Dear TSA Officer…
Would you believe that going through your line at John Wayne Airport to fly home was the easiest part of our trip?
Would you believe that your treatment of my family was the most sincere we felt during our trip?
Would you believe you were the only one who didn’t judge my special needs daughter at the TSA security line and sympathized with us?
For the 10–15 minute interaction between you and my family, you helped cap probably what was the most important trip of our daughter’s life with respect and dignity, and we are grateful.
You see, my daughter is Autistic. We flew from northern California to southern California for the first of many medical treatments. We saved up for this all important treatment because most medical insurance programs won’t cover most procedures relating to Autism. We approached this trip with anxiousness and hope. It didn’t start well though. We had read all the tips for families traveling with autistic children on the internet, we had prepared everything we could to make my daughter feel the most at ease as possible. But we knew it could be a big challenge to get through the TSA security line. And sure enough, it was a big challenge. She doesn’t fare well in larger crowds. She doesn’t fare well in noisy places. When she is in unfamiliar areas, she panics resulting in what looks like misbehaving, but in reality, it is her coping mechanism. Sometimes, she’ll scream or dart off somewhere. All these happened while we waited in line. She caused a scene; we could feel the eyes of surrounding travelers piercing our backs. We could hear their grumblings and questions under their breath, “what’s wrong with that girl?” “why can’t the parents control her?” “Is she retarded?” For a parent of a special needs child, these questions are all too often said and they sting. However, at this point, we were focused on getting through the line and getting to her medical treatment, we will deal with ignorant people later. Thankfully, my wife was able to walk with her through the screening process, but even that, the wand that scans the body scared my daughter. She grabbed it, threw it and ran. At this point everyone was watching, whispering, judging, I was sweating, my wife looked tired and defeated. We apologized to the TSA officer, while he accepted our apology, he was clearly annoyed and his attitude towards us reflected it. I know a TSA officer’s job can be difficult and is extremely important part of our nation’s security, so I decided to let it go. After finally getting through the security line, we openly wondered if this experience would repeat itself when we fly home.
Going home…
We arrived at the John Wayne Airport three hours early to account for the extra preparation needed to get through the line with our daughter. The airport was packed with business travelers, the type who looks uptight and can be easily annoyed by traveling families. Our stress levels went up as we recalled our first TSA security experience with our daughter. As soon as we entered the terminal, our daughter grew anxious and started to cry. She tried her hardest to pull us back outside the terminal. Then she darted toward the street. Luckily I grabbed her hand before getting hit by a car….
Then you came along. You asked if we are flying out. We said yes. At first, I thought we were in trouble, turns out we weren’t. You helped us get our boarding pass, then as we approached the TSA security line, I tried to explain that my daughter was Autistic and she had a bad experience when we flew in, but before I could start explaining, you put a hand my shoulder and said, “don’t worry sir, we will get your family through comfortably.” You guided us to a separate line, where it was far less crowded, you allowed us a little extra time so that we wouldn’t be rushed. At the end of it all, you gave my daughter a TSA sticker and a high-five. Before we walked off, I shook your hand and profusely thanked you.
You spared us the stress of other traveler’s judging my daughter and family and you spared us the agony of hearing ignorant comments by others. Most importantly, you gave us respect and dignity, which helped positively cap this important trip for us.
