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TSA hands woman pair of pliers, tells her to remove nipple rings
A Los Angeles attorney has contacted the media claiming that a woman flying out of Los Angeles International Airport was handed a pair of pliers from Transportation Security Administration workers and made to remove her nipple rings before passing through and boarding her flight.Sadly, this wonderful Associated Press story is short on details as of this writing. The AP names the attorney, one Gloria Allred, but notes that she did not go into much detail while making the allegation. Perhaps she simply witnessed the incident? A news conference is forthcoming, but it's unclear when.
Reached for comment by the AP, TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird said he had not heard of the matter, but added that while the administration has no specific policy about body jewelry and piercings, if somebody has a piercing big enough to set off alarms it would have to be "investigated."
No word yet on whether the woman at issue had to put the pliers to work while still in the security line.
Filed under: Airports, Consumer Activism
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
towanda Feb 23rd 2009 10:27PM
By the picture I was hoping for a more exciting story!!
herb Feb 24th 2009 11:03AM
So was I, you woulda thunk!
Herman Feb 23rd 2009 10:38PM
Isnt the nipple ring an old story:?
Gordon Feb 24th 2009 12:39PM
Where's the tit ?
terry Feb 24th 2009 1:33PM
I would have offerd to remove them for her......with my teeth LOL
Lindsay Feb 24th 2009 2:01PM
This is ridiculous. I have piercings of the same nature & go through security 3-4 times a week. Never had a problem.
Janet Feb 24th 2009 5:40PM
I think this is crap because stainless steel does not set off metal detectors, atleast mine didn't.
Jason Mar 3rd 2009 3:09PM
stainless steel is what they make most knives out of and yes it will set off a "metal detector". Of course there are other types of metal that are used for body jewelery like surgical steel, gold, silver. It would also depend on the gauge of the jewelery, as lower gauges = thicker rings = more metal to detect. Since they have you remove change from your pockets it does not take to much metal to set it off.
Mike Mar 15th 2009 4:58PM
I have two 5 inch stainless steel plates in my back, two titanium plates in my right arm and a scew in my left wrist....and I still don't set off those dang metal detectors. LOL Makes you wonder.
Janet Mar 15th 2009 5:13PM
Yeah, it does! Ouch, what the heck did you do?
detector Feb 28th 2009 11:03AM
Something's not right in this story...for one thing, the reference to "one Gloria Allred": does the writer not recognize the name of one of the most famous (and publicity-hungry) attorneys in the country? If she were in fact representing a client who'd been handed pliers at Airport Security, we'd be seeing that nip on Good Morning America...
KATHY Mar 7th 2009 10:41PM
Actually the story was reported on CBS on March 7. Check out their website.
CB Mar 15th 2009 7:14PM
Nipple anyone? If the airlines told her to remove her nipple ring, don't they think that everyone wearing one should have too? I think this is boggy. There's alot of people who go thru security at airports and I've never heard of anything like this happening. "Stop, whip out your titty and remove that nipple ring or we'll do it for you." Is this what will be said at airports? lol I needed a good laugh today.
melissa Mar 18th 2009 7:41AM
this story is bs. i go thru airline security with earrings and a belly button ring every time. if the screener was just an azz and causing the customer grief, the airline should indeed be sued.
OregonMom Apr 9th 2009 2:04AM
I got my nipples pierced 9 years ago and have flown maybe 12 times since. I have set off metal detectors in Colorado and New York but not Florida or Oregon. I think it may depend on how good the machine is? They didn't make me remove them but I did have to go to a room with two female TSA workers and show them what was setting it off and they used the wand thing to prove it was the piercings. It took maybe 3 extra minutes and was not a big deal.
fknhippie Jun 23rd 2009 2:47PM
anyone with a damn nipple ring is obviously not that shy why couldnt they just have a female security guard take her to a private area and verify that it was a nipple ring? Ive never heard of anything so ridiculous
Huckleberry Sep 12th 2009 6:09PM
What a Boob!