Diabetic man forced off BA flight
 

Full Story from the BBC News Website

Apologies for posting if this has been metioned before/elsewhere.

Jordan

Quite right too.

The rules are clear. Not our problem if he can't read.

Not really newsworthy, is it? The rules are clear to everyone, and if you should have to carry needles with you when all around you are having nailclippers and mini-screwdrivers confiscated at security, then being required to have a Doctor's note is not exactly onerous, is it?

When I booked with a "young" loco, I stated that the g/f was a diabetic B, (tablets rather than needles) but would have her "Blood Testing Kit" with her. [Needle Punch and Meter]
No Probs...remind us at checkin.....
As an aside, a school in Denton [Gtr Manch] has banned pencil cases.........'cos they contain "sharp objects"....... I think I'll walk
watp,iktch

I think the worrying aspect of this is the fact he had gone through check in and through security and was actually sat on the a/c. What would be done if after take off the needles were then found, would they then be confiscated? And if he is a diabetic and goes into an insulin coma then what! Seems a failing in security is more a cause of this than anything else.

Sorry to be naive but is it just possible that a cunning terrorist might just get a sympathetic doctor to give him a note.

....and they still hand our knives and forks made of metal in certain classes.

Get real.

If a 'terrorist' wants a knive on an aircraft, I can't see what trouble he'll have with a ceramic knife.

:rolleyes:

Once again this just demonstrates the knee-jerk reaction to security. You can't take your nail clippers on board, but you can take a 1.125 litre bottle of Over-proof Bundaberg Rum (Australian rum that if anybody has seen the bottle will know how thick and heavy the bottle is). Flamable liquid AND a great hand weapon. :mad: :mad:

Hang on, we are not talking 6 inch needles here. Diabetics use needle pens which are less threatening than a fountain pen. The BA crew were a bunch of idiots.

I wonder how he got to Hong Kong in the first place, does anyone know, BA maybe?.

Did he need a doctors certificate to go on the Cathay flight home or do they have different rules for needles?.

And a Doctor's note would have rendered his needles harmless?:rolleyes:

as a matter of interest where are these rules stated?

I have a needless injection system, uses a compressed gas to force the insulin thru the skin.....mind you had t fight to get it and not too common on the good ol' NHS.

The resting equipment does use a needle to prickthe skin and draw blood but it is so tiny one can hardly see it. Although In have a doctors note, I've never once on any airline been questioned about them.

Seems a bit of a storm in a tea cup really as someone quite rightly pointed out early, if using needles, then diabetic's needles are infact tiny and most use a pen dosing system which is totally harmless, less dangerous than a bic biro!

Does seem like BA are being a but strict here especially when other airlines arent, and I've never seen anywhere where its written down or displayed that you can't carry a dosing pen or testing kit.

This is one area where common sense ought to prevail as it's not the first time it's happen and probably won't be the last.

Thanks and it states
Could not find any mention of of insulin or blood sugar testing needle restrictions or requirement for doctors note.

This is interesting..

""British Airways are unable to store insulin in aircraft fridges for various reasons. Diabetes UK (formally known as the British Diabetic Association) advise that insulin, in general, can be kept at room temperature (below 25 degrees C) for up to a month without losing its effectiveness."

I was on a flight back form BKK where my insulin got runined because the plane had faulty air conditioining and the cabin was up at 30 degrees constantly....made for a very unpleasant flt.
What was worse is that plane had been flying about like that for a few weeks so the problem was known about...so why on earth did they send it to a tropical country in the first place?

Engineer - then you didnt scroll down!


quote:

Passengers should carry a letter from their doctor confirming the need to carry syringes, needles and medication in the aircraft cabin. As security screening at airports is outside the control of British Airways, you should discuss a contingency plan with your Doctor to enable you to travel safely in the unlikely event that the authorities do not allow your equipment to be carried in cabin baggage.

Please note: The above information applies to passengers who need to carry syringes, needles, epipens and medication, in their hand luggage, for any medical reason.

Battery operated glucose monitors may be carried in hand luggage. If you are carrying these monitors you must obtain a Doctor's letter confirming your need to carry 'sharps' on board an aircraft.

It may surprise some of you, but when someone needs regular injections it is possible to forget that you are carrying them as it is part of your normal lifestyle and thus accidentally not declare them. I have had personal experience of this having had to carry injectable medication around for several years and been on many flights with it prior to the clampdown. Thankfully this is no longer the situation. On the first occasion on which I flew after all the new rules and regulations came into being I quite happily went through the check-in process, including putting by cabin bag through the scanner and went to sit in the lounge at Manchester and awaited my shuttle flight to London. Sitting there happily minding my own business it suddenly struck me that not only had I got the offending article in my cabin bag, but I had not been asked if I was carrying any such articles nor, most importantly, had they shown up on the scanner. Fortunately I had documentation and was able to satisfy the person from BA that I told. Whilst it is unlikely that this person would have died in the time it took to get to Heathrow there were measures he could have taken to reduce the risk. There are one or two important things to note. Why was he not carrying an identification card? diabetic people who require insulin have one and it should be carried at all times. Failing this, if his diabetes was really as unstable as he claimed (another good reason for carrying the card) why did he not have some sort of Medic-Alert bracelet or necklace? The person with the illness / disease has responsibility for making sure that his or her problem can be easily idenitified especially if travelling in an area where English may not be the first language. (I am NOT suggesting that nobody in Hong Kong can speak English)

Eng .... it is there .....
Its sad but in this modern world of ours one needs to study carefully before even stepping outside your front door .... :(

Hazardous Weapons ?
 

Deleted for not being a good idea.

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