An 84-year-old woman called on the airport to change their treatment of elderly and disabled passengers at security checkpoints, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The old lady's handbag was stolen at the airport when she was taken by security officers to search her body.
, Helen Sweetnam went to Melbourne airport last month to take a flight to Mt Gambier to visit her daughter, but her pedometer sounded an alarm as it passed through the airport security checkpoint.
Sweetnam's handbag was still on the conveyor belt, but she was taken to one side, waiting for a female worker to search her body. Eventually, Sweetnam was allowed to return to the belt, but found that his handbag had been stolen.
"I was shocked and sick and told them immediately that my bag had been lost," Sweetnam told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Airport staff used surveillance videos to find the woman who took her handbag at the airport terminal, Sweetnam said. "she said to the security inspector that she accidentally took the wrong bag."
Although the handbag eventually returned to the owner's hand, the contents were stolen, including 630 yuan in cash, a mobile phone and a wallet that included medical records and a credit card.
Sweetnam believes Melbourne Airport should be responsible for the matter.
"I was forced to put things on the conveyor belt, and then they called me out of there, and they had to take care of my things."
But she said Melbourne airport rejected the request.
"I think it's very rude. They never responded. I felt like they were thinking,'if we don't respond, she'll give up.'"
Propaganda groups say Sweetnam's experience is nothing new. Elderly and disabled passengers often complain that their airports in Australia are treated in a "very disrespectful" manner by security personnel.
"not all people in need of help are always there to help take care of them," said Ronda Held, chief executive of (Council on the Ageing Victoria), the state aging council. If you're in a wheelchair, or you're weak, or you have vision problems, it's very difficult to watch your luggage. "if someone needs to be pulled aside for a period of time for inspection, they should be able to wait with their luggage. It should be a basic procedure."
The airport needs to upgrade its security clearance procedures to better suit the needs of the elderly and the disabled, Held said.
ABC has tried to get in touch with Melbourne Airport for their comments on the matter.