From: Pete Donahue 
Subject: Re: security alert
Hello Walt and listers,
On other occasions I have been encouraged to simply walk through the
meatle detector after asking Mary or someone to hold my guide dog while I
pass through the machine.  After passing through the meatle detector I
call my dog to me, pick up his harness, retrieve any belongings that may
have gone through the X-ray machine, and go on my way.  This is the way it
usually has been.  On occasionts when we've beenhand searched or patted
down we have never been asked to stand, and place our hands and feet in a
mannor similar to one who has just been arrested, nor have we observed
this kind of treatment being done to sighted persons.  We are not
objecting to the securrity searches and questions. Rather, wwe hope that
the way in which we were searched  doesn't lead to worse hastles with
securrrity problems later on.  If you read your past Braille Monitors you
will come across a few cases in which blind persons were misstreated by
air line securrity personnell.  One man who was on his way to attend the
Testimonial Dinner held in Des Moines Iowa during the spring of 1978 was
ordered to give up his cane while passing through the meatle detector
despite the fact that he reassured the securrity personnell that his cane
was made of fiberglass and that it would not trip the meatle detector.
But the securrity personnell would not listen to him.  He was promptly
placed under arrest and halled of to the local police station whare he was
detained for questioning before being allowed to go on his way.  And this
was before the days of special services for the disabled at air port
terminals.
We'll just have to monitor the behavior of the air line securrity
personnell here at San Antonio International Air Port and see if any more
insidents like this occurr, and whether they just happen to blind persons
or if others are treated in a similar mannor.  We'll keep you posted.
Take care and have a good evening
peter Donahue
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