NASCAR Fans Express Outrage at Blatant Mistreatment of Disabled Former Driver

Recently, former NASCAR driver and Chili Bowl Nationals legend Kevin Swindell became a victim of a massive injustice. As it happened, he faced poor treatment at the Indianapolis International Airport. In light of this, his wife wrote a scathing complaint about the Transportation Security Administration. According to her, Swindell was forced to remove his wheelchair pad and sit on the floor in the middle of security. In addition to that, their bags were very thoroughly checked.

What made his wife even more angry was the fact that the person ahead was caught with a knife. Aside from that one confiscation, the person was allowed to pass without getting his bags checked. She wrote in an X tweet, “Kevin was treated like a CRIMINAL for being in a wheelchair today. DO BETTER @TSA. HE WAS TOLD “Take your hands out of your pockets” while he sat waiting for his chair to be checked. All they could say is “this is procedure” but you don’t check the bag of a man with a knife? YOUR PROCEDURES FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES NEEDS TO BE CHANGED“.

Who is ex-NASCAR driver Kevin Swindell?

Kevin Swindell is a 34-year-old former NASCAR driver and a successful entrepreneur. Aside from his dirt racing exploits, he does have a connection to NASCAR. To be precise, Swindell competed in one NASCAR Cup race for Swan Racing Company, finishing 38th at New Hampshire in 2013. He performed better in the Nationwide Series, racking up three Top 10s in 2012 and 2013, and a best finish of 8th.

In his day, he was a very highly accomplished driver, boasting four back-to-back Chili Bowl Nationals wins. Sadly, his career suffered a brutal blow in 2015, after a terrible accident at the Knoxville Nationals. During the second night of the event’s 55th edition, Swindell’s car got involved in a horrific accident in the early stages of the race. His vehicle flipped several times before landing on its wheels. According to his father Sammy Swindell, he sustained broken L-1 and T-7 vertebrae in his back. As a result, he has been rendered paralyzed from the waist down.

Unfortunately, owing to his paralysis, he may never be able to compete again. Sure, he is undergoing rehabilitation, but his racing days are pretty much over. On the bright side, he has now channeled his passion to being a team owner. Since 2016, he has been fielding the Kevin Swindell Racing team. Moreover, his latest ill-experience has led to an outpouring of support for him.

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Fans were left absolutely fuming at the TSA’s actions

Of course, the Swindell family found loads of support from NASCAR fans. Some called for the TSA to be shut down or face a massive revamp. Fans declared that this was the result of narrow-minded people who happened to be in positions of authority. As one fan put it, “I can’t even imagine what dimension of pi**ed off this would send me into. But the fact that you’re not in jail right now confirms you are a better person than I am.”

Some even shared their own experiences with the TSA, and they weren’t any better. One thing was for sure, the fans called out the organization for the ‘unacceptable’ practice. People were mad that the couple was incredibly disrespected in such a manner. Few even opined that treating people poorly seems to be the norm, instead of the exception. Another wondered, “If that same procedure wasn’t followed in your departure city, why was it applied on your return flight from IND? I’d file a complaint.”

On the bright side, Kevin Swindell seems to be fine. However, he and his wife will be hoping that such a situation will not happen again. Frankly, such treatment could even warrant a lawsuit, especially if the officials damaged the wheelchair.

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