“I stood there silently sobbing from humiliation”: Passenger with stoma bag shares ordeal at Luton Airport
“I stood there silently sobbing from humiliation”: Passenger with stoma bag shares ordeal at Luton Airport.
A woman with a stoma bag has spoken out at Luton airport, claiming she was stopped by security “like a criminal”. Katy McLister was left sobbing in humiliation twice as she walked through the terminal.
The 63-year-old, who has been using a stoma bag for 30 years, was stopped on June 30 while travelling to Ireland when the airport’s new body scanners detected something on her body. She told the officers that she had a stoma bag and hoped that was enough.
She explained: “They told me I had to show it.” When she refused, Katy claimed she was taken aside and told to remove her trousers and knickers.
She explained, “I was immediately dragged over to the side like a criminal. I had to reveal my scars and stoma bag.
I stood there silently sobbing with humiliation. They kept saying, ‘We’re doing our jobs.'” The experience left her shaken, but when she returned to Luton in August, she was wearing a hidden disability lanyard and carrying a doctor’s note explaining her condition.
She hoped she wouldn’t get caught off guard again. However, Katy explained: “Even with my letter, they asked me to show the bag again. It’s my personal stuff. I shouldn’t have to expose myself in order to travel.”
She is now advocating for change, believing that people with stomas face “outrageous levels of scrutiny” at airports. She wants better staff training and increased sensitivity.
London Luton Airport has since apologised, stating that employees are trained to assist passengers with hidden disabilities and that a review is underway.
Clare Armstrong, the airport’s Head of Guest Experience, stated, “We are very sorry to hear about Ms McLister’s experiences. We collaborate with charities and advisory groups, such as Colostomy UK, to better support passengers with hidden disabilities.
The airport also stated that passengers can request to avoid body scanners, but this requires a thorough search, which can be conducted in private if requested.
Katy believes that the current security processes do not adequately accommodate people like her. “I just want dignity,” she explained. “Travel should not be this degrading.”
Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.