TSA forces girl to remove nipple piercings
 

A nipple is not a dangerous weapon, but a rouse to distract an agent is dangerous. While I'm not so interested in the TSA since we have open porous borders. The TSA is in place and their rules are and should be enforced. The individual needs to take some responsibilty here.

I can't tell you how careful Skogafoss and I plan our clothing making sure to not wear shirts with metal buttons, some of our dress shoes have metal inserts for shape, we don't wear those.

At what point do we as a society hand it back to the individual and state emphatically, "Sorry, no YOU are responsible for why this happened to you."?

You and I had exact opposite reactions to this article. Mine was "further proof that the TSA is full of jackbooted thugs".

I travel for work. A lot. It's a rare week when I'm not in at least 3 different airports. I see the TSA folks a lot, and most of them are pretty good about understanding that most of us what to get out of security as quickly as possible. It's the ones that decide to liven up their days by toying with the traveling public (and make no mistake that it happens a lot) that give them all a bad image.

This is an obvious exception. Why does the TSA get to dictate her personal body modification choices? I honestly can't think of a much more personal decision. Of course she is responsible, but it's not like this is a particularly rare choice. Forcing her to remove semi-permanently implanted jewelry without giving her the option of a patdown (which is apparently procedure) is far too intrusive. The government has essentially told her that her freedom of movement is constrained because of her semi-permanent rings. The charter of the TSA is to keep anything that could be used to hijack or destroy an airplane from boarding it. Nipple rings, even if they were thrown through the engines, couln't do that.

I suppose that the next time I am in Casper, WY and set off the alarm because of the screws in my wrist, I should just cut off my hand? Or should the little old lady behind me detach her replacement hip? These are things implanted in the body! C'mon!

God I love nipples. I really, really do. What about TSA?

Well jesus fucking christ, it's a nipple ring, not a bomb. TSA should fire the people who detained her.

Holy smokes, are you serious?

A nipple ring. I think that lady has every right to be pissed off. Shit, I'm pissed off just reading about it. To my knowledge there have been no known instances of body jewelry being used as a means to hijack or down an airplane. What's next? Sun glasses?

The fact that they let her keep her navel piercing in is the clincher. I mean, I could see if they were being consistent in their dumbshittery, because hey, that's the kind of dumbshittery you can predict and rely on. I don't think it is reasonable to expect this woman to take responsibility for not expecting TSA to behave like jerkoffs in a seemingly completely random way.

It doesn't matter if it's implanted. My mothery-in-law's hip set off the alarms. She was asked to step aside, explained that she had an artificial hip. Didn't matter, they patted her down. She's freakin 76 years old and skims the ruler at 5' tall!

I have always understood that travellers with metal implants have some sort of documentation from a medical doctor. Maybe that's too much movies.

When I go to any amusment parks they state that people with earrings will not be allowed to board any rollercoasters with certain types of headrestraints. People with those humongous doughnuts in their ears tend to take offense to that and think it isn't right. There is a real reason for it, I'm sure your industry is one of the dictators of why they cannot wear such things.

I don't believe that I am stating that the TSA did the right thing here, just stating that the inconvenience this young woman had she is partly responsible for. Millions of women without piercings but underwire bras are moved to the side and checked.

When I did not remove my laptop from the bag and was pulled to the side, that was my fault, not the fault of the hijackers who created the whole mess in the first place.

Which is why my question at the bottom is what it is:Let me further add that because I don't like to be bothered to remember to remove my laptop and have to deal with the extra crap if I do seem to forget. I no longer pack it if I believe I can get away with not having it for the duration of the trip.

If she volunteered or did not refuse to be strip searched (by a female guard of course) instead of removing the nipple ring, then the airport security acted improperly and should be heavily fined.

I can understand this, but she offered to show the female agent that it was just nipple rings, and she would have accepted a pat down. There was no reason to make her take them out. Any distraction here was caused by the agents.

Am I the only one who noticed the bit about the male guards snickering at her. Ridiculous.

Cyn, I'm fired up because they didn't give her the option of a pat-down. They simply told her to remove them. They don't tell women wearing underwire bras to remove them.

I think the real problem here is that she had a bar in one nipple, and a ring in the other. That the fashion police weren't called in makes me sick to my stomach.

Super simple way to stop this. Put an MRI at the security checkpoints.

Yeah I get that and agree with you. I think this is a bit more cloudy because TSA can cloud my OP question.

I've done my fair share of traveling, most of it post 9-11. I found myself with free time and extra cash. I side with Cynthetiq on this matter. The TSA may well be jack booted thugs but for the most part from my experience they treat everyone the same. I find it difficult in these times someone would try to board a plane and not expect problems when passing through the metal detectors with large piercings. I haven't been stopped once in at least two years. Shoe off, lap top out, belt off, coat off,watch and change in the bin and no liquids at all.

I watched her this morning with her attorney (who didn't see that coming?) and I wondered what kind of attitude she had when questioned. I went through the TSA at Ft. Lauderdale one time and the lady in front of me refused to take her shoes off. I think her exact quote was "Don't you know who I am? These shoe's are Italian!" I didn't know who she was and couldn't have cared less where her shoes were made. Last I saw of her she was headed behind a white screen and a TSA worker was putting on gloves, didn't look like fun.

I wonder if the TSA is going to be releasing a video showing her throwing a hissy fit in the near future? Wasn't a few months back some lady claimed she was harassed about breast milk and a video basically shot down most if not all of her accusations?

I think she should have removed them at home prior to leaving for the airport.

that would work, except numerous vets from previous conflicts still have RFBs (shrapnel) in their bodies and this procedure would be a little bit cruel and unusual for them...they didn't put the stuff there...

That's her side of it, has the TSA released anything yet? I'll be surprised if she's being completely honest. It's possible, hell anything possible. But these people know everything they do is being recorded and watched. I think some of the larger airports are also making sound recordings of TSA passenger interactions to head off problems just like this one.

I was thinking the same thing.


Not to mention various implanted medical devices.

Agreed.

Removed them before she left home? are you serious? do you know anything about nipple piercing and how fast they *can* (I wont say will because everyone is different) close up? I hd to take them out for my last surgery, I took them out at 9 am, at 5 pm I couldnt get them back in again.

They were definitely wrong in how they handled it. Mine set off several "wands" and all I had to do was say "My nipples are pierced" have a pat down and I was good to go....same with my underwire bras.

If she threw a fit? so what...I prob would have too. Its not like she refused a pat down or search.

Im curious....anyone ever have to take out ear rings to get on a plane? Any pierced guy have to take the piercing out of his dick to get on a plane? Anyone have to take out a lipring to get on a plane?

Yeah, but it would be fun to see 'em dance. :)

Ah, it's just as well. This chick would probably enjoy having them ripped out of her nipples. ;)

You're right, I did form my opinion on this based on a lot of heresy, but still the whole situation just doesn't seem right. She has the right to feel violated, I think.

My personal view is that the TSA or airport security should be allowed to strip search you, BUT you get to pick which one of them does the strip search.

I ain't even joking.

And they have to be staffed broadly 50/50 male/female the whole time.

this is from another printed version of this story, not in the OP http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/28/nipple.ring/index.html

these people need to get on the same fucking page

???

You're right I don't know anything about nipple rings. Well, I know I like them. But you're telling me if she took them out at home they be impossible to re-insert an hour or two later? She managed to get them out at the airport. Why not take them out in the restroom before going through screening then reinstall?

That's exactly why I think there's a serious chance she told them to fuck off prior to anything else and possibly did refuse any pat down. I've seen many people set off the detector go through the wand search, politely explain the situation and they're on their way. From what I've seen only about 50% end up behind the screen getting the pat down. How come you were able to get through without serious insult or injury and she ended up on CNN and now needs an attorney?

It's completely possible things happen the way she claims, I'll wait for the tape before I decide. Especially after the tape of the lady with the breast milk, show me the tape then I'll decide. If the TSA doesn't release something I'll be more likely to take her word for it. Until then... Tape, tape tape! I want to see the tape.


TSA are like any other security or law enforcement agencies in that they're trained to focus in on people "throwing a fit." Though I think they're more likely to use the term "behaving highly emotionally or erratically." My guess is, if the TSA was doing it by the "book," this ladies behavior put the entire station on high alert. There's no way for the TSA to know if this ladies behavior isn't "cover" for someone's attempt to circumvent security.


That's a good question. I've flown a lot, did over a quarter million air miles one year. The TSA, in my experience is a pain in the ass. But they're the same pain in the ass for everyone.

I find it odd this ladies experience is so unlike anything I've ever seen.

There is more to this story than we know as of yet.

First, it should be noted that according to TSA regulations, body jewelry is indeed acceptable and does not have to be removed, as long as it is physically (pat down) and or visibly determined to be as such. To my knowledge, there is no documentation stating that body jewelry, of any form, is actually considered a threat to the safety of the flight.

Most likely, this is a situation of the TSA agents overstepping their authority in this situation. Further, I believe it may be possible that emotions on both sides of this situation got out of hand and escalated the situation to its dismal end. Whether the woman brought this on herself with her attitude or actions is irrelevant at best. The TSA agents are supposed to conduct safety checks in a professional manner for the sake of the safety of the general public and this situation does not demonstrate a professional atmosphere in a public environment.

Tully, imagine you have a prince albert and they ask you to remove it.

The real point is that Tully does not and would never have a "Prince Albert", and nor would I, and nor would you.

I dont say that this woman deserves to be treated like shit because of making alternative choices... but I buy into this being a personality clash that went a bit too far as described above.

These people do have a lot authority though, and if it is abused then the individuals involved need to be cast aside. The woman should have no right to sue - she has after all the right to walk away and then she can sue for her ticket price. She should have the right to complain to a state body that can apply a heavy fine upon the airstation or responsible body.

to answer Tully.....another part of the cnn story

they close fast, its not like getting your ears pierced, there is no cartilage in your nipples.

Why didnt she go to the bathroom beforehand? probably because she's never run into the situation before......she clearly says in the cnn story its never happened with her nips or her belly button

OK, Googled PA.

If I couldn't take it out I guess I go through the standing detector and if called to the side for a wand search I'd be polite and responsive. I'd explain the situation. If requested I'd have no problem with a pat down. If they insisted I remove it and I couldn't, I'd be prepared with a copy of their SOP from their web site and at that point I'd start writing down names, calmly and quietly as I requested a supervisor.

See if I had a piercing or a joint replacement that I knew I couldn't remove I'd show up at the airport prepared. That mind set my come from military service and working for the government. But I wouldn't show up without their SOP in hand any more then I'd show up without my ID or plane ticket. What I wouldn't do is start making a scene. That never works to your favor, IMO.

Everyone I've ever seen have an issue with the TSA are people who made a scene, were rude or made off color remarks. One of the stories I read on this stated the woman claimed the standing detector did not "go off" but that she was pulled aside for a wand search. Anybody ever see that happen? I never have. I'm sure it's possible but I've never seen it. I've seen them pull people out of line randomly prior to the standing detector, never after.

Tape, I want to see the tape. Until then I highly suspect she's not telling the whole truth. If she is- she was treated unfairly and someone, more likely some people, need to be disciplined. If she's being completely honest and people at TSA loose their jobs over this I'll have no problem with that.

Seconded.

The point here is not that thwoman was not taking responsibility for her jewelery, it's that the rules were not applied universally or consistently (she had to remove her nipple jewellery, but not her navel jewellery) and it's further that the TSA's own rules were not followed - she claims not to have been offered a pat down search, and claims that if she had, she'd have accepted.

From the article in the OP it seems like an odd rule that is itself a bit of an overkill was applied in an odd fashion in a way that caused her humiliation and pain when the rules in place should at most have caused her to have to explain her piercing choice and show she was not armed.

In the litigious culture that appears to exist on the US side of the pond, I'd expect this woman to take the TSA to the fucking cleaners.

I'm not saying I approve, but she's got a big name civil rights lawyer on her side and the TSA's gonna get raped.

You don't know that. Now that I know what it is I'm thinking about it. But I want one I can take out when I fly.

ok being pulled after you go thru and it didnt go off is very common in Atlanta, happens all the time, and yes its happened to me (and Dave)

That makes sense, if you've been there, done that and bought the t-shirt in the past-why would you expect this time to be any different? So I can see why she didn't remove them in the restroom prior to passing through screening.

That aside, to me there's several parts of the story that don't add up.

But I find it hard to believe, according to her story, that a total of six TSA agents (four male and two female) were all involved in this knowing they're on video. In my experience groups of people who know they're on video don't do stupid things like this, but who knows?

Again, if she's telling the truth, she was not treated fairly. Then the TSA and the agents involved deserve what ever lumps they take.

I have some fairly serious metal in both my nipples (5mm width bars) and my penis(1x8mm width bars) and scrotum(3x5mm bars).

I've been through many, many metal detectors in Europe and they're mostly set to a reasonable level whereby they aren't triggered by my piercings.

However, I've had two little experiences outside of the wave-through...

1) Provincial Polish airport, bored guard. He basically decided to practise his English and piss me off at the same time. Went through all of my belongings, asked what several devices were:

Laptop (not kidding)
MP3 player (not kidding)
Multi-card flash reader
PSP
etc.

He then proceeded to demand that i boot up the laptop, became almost outraged when a screen came up to choose which of the OS' to boot into and then thought he'd be able to get me to give him my password. When I told him there was no way I was giving him the password to one or any of the OS' and that this had gone far enough, he winked and told me to carry on.

My piercings didn't set anything off there...

2) Going through a provincial Spanish airport (Zaragoza), all of the electronic goods separated and screened, boots off, belt off, etc. Piercings set off the buzzer.

Pulled aside, the guard used the hand scanner on me, which obviously went off over my nipples. He raised his eyebrows, I raised my jumper (yes, in northern spain it gets pretty chilly for December/January) and saw his surprise and then amusement. He carried on with his handscan, which went off over my penis.

Everyone was looking now. The guard looked at me, I looked at him with a "well what did you really expect, given these up here?" + smile kinda look.

At first he didn't know what to do, so I tightened my jeans around the piercing, which clearly showed up what it is.... at which point he just laughed, smiled and waved me through, shaking his head.

Much laughter all round, but given a tight-arse in his place, it could have been a strip search or worse. :s

Oh!

3) A manual hand sweep scan thing beeped over my penis in Finland one time... I took out the bar (not my penis) right there in the queue, showed it to the guy who said "ok, ok... go on..." waving me away.

still... this kind of petty authority - which saves no-one from ceramic knives, for example - is worrying to say the least.

Really? I find that interesting.

Right there. We're missing information here, and unless or until that missing information becomes available it's impossible to say whether the TSA agents acted properly. Let's not forget that we've only heard one side of the story and that this woman has a lot to gain from a successful lawsuit.

Also, this:

What might the customer service manager know that we don't?

lets see...I've been pulled aside, after not making the walk thru thingy go off in:

Atlanta, several times
Ft. Lauderdale once
Newark twice
Baltimore once
Detroit once

(these flights were all post 911)

Dave has been pulled aside:
Atlanta
Germany (Frankfurt)
Israel
Singapore
Seoul

to turn it around, I've never seen anyone pulled BEFORE going thru the walk thru

You've been pulled aside a lot. I haven't been pulled aside in over a year.

I'll admit we may be having completely different experiences. Are you always flying coach? I haven't flown coach in about four or five years, you fly 1/4 million miles a year and they bump you to first class. Sadly they may not be treating first class the same. They should be, everyone should be treated the same when it comes to security.

Again I've only seen people pulled before going through the standing detector. And I've only been pulled aside before.

Ive been pulled over to be searched once, but I felt like the dude was just doing his job to be honest. It only took 5 minutes.

I buy coach and get bumped because Dave flys just as much as you do if not more, and when we fly together we both get bumped. Dont quite see how that matters though, as I show my boarding pass to get into the security line and I've never been asked for it when going thru the detector, so they have no idea where Im sitting on the plane

I'd just like to say, just because it hasnt happened to "you" doesnt mean it doesnt happen.

I'd also like to clarify that Im not bitching about being pulled aside, as SF said, it takes minutes for it to be done and so what?

and nobody finds this upsetting...

personally I find it irrelevant

jeebus, if you were full of shrapnel and you had to go through an MRI, you'd just lay back and chuckle? DAMN, MAN, shrapnel fuckin' hurts, even when it's not being pulled from your freakin' body!!!

do you have any idea what you were commenting about?

TSA Response

well golly gee, they are changing the procedures to what she asked for....imagine that

Sounds like they were doing their job to the letter rather than the spirit of the regulation (read: they knew they were being pricks in asking her to remove her nipple ring but had the rules to hide behind).

I read it as this:
"Sorry those people were assholes. We can't let them get fired because of unions, but we're changing the rules so we can't get sued in the future."

/me shakes his head...

I stand about 6'4, weigh about 260, have long hair that lays on my shoulders, wear leather .. a lot .. and have a gaze that tends to make small children wet themselves involuntarily.

So yeah, I get pulled aside just about everytime I go through the security line. I reckon I just look like "trouble". I've come to expect it. I know the TSA is just doing their job to protect everyone that passes their gate and I'm grateful they're there to do it. Can some of them be total jackasses? You bet. Are all of them? Of course not. Point is, anyone whose ever flown ONCE, has some idea what to expect and shouldn't be too terribly surprised in this day and age (post 9/11) to have a TSA holdup at the gate.

Is it possible this woman was a total bitch and instigated an altercation with the TSA agents in question, further compounding her own humiliating experience? Is it possible she was simply harassed for no reasonable excuse other than boredom or frustration stemming from a tedious, thankless job? Well, I'd like to hear more before I decide on that, but my gut tells me she wasn't as sweet as roses and could have made this far less of a big deal by being far more cooperative.

Lastly, I will say it was absurd to have her remove the piercings .. regardless of whatever was said or done up to that point .. and the TSA reps could at the very least apologize to minimize this situation.

They can't apologise... If they say 'sorry', then they admit they did something wrong - and any lawyer would pounce all over it.

Almost every airport I've been through has three security lines. Coach, first class or elite status and employees/flight crew. Unless you're using your first class ticket and standing in the coach line, they know where you're sitting.

The only two airports that I know of that don't do it this way is Ft. Lauderdale and Boise.

But you're right, just because it isn't happening to me doesn't mean it's not happening.

Since you fly a lot too can you say you've seen TSA be disrespectful to anyone?

They released this today, but no video? Hmm, that's not sounding good.

It was just a joke, as was the MRI comment in it's entirety. I'm assuming that anyone else that didn't just arbitrarily ignore my posts, probably realized it was a joke, and that I probably actually don't enjoy watching veterans having shrapnel ripped from their body by a giant magnet.

As to the "I find it irrelevant" comment, If you want to get nit-picky about it, this entire thread is irrelevant, since none of us were actually there.

Yeah, I figured you were joking. Anyone with a signature line of "I hate animated avatars" and has an animated avatar can't be taken too seriously too often.

And Uncle Phil if you weren't dead panning I have to apologize for laughing. If you were dead panning it- you're freaking comic genius because when I read-

jeebus, if you were full of shrapnel and you had to go through an MRI, you'd just lay back and chuckle? DAMN, MAN, shrapnel fuckin' hurts, even when it's not being pulled from your freakin' body!!!


I must have laughed for a minute straight, I think my side still hurts.

hmm, i thought i put in my 2 cents when i was wasted in the peak hours of the a.m. i guess it was either deleted or i was wrong.

I have nipple piercings, and this would just plain out piss me right the fuck off. It's a pain in the ass to put those fucking things back in. trying to find the hole with round rings that are moving and flailing all over the interior of your nipple, bah.

but i guess if i wanted to fly bad enough id take them out. even though i see how no harm could be done with a nipple ring, unless you like uhhh, repeatedly stab a jugular vein or something.

meh, oh well.

Reading this article made me think, "Man, just friggin' strip search me so I can get to my damn flight!" I can always work up a little fart for the ol' squat and cough maneuver. "Hope I didn't get any on your shoes dude! Need me to lift the saq?"

I have very little shame.

BTW everyone, the gloves are used for touching people inappropriately. If they want to cavity they will take you to a clean room. Don't ask me how I know.

Being not a fan of flying in the first place, all of the terminal rules seem pretty ridiculous to me. I don't have to step through a metal detector when I drive from city to city, or when I get on a Greyhound, or when I take the train. Why should I for a damn plane?
*sighs* I feel like people with that much power in the world become too neurotic to make sound decisions, and even when someone voices their opinion, nothing really gets better, the loopholes simply tighten.
Whenever I can, I avoid airplane travel. I much prefer driving, or especially prefer taking a train. Trains rock. And I'm not nearly bothered as much on a train as I am on a plane, with the stewards passing by every ten minutes, it makes me nervous all that moving around. I want peace on a trip, but I always feel anxious and uptight. I wouldn't call it a phobia of plane travel, I just don't like/prefer it. I don't flip out or anything, haha, I just find it tedious travel. :lol:
[/threadjack]
But, to reply to the story, that was incredibly stupid, even if they were just following the policy. There's simply/realistic precautions, then there's the neurotic airport-style precautions...O_o

If there is any iron in the jewelry, it would be ripped out by the magnets. Could be very painful.

I can only speak for airports I've been in....and the only separation I've ever seen for security lines is if you're a certain level club member of an airline. For example when I fly for work Im allowed to use the "fast" lane because of some kind of deal they have.

Have you ever actually been in the Atlanta airport? There is no division amongst seat classes....there are only a few "special" lines if you've got a certain membership with Delta or Air Tran. Dave is platinum with Delta and we use that line sometimes if the other is insanely large, and yes I've gotten pulled in that one too.

Yeah I've seen them be dicks and yes I've seen them be nice, me personally? I have always been nice and respectful like my parents taught me because whether I like it or not these people are in a position of *authority*, maybe thats the difference....I dont be a bitch just cause I *can* its the old "you catch more flies with honey" kind of thing.

I think Im done here...all of us that fly can each tell their own experience and it will be different somehow. I've been in airports around from the mega kind to the tiny one in Rochester NY (that HAS to be the smallest airport I've ever seen its even smaller than the one in Greenville) and it boils down to....know your rules, know how to respond to a side search. Its no different than knowing how to respond to the cop that pulls you over.

Heh. Considering I have a 6g PA, I'm also wondering the same thing. Then again, they could consider my dick to be a blunt weapon.....

I have (and will loose in a few months due to lack of activity) a Chairman Card through US airways. US Airways suck but they give you reward status faster then any other airline, or at least used to, don't know that anymore. Used to be you could get silver at 25k a year. Anyone interested in who offering the best deal now might look here:

http://flyertalk.com/

I've been through Hartsfield many times never been turned back from the elite card line. Don't think I've ever been through there on Delta or Air trans. Flying to Florida or the Caribbean on US- ATL is almost a given lay over. Hell, to get to Cancun from Portland you almost always have to stop in Phoenix and Atlanta.

The AA Admirals Club in ATL sucks.

Yep, the nicer you are, the nicer people are to you.

Now that they changed the policy, you have the option of showing the piercing to a TSA agent instead of removing it. I definitely need to get the piercings I've been putting off before the next time I fly.

"Sir, do you have any piercings that might be setting off the detector?"
"Well, since you asked..." *zzzzzzip*
"Oh dear God"

oh awesome. ive never flown but now that i know i have the option to keep my my metal in im a little more cumfy with it.

MSD...great fucking idea! -sinister smile-

oh yeah, Tallahassee airport doesnt do the 3 line thing either.

"Don't get any on your shoe!"

They hate that.

I've recently checked the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority's Web site for the regulation on this very subject. I'm thinking of getting a prince's wand.

From http://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/english...fs.shtml#dress
The Web page is dated August 9, 2007. So I don't understand why the TSA didn't already have an equivalent policy in place. Body piercings have been around for a long time.

Land of the free =)

I've never set off an alarm with my piercings.

My personal experience with TSA has always been good, but I have been in situations when you give a person a little power they tend to abuse it. That can happen anywhere.

I'm 100% serious when I say I'm going to ask the piercer for "something big enough to set off metal detectors."

edit: http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/7605/emotdongbm6.gif

I find that hilarious! But I also hope I don't get behind you in line if I'm late for a flight.

It's OK, you can just show it to the TSA agent and I will have no problem whipping it out in public. If they don't like that, maybe a I can convince them by sticking fridge magnets to it through my pants.

Or whip it out and make it dance around with the help of a couple magnets. Or without the magnets depending on your mood.

My only suggestion is if you try this throw your hat down with a five in it, ya might just make enough to cover your next bar tab... or bail depending on their mood.

Ahhhahaha!

i just got out of my seat and tried to stick a cookie monster magnet to my nips, sadly, they're not magnetic.
great idea though, i guess just go with a safety pin or something. :thumbsup:

Presentation is everything.
If she threw an unreasonable fit, who knows, they might've tasered her to death.

Still, only real way to know is the check the tape.

Then again, there's always the theory that if you offer to cut the nipple in half - the real owner will just let the thing slide... oh wait, that only works with babies.. nvm.

"At what point do we as a society hand it back to the individual and state emphatically, "Sorry, no YOU are responsible for why this happened to you.?"

The same day that we start presuming that people are guilty until proven innocent, the same day that we are told by our government that security is more important than liberty, and the same day that we all begin the Pledge of Allegiance with "Seig Heil!". We are tettering on the edge of the precipice of absolute totalitarianism, where the comfort and wealth of the few is ensured by the oppression and domination of the many, where freedom is a "privilege" that can be tossed aside for the convenience of some government bureaucrat, and where everything that millions have fought and died for will be forgotten in the rush to be "safe". Franklin was right - "Those who would exchange liberty for security deserve neither." Those who would take nipple rings in the name of security have no idea about liberty, or security, or freedom, or apparently, creative sex.

Seig Heil! The new motto of the United States if we don't radically take back our freedoms soon....