TSA and the nipple ring thing: Feds announce they will change policy
The incompetence of the TSA has been a constant theme of this blog over the past four years.
So has the grievance-mongering of various interest groups who have campaigned to undermine homeland security since 9/11.
What to do when those two themes collide in one irresistible, made-for-cable-TV-news story?
Such is the case of the TSA and the nipple ring lady:
A Texas woman who said she was forced to remove a nipple ring with pliers in order to board an airplane called Thursday for an apology by federal security agents and a civil rights investigation. “I wouldn’t wish this experience upon anyone,” Mandi Hamlin said at a news conference. “My experience with TSA was a nightmare I had to endure. No one deserves to be treated this way.”
Hamlin, 37, said she was trying to board a flight from Lubbock to Dallas on Feb. 24 when she was scanned by a Transportation Security Administration agent after passing through a larger metal detector without problems. The female TSA agent used a handheld detector that beeped when it passed in front of Hamlin’s chest, the Dallas-area resident said. Hamlin said she told the woman she was wearing nipple piercings. The agent then called over her male colleagues, one of whom said she would have to remove the jewelry, Hamlin said.
Hamlin said she could not remove them and asked whether she could instead display her pierced breasts in private to the female agent. But several other male officers told her she could not board her flight until the jewelry was out, she said. She was taken behind a curtain and managed to remove one bar-shaped piercing but had trouble with the second, a ring.
“Still crying, she informed the TSA officer that she could not remove it without the help of pliers, and the officer gave a pair to her,” said Hamlin’s attorney, Gloria Allred, reading from a letter she sent Thursday to the director of the TSA’s Office of Civil Rights and Liberties. Allred is a well-known Los Angeles lawyer who often represents high-profile claims. Applying pliers to the torso of a mannequin that had a peach-colored bra with the rings on it, Hamlin showed reporters at the news conference how she took off the second ring.
The TSA has just posted the following statement:
TSA has reviewed the circumstances related to the screening of a passenger with body piercings that occurred recently in Lubbock, Texas. It appears that the Transportation Security Officers involved properly followed procedures in that incident. They rightly insisted that the alarm that was raised be resolved. TSA supports the thoroughness of the Officers involved as they were acting to protect the passengers and crews of the flights departing Lubbock that day.
TSA has reviewed the procedures themselves and agrees that they need to be changed. In the future TSA will inform passengers that they have the option to resolve the alarm through a visual inspection of the article in lieu of removing the item in question. TSA acknowledges that our procedures caused difficulty for the passenger involved and regrets situation in which she found herself. We appreciate her raising awareness on this issue and we are changing the procedures to ensure that this does not happen again.
The reported snickering of TSA is inexcusable. The passenger deserves an apology for that.
But I can’t stand the over-the-top whining from the Allred camp and civil liberties absolutists, either.
Marines and Medal of Honor recipients have been subjected to onerous screening, too. It isn’t the end of the world to be asked to remove removable jewelry.
All that said, of course, it’s hard to have sympathy for federal airline officials who refuse to do common sense profiling and end up repeating scenes like this over and over again:
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Gloria allred sure does take important cases. I’m so glad she’s looking out for my right to have a pieced nipple and get on an airplane.
If terrorists are willing to use people with Down’s syndrome and fake pregnancies for their dastardly purposes, why wouldn’t they dress someone up as a nun?
When the TSA outlaws nipple rings only outlaws will have nipple rings.
The policy change should have been changed only to advise flyers to take off their asinine body piercings before coming to the airport. Looking at nipples, navels, and even genitals is not a good resource allocation.
Robert Spencer summed it up nicely on the link Michelle provided:
So true. Those hordes of elderly white women are clamoring to be used in such a fashion.
Who is that omnipresent lawyer? I am weary of seeing her face.
Why would nuns wear nipple rings?
The woman offered to show the rings to the female TSA screener. That could have easily been the end of it. Are nipple rings really a danger?. Don’t we have lettuce in danger of rotting?
AlohaGuy, the TSA says the screeners followed protocol which was that the scan had to be cleared, but the nature of the change is that now, yes, they could just have her flash the female TSA employee. Or, in the case of a man who has something called a… never mind, but my complaint is that this procedural change is going to waste time versus encouraging folks to leave the jewerly off.
There is actually a liberal in the office that thinks all grandmothers should be stripped searched. He is completely serious. His reasoning? Grandmothers used to blow up our guys in Nam. There is NO end to the liberal side of this issue.
/sarc
Please, save us from white female nuns! Many of you forgot how many were flying planes on 9/11.
/sarc off
I could barely believe this when I first saw the report yesterday. The snickering of the male TSA members should get them a free trip to some sensitivity training along with reprimands as a minimum. I’m beginning to think common sense is anything, but common these days.
Glad my last TSA experience was much better. I misplaced my retired military ID card and the folks at the Boise Airport went out of their way to help me find it. Finally found it in my freaking laptop carrying case and felt like a total idiot. Still can’t get over how pleasant and reasonable they were to not only me, but with how they treated everyone processing through security.
When old white nuns start committing terrorist acts rather than those of the religion of peace, then I’ll start racially profiling them.
Until then; all middle eastern males and females 16-35, wearing burquas and etc are fair game to be given a double take when I travel.
GSP
Typical White Male
And how, exactly, would they propose to find a willing volunteer to dress as a nun?
But you do bring up a larger point – burquas. Terrorists have, in the past, used burquas to disguse themselves and conceal bombs.
And we know, historically, the terrorists who target the US – like the highjackers on 9/11 – fit a specific demographic. Namely male, 25-40ish, and of Middle Easter/Arab ethnicity. Why can’t we focus on the group historically known for terror attacks?
It’s a joke to think a 37-year-old woman with piercings is as likely a threat as someone who fits the profile of a terrorist.
My brother says common sense is so uncommon it’s practically a superpower. Guess he’s right.
TSA=Our government’s version of a painless, touch-less anal examination. The IRS are the ones who really excel at the probing.
Could this have been a stunt? Lubbock to DFW is less than 350 miles and just over six hours by car, and we are not talking about California or the I-95 corridor. It might be reasonable to drive in lieu of four hours or more checking in, going through security, boarding, flying, and collecting luggage, not to mention time spent beforehand packing for flight. You would spend maybe $60 in gas one way, versus ticket price plus innumerable fees, and have an easier time packing. I expect the Lubbock-to-Dallas flight is probably frequented by flyers connecting in Dallas for longer trips, not ones who are just going there from Lubbock.
Let’s be realistic.
When the next nut who wants to highjack a plane in the US tries to board, he/she will not be wearing obviously religious garments. He/she will likely be wearing a suit, will be cleanly shaven, and will try to appear as much like a frequent flyer as possible. This is why I, as a fat, bald, middle aged, white man do not object to the TSA screening. I’m the profile of what a successful bomber would need to look like.
On the other hand, I do object to the dope in front of me on line who has to be told to remove the laptop from the case, take off his shoes, remove the cellphone from his pocket, etc., all because he doesn’t pay attention to the world around him, and somehow thinks he doesn’t need to do all things being done by the people in front of him on line.
Ms. Malkin (or others) What exactly is “common sense profiling?”
Profile, profile, profile! The Israelis have it right!
Oh as to common sense? Let’s see…. Arabic, with no luggage, between the ages of 18 and 30…… sound familiar?
The problem is Islamic terrorists are not the only danger to airplanes. That picture of the nun being frisked does look silly, but suppose she was an environmentalist wacko who thinks throwing molotov cocktails into houses is no longer enough and wants to board in disguise? Timothy McVeigh was not Islamic.
Using profiling for only scrutizing Arabs more earnestly will create a hole for others who mean terror but not for Islam. Hyperbole, but the movie “Twelve Monkeys” showed that, and that movie was before 9/11.
What stands out to me is how small-minded bureaucrats (and all TSA employees) hide behind “policy”. They have discretion but when they fail to use it and make a stupid decision, they claim “it’s policy!” and expect us to excuse them for it. I’m sorry but just because someone writes it down and calls it a policy doesn’t excuse the behavior. You might keep your job and your supervisors might not blame you, but everyone else (rightly) considers you an idiot.
I knew that story would get “exposure”.
Common sense profiling is realizing that the terrorists who crashed planes in NY, DC, and PA on 9/11 were 25-40 year old males of Middle Eastern descent.
Common sense profiling is realizing that every major foreign-born terrorist attack on American soil (the first WTC bombing) and an overwhelming majority of terrorist attacks throughout the world were carried out by men ages 25-40 who are of Middle Eastern descent.
These men also profess a belief in Islam.
Increasingly, we are seeing women – usually hijab wearing women – who partake in homicide bombings.
So COMMON SENSE profiling would mean targeting individuals who fit those descriptions and scrutinizing them more than the 37-year-old woman with chest piercings.
It may not be politically correct, but if a bunch of blonde haired, hazel-eyed Catholic women had committed acts of terrorism, I’d have no qualms about taking an extra few minutes for a thorough background check. I have nothing to hide.
The notion that “anyone” could be a terrorist flies in the face of logic and reason because it denies the very strong statistical reality that terrorists are most likely to fit a certain racial/ethnic and religious profile.
OK, this sound like a guy I interviewed for a job recently… he was lamenting that ever since he got the tattoo on his face & neck nobody would hire him.
Here is a clue, if you want piercings that’s your business… if you want to get on an airplane, get the kind that are removable.
englishqueen01, well said, but
the enemy knows this too… they are looking for those who don’t fit the profile…
In the meantime, SWM seeks SF w/pierced nipples & large out of court settlement for casual relationship.
My favorite airplane safety story happened two months after 9/11. My friend worked at a supermarket and we were flying back to my college where she was going to spend the week with me.
Since she worked at a supermarket her purse was filled with boxcutters. The weapon people believed was used by the 9/11 terrorists.
She took about 25 of them out of her purse. Once we got back to school we realized she missed a pocket. She accidentally smuggled half a dozen boxcutters on the plane.
Other than proving that the TSA is useless, it also shows that anyone can bring weapons onto a plane. And to think that a white woman who might associate with the bad guys might not wear a habit or a uniform is crazy.
There is a profile. Terrorists will try to get past it. Search everyone.
This story is about Boobs on so many levels…
Sorry all, it’s Friday!
Don’t laugh, but my first thought was HOW BIG ARE THOSE RINGS?!?!?! My bellybutton is pierced, and I have NEVER set off a metal detector. Maybe I’m not wearing real metal, although it was sold as stirling silver…
Anyway, it’s Friday!!!
We here call her ‘Gloria Allmouth’ instead of her usual name of Gloria Allred [born Bloom] — because she famously, it is said, called Clarance Thomas an ‘uncle Tom’. Her frequent appearances seem based on her uncanny ability to chase, not ambulances, but anything which could solidify her credentials as ace defender of supposedly downtrodden women.
Pretty soon they are going to ban milk duds!
There is a new series coming out on TV: when nipple rings go wild.
Visual inspection does not clear the alarm. If the alarm is not cleared then the airplane is not safe. Full Stop.
One hundred percent of the successful terrorist attacks on commercial airlines for 20 years have been committed by Arabs. When there is a 100 percent chance of being hijacked by an Arab Muslim Extremist, it ceases to be a profile. It’s called a ‘description of the suspect.’ – Ann Coulter
http://www.ropma.net/muzzie_quiz.htm
Right! Long before ever deciding on a private piercing or tattoo, people need to realize that such personal embellishments bring with them the potential consequence of public embarrassment in unexpected/out-of-the-ordinary situations like airport screenings, emergency room visits, etc.
Btw, a dermatologist I know says any body piercing amounts to a break in the skin and provides a potential pathway for infection and disease. So be careful and use plenty of anti-septic if you’re considering one
I think one thing that is being missed is this: prosthetic explosives and explosive components have been used. A nipple ring is, on visual inspection, just a nipple ring. However, it can also be an obvious source of the metallic ping actually caused by the detonator hidden in the breast implant. You hide a purloined letter in plain sight. This is one of the reasons why screening, in itself, is insufficient. There must also be a capacity of the proposed victims to deal with someone who gets past the screening.
Oh for heaven’s sake. If we’re going to get that paranoid about it (and BTW, the hypothetical breast explosive device could be triggered by squeezing the breast after all), why not just prevent all women from flying? Or better yet, order the mass hiring of “Boobie Squeezer Specialists,” complete with unions and pensions? People put rings in their noses, ears, and lips. Are we to worry that someone, by pulling a nose hair, will destroy a plane using the dreaded sinus bomb? And what is to prevent explosive devices being hid in various bodily orafices? The mind reels at the possibilities.
I had no idea Eric Cartman was now in charge of airline security. There was no excuse for this disgusting and cruel action on the part of the TSA and the stupid “thinking” accompanying it.
When are people going to get the fact that the TSA is not security. It is simply an agency that is in place to make you think they are doing something. In actual fact, it is very easy to circumvent the so called security at our airports. Someone dedicated to a terrorist act can get just about any type of weapon system on a plane. My feeling is that we eliminate the TSA, Homeland security and all the other idiotic agencies that pretend to do something. In their place we need a get tough policy on countries and groups that allow and encourage terror. That would translate to the fact that if SA citizens take a plane, then a SA city will be distroyed. In short, you hold a nation responsible for the acts of its citizens. Now what about those in our country that are prone to this activity? We could start by outlawing religions that condone violence.
The actual article goes into quite a bit of detail about ‘removing’ body piercing. Apparently ‘nipple’ piercing (not sure about other areas) involves the formation of scar tissue and removing the item can be quite painful.
It is not like ear piercing (or even nose piercing) which goes through unstressed flesh.
(Note: I’m not a supporter of body modification/piercing (I think it looks tacky) . I just read the article and used common sense)
………………………………..davidcaskey……….you sound like a typical terrorist. Convince the enemy of lack of danger, just enough for the terrorists to sneak thru……………nice try, no dice. Get some brain pills, would ya?
By the way, we have a guy here that completed 20 years if faithful service in the Marine Corps…..he is a muslim….and a TSA offcer. I guess some of you jacka$$e$ wouldn’t give him the job since he’s a muslim.
Rio
Semper Fi!
I lean toward the sentiments of Pixel_Dust. Flight 93 proved that we as a people are quick to adapt to asymetrical methods of attack. I think the terrorists knew that their Sept 11, 2001 plan was a one time deal for them. There were reports early on that some terrorist operatives had infiltrated United and or American Airlines as agents, (or somehow obtained passenger lists), and called several passengers on some of the flights to tell them that their flight had been canceled or delayed. The ones they called all had a common attribute – young and male. If true then it is proof they were already anticipating the possibility of the response they got on Flight 93. I can’t imagine them attempting the exact same thing ever again without getting many more times the number of terrorists on board a flight – and all armed with real lethal weapons like a box cutter. Nipple rings that require a pair of pliers to remove do not even remotely come close to being a ‘lethal weapon’! If you aren’t allowed to carry a pair of pliers on board, how will the rings be removed let alone the question how will they be used to hijack an airplane? I don’t think the TSA can answer either of those two questions but it sure seems likely that many sheeple passengers are pleased to know that the TSA is ‘doing it’s job’.
I meant to post that I lean toward the sentiment of davidcaskey – not Pixel_Dust, (sorry..)