Brian Hwang’s experience of bringing his wife’s breast pump through Calgary airport security garnered dozens of comments after it was posted on Reddit. While he doesn’t expect much after filing a complaint online, he hopes it will help other families on their travels.
“At least people can be prepared,” he told Global News Thursday.
Hwang said it started with his wife and baby getting randomly selected for swabbing, plus a “thorough check of one of our bins with a carry-on case, my shoes, phone and wallet.”
After finding the breast pump–which Hwang said was only in the carry-on because their checked bags were slightly overweight–it was put through the machine, causing the alarm to go off.
“I’m told there is an ‘inconclusive’ organic substance on my ‘child monitor,'” Hwang wrote on Reddit. “I clarify that it’s a breast pump so it might be breast milk. Doesn’t matter, they need to see my baby. Yep, that’s right, they need my baby right away.”
Listen to Brian’s interview with News Talk 770’s Rob Breakenridge on Dec. 21:
Hwang said Thursday he’s filed a complaint online and spoke to someone with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA). He’s since realized a piece of the breast pump is missing.
“I was just talking to my wife…All we can think is that it got lost in the whole airport security kerfuffle,” he said. “The piece is not expensive…but it’s just annoying at this point.”
He said CATSA asked about the time and description of the incident so they can pull up video. He’s been offered no apology yet, but suggests “maybe they need to do the investigation first.”
“I don’t even know what to expect. My guess is that they’ll say something like, ‘oh those individual staff will get some extra training’ as a best case-scenario.”
A CATSA spokesperson told Global News the authority had reviewed the description provided on Reddit and the radio interview and were waiting to look at additional details from Hwang.
“Good customer experience is an essential part of CATSA’s screening services,” reads an email to Global News. “All complaints are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. Adjustments such as additional training and/or corrective actions are taken when necessary.”
CATSA provided the following link for travellers with questions or complaints: https://www.catsa.gc.ca/questions-comments-and-complaints
Hwang said he and his wife have decided to never take the breast pump in carry-on again, but said comments on Reddit suggested many people have never had issues.
“I guess we were just the unlucky ones this time around.”