Security at Airports.

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PMI

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Can anybody advise me as to the best way to deal with this. I'm going on holiday soon and I have to take medication with me. This med has to be kept with me in a cooler bag and does include a syringe. What do I need to get passed securty.
Maybe I could put it in the main baggage but I fear that this might go astray
I presume someone out there has come accross this problem.
 
According to the Aer Rianta website, once you have proof that the syringe is required for medical purposes you will be allowed to carry it on board...maybe a letter from your doctor would suffice...but ring ahead and ask
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pmi - a letter from your doctor *should* suffice. We had this before when having to carry a syringe on flights. The thing is that Joe Worker on the security check - no matter how security conscious - is very unlikely to refuse to allow you to take life-saving medication with you. Imagine what would happen if you needed it en-route and they had confiscated it.

However, we did find that sometimes it caused more confusion to declare the syringe in advance, especially in non-English speaking (our GP letter was in English) countries. We had more than one occasion where (after presenting the letter before x-ray) very polite security people went scurrying off to concur with a superior and we were taken off to a room for further discussions before being let through with apologies for delaying us. We eventually decided it was easier to stick the syringe through the x-ray and show the letter when requested. It turns out that the syringe *wasn't spotted* even though we would have had it for 5 or 6 flights.

On the subject of airport security - I remember seeing one particular lady coming through the x-ray in Dublin wearing some sort of wrap thing held together with a giant pin which must have been big enough to go most of the way through a body. I don't know whether security had spotted it and reckoned she wasn't a risk or whether they had spotted it and turned a blind eye rather than insist she remove it and have a bit of a scene when her wrap fell off to reveal no other clothes underneath, or whether they were too busy concentrating on the x-ray and beeper to miss what was definately a lethal looking weapon. Meantime I had to take off my shoes and belt, and put my laptop through the x-ray. Don't these people realise a laptop to the head can cause significant injury . . . maybe since this pin didn't fit the description of nail scissors, swiss army knife or picnic knife they reckoned it wasn't banned. I also saw a whole team of hurlers coming into Heathrow one Sunday evening complete with their personal array of lethal weapons - some of them probably still had blood on them from the match earlier that day . . ..

z
 
I beeped for the first time ever last week going through security. Turns out it was the metal in my bra clasp!! Some airports definitely have higher levels of detection than others!
 
Had a giggle at the thought of an army of fit 'armed and dangerous' hurlers coming though Heathrow.

But what I wanted to mention was that last May, my sister-in-law discovered when we got to our hotel in New York, that she was carrying the needle part of a calf syringe in her handbag. No mystery, she lives on a farm! She had been through Shannon security without any question.

So my advice is to bring a doctor's letter but don't produce it unless an issue is made.

I often find that bra underwire sets off the beeper during airport security check also, far more dangerous than a hurley, perhaps??
 
PMI said:
It's discrimination. Men have to take off their belts.
Click to expand...

Everyone has to take of their belts its not just men!
There isnt a security rule saying only mens belts can be dangerous!
 
Such medication is common, especially with new arthritis biologic treatments. I wouldn't declare it in advance - as mentioned above, this can cause more confusion than it's worth. Just let it go through the scanner.

Bring a letter from your doctor if it makes you feel more secure. Ultimately, you are unlikely to need it, but it will reduce your anxiety. They are unlikely to question you.

Do NOT put your medication in your main baggage - you were right, it could go astray and it's not worth the risk.

As a tip, if your bag needs to be kept cool, some airlines will let you store the bag in their fridge during the flight. Just ask when you board.
 
Something that might be of interest to you
Yes my meds MUST be kept chilled but the manufacturer states that to put them with the main baggage would be too cold and the meds could be distroyed.
They are prepared to supply me with a special cooler pack which I can keep for future trips.
 
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