Nipple ring removal required by TSA leads woman to demand an apology and a civil rights investigation

[Jenna]

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.

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.

Hamlin was publicly humiliated and has "undergone an enormous amount of physical pain to have the nipple rings reinserted" because of scar tissue, Allred said.

Hamlin said her piercings have never set off an airport metal detector.

"The conduct of TSA was cruel and unnecessary," Allred wrote. "The last time that I checked a nipple was not a dangerous weapon."

By GREG RISLING, Associated Press Writer Fri Mar 28, 3:53 AM ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080328/...ipple_rings_11

[121Traffic]

TTIWWOP

Seriously though...ugh TSA.

[Just KC]

UGH my boobs hurt just reading that!

[Pedro56]

Well, we have a few rantable posts here today but let me start with the TSA. Sorry if anyone on here is one, but the TSA is nothing but a bunch of blithering morons. I was told that my star was questionable because it could be used as a weapon, yes my police star, that says "Chicago Police" right across it. They are more worried that you have your shit in a clear plastic ziploc bag yet couldn't spot a threat if it was waived infront of them. This here is another example that the people that they hired are morons. A nipple ring, what the hell did they think could be done with a nipple ring? What if I had a Prince Albert (ouch) would that be construed as a weapon or what if your significant other has a few rings in another cool place, is that a WMD? I know what the guy was thinking, that the womans jugs were actually a nerve agents, and she could just yank the nipple ring out and decimate the passengers on board. Give me a break. I don't remember seeing it on here but did you know that the TSA's here in Chicago were in cahoots with the guys in the back and when they were searching through your bags at the airport they were marking them so that they could steal the prescription drugs and were sending your bag off to some far away land other than where you were going? There was a time that I traveled to a police related class in Virginia a few years back. I had to transport 2 pistols with me, so I went to the Homeland Security Site, as well as the BATFE's site and got all of the info on how I was supposed to transport this stuff. I had it in a locked case, unloaded and I declared it to the ticket agent as I was told to. Then the TSA morons got their hands on it. They asked me for the combination to the locked gun box in my luggage and I told them no. Then they proceeded to tell me that it was the law that I tell them, and I still told them no. That I am a police officer and I have never heard of such a law. They proceeded to tell me that they would not let it on the plane unless they opened it. I told them to X-ray it and that there were 2 assembled Sig Sauer handguns inside the little metal box along with 6 magazines and 15 boxes of ammunition. The back and forth went on, so I requested a supervisor, and I got one that was even stupider than the mopes behind the little rope. I said if you want it opened so bad I will open it for you and you can check and I was told that they couldn't allow me to touch my luggage. So now I requested a CPD supervisor that showed up and basically told the TSA mopes that they would not be opening the box without a warrant or my consent, and that the only way they were going to get my consent was to not give them the combo. So, we met half way and I opened the box, then the TSA guy goes to grab one of the weapons and I asked for his FOID card. (an Illinois thing) he said he didn't have one nor did any of the other TSA mopes, I simply replied that if anyone touched them that they would be arrested for handling a weapon without a FOID card and our Sgt agreed and the box was closed and I returned the luggage back to the ticket people on my own. TSA people, are bad in my book.

[Ducky]

That's the biggest bunch of BS I've ever heard, I suspect that someone was wanting to get their jollies by having her do that. I've got an 'uncommon' piercing, and if someone wanted to give me grief about it I'd be having a long talk with their supervisor.

[213th]

Whats a FOID card and why would you need one to touch a gun?

[Pedro56]

Whats a FOID card and why would you need one to touch a gun?

In 1968, Illinois enacted legislation to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public by providing a system of identifying persons who are not qualified to acquire or possess firearms and firearm ammunition within the State of Illinois. The Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) Act established a practical and workable system to identify persons prohibited by Section 24-3.1 of the "Criminal Code of 1961" as amended, from acquiring or possessing firearms and firearm ammunition. The Illinois State Police was given the responsibility of administering the Act.
There are approximately 1.2 million valid FOID card holders. Approximately 210,000-220,000 applications are processed annually by the Firearms Services Bureau. In 2002, 4,642 applications were denied and 6,926 FOID cards were revoked as a result of the extensive review process which identifies individuals whom are prohibited from possessing or acquiring firearms and firearm ammunition.
All Illinois residents who buy or possess firearms are required by law to have a valid FOID card. FOID applications can be obtained from any firearm's dealer, law enforcement agency, or printed from the Internet. To obtain a FOID card, complete an application and forward it along with a $5.00 fee and a photograph to the Illinois State Police, Firearm Owner's Identification Unit, Post Office Box 19233, Springfield, Illinois 62794-9233.


It is a Class A misdemeanor to handle a firearm with a FOID card in the state of Illinois (of course unless you are an out of stater). The only way you can handle a firearm without the card is if you have a willing participant who has one (which would have been me) it is just a gun Nazi Law. Which I am opposed to but at the same time I use it when it suits me.

[Vendetta]

Am I the only one that thinks that 37 is a little old to have nipple rings?

[Pedro56]

Am I the only one that thinks that 37 is a little old to have nipple rings?

No way, I like my women over the age of 37, I think it is cool.

[TheeBadOne]

March 27: Mandi Hamlin, right, demonstrates what she was asked to do by the TSA during a news conference in L.A. with her attorney.


That's a man baby!

[MacLean]

Any time Gloria Allred is involved, the story stinks to high heaven like bullshit.

Let's keep that in mind before we go apeshit on the TSA.

[ex401mp]

All that for that mutt? She looks like she would have to tie a steak around her neck to get a dog to play with her. Maybe she can use the money she gets from the pending lawsuit to get some work done.

Nah, nevermind, there's not enough money to fix that mess.

[Terminator]

Ordering someone to remove a nipple ring in order for them to be able to fly is just plain stupid. They should be more concerned with finding actual weapons.

[ex401mp]

The one thing that I learned when I was in the Army was that the motto of the federal goverment is "If it makes sense, then it is wrong".

[TXCharlie]

Does anyone know the Federal job classification for this nipple ring removal position? I want to apply

[Terminator]

Does anyone know the Federal job classification for this nipple ring removal position? I want to apply

That's not a good position for an old man with a pacemaker.

[Ducky]

She may be a barker, but damn, she's got more guts than me. Nipple piercings freaking HURT!

[TXCharlie]

That's not a good position for an old man with a pacemaker.

Sounds like a great way to go

[Vendetta]

Nipple piercings freaking HURT!

And you would know this how

[deputysykes]

OK I saw this lady on the news last night. She made me laugh my ass off! She says she's has never been so humiliated in all her life. TSA went too far and embarassed her.......

OK, so they might have gone too far. So she, maybe 10 TSA workers, and maybe 30 passengers saw the whole event go down. 41 people seeing that is pretty humiliating, I guess.

BUT THEN THE DUMB BITCH GOES ON TV TO TELL THE WHOLE WORLD SHE HAS NIPPLE RINGS ! ! !

NOW THAT'S HUMILIATING ! ! !