Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Carla.Campbell From: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: AIRPORT SECURITY PART TWO Message-ID: <18350@bunker.UUCP> Date: 26 Mar 91 03:59:45 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA Lines: 78 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 14183 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] RC> Carla- I would be interested to hear how they react when it RC> comes to adaptive computer equipment. Well, it seems that all of us have a variety of experiences, but I have found there is little difficulty if my equipment does not require electricity to operate. While I have encountered many security people who were mystified by my equipment and a few who didn't know what to do "about me", I have not encountered any situation that was more than marginally unpleasant. (but maybe my threshhold of agrivation is high-- I dunno.) I have travelled with a VersaBraille and they were puzzled, but content when they saw the display change a few times. With my Toshiba with speech, I have had no trouble at all. Half the time, I think that they do not realize it is a talking computer, since they only hand around for the memory check sequence before speech is loaded. When they do, they want to play with it like everyone else does the first time they see a computer equipped with speech synthesis. (I will never forget the first two days after I got my first computer assembled in my college dorm. I thought I was never going to get any work done for all my dormmates coming in and wanting to type their names and favorite dirty words in!) All in all, I have really had very little trouble, aside from the few times they have gone into in-depth questions about the VersaBraille and/or the old Apple //c (which I took with no monitor and it required two electrical sockets to function. When they could only come up with one, I did miss a plane once, trying to convince them it would do something if only I had more power-- after that I carried a multiple-socket adapter and had no more troubles). Curiosity slows me down more than suspicion. The only other difficulties I have are the same ones facing our computer-toting sighted peers-- "you can put that through the X-ray.. it won't hurt it!" "No way. Please hand check it." "but.." "please". I always "win". I don't really know how I objectively feel about computers and security checks. It makes me uncomfortable knowing how easy it would be to hide something explosive in a working computer, but on the other hand, I would be lost without the laptop when I travel. I don't know where it all balances out, but I am happy if they just apply the same rules to me as to everyone else on my flight. I also do not know how much this may have changed in the last month, since I last traveled by plane on January first, and I know things have gotten tougher since then. The one improvement I would wish for is a little "courtesy training"-- simple educational stuff. I have met up with security folks who have told me that I could not take my dog through at all (until I requested that they double-check with the airport authorities-- after which they were most apologetic.) I think there ought to be a brochure passed out to all security folks suggesting that they not "grab" disabled people and propell them through the archways (it would save me a bit of emphatic refusal from time to time) and exposing them to the idea of adaptive computers-- with pictures of Braille displays, etc, and perhaps an explanation of how they _should_ operate-- ways to tell if they are functional, etc. This would help all-round-- providing the airport personnel with useful information with which to protect us and others, and informing them of the best ways to approach disabled passengers without compromising any security matters. If anything, I have been astounded at how often I have been shooed through without any real check at all. that makes me far more uncomfortable than intensive scrutiny. How do the rest of you feel about a move to get manufacturers of adaptive technology to provide the FAA with photographs of their products and descriptions of how they ought to function for use by security personnel? I think that might be helpful both in making our transit through security quicker and more pleasant at times and also in making travel safer by making sure people do not attempt to disguise explosive devices as adaptive technology. What do you think? --Carla ... Read what I mean, not what I write! -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Carla.Campbell Internet: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org