Reactions to story from Wonkette: The D.C. Gossip

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  http://bitter-girl.com/?p=1590
  36 days ago in bitter-girl :: musings · Authority: 1

  Traveler said she was forced to remove nipple ring. From the CNN article: “The conduct of TSA was cruel and unnecessary,” Allred wrote. “The last time that I checked, a nipple was not a dangerous weapon.” I like Wonkette’s version better: If you have any trace amount of “metal” on your person, or in your luggage, or anywhere in your life, you are a terrorist and cannot board airplanes. Did you forget, Average American? You are never supposed to do that. Some lady did forget, however, and was forced to remove her nipple piercings with a pair of pliers at airport security. She is very upset, too! Nipple piercings can be melted into liquid metal and shaped into Terrorism. You know. Kind of like a Terminator or something. Having had a transvaginal ultrasound, let me tell you, I can’t WAIT until TSA starts handing those out at checkpoints. ‘Cause, you know… dangerous weapon and all, the human vagina. Share This
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  http://www.av8rdan.com/2008/03/i-really-tried-hard-to-avoid-...
  45 days ago in Av8rdan's World of Flying · Authority: 11

  I Really Tried Hard to Avoid This Story Those who read this blog regularly know I like any story that is out there a bit – I like topics that are off the beaten path of the usual aviation stories we read daily. So last week, a story broke that was so far out there, I knew I'd have to chain myself to the wall to avoid blogging about it. Well, turns out I couldn't resist...in a nutshell, it goes something like this: A woman in Texas was trying to board an airplane in Lubbock last week when her nipple rings lit off the TSA's scanning equipment, and she was pulled from the line. While she says male TSA agents snickered from the other side of the curtain that hid her from view, the woman was forced to use pliers to remove one of the rings, an experience she called "a nightmare." After removal of the metal rings, she was scanned again and was allowed to board even though she is reported to still have been wearing a belly button ring. The TSA is investigating the incident, and the woman has retained California power attorney Gloria Allred to pursue possible legal action.According to the TSA web site, they do make it pretty clear that body piercings are not allowed: "Hidden items such as body piercings may result in your being directed to additional screening for a pat-down inspection. If selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to the pat-down search."But let's be real here. There is a place for hard and fast rules, and a place for common sense and reality: All that needed to happen here was for the woman to go behind a curtain with a female TSA agent, show the agent her non-lethal nipple rings, and be done with it. I can get on the plane with a key ring after the jagged metal keys have gone through the scanner in the tray, and we all know KEYS can be used as weapons if held between your fingers in just the right way...so says a million self-defense sites like this one. So what did the TSA think this woman was going to do with her firmly-implanted nipple rings anyway? Any speculation here would ruin my blog's PG rating. Airport security remains a very good idea, but the implementation of it by the notoriously inept TSA keeps shooting the idea in the foot. Our U.S. air travel system has become a laughing stock around the world, and the TSA keeps working overtime to keep that reputation alive. When you look around the Internets at last week's headlines about Nipple Ring-Gate, it is hard not to just see how stupid this incident makes the TSA seem to the public: It starts with a nice, simple and straight-forward head from the Student Operated Press, via AP: TSA 'agents' force Woman to Remove Nipple Rings with Pliers But Wonkette gets a little more in your face: Run for your life Terrorists Make Lady Rip Off Nipple Piercings to Board Plane A Political blog in the L.A. Times asks: The politics of nipple rings: Where do Clinton and Obama really stand? CNN heads their story with the obvious: Nipple ring search procedures faulty, TSA admits The New York Post SHOUTS this: 'NIP' SNIP AIR TRAUMA And a site called the LAist, posted an alert more dangerous then the rings themselves: Alert: Nipple Rings a Danger at AirportsI could go on all night, the heads just get more outrageous with each scroll down The Google's news results page. Bottom line: This incident was uncalled for, it was shameful, and the TSA needs to be trained to not let this happen again. Because while they were distracted by wasting time embarrassing this poor woman to tears, can they really be absolutely sure someone that actually posed a legitimate threat to the passengers didn't slip by under their snickering noses? No, they can't.
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  That Was The Week That Was - In Blogs

  http://blogs.citybeat.com/livingoutloud/2008/03/that-was-the...
  46 days ago in Living Out Loud · Authority: 7

  If you wear nipple piercings, you are a terrorist. When boarding airplanes, it's better to be safe than sorry. Last week, a woman wearing these deadly things was stopped by airport security. Wonkette fills us in. Security made her remove the piercings before she could board the plane. Apparently the second one had to be removed with a pair of pliers. As far as I’m concerned, whatever it takes. Do you know how small they make guns these days? That’s exactly what they could have been! Little, tiny guns! She could have taken the whole damn plane down and even worse, blown up her tits in the process! Thank god airport security was on top of this. I don’t know if Diane Keaton wears nipple piercings but I do know she hates people. Jazebel fills us in. At the A & E Blog last week, Rick Pender did an interesting interview with playwright Melanie Marnich. Her play, “A Sleeping Country,” is now playing at the Playhouse in the Park. Melanie seems like a nice woman, true to her country and all that. I’m sure she doesn’t have weapons of mass destruction pierced on her anywhere. Why does the Obama people want Hillary ousted? The Cincinnati Nation gives us some details. Is it because she has nipple piercings? Doubtful. This race is just too much fun to watch. Take it to the convention. Seriously. Let us now go to San Diego where former City Council Member John Hartley got arrested last week. Seems like Mr. Hartley was peeing in a cup in public. To make matters a bit worse, he was also masturbating in that cup. The San Diego Union-Tribune gives us more details. Mr. Hartley is trying to regain his seat on council and is running in the current erection election. It’s unlikely he’ll win now but the good news here is he had no nipple piercings and is not considered a terrorist. “The View’s” co-host, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, equates Obama’s preacher man, Jeremiah Wright, with Jeffrey Dahmer. Watch the clip on Crooks and Liars. Elizabeth Hasselbeck: No nipple piercings, not a terrorist – just dumb. The Daily Bellwether had an interesting post up last week about the old song “Take me out to the Ballgame.” It was written for Katie Casey like a hundred years ago, because Katie loved baseball. Yes, it was a simpler time back then. . . no terrorists. . . no nipple piercings. Last Wednesday on the LOL Blog, I wrote a post called What I Miss and the Cincinnati Blog went ape shit. Man, it’s about time! You guys haven’t ripped me a new one in ages! Just to keep the “hate” going, yes – I believe everything I wrote. In a related issue, yes – I’m staying in Newport, Kentucky, but in news that will send joy to your pierced nipples, I’ll be moving back to Cincinnati at the end of this week. You will have Larry Gross to kick around some more! Before I move back, however, I have to go out of town for a day. I’ll be getting on an airplane tomorrow and while I don’t have nipple piercings, I must remember to remove my cock ring before hitting airport security. - Larry Gross (Photo from www.funkytownmall.com)

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