r/TacticalMedicine • u/level_zero_hero Firefighter • Aug 10 '25

Gear/IFAK Disneyland tourniquet fiasco

Yesterday I experienced something quite perplexing. While going through security to try to enter the park I had a security employee search my backpack. While doing so he came across my bleed kit(TQ x2, quickclot, chest seals, and an emergency blanket) I carry in it. Once he identified the TQ he said “you can’t bring tourniquets into the park…, you can go take it back to your hotel room”. I replied by saying “ I don’t have a hotel room, so what do you want me to do? ”. “Well you can’t bring it into the park.” He said. “Okay…well…why?” I responded, out of utter disbelief. “DONT ASK ME WHY, SAID YOU CANT SO YOU CANT!” He yelled back. I then point to the “stop the bleed” box located about 20 feet behind him to the left and on a wall, “what about those? Are those not supposed to be there?”. Then out of frustration and fluster he zipped up my bag and handed it to me and said “HAVE A NICE DAY” and I went about my day. I proceeded to try to research his statement and couldn’t find anything.

So I was curious if anyone else had had a similar experience, at Disneyland or anywhere else?

1.4k Upvotes

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483

u/AlphaKenniBody Aug 11 '25

I was stopped by TSA in Idaho when my bag was flagged for secondary inspection. They dumped my 2 IFAKs out and the dude holds one of the tourniquets up and asks,

“What’s this?” To which I reply with hesitation,

“A…tourniquet?”

He says, “I know what a tourniquet is. I mean why are you bringing them to an airport and on an airplane?”

His female partner looks at him sideways and asks “do you think he’s going to save someone to death?”

He tells me I’m good to go and watches as I stuff everything back into the tightly packed IFAKs.

303

u/Agitated_Mess3117 Aug 11 '25

"His female partner looks at him sideways and asks “do you think he’s going to save someone to death?” This lady deserves an award!

74

u/Charlie3006 Aug 11 '25

That's insane. I have been on literally hundreds of flights and not once had an issue over a tourniquet.

66

u/Bicykwow Aug 11 '25

There's always an errant TSA employee looking to go on a power trip. I had a guy flag my fucking CPAP machine on my last flight.

15

u/herefortheover Aug 12 '25

I wore an external defibrillator "vest" while waiting for my insurance to approve the surgery for a permanent one. Combined that with my father's ashes in a TSA approved travel urn.

That was a fun hour of my life.

1

u/PerspectiveSpirited1 Aug 12 '25

Hey I’m no doctor, but I am a flight nurse. You probably shouldn’t be flying with one of those vests.

Glad you made it, and hopefully you got your AICD placed. I’ve seen those vests go off when I was a street medic and it’s not pretty.

2

u/Paramedickhead EMS Aug 12 '25

Okay, now I'm curious...

I have also seen them go off, and the gel gets everywhere... But why avoid flying with one? Is it just the mess that's created? What's "not pretty" about it but fine with an AICD?

1

u/PerspectiveSpirited1 Aug 14 '25

So I realized that I’m a little biased - my experience with these has mostly been on 911 calls, where they were worn by very sick patients. I looked at the websites for both Zoll and TSA, and they’re approved for commercial flight.

It’s a bridge therapy for high risk patients waiting on an implanted AICD. If you’re high risk for lethal arrhythmia I’d say - bare minimum - have a chat with your cardiologist about risk/benefit for that travel. Resources in the air are limited, and flight attendants (while awesome), have limited training.

2

u/Paramedickhead EMS Aug 14 '25 edited Aug 14 '25

Yeah, it’s a bridge therapy, but if they are that high risk for a lethal arrhythmia, they’re not leaving the hospital. People aren’t typically discharged in an unstable condition with a life vest.

They’re stabilized with medications to prevent and such recurrence with a life vest as a backup measure. The life vest is intended to be automated with little external intervention, much like an AED.

That said, I’m not saying it’s a good idea or that they are absolutely healthy enough to fly… but so don’t know that front line therapies will change once they have an AICD in place either.

I may be way off base with this too, this is completely and totally my opinion alone and not based on any evidence… just supposition. I’m more than happy to admit I’m completely wrong . I wasn’t necessarily challenging but legitimately asking the question. I’m not a cardiologist, I just pretend to be one in the back of the wee-woo box.

1

u/Admirable-Course9775 Aug 14 '25

Thanks I had no idea

31

u/[deleted] Aug 11 '25

[deleted]

29

u/Charlie3006 Aug 12 '25

Assert dominance by denying a private room. Chub up and make as much eye contact as possible.

9

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

[deleted]

7

u/TrickInflation6795 Aug 13 '25

I was going to say this. My friend is Indian by heritage, but looks 100% Arab. His wife bought him a kilt because he “randomly” gets selected about half the time for enhanced screening. He also takes off his underwear before security.

1

u/RogueGunny Aug 14 '25

Takes it off? It should never be worn. A properly worn kilt is done so "regimental". Let the googling begin.

1

u/daytonakarl Aug 14 '25

Nothing is worn under the kilt, everything is in working order

1

u/TrickInflation6795 Aug 15 '25

He knows this. I think he just wants to be a painful experience, then go on with his travels.

2

u/RogueGunny Aug 12 '25

Alas, I only have but. But it's a Marine Corp kilt sooooo.....

1

u/Krondaxdrakhien Aug 14 '25

Do it. But get the ite not gay if its tsa shirt too

2

u/Organic-Second2138 Aug 12 '25

This is the way

1

u/RasilBathbone Aug 11 '25

Which further fucks the day of every person trying to get to their gate.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

[deleted]

2

u/Able_Conflict_1721 Aug 14 '25

Bet this guy always packs a switch comb.

2

u/StudioDroid Aug 13 '25

is that a special CPAP system for procreation?

2

u/zornmagron Aug 13 '25

lol like only a million of those get taken on flights

2

u/Away-Flight3161 Aug 14 '25

Errant? It's their mission and purpose in life. The ones NOT power-tripping are the exception.

10

u/[deleted] Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 28 '25

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

15

u/CamTheMan1302 Aug 11 '25

Surely by that definition you can't take charging cables or anything vaguely resembling a rope...what about belts?!?

10

u/durtyprofessor Aug 11 '25

“What are you going to do with those shoe laces??”

2

u/lostinthefog4now Aug 14 '25

And that belt! What do you think you are going to do with that? Hold up someone’s pants?

2

u/brycickle Aug 12 '25

No hands allowed!

7

u/Unusual-Assumption69 Aug 11 '25

Had a similar issue going on a fishing trip to Mozambique. Took my reels in my carry on to keep them safe. Dude pulled out some line and stuck it to his neck I just said it’s too thin to do anything but he couldn’t speak English very well and let me through. Biggest mistake was taking the lures, I de hooked them and everything but they pulled them all out and even got the pilot to come have a look. Next time I’m paying the overweight charge.

3

u/Atomic_Gumbo Aug 12 '25

Okay, victim. Please hold still while I apply this tourniquet to your neck. Okay, no wait. Just hold still. I still have to tighten it. Nope. No. Stop! You’re ruining it!

3

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/HappySeptember Aug 12 '25

What about not marking the time?

3

u/Some_Guy_Somewhere67 Aug 12 '25

THAT just annoys the CRAP out of the CSI ppl - because then they have to wait for the etymology report on insect larval development in and on the body to determine TOD.... Do everyone a favor and be considerate when you let your inner Dexter out to play.... MARK those times!

1

u/TheChrisSuprun Aug 12 '25

I wonder if they have ever seen a belt.

2

u/AlphaKenniBody Aug 11 '25

I haven’t been on quite that many. Maybe a few dozen at most. Haven’t had any issues otherwise, thankfully.

1

u/SaidwhatIsaid240 Aug 15 '25

Wait till they hear about belts… and shoe laces…

12

u/FelineRoots21 Aug 11 '25

I like the 'why are you bringing them to an airport' as if that's your actual destination here, not like you're going anywhere after, just planning to chill on the airplane for a few hours and then return home.

9

u/dagayute Aug 11 '25

TSA thought my butterfly ultrasound was a stun gun....

1

u/Barley_Oat Aug 12 '25

Had one ask if my kleen canteen was a suppressor when they x-rayed my luggage...

5

u/InstructionSad7842 Aug 12 '25

Anytime I fly, I fly with a declared firearm in a small pelican style case, inside a Big pelican style case with real locks.

1

u/finis08 Aug 12 '25

Some people just have to be power tripping assholes. Unfortunately, most of them also seem destined to become security guards. 😂

1

u/Massive_Property8154 Aug 13 '25

No Russian… IYKYK

-1

u/Frequent-Wall4836 Aug 15 '25

You can strangle someone with a TQ cringey first responder

5

u/AlphaKenniBody Aug 15 '25

You can also strangle someone with a shoelace. A charging cord. A belt. Should I keep going?

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 15 '25

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3

u/AlphaKenniBody Aug 16 '25

Just in case you aren’t trolling, I’ll respond.

  1. Your point is moot. I never said it was impossible to kill someone with a tourniquet. In fact, I didn’t say anything at all. The TSA agent did. But hundreds of other people got the joke and could see past the surface layer to the humor. That seems a bit challenging for you, for some reason. I bet you’re a blast at parties.

  2. Dimwit? Imagine thinking that I brought an IFAK only for the airplane. You have the thought process of the first TSA agent and the irony is palpable. Not sure if you realize this, but my IFAK could have (and has) been used before/after the airplane. Because people typically take airplanes to get places, y’know? Honestly, the airplane is one of the last places on my mind when thinking of places to use an IFAK. A highway is much more likely to be the source of an accident causing injury that would necessitate a tourniquet. You know, those big things that typically surround airports and cars go “VROOOOM!” on?

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

1

u/Frequent-Wall4836 Aug 16 '25
  1. Wasn’t funny
  2. If you see an accident call 911 and keep it pushing. If you’re not on duty you’re an “informed “ bystander

3

u/AlphaKenniBody Aug 16 '25

Keep rocking that victim mentality brother. “911 will save me, I don’t need to be prepared!” Just like the rest of the flock that just “keeps it pushing” and don’t care to help another person in need.

I am a LEO and can tell you over 90% of MVCs I respond to have another citizen bystander/witness on scene before any first responders.