TSA to woman: 'We're going to have to examine your hair'

Wow, what really bothers me is the term "gently probing interview or more" just what are we talking about here? I thought this was America where you actually have to commit a crime before you're subjected to "more". I used to love to fly but now if I can't go by car I'm not going.

I never realized thinking was illegal.

Originally posted by kro32
People smuggling things often will use ingenious oftentimes silly ways to do it:

blog.thegooddrugsguide.com...

Ingenious?

Try UPS. People take your word for it when you ship things. No body actually checks that stuff. And here's TSA checking peoples hair for crumbs of crack. o.0

Reminds me of when I left for my honeymoon... The new wife had her hair riddled with bobby pins and she set off the metal detector. A quick hand wand scan and a flash of the wedding ring and we were on our way. Probably the smartest TSA agent I've ever encountered (and by smart I mean possessing common sense).

This was in 2004... How quick stupid is.

Also, loved the "poofs from the body" criteria... Next time I will volunteer to give them a "poof from my body" to search!!

The touching of my body does nor bother me.

When they start probing inside my body is when we are going to fight,

I will go to jail but at least I will not be probed.

I visit young women in prison and get a full pat down everytime I go.

But I do not get groped.

This stuff makes me absolutely furious. Those FAST scans are ridiculous. Come to think of it so is every dumbass thing the TSA does.

I live across the country from my home right now and have steadfastly refused to fly even though it means I don't get to see friends and family. It is just too far to drive (3-4 days one way).

However, I am after some serious thinking, going to have to fly home. My Dad is dying and it is more important to see him now than to continue my boycott. I am not happy about this but when people say, "if you really want to end this, don't fly", it isn't always that simple. I won't be flying except to see my father and after he passes, I'm done.

ETA: Though I have no illusions of the few people willing to boycott flying will really help change things anytime soon. I'm sure soon I'll have to add boycotting malls, trains, buses, and even my beloved baseball games. This sucks.

Terrible story, but at the same time it's difficult to be shocked by this kind of thing anymore. I guess desensitization is setting in.

This miniscule focus on airport security since 9/11 has never made any sense to me at all, if terrorists wanted to kill a lot of people anymore, the last thing they would do is try for an airplane, the security is too high. Malls only have rent-a-cops.

Oh, no you're not gonna touch my weave! You better keep your hands of a girl's hair or you're just asking for something you will regret. No one touches my hair! Do you know how long it take to get it this way? Forever! Now you better back off my face. Back it up, now!

I heard a report on the radio (satellite radio) today regarding the latest 'Al Quackey' plan to surgically implant explosives into suicide bombers. The part that leaped out from the story was, "advanced screening processes are being considered."

I call shenanigans. It's just a new way to get very expensive equipment bought from a lobbying special interest.
We'll believe anything, apparently. So now it's remove shoes, go through the scanners, and show all scars...
Recent operation? You're a possible threat!!! Let's degrade you further! Hoorah!

It's getting stupid, and nobody seems to be noticing other than here!
Someone has bought and paid for machines, and we now have to pay for them to be used on us. Well done us.

Common sense seems to be completely missing from today's legislation. Everyone is pleasing the corporations, and nobody is seeing the stupidity that abounds - present company excepted.

reply to post by Badgered1


I'm not sure if this backs up your point or doesn't, but if you watch the movie Hurt Locker, which is a movie about bomb disposal in Iraq, there is a scene where they come across a dead body of a child, who died at the hands of terrorists during the proccess of packing his stomach full of explosives.

So either it's a real thing, or it's some BS which has been latched onto to push these new detection machines you are talking about.

From what I understand from the article - she went through the naked body scanner thing and then had her hair searched? If the scanners can scan through your clothes surely they would have picked up anything strange in her hair. Does that make sense? Or did I miss something?

Or maybe TSA people working next to the scanners are having their brains fried and are therefore incapable of any rational thought processes?

You have to admit that when she had her hair up there was a vague similarity to the infamous Mohammad cartoon.

If she had her hair up, there is a good chance she had metal clips on it, and they would show up on teh scanner. And the agents would have to check it out.

Can't come on here screaming about every search at an airpot.

I've only ever heard of TSA complaints from American citizens. What I'm curious about is whether this practice by the TSA is also being done on foreigners too? I would expect the answer to be yes, but I've never seen anyone from another country complain about this on ATS or elsewhere. Do you suppose their complaints are being ignored? Or are they not being given the extreme dating experience at all?.

Originally posted by pikypiky
Oh, no you're not gonna touch my weave! You better keep your hands of a girl's hair or you're just asking for something you will regret. No one touches my hair! Do you know how long it take to get it this way? Forever! Now you better back off my face. Back it up, now!

I concur.

I'm sometimes prone to sporting the 1940's hairdo's. I'd not be a happy lady if I'd spent hours wrestling my hair into victory rolls only to have some mug mess it up.

America You really need a revolution right Now! Stand up for you rights!

Quit complaining, folks!

I bet most Americans wish this sort of strict security had been in place on September 11th, 2001.

Honestly, I think the biggest thing terrorists were after wasn't the blowing up of people, but the setting of paranoia and crazy procedures such as these.

And dare I say, they have won their battle.

Alienating people in their own homeland. Geeze

Originally posted by gallopinghordes
I never realized thinking was illegal.

Aww come on now... remember the Inquisition? We just been lucky the last few years

Originally posted by nusnus
Honestly, I think the biggest thing terrorists were after wasn't the blowing up of people, but the setting of paranoia and crazy procedures such as these.

That is indeed the very definition of terrorism... to instill fear in your enemy so he changes his life style because of that fear

Terrorism has been practiced by a broad array of political organizations for furthering their objectives. It has been practiced by both right-wing and left-wing political parties, nationalistic groups, religious groups, revolutionaries, and ruling governments.[8] An abiding characteristic is the indiscriminate use of violence against noncombatants for the purpose of gaining publicity for a group, cause, or individual.

en.wikipedia.org...

So yeah the terrorist have won... but the question is WHO are the real terrorists?

Here in Europe these screens are still (luckily) voluntarily. I believe the same may apply in the US but if not then forgive me.
For us Europeans the best thing to do is if asked, simply don't acknowledge that the agent has asked you, infact don't even acknowledge their existence at all. Remember you are NOT their friend and their NOT yours, you have nothing to hide anyway as your passing through standard security checks so its not as if your hiding anything. Your just avoiding being treated like scum on stick.

Continue facing straight ahead in the queue and you'll have no problem whatsoever, the agents afterall have strict 'targets' to meet and so won't have the time to be dealing with difficult people wanting to avoid them.