WARNING TO ALL BM FLYERS

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:53 am

bring your own pliers....

(AP) 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.

She said she heard male TSA agents snickering as she took out the ring. She was scanned again and was allowed to board even though she still was wearing a belly button ring.

"After nipple rings are inserted, the skin can often heal around the piercing, and the rings can be extremely difficult and painful to remove," Allred said in the letter.

The last time that I checked a nipple was not a dangerous weapon.
Attorney Gloria Allred
TSA officials said they are investigating to see whether its policies were followed.

"Our security officers are well-trained to screen individuals with body piercings in sensitive areas with dignity and respect while ensuring a high level of security," the agency said in a statement.

On its Web site, the TSA warns that passengers "may be additionally screened because of hidden items such as body piercings, which alarmed the metal detector."

"If you are selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to a pat-down search," the site says.

Hamlin would have accepted a "pat-down" had it been offered, Allred said.

If an alarm does sound, "until that is resolved, we're not going to let them go through the checkpoint, no matter what they're wearing or where they're wearing it," said TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird in Salt Lake City.

People routinely pass through security wearing wedding rings without problems, and it might take a larger bit of metal to trigger an alarm, Baird said.

Hamlin filed a complaint, but the TSA's customer service manager at the Lubbock airport concluded the screening was handled properly, Allred said.

Hamlin wants an apology from the TSA and an investigation by the agency's civil rights office.

Allred said she might consider legal action if the TSA does not apologize.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:27 am

Power corrupts and absolute power... hey baby.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:50 pm

Don't fly if you can avoid it.
They have rejected a passenger bill of rights, so far.

Vote with your ticket money, if you can.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:04 pm

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 15df6.html

Good news on this one. Despite the fact that they will not admit blame or fault, the TSA has officially clarified and changed the standard policy concerning body jewelry.

The very fact it took them less than 24 hours to make and publicly announce a concrete nationwide policy change is evidence enough that they knew they were absolutely in the wrong on this one.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:08 pm

gyre wrote:Don't fly if you can avoid it.
They have rejected a passenger bill of rights, so far.

Vote with your ticket money, if you can.

I do not fly if I can avoid it.

But when you travel internationally or need to go across the country for a weekend, driving isn't an option.

My next plane ride is in April and I am not looking forward to it since I know this will be running through my mind the whole time...

[youtube][/youtube]

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:16 pm

It's real easy for me, I am already on the no fly list.

Who would of thought that yelling at vanloads of senior citizens with a megaphone from my frontporch would cauze such a tizzy ???
I was just offering them what I felt was good advise, after all.............

(I live straight across the street from the Jr. High School where they vote in our neck of the suburbs)

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:31 pm

Seriously?
What did they charge you with?

Also, don't lean in the plane and yell 'Hey, Achmed! Fedihl!'
Because if someone answers, everyone gets off the plane,
and you are "no longer welcome" on southwest airlines.

Why would you answer to that on a plane?

And does anyone know if that was a Glaser safety round that that pilot fired right through the fuselage of the plane recently?
I'm really impressed with them, if it was.
I've carried those before, but I've been leaning more towards the Corbon DPX lately.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:11 am

And does anyone know if that was a Glaser safety round that that pilot fired right through the fuselage of the plane recently?
I'm really impressed with them, if it was.
I've carried those before, but I've been leaning more towards the Corbon DPX lately.

I do not think a Glaser would do that. They will stop in sheetrock.

The AP report on it shows the bullet hole and it was not characteristic of a frangible round because it had a decently formed exit hole.

And Corbon is all I carry.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:16 am

On Southwest?

I'd think it would be "Andale! La Migra!"

Warming up for next Tuesday.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:29 am

CapSmashy wrote:And does anyone know if that was a Glaser safety round that that pilot fired right through the fuselage of the plane recently?
I'm really impressed with them, if it was.
I've carried those before, but I've been leaning more towards the Corbon DPX lately.

I do not think a Glaser would do that. They will stop in sheetrock.

The AP report on it shows the bullet hole and it was not characteristic of a frangible round because it had a decently formed exit hole.

And Corbon is all I carry. :)

I saw those photos.
I thought it might have been a silver glaser vs a blue.
They're made by corbon too.

Any opinion on the DPX vs the powerball?
Mine is 14 0z with a 3" barrel.

bburrito · Post by **bburrito** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:59 pm

I am flying to Brazil in October and I booked my ticket out of Tijuana rather than San Diego for the simple reason of less hassle. Pretty sad that I have to drive to Mexico to find respect for even a modicum of human rights in an airport.

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:20 pm

is a flight out of Tijuana any cheaper?

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:45 am

The pliers aren't working, we'll have to bring in the Jaws Of Life!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:19 pm

Never fly with a pilot who believes in reincarnation.

ragabashpup · Post by **ragabashpup** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:45 pm

Man I have to fly in two weeks and I am not happy about it. Luckily I have already taken out all of my piercings over the years.
BTW dealing with a toddler the TSA and a laptop is not a pleasant experience. Not only are they rude to people who look a little different they furkin hate kids. With a passion. Not understanding or patient with them at all.
Last time I flew with my daughter she freaked out when she saw the metal detector which just made the lovely folks at TSA get rude. Whee!

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:43 am

The TSA does not give a rat's fuck about air safety.

Were that not the case the TSA would be focusing their resources on identified areas of weakness that have been longstanding in the industry.

The purpose of the TSA is to get American citizens used to the idea of being asked inappropriate questions and expecting answers as well as having almost continual, routine searches of one's person and personal belongings.

TSA represents a calculated, methodical erosion of laws and concepts that we've historically taken for granted. It's called wiping your ass with the Constitution and following it up with the Bill of Rights.

DaddyMassive · Post by **DaddyMassive** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:26 am

I have to say last year LAX airport security was very nice.
Didn't blink an eye at carrying ~20 meters of garrote-ish El Wire in my hand luggage and they complimented me on my excellent Tshirt.
And at least your airports have the decency to put suitcases on the planes.

British airports keep them in a pile for 2 weeks then sends them to another country to get them sorted for them.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:29 am

Shirley, America must be far worse than anywhere in the ten universes.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:48 am

Don't call me Shirley.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:53 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:The pliers aren't working, we'll have to bring in the Jaws Of Life!

I think there are several men who claim to have the jaws of life vis-a-vis removing a nipple ring.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:26 am

I think you can get a re-nippling attachment for a Gerber multi-tool... just don't fly out of Heathrow.

ragabashpup · Post by **ragabashpup** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:26 am

There is a lovely little tool that you used to be able to buy at hot topic that helps getting rings off and on. I am not sure if they sell them anymore but if you ask you piercing parlour they may be able to help you get some since that is what the bastards use to get the rings on so tight in the first place.

They look like needle nose pliers with odd notches in them.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:18 pm

Badger wrote:The TSA does not give a rat's fuck about air safety.

Were that not the case the TSA would be focusing their resources on identified areas of weakness that have been longstanding in the industry.

The purpose of the TSA is to get American citizens used to the idea of being asked inappropriate questions and expecting answers as well as having almost continual, routine searches of one's person and personal belongings.

TSA represents a calculated, methodical erosion of laws and concepts that we've historically taken for granted. It's called wiping your ass with the Constitution and following it up with the Bill of Rights.

This is true.
The TSA is the equivalent of OSHA or the EPA.
Their only purpose is to mollify the public.
The fact that glass and plastic knives are completely ignored as a problem says it all.
If you aren't aware, a glass knife can be sharper than it is possible to make a metal scalpel.

They have now announced plans to mellow out screenings so "nervous" security threats can be spotted.
I don't think anyone is as calm as someone ready to die.

I caught the attention of UK security because I was too cheery.
The customs official made inane small talk while carefully checking my response.
He was also running material on his hidden screen built into his desk.
He was trying to do this without my notice.
That was impressive and very different from security elsewhere.

It is always better to be underestimated by your adversary, and exceedingly dangerous for them.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:30 pm

Somebody should get the entire Nevada desert rave gun sex & drug culture together to change everybody else's laws.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:37 pm

Almost anyone can lobby effectively when they learn how.
Often framing the problem correctly is enough to change the issue.
For the most part, it is slow and frustrating.

One example- what some medical lobbyists here call "tort reform" is actually the removal of ALL oversight from the profession.
When tort reform comes before the media and for legislation here, I support reform, provided malpractice/fraud is criminalized.
They don't seem to want this discussion to occur at all.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:53 pm

gyre wrote: The TSA is the equivalent of ... the EPA.
Their only purpose is to mollify the public.

This is distorted and personally offensive.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:48 pm

In what way?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:28 pm

Yeah, right. Buhrnurz are the first fucking people I want to consult on aircraft safety.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:47 pm

Wow, did that plane blow over from not being tethered well enough, or was that a botched landing?

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:58 pm

Take a (closer) look at the propeller and I think you'll find the answer.