www.incontinentsupport.org

I'm planning on doing some air travel after Christmas and since I don't fly much, I thought I would ask if there has been any resent changes with the TSA that I should know about?

The last time I traveled, I wore a diaper, TENS unit, and Lumbar back support. When I arrived at the airport security entrance, I recall taking off my shoes, removing my watch, and emptying my pockets. I told the TSA guard that I was wearing a TENS unit, and Lumbar support brace before walking through the alarm door way but I never told him I was wearing a diaper. After exiting the alarm door way, I recall showing the guard my Lumbar support, and TENS unit and that was all I was ask about. I collected my personal effects and put my shoes on before continuing forward to the flight gate.

Has anything changed? Do I need to tell them I'm wearing a diaper? Last year I didn't wear any plastic pants, and by the time I was able to change the diaper had leaked some. Not real bad but it could have been very embarrassing so this year I was thinking about wearing plastic pants over the diaper for added protection. Will the plastic pants set of any kind of an alarm as I pass through the alarm door way?

I can't see that a diaper or plastic pants would cause any alarms to ring out. The detectors are looking for metal and there's no metal in either.

I'd wear a pair of ordinary pants on the outside of the diaper and under the plastic pants, by the way, as that will absorb and leaks as plastic pants only keep wet and dry things apart and cannot deal with liquids.

From what I have read on other sites forums about this (no first hand experience here) if you are in a wet garment, the scanners WILL pick it up and you will be searched... Best bet is if possible, watch what you drink that day, and change just before you go through security, most likely you will clear without further issues. Either way, still embarrassing to deal with in front of a TSA agent I would imagine. I am sure they have seen this often with the number of sufferers out there, most likely there is someone wearing on every flight that leaves the ground! Puffy

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Puffy
BC, Canada
Fighting the "Bladder Battle" since 1995

As someone who flies several times a year I think I can answer this one.

Where whatever combination of protection that you need to make it to you next changing opportunity.

If you are going through the body scanner you want to change right before you get in the security checkpoint line, and change into a longer term solution after you get through and go to your gate. The full body scanner (xray type) will show that your diaper is wet.

I cannot walk through the scanners anymore without crutches or a walker so I take my wheelchair when I travel and have to be manually pat down. I always politely say "You here to do a job and I need to let you do that job. As long as we treat each other professionally we won't have any issues." I have not had any problems during screening no matter if I was wet or not. They have never asked about my diapers even when they see one peaking out of the back of my shirt if my shirt rides up enough. I never give the TSA employees a hard time. They are there doing a thankless job. They don't set the policy. The government does. It's their job to follow the policies.

Cheers.

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When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

The last time I flew was last February. With the new body scanners all you do is lift your arms above your head and the machine does the rest. I was wearing a disposable the times I was scanned and nobody said anything to me. I know I was a little wet one of the times but still nothing was ever said. From what I understand the detail of these newer scans is very good so I would guess they'd be able to tell you are wearing a diaper whether or not it is wet.

I fly on a weekly basis, and have been since the time I first began my ic "adventure" seven years ago. Domestic flights are a breeze, andI the TSA people have always been very professional. Sometimes I am in a wheelchair, sometimesI on ccrutches but I have never been embarrassed by their searches . I used to fly to Heathrow 5 or 6 times a year, and the Brits were just as kind as could be to me. I had a regular route from the airport to the pub I stayed at that took me past a chemist (pharmacy) that had better diapers than I can get stateside.

The images seen by the TSA screener cannot be seen by any civilians so don't worry about if you are a bit damp. I always wear disposables when traveling so I don't have any issues with snaps or pins showing up on a scan or wand pass. YMMV.

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- Tom

The poeple from this forum http://www.depend.com/mens-solutions/di ... 4000006931 seem to have had worse experiences.

I have had absolutely NO problem with either the TSA or anything else associated with air travel .. recently or in the past. I have never received any comment(s) nor any 'odd looks' during the security check in process. I carry my extra diapers and plastic overpants with my CPAP machine and the check in process always involves detailed checks of the CPAP and thus all of my protective wear is on display if you will. I can not speak with certainty on this but surely the 'scanner' must detect that I am wearing full protection under my clothing including full knee-length plastic 'bloomers' as well of course my diapers. So no worry. Good luck.

About two years ago, we flew to Hawaii and and learned a few lessons the hard way. First, the full body scanners provide a lot of detail. What they are looking for are dense items like solids like metal or hard plastics. If you are wet, the dense liquid shows up as something more solid then should be there. If you are really wet(which I was), they will pull you aside. My biggest suggestion would be to change just before you go through security. Even if you are a tad wet, it should not concern them enough to pull you aside. You should be just fine. If you forget and they do pull you aside, be straight up with them. Some of them may look like mall cop rejects but they are professionals and I am sure has seen much worse then a person in a diaper. Any covers over them wont mater at all.
If you are very nervous about being discovered, try changing to a thinner pull up style for the 30-60 minutes just before the screening and then once through, change to your thicker more dependable protection for your flight. You will only need to do the screening dance once.

Good luck

Rope

Last month I flew from Dulles via Frankfurt to Istanbul, Turkey. As I am fecal incontinent, I wore a diaper and plastic pants with spandex shorts on top. In my carry-on backpack I had spare diapers, wipes, etc. and my enema bag (prevents bowel incontinence).

I had no difficulties at all with security screening about my diaper. What they did react to was not my diaper but Chapstick I had forgotten and left in my pocket (it is a gel). The security staff were very professional.

--JD