From: Pete Donahue 
Subject: Re: security alert
Hello Bryan and listers,
We were taken around the meatle detector so we never passed through it in
the first place.  As I mentioned in another post earlier this evening
usually we pass through the meatle detector and if the machine is not
tripped we go on our way, but if the meatle detector is tripped we're
asked to stand swhile we're handsearched either  by a meatle detecting
wand or by being patted down an we've never given the air port securrity
personnell a hard time about this as we've witnessed others, both blind
and sighted alike getting searched in this way.  I just think that havingg
us stand with our arms ext4ended and our legs spread out was just a little
too much overkill on the part of the air line securrity service.  Let's
just say that Harvey's recent experience has us on allert for similar
occurrances around the country.
I don't know if United is the only Air Line that contracts with
archenbrite for securrity services at it's terminals.  mary took an
America West flight to Phoenix and will be returning on the same air line
on Sunday, and you bet I'll be there to meat her.
As Walt pointed out this is one insident that is a gray line whare the
treatment we received may, or may not have occurred as a result of our
being blind.  All we can do is just monitor the situation to see whether
we're treated just like any other passinger passing through SAI, or if for
stoopid reason the air lines or the support providers once again engage in
acts that result in discriminatorry treatment of our blind citizens.
We'll keep you posted.
Take care and have a good evening.
Peter Donahue
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