Woman Says TSA Forced Piercings Removal

[DandyDon]

Based on DivingPrincessE's recent experience and other similar comments it kinda makes you wonder just just what kind of hardware Ms. Mandi Hamlin was packing?

I don't have any piercings myself but do wear a fairly large gold baht chain and it has never set off an airport alarm.

This is an uneducated guess, but I'm thinking the lady in the news story may be carrying a lot more metal. The Princess seems like she may have daintier taste.

I think they have some sensitivity discrettion on the metal detector, anyone know?

Because I notice it varies from time to time.

And yeah, I think they do have some tuning involved, as well as vary with changes in humidity. The Lubbock security gate is not that far from a main entrance for example. Too early for AC, too late for heating, so humidity will vary some.

 

[Tomeck]

Metal detectors can be fine tuned. I'm used to them going off when I go through then when they wave their magic paddle of infinite wisdom around me it goes off in the places I don't have any hardware at all. Not my nips, not my ears, not my right shoulder with 7 anchors and a screw.. my shin, a foot, my hand without my wedding band on it. The TSA guy got the answer he wasn't expecting with me since I was down to my boxers and socks in the airport.. he waves over my shin, it goes off.. 6 TSA people standing around watching this fella do his gig.. my wife and about 50 people watching as well.
TSA guy: "Whats in your leg to make it go off?"
Me: "Nothing." and now I'm smiling because I can't believe my leg set it off but 12ga nip rings didn't.
TSA guy: "You have to have something, the metal detector went off."
Me: "I have only had my shoulder rebuilt....."
TSA guy: "So whats in your leg?"
Me: "Well, I did have this dream about aliens and a probe. Have you come to retrieve it? If your not my pregnant wife is looking uncomfortable with me being almost nude with another man"

I was basically told to get dressed and leave at that point..

Americans are fun!

 

[CFDAlden]

Interesting and hallarious reading. But, no one mentioned "what happens to the poor smuck with the plate in his head?" Will the TSA guys whip out a scalpal and cut him open to check?

A friend we travel with has a pacemaker. She carries a card that identifiys her as having a medical device implanted, and needs a pat down as opposed to going through a metal detector.

When we went to the Caribbean in March, a TSA agent (Orlando, FL) was giving her a hard time, saying she was too young (she's 30) to have a pace maker.

I'm glad they started having TSA agent's attend med school.