100-year-old traveler experiences an unusual but amusing TSA glitch: 'My second childhood'

Glitches in an individual's personal, work or travel documents can be really harrowing. But some glitches come with a note of humor. A similar "glitch" happened with a woman who went from being a 100-year-old to an "unescorted minor." The woman in question, Mildred Kirschenbaum, shared the funny story about the glitch with ABC News and further details on her daughter Gayle Kirschenbaum's (@glkirschenbaum) Instagram page. Mildred noticed the glitch when she had to travel to New York in May.

"Whether I issue the ticket, because I am a travel agent and I could still issue tickets, or when I go directly to the airline when they put in your age, the code is two digits for the month, two digits for the day and two digits for the year," the 100-year-old explained to the outlet."I was born in 1923, so I put in '23. As soon as I check in, I am an unescorted minor," Mildred shared with a hint of both amusement and disappointment. "The supervisor has to come and they have to see me right through security." Nobody really knows how to correct it. "So I am going through my second childhood," Mildred enthusiastically remarked.

"The unescorted minor," the centenarian who frequently travels on planes pointed out while laughing. "There must be a way. But none of us have found it yet." In a video shared by her daughter, there were more details about what happened. "The unescorted minor has a voice at the gate to go home," the mom joked. She is afraid to leave the country as she feels that she might not be able to return. "This was LaGuardia Delta Airlines as we tried to do a sidewalk check-in and it showed up that she was an unaccompanied minor," the daughter stated. "Very inconvenient and it was a hassle. Unfortunately, Mom is now afraid to be abroad and not be able to fly back into the States."

The daughter requested the aviation industry to fix the issue. "Mom was born in 1923. That converts to 2023. And they expect to see a baby show up in a stroller," Gayle wrote in the caption. "Most of the airline workers have never experienced this. And it becomes quite a hassle. And the experience is very dependent on who ends up helping you. The last time, it was not a pleasant experience. We wasted a lot of time and it didn't give mom the time she needed to have breakfast before she got on board."

"There are more and more centenarians who are traveling and flying. Mom wants to fly abroad and know she can get back to America without a problem. Unlike what she's read about others who have gotten stuck in foreign countries," the daughter pointed out. "Here's a toast to still traveling the world and enjoying life at nearly 101 years old," the post concluded. People took to the comments section to call for action. @val_in__alentejo wrote, "It doesn't make sense... The system needs to be rectified... Many people are living longer." @meghan-levin commented, "She should be less worried about the abroad part than the US. So backward here." @mariequethera remarked, "Too much to handle even for a lot younger person."

You can follow Gayle Kirschenbaum (@glkirschenbaum) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.