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On Mar 30, 11:48 am, HK wrote:
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"HK" wrote in message
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Security flap arises over nipple ring removal
Washington Times

March 29, 2008

By Audrey Hudson - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
yesterday stood by its decision to require a Texas airline passenger
to remove a nipple ring with pliers before boarding a flight, but says
more discreet screening procedures may allow sensitively placed
piercings to be worn in the future.

"TSA acknowledges that our procedures caused difficulty for the
passenger involved and regrets her discomfort with the situation,"
said TSA spokesman Christopher White.

"In the future, TSA's procedures will meet the security need while
giving additional flexibility for this kind of screening situation,"
Mr. White said. "This could include a visual inspection without
removal."

Mandi Hamlin, 37-year-old graphics artist, said she was forced to
remove the nipple ring with pliers on Feb. 24 before boarding
Southwest Flight 35 from Lubbock, Texas, to Dallas.

Gloria Allred, Ms. Hamlin's lawyer, read from a letter to the TSA
during a video teleconference Thursday asking the TSA's Office of
Civil Rights and Liberties to investigate the incident.

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

"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 Ms. Allred.

"This encounter was one that she will never forget," Ms. Allred said.
"The conduct of TSA was cruel and unnecessary. The last time that I
checked a nipple was not a dangerous weapon."

Mr. White said security screeners properly followed procedures during
the incident when they asked Ms. Hamlin to remove the piercings. One
was removed easily, but the skin had grown over the second piercing
stud and Ms. Hamlin asked for the pliers to remove it.

The TSA defended the extra scrutiny, saying that terrorists have
hidden dangerous items in "sensitive areas of the body" in the past.

"We have a duty to the American public to resolve any alarm that we
discover," Mr. White said. "Incidents of female terrorists hiding
explosives in sensitive areas are on the rise all over the world. This
scenario must be addressed at our nation's airports."

On Nov 28, 2007, in Sri Lanka, a woman linked to the Tamil Tiger
terrorist organization, detonated a bomb from her bra killing herself
and one other.

TSA's Web site informs passengers that body piercing may prompt
additional screening procedures and that they may be asked "to remove
your body piercing in private as an alternative to a pat-down search."

"Our security officers are well trained to screen individuals with
body piercing in sensitive areas with dignity and respect while
ensuring a high level of security," Mr. White said.

- - -

Ahh, the Bush Administration. We're going to miss the high level of
incompetence.

Between your spending much of your day participating in rec.boats and
finding exciting news articles like this to regurgitate, it's no wonder
you need to go out in the woods and shoot tree stumps, to relieve the
stress you are under.
BTW: How do you hide a 3 pound pistol on your person. The obvious
answer is that just blends in with your excess midriff blubber.

What are you raving about, "SloMo"? Why would I need to hide a "3 pound
pistol" on my person?

Here's a question for you, SloMo...why do you post here? You obviously
are not a boater.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hmm, let's see. Harry posts an article here about the TSA and a nipple
ring, then chides someone else for not posting boating related
posts..........
Care to conjure up all of your posts for the last, say week, and see
just what percentage is boating related?

But nipples have caused a lot of trouble over the years. Lots of young and
older men have had major trouble because of female nipples.