'I had to crawl': Amputee seeks damages after United Airlines and airport security seize...

cbc.ca ^ | APRIL 30, 2019 | Ericka Johnson

[Morgana]

FULL TITLE: 'I had to crawl': Amputee seeks damages after United Airlines and airport security seize scooter batteries

Stearn Hodge says he will never forget the humiliation of having to drag his body across a hotel room floor during what was supposed to be a vacation celebrating his 43rd wedding anniversary — because a security agent at the Calgary International Airport and United Airlines confiscated the batteries he needed to operate a portable scooter.

"Having to crawl across the floor in front of my wife is the most humiliating thing that I can think of," said Hodge. "It unmasks how real my disability is … I haven't been the same since."

The 68-year-old retired contractor from Kelowna, B.C., lost his left arm and right leg in a 1984 workplace accident. He now relies on a portable scooter powered by lithium batteries.

But on a trip to Tulsa, Okla., on Feb. 26, 2017, an agent with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and a United Airlines official told Hodge to remove the $2,000 battery from his scooter and fly without it, as well as his spare battery.

In making the demand, both employees cited safety concerns.

[trebb]

Yep - my thoughts too. He could use a crutch with the remaining right arm to compensate for the missing right leg if he doesn’t want to crawl (as if there were no wheelchairs in the hotel)...probably SOP to keep large Lithium batteries off passenger planes.

[JudyinCanada]

No, I didn’t, Morgana. Thanks for the ping.

[DNME]

Do the airlines need to install “safe boxes” for lithium batteries, so they can travel safely?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

“Airline permission” is ultimately up to the captain. If the captain says no exceptions, it doesn’t ride. Period...

Except there's no evidence in the article that the captain was even aware of the situation, and the airline itself, rather than saying that it was the captain's decision, said "it appears we were in violation of federal disability requirements."

[DannyTN]

Of course I didn’t read the article.

[xone]

they had a chance to examine the batteries, why didn’t they reinstall them into the wheel chair and give it back to the poor guy?

So they became non-lithium batteries after inspection?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Of course I didn’t read the article.

I'm sure that's the first time that's ever happened on FR.

[PCPOET7]

sorry but his disability is not going to suck me into siding with him....he could of checked everything in with regular luggage. the rules have been in place for over 10 years about wheel chairs and the batteries...

[BwanaNdege]

And typically, no one responds to useful direct information posted. Thanks for what you found.

I just enjoy finding (hopefully) accurate answers. Back before 9/11, I was planning a trip way back into the Ugandan 'bush' and wanted to take a small motorcycle gel-cell battery to recharge my camcorder batteries. After a lot of digging (this was in 1994 or 95, IIRC) I learned that yes, gel-cell batteries were available WITH an FAA approval number.

Voila`! I was able to fly without difficulties.

:-)