Lap Band Pat Down at the Airport

[Spot 20]

So, I thought this was interesting. I just went through airport security and got to go into the controverial screening x-ray machine doohicky. After it was done, I had to wait longer than the other folks going through, and then a TSA officer patted me down, just in the front of the bra area belly area. I'm thinking that, along with my tampon, the TSA screening x-ray machine doohicky lookers saw the band and thought it suspicious (tampon made it through without any special pat downs), considering they didn't pat me down anywhere else.

Anybody have this happen to them?

[TKW 501]

LOL .... so did you tell them you had a band in, or they just let you go when they couldn't feel anything?

[Cindy C 150]

That's funny!!

[LapBandBobbi 8]

Did they feel the port?

[Spot 20]

They didn't say anything, lol. No, I don't think she felt anything out of place, I'm only a month post-op and still rather fluffy, lol.

Nobody else got patted down after their fancy screening, just me, and just in that area of my body. She didn't pat me down anywhere else.

[options123 3]

Never thought about that.

[Jess55 97]

Weird, I didn't think they'd be able to see anything. I thought it just liked outlined your body or something. If that happened to me, my port is very easily felt and I'm only 4.5 months post op. So when I lose more weight it will be more prominent and I fly at least once a year. Not sure what would happen if they felt my port on me

[MarcyLoo 12]

Uhm...ok...this is a reallllly tacky question but I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I ask...was the tampon inserted??

I almost always get picked out for a special serch (not band related since I haven;t flown yet with it)...one time for an expired drivers license, and once for having large black boots on. They took my boots, after they went thru the conveyor belt Xray, wiped them down then tested the rag for explosives!!! I'm 5'2", near 300 pounds (267 now woot!), very white/American/European looking...I'm surprised I have never had my rollls searched!

[Spot 20]

Weird, I didn't think they'd be able to see anything. I thought it just liked outlined your body or something.

Well, I just looked and it seems you're right. Weird. Despite all the hard evidence against it that I'm reading, I still think that machine somehow knew. I couldn't of caused them any reason to just check that part of my body. I was even wearing a cotton only sports bra and a shirt. No jewelry or anything. Just me and cotton.

[Spot 20]

Uhm...ok...this is a reallllly tacky question but I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I ask...was the tampon inserted??

Yes. But I was under the impression it could pick up on it since I was, and still am, convinced it saw my Lap-Band or the port.

More on my suspicions. I've been patted down at TSA a couple times. Once because I had bought my ticket that day, and it caused me to do special screening (pat downs, swabbing my luggage) and once because I didn't take off my hoodie. The first time, I was pat down everywhere. The hoodie incident, they did all areas of my hoodie. This is the first time I've ever been patted down on just my chest and upper belly.

[savingface 0]

CRAZY......

[JanB23 23]

Uhm...ok...this is a reallllly tacky question but I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I ask...was the tampon inserted??

I almost always get picked out for a special serch (not band related since I haven;t flown yet with it)...one time for an expired drivers license, and once for having large black boots on. They took my boots, after they went thru the conveyor belt Xray, wiped them down then tested the rag for explosives!!! I'm 5'2", near 300 pounds (267 now woot!), very white/American/European looking...I'm surprised I have never had my rollls searched!

I am 5' with blonde hair and blue eyes and for a while there it seemed every time i went to the airport, mainly to meet someone or send someone off, not fly myself, i would be pulled aside for the explosives wipe down. The last time i said to the guy, "why me, do i look like a terrorist?" He says" no, thats why i picked you, i always choose the most unlikely looking people."

Haven't been through the new xray scanners yet and now i have the band and have lost some weight i don't seemed to be pulled aside anymore.

[Humming Bird 275]

Too funny. I'm flying next week. Now I will have to think of funny things to say when they pat me down

[Juliat 6]

Right after I got my band, I flew to South Texas. They just put in one of those xray machines and I know they saw the band. They pulled me aside and started asking me questions about it and asked if I had an operation recently. Luckily I had my surgeon's paperwork (someone suggested I bring it) and had to explain to them about the band.

It was weird, but there was a lot of people looking at the screen and pointing. I felt like a criminal

Julia

[thsisme 14]

i have flown several times since being banded. I was never patted down, but was told that they pay attention to the surgical incisions and it may cause them to question whether something had been inserted under the skin.