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My Recent Experience at Stansted Airport

OLVE75 said:
Bearing in mind anyone can purchase a Libre, wear it and pose as having a medical condition, so I always show my letter from Hospital / NHS to the first Security Officer I see, this may help of the bat!
Click to expand...
I do not bother telling them I have a medical condition unless they ask - it is personal and none of their business.
I have been wearing Libre through airport scanners many many times a year for about 5 years and never had any issues.
I have also put unused ones through the x-ray and never had an issue.

If it puts you at ease, there is not problem telling the security staff but you do not have to.
 
Last year I travelled through Stansted (only 9 months after diagnosis, when everything was still terrifying) with my Libre and all my spares in a separate hand baggage, went through the ordinary scanners and everything worked with no problems.
The op talks about a new scanner I wonder if they have changed for this year as due to go through Stansted very soon.
 
FWIW the original rare and precious Libres that had to be paid for personally used to break going through Library scanners. Thank goodness things have moved on.
 
Riggers said:
Last year I travelled through Stansted (only 9 months after diagnosis, when everything was still terrifying) with my Libre and all my spares in a separate hand baggage, went through the ordinary scanners and everything worked with no problems.
The op talks about a new scanner I wonder if they have changed for this year as due to go through Stansted very soon.
Click to expand...
Airports are gradually rolling out new scanners, which will mean not having to separate out electronics, and an end to the 100ml liquids rule, but it’s happening piecemeal. Gatwick also had a new style of archway when we went earlier this year, replacing the two part metal detector + full body scanner if you trip that.
www.abta.com

Advice on new UK airport security scanners

While UK airports are working towards introducing new security scanners and checks, many will not be fully operational by the summer. ABTA is advising travellers to continue to follow the existing hand luggage rules around liquids and removing electronic devices.
www.abta.com www.abta.com
 
Thought I would update on my experience.
Pointed out my Libre at security, the scanner arch looked different to me and the man said wait here and someone will come.
Explained about my extra bag of supplies (we’re away all summer so lots of stuff) of course the Libres were packed at the bottom, my other half said each one was checked.
They said he would be able to keep an eye on everything. I waited maybe 2 minutes for someone to come and was taken off to a room and be patted down, hands swabbed. It didn’t bother me, and one of the security staff with me said that 2 workers with CGMs go through the scanners every day, so maybe it all would have been fine.
Back at security I had a 200ml carton of orange juice as part of my kit, that was sat in its own tray and I had to give my letter from my DSN saying that I needed all this, it was closely read and the carton scanned.
I didn’t feel singled out or anything, mainly it was the extra time it took that was a nuisance.
However we live in mad times now and I am quite happy to go through all that rigmarole, knowing that these things are to help keep us secure.
 
Riggers said:
Thought I would update on my experience.
Pointed out my Libre at security, the scanner arch looked different to me and the man said wait here and someone will come.
Explained about my extra bag of supplies (we’re away all summer so lots of stuff) of course the Libres were packed at the bottom, my other half said each one was checked.
They said he would be able to keep an eye on everything. I waited maybe 2 minutes for someone to come and was taken off to a room and be patted down, hands swabbed. It didn’t bother me, and one of the security staff with me said that 2 workers with CGMs go through the scanners every day, so maybe it all would have been fine.
Back at security I had a 200ml carton of orange juice as part of my kit, that was sat in its own tray and I had to give my letter from my DSN saying that I needed all this, it was closely read and the carton scanned.
I didn’t feel singled out or anything, mainly it was the extra time it took that was a nuisance.
However we live in mad times now and I am quite happy to go through all that rigmarole, knowing that these things are to help keep us secure.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update @Riggers

Sounds like they checked things over thoroughly and professionally. Glad it went well. Hope you enjoyed your holiday!
 
I have been a regular air traveller for many years and flown from London airports on a frequent basis. On one occasion, long before my diabetes became evident, my bag was pulled out of the screening line having come through the scanner and some tests were run including a swab of my Kindle. Next thing I knew two very large armed police officers turned up, asked me a couple of questions and then took me off to a private room. While they too were polite and humorous I did find the experience a bit of shock and a little overwhelming. At then end of the search they waved me off to go back to the group I was travelling with. While I ended up treating it as a funny incident, even innocent people start to feel they are guilty of things when they don't know what is going on. For all I knew they might accuse me of having been in contact with explosives, and I remember a group of Irishmen ending up in jail because they played cards on a train which contaminated them allowing the police to prosecute them.
@YvonneB I fully understand why you were upset and found things a difficult, major divergence from the normal routine can often do that to us especially if not forewarned or where people fail to communicate with us.
 
The problem with flying is it’s all stressful and I don’t blame anyone getting upset but it doesn’t serve any purpose, I just hope for the best and am fully cooperative even if I’m annoyed. The times I’ve been patted down haven’t been connected to diabetes stuff. The people doing security are just people doing a miserable job under quite a lot of pressure I would think, some are surly but most are decent, even friendly.

I was once taken off by armed security in Germany because I had a large video camera but once they dusted it we parted on good terms and I was once taken away to open my case in a tiny airport in Calabria but they were only checking foreigners, there were three of us on the plane, and they didn’t really care and we chatted about the security guy’s brother who lives in London and didn’t bother with the case. I once was stopped in Italy because I had four insulin pens so I only take the two I need now.

I don’t use a pump which I imagine makes things complicated so generally I just go through security like anybody else. I always expect to be questioned but so far nobody has paid attention to my CGM and they must be well used to them by now and I don’t take spare Libres. I take a good supply of finger pricking stuff in case it breaks in the scanner or somebody does too vigorous a pat down. It possibly helps being a grey haired old gent.

I haven’t been through Stanstead for a long time and usually use Gatwick, I’m flying from Heathrow in September so I may live to regret my positive outlook here. Fingers crossed and I’ll see how they do things there. I might be back with a horror story.
 
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