towards me for even writing a letter and how she hoped that it would become a learning tool for future security agent training sessions. It was encouraging to hear that my words were acknowledged and that those words may even make a difference for future passengers. I suppose that is why people complain in the first place?

After recounting that day at the airport, the agent simply asked me what I would hope to see from this. I explained to her how I am not someone to disobey rules, especially those in place for my own and everyone else's safety; however, it was the act of complete disregard that was felt that day in the rows of shoeless passengers lined like cattle herds. I spoke to her frankly and with great passion. These security personnel need to be educated on disabilities. They need to be able to understand basic information regarding different disabilities, as well as how to approach issues that may be different from the rules written. The problem from the very beginning, that day, was that no one took into account that it wasn't my choice to live life like this, and there was nothing that they could say or restrict from me to change that. Perhaps not only airport security officials need a training session on this...