Woman Forced to Remove Nipple Rings Before Boarding Flight
Well, this is a new one. And it's attracted the attention of high-profile attorney Gloria Allred (pictured above left, with Mandi Hamlin) as well.
According to Allred, Mandi Hamlin was forced to remove her nipple rings by the TSA prior to boarding a flight. And, she was handed a pair of pliers to do so.
Interestingly, on the outbound portion of her round trip, Hamlin had no issues. It was on the way back that the incident happened. Strangely, according to a statement read by Allred at a live press conference on Thursday, the normal metal detector was not set off, but only when she was examined with a handheld detector were they detected.
Allred indicated during the press conference that TSA regulations indicate that standard procedure for piercings is a pat-down, with the OPTION of removal of the piercings instead of the pat-down. Of course, Hamlin wasn't informed of this option, and was instructed that she had to remove the piercings if she wanted to fly.
Allred also indicated that while the first piercing was removed easily, the second was not, and a pair of pliers was required. At the same time, while she was behind cover, Hamlin could hear a growing number of male TSA agents snickering outside.
When re-examined with the handheld detector, her navel ring set off the detector. In this case, the TSA agent told her it was OK, because he could see the ring. Allred thus asked why a visual inspection was OK for the navel ring but not for the nipple rings.
At this point Allred asked about vagina and penis piercings. She demanded an investigation, and also a public apology. It should also be noted that a) removal of the second piercing was painful, b) re-insertion of the piercings was painful as well, due to scar tissue. This was outlined at the live press conference.
At the same time the unspoken threat is definitely there: you can expect a lawsuit, deservedly so.
At the same time, TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird. Baird said he did not know of the incident Allred mentioned in her statement.
"I'd be really curious to know what this woman had in her nipples," Baird said. "Sometimes they have a chain between their nipples, or a chain between their nipples and their belly button. It would have to be made of heavy metal to be detected."
What do you readers think? This was really overkill. And there were female TSA officers present; why did they not just visually inspect the piercings? And, as Allred indicated in the press conference, the last time she checked nipples were not a dangerous weapon.
8 comments:
I dont understand. The choices the TSA evidently has for body rings is pat-down, visual inspection, or removal. They told her to remove the nipple rings. Did she really want the other choices instead?
Whats the complaint here, I dont understand?
For all we know, she may indeed have prefered one of the other choices; they could easily have offered her the option of being patted down or inspected by a female agent. Perhaps she would have declined, perhaps not, but either way, it would have been her choice. And the fact that her body jewelry was never made an issue on her flight out, and that it didn't even set off the regular metal detector are also key points.
Basically, the complaint boils down to her not being informed of all her legal options and the airline staff sniggering at her like school children.
Afterthought addendum to the above: That, and as was implied by Ms. Allred, since when have nipple rings become lethal weapons? I honestly can't see someone doing any damage, let alone hijacking a plane, with a nipple-ring, even if it were somehow surreptitiously removed (which would be a good trick, considering no one would be allowed to get a pair of pliers or anything which could be used to remove it remotely near an airplane). So yeah, definite overkill.
Maybe Elliot Spitzer was working that day. If the ho wears metal, then stick it in baby. What a peice of trash this chick must be. I bet she had tattoos also. WHAT a scum bag broad. The standards in the US have really gotten low. One up for TSA, next time strip search her private parts and make her scream.///
The COMPLAINT here is invasion of privacy and ridicule by a bunch of rent a cop hard dicks at TSA. GROW THE FUCK UP, FASCIST!
(This woman so obviously looked like a terrorist that I completely understand TSA's insecurity issues.)
I hope TSA is SLAMMED.
I'm SICK of these ass wipe rent a cops acting like Nazi SS Troops. If someone treated my wife like that, those fuckers would be on my shit list until they died.
People are too goddamn PASSIVE in this post 911 BULLSHIT culture.
TSA DID it because they COULD, not because it was a safety issue. Fuck safety. Sick of the whole BUSH INDUCED DISNEYLAND FEAR CRAP.
We live in a perpetual state of TERROR, yet claim to be fighting TERROISM.
Increasingly, I'm ashamed to live here.
(Before some smart ass replies "move then!" I can assure you I am looking at my options.)
TSA are a bunch of goddamned babies an should be sued straight to hell. Maybe they would think twice at bullying women.
GOD I WOULD LOVE TO GET THOSE BOYS IN MY KENPO CLASS AND BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THEM, THEN PIERCE THEIR FUCKING NIPPLES.
I think we should look at the bigger picture. While this woman was clearly humiliated by this experience the TSA agent, I hope, was doing the job that (s)he was told to do. However clearly the training that (s)he got was totally inadequate. After all, what do you expect when the company who has the contract to provide this service, different in every airport, is hiring the cheapest labour for the job?
I had a friend who was not allowed to take a cheese (sharp cheddar) on the plane as the TSA agent decided that it was a gel.
The biggest problem is that we, the traveling public, have no clear right to complain officially about what we believe is unfair treatment by the TSA agent. If, during an interaction with a TSA agent one feels that one is being treated unfairly and you say anything, the TSA agent usually resorts to threats of arrest.
We the traveling public need to have the same rights dealing with the TSA as we do dealing with the police, and this needs to be made clear to both us, the public and the TSA. If we feel that we are being treated unfairly we need to have the right to complain, after the fact, and get from the TSA agent in question their name and identification number.
They have a job to do, it is often thankless and I am sure they deal with a large number of rude and unhelpful people, but there needs to be some balancing mechanism otherwise power will corrupt.
I used to travel on business with someone who had a false leg which would set off the metal detectors. No one told him to take off his leg.
huh......wonder how many men, with nipple rings(heavier than a womans)or penis rings would think this was just a hoot?
There was no need for this and the snickering employees proves it.I sincerely hope Ms. Hamlin makes them pay dearly for that entertainment.
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