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Is it possible to hide weapons in your hair?
The Transportation Security Administration thinks so.
Dallas resident Isis Brantley said she was stopped on Monday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta after she went through security, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reports.
Brantley said an agent asked her if someone had checked her hair. She said no one had and continued on her way. She then heard someone yelling as she went down the escalator to catch her flight.
"I just heard these voices saying, 'Hey you, hey you, ma'am, stop. Stop -- the lady with the hair, you," she said.
Two TSA agents told her she could not go any further until they checked her hair for explosives, Brantley said.
She said she reluctantly allowed them to do it. The agents patted her hair down right there instead of asking to return to a private area for screening.
"And so she started patting my hair, and I was in tears at that point," Brantley said. "And she was digging in my scalp."
She said the experience was very humiliating.
"I was outraged," Brantley said. "I was humiliated. I was confused."
"TSA's screening procedures are designed to ensure the security of the traveling public," TSA said in a statement. "Additional screening may be required for clothing, headwear or hair where prohibited items could be hidden. This passenger left the checkpoint prior to the completion of the screening process. She was offered but refused private screening."
After the pat-down, Brantley complained to a TSA supervisor at Hartsfield-Jackson who then apologized to her.
"She said, 'Ma'am, please, I promise you, I'm going to take care of it. I'm so sorry that happened to you,'" Brantley said. "And I'm like, 'OK, that's weird.'"
Brantley, who styles hair for a living, frequently travels to style clients across the country. She said has worn her hair naturally for 20 years and has never had her hair checked until Monday's incident.
"They've never done that to me, ever -- never, never, never," she said.
Brantley said she is scared she will be harassed again the next time she flies.
NBC 5's Scott Gordon contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
What did she expect? There could be something under all that hair, but it wouldn't be a brain.
"There could be something under all that hair, but it wouldn't be a brain."
I have an afro, too. I was subjected to a putdown.
By the way, I have a PhD and teach at a university.
PhD? You think you could spell "patdown" correctly?
A "patdown" seems like a "putdown" to me.
And Michael, even worms have a brain. That body part is cheap. It's civility that's hard to come by.
Maybe it was just an insult instead of a search.
What is this woman complaining about. It would be very easy for someone to hide something in that mess she calls her hair style. To me it makes perfect sense for TSA to check her hair. They should have brought her back to the security checkpoint to do it, but apparently she declined having the check done in private, so I do not see that as a big deal. If bombs can be hidden in turbans as has happened on more than one occasion in Afghanistan, then it certainly seems possible to hide something in a huge afro like the one this woman has.
Who said they were strictly looking for a bomb? She could have drugs, or illegally trafficked animals in there. How does a TSA agent look at that and decide NOT to check it? My gosh lady, blend in and look anonymous or suffer the consequences!
HA HA HA, your funny Michael, you frigg'in DOUCH!
This is news? I'm a 57 year old "wasp" granny with fine straight hair in a bob hair cut. My hair was checked for explosives too and I was patted down at IAH in Houston this past month. I just laughed. Come on guys, this isn't news at all.
After the Sikh bombing today (bomb in the turban wrap), there are going to be a lot of big hair people stopped.
Well thats not as bad as feeling up a 6 year old like they did here in TN. Until we say enough is enough and vote for the Constitution candidates then this kind of thing will get worse. Remember BO's promise of a civilian forse as big as the millitary??? Well here it is
A covey of Quail maybe wif razor blades on their little feet?? Deadly!!!
Greg - You can call Michael vulgar names, but at least he can spell and properly construct a sentence. That should be you're, which would provide the subject and verb that is required for a sentence. "Your" is an adjective, Einstein.
9/11 was perpetrated by people with box cutters. You could hide a few box cutters in that rats nest she calls hair.
ABCzyx- LOL You're funny! "Your" is a pronoun, not an adjective!
If you're going to jump on somebody, at least get your facts straight!
As far as this pat down is concerned: if they are going to pat down burkas then they shoud definitely be checking someone with hair as wild as this woman's appears to be.
Concealed in this controversy is the broken state of the TSA. There have to be better ways.
You got that right, Big D!
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@ Jeff#s
Yes, we must all look alike, dress alike and act the same... In lockstep. See post #1.10 and quotes below.
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PhD = Piled Higher & Deeper = So over educated that they can outsmart themselves...
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With that awlful mess what did she expect. Give me break. 5 year kids have been searched.
Right... Box cutters... giggle, giggle! Everything you ever wanted to know about the 9/11 conspiracy theory in under 5 minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuC_4mGTs98
stonegarden - try checking Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (mw1.m-w.com/dictionary/your) and The Free Dictionary by Farlex (thefreedictionary.com/your). "Your" is an adjective. Perhaps you should take your own advice and get your facts straight before criticizing others.
A high level Afghan was just killed by a suicide bomber with a bomb in their turbine... so shut up and check the hair.
A non-story. Only happened because we're on "high alert" for TSA patdown drama. Get off it.
TSA= Touching Some A$$ and now Touching Some Afros!!!
The TSA has gotten completely out of hand. Common sense has long since gone out the window. Even the Congress John Mica (R- FL) called the TSA a "complete fiasco" and wants the agency dismantled. He called the agency "completely reactive" and claims that they "failed to detect any threat in 10 years". That is some pretty strong language, especially from the person who penned the legislation for the TSA. The incident with the enhaced pat down on that little girl was outrageous and completely uncalled for. The incident involving the old lady and her adult diaper was also completely outrageous and uncalled for. Where the hell do these people get off treating everyone like criminals??? I don't believe that we are a country of conformists. If the lady did not set off any metal detectors and if nothing showed up on those x-ray machines, then leave the lady the hell alone.
@Sally in Chicago... Your type of ignorance is what got some poor Indian (from India, not Native American) shot and killed in Arizona. There is a big difference between Sikhs and the Taliban.
Your is considered either, although historically, it was considered a pronoun, or even more precise, a possessive pronoun.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Your
Hate to be the one to break it too her, but at least she can just go to the 90's and shave her head. If you don't want to be "pat down" try a new approach... follow the rules... some of us are trying to stay alive out there. She had enough hair to tie it back and not bring attention to herself.... I was kinda looking for the Mississippi Squirrel in that nest!
@ Kevin C-752389
I'm not quite sure what YOUR post is about. I know the difference between YOUR and YOU'RE. I was using the "possessive pronoun" to refer to Sally's type of ignorance. By trying to point out my ignorance (or possible lack there of), YOU'RE (you are) showing what an ignoranus (meaning dumb-@sshole as opposed to ignoramus, which means and ignorant or stupid person accoring to wikipedia) you really are. Try focusing on the topic rather than pointing out mistakes that don't exist. :-)
Apparently there is confusion between "your" (adjective) and "yours," which is a pronoun. I am very gratified to see people paying attention to grammar and usage.
As for the lady with the hair, I think she is out to make some money or get some notoriety. She isn't the first and won't be the last. She should not be in the news.
Honey, this ain't 1970, your afro's a little dated, although I will say I do like the style but again, it's 2011. Secondly, you were in tears? Over someone patting your blown out hair? Should the guy wearing an overcoat in July be searched a little harder than some guy wearing a short sleeve shirt? Should someone wearing hip waders be searched a little harder than some guy wearing regular fitting jeans? Get over yourself, everyone is being inconvenienced, black and white, so deal with it or don't fly.
I wonder if Carrot Top could give her some advise as how to deal with patting in the hair
Sreening includes going through a metal detector, I would think that would be adequate.
Ben, not all weapons are made of metal. Ask any prisoner that has ever been shanked with a toothbrush.
I think she's lucky the fashion police didn't arrest her....
It's not the TSA's job to keep people in fashion--they're not fashion police.
I was subjected to a patdown putdown of my afro. I can relate to this woman, because none of the TSA warnings tell you it could happen.
Christ! You could hide a claymore in there!
WHOA!!!
And I thought Angela Davis had the biggest afro ever!!!
That being said, the TSA still sucks donkey dick...
Morons...
That's the Obama Administration for ya! Led by Jan Napilitano, chief nazi in charge for Barry.
Did you ever hear about plastic guns, plastic knives, and so on?
'gb'
The TSA and Homeland Security have been around since late 2001/early 2002.
Or didn't you do any flying until after January 20, 2009?
I'd be curious to hear exactly what TSA's approach is to passengers wearing turbans. Would that be considered profiling?
Yes, prisoners kill each other with nonmetallic shanks. They also hide things up their butt. Should we start checking there at the airport?
Oh Boy! That will make flying enjoyable. Not.
Many posters are trying to understand...
"Why is this news?" and
"Is there ANY reason why ANYONE should care?"
As for the rest... it's like HELLO ! Of course they'll check an afro !!!
Or a "turban, hat or any other "off the wall cluster of crap sitting on top of someone's head".
Only a "socially ignorant person and/or a complete moron" would complain or express surprise about TSA taking a "closer look" at ANY large afro... duh.
No sympathy for morons.
People who IMPOSE their own likes and dislikes on others deserve to be hassled.
This "fuzz-headed beatch" never stopped to consider that "other people" have to sit behind her "ball of fuzz" on an airplane? I would encourage anyone sitting behind her to COMPLAIN ALL DAY LONG to the airline.
Jim in Texass!Afro a little outdated?You ever heard of fashion coming back?Perhaps not!Then there was the stupid line, she was in tears.Of course her 4th amendment rights were being fuched, and obliterated.Of course Jim in Texass has never heard of the Constitution.He and all the other GULLIBLE FEAR MONGERS ARE LIVING IN THE WORLD OF IT LOOKS A LITTLE ODD THEN IT MUST BE A TERRORIST.Just Over Blown, Fanatical, And STUPID.That's just putting it mildly.
Then there's the dumb ass line Get Over Yourselves deal with it, or don't fly.Tell me Jimbo, did the TSA put those dumb ass words in your mouth.Because they sure sound familiar.
Here's my answer to that.No we won't get over it, we won't deal with it, and we have a Right to fly.Of course Jimbo will repeat just like a parrot,what the illustrious dumb ass fanatical head of homeland security said,Janet Napolipuuuuuuuuuuuuutano,Flying is not a right it's a privilege.Tell me Jimbo do you always repeat stupidity that is made up by this Fanatical Woman as she goes along?
Because gullible Jimbo that's all it is.The real terrorists are Her and her lot, the band of THUGs at the airports that go along with her and obey her overblown, over the top, orders of a FANATIC.That Jimbo is EXaCTLY what she is, and you are one her blind and gullible followers.Tell me Jimbo how does it feel to have a ring in your nose, like the rest of the mooing cattle at the airports?
Absolutely! And you know, the funny thing is? We see a total trend in this. We saw a little of that during the grunge period of the '90's, and by the late 90's, the flower child beads came back as a trend. I still have several from my high school days (1996-2000) and now they're coming back a little neo-fied in order to fit the some of the other trends we have now. I personally like her hair, and I think that's her own personal style...I mean, look at Jay Leno with his chin, Carrot Top with his crazy hair, no meaning that they are fashion icons but that's what we tend to identify them with.
I posted earlier though about how I felt really bad that she had to go through that. The report itself gave me a chuckle, but I genuinely feel really bad about that. Poor lady!
Thanks j_Woo, great post!
Big Afro?, Big deal.... check it! Bunch of liberal cry babies. It's not TSA's fault, they just doing their job. They are a bunch of morons. Anyone can be TSA, unless of course you've missed some payments on your credit card, but that's another story. As far as checking up the butt? Well, they can do that too, either by going thru that stupid booth and you putting your hands in the air, or they can do it physically if they want. Whoppti-do...guess what? The terriorists are STILL GETTING IN THIS COUNTRTY. Go figure. So keep taking off your shoes, opeing up your computer, strip naked if they like. Just keep moving so I can have my turn.
Worst. Hair. EVAR.
Wrong. It's the bomb!
Yeah, that hair is really awful and dirty looking.
That's a rat's nest, not an Afro. The Afros from the 70s were much neater than that mess.
Billy Preston she ain't. A hairdresser should know the difference between style and NAPPY.
Devil's Son, "NAPPY" is the natural state of black hair. She is wearing her hair natural, like anyone else does that doesn't use gels, chemicals or anything else to change or modify the current state of the hair. You shouldn't use Nappy with such a negative undertone because it is not a negative thing. That is what kinky hair looks like when it is long and detangled.
And how many hundreds of millions are spent by black women to NOT LOOK NAPPY?
Devil, What is your point?!?!? I didn't say it is ONLY way black people have their hair.
My guess is that "devil's son" just wants to be racist, but not blatantly show his/her/it's racism.
Would you prefer to see her dripping in Geri-Curl and leaving an oil slick every place she wandered? Yuk!
There IS a happy medium.
Now that's a nappy-headed ho!
Devils son is probably just bald and jealous he cannot grow a full head of beautiful hair.
Well, if they can fool with your privates or check out gramma's or baby's diaper, I suppose a full head of hair should be checked too. (Ewww. Do those folks wash their hands after every ...? I suggest Isis shave her head and invest in some strong disinfectant. Me? I'll drive or stay home. Next thing we'll hear is them wanting to poke around in your mouth to see what your fillings are made of. Or do they already do that?)
Nathalie, I'm with you. I've quit flying but I'm a real good driver..........road trip time!!!
Silly story. How long until this turns political??? I may check back later.
Almost forgot: Obama/Biden2012. :)
Obama in 2012? Ugh! Guess you people haven't learned your lesson.
rbjk0174s: Like you're going to teach us anything? Ugh!
Why would the supervisor apologize for folks doing their job?
I would guess because it was supposed to be done at the checkpoint and not after they chased her down.
Why would our "president" apologize to another country?
I have had my hair checked twice at airports. Both times my hair was braided and they shook the braids.. I understand people can and do hide stuff in their hair. Its certainly not as humiliating as some of the more evasive checks they've been doing these days.. I say get over it.. You want that big afro be prepared to have it checked.
Hope she shaved down below. Could be a dwarf terrorist hanging around down there???
Humiliated? Her freedom of expression violated? Puh-lease. You were scrutinized more than the average traveler because of your unusual hair. They didn't force her to cut it and she was still able to get on your flight. I've had far more aggressive pat downs. So forgive me for caring about your complaints.
When she's gonna fly, if she doesn't want her hair inspected, she should wear it pulled back, tight against her scalp and bunned or pony-tailed. At least that wouldn't draw the attention that mess of a head in the photo did. And no, she shouldn't have "cried" over being inspected.
Shame on the TSA agent for not checking her before she left security checkpoint.
Totally agree with you Patricia. I have watched Serina Williams play tennis with her hair pulled back tight; which makes a lot of sense. Then they show her after the match in a media interview and her hair is back in an afro style. This woman is nothing more than an attention whore with no common sense.
If they can check her very bad Afro, why don't they check muslims when they wear there burkas? Have yet to see any arab in garb ever checked, only little old ladies.
Sounds like she's trying to set up a lawsuit. Silly, silly story. Of course they're going to search that. Please, folks, don't dis her hair. I think it's rather...............wild and free. And, hey, man from the 70s, the old is new again.
just yesterday a bomb was hidden in a turbin so it can happen
It looks suspicious to me.
If your gonna have the hair, deal with the crap you may get from it. If having someone poke around your head hair like a monkey is your biggest problem, you need a real problem.
The agents should have done a better job of explaining why it was necessary to pat her head/hair down. I've pretty much gotten use to it, but it took a knowledgeable TSA agent explaining that the new (multi-million dollar)imaging equipment can't screen through hair. The more hair you have, the larger the blind spot. So, a passenger may have to walk through the metal detector and/or the new imaging equipment, be "wanded" by the hand held device, and STILL have their hair probed. It's just the procedure, nothing personal.
I have had the same experience. I went thru a metal detector, the full body X-ray, then was pulled aside to be groped around the midsection,groped on the scalp and hair, and wanded. I complained and have flown once since and it didn't happen again. BTW my hair is short and thinning. I was completely shocked and humiliated. if I would have known, I would have avoided the radiation of the full body X-ray. Sounds like it is not as thorough as we were led to believe
You were shocked and humilated?Then start speaking out in order to get your 4th amendment rights back,and stop jumping through hoops, like as trained dog for the Fanatics ofTSA.
You've been had madam, thoroughly had.
It may be the media's focus on the TSA that makes the organization seem like a bunch of @!$%#s, but if we really wanted to show them we don't like the new rules, we'd stop flying. They'd all be out of jobs as would pilots, airline personnel, etc. That might get the attention of the head of TSA to work on compassion training for TSA agents.
Compassion? They checked her hair, not her behind. Glad they did it. If that freak wants obnoxious hair like that, she should be prepared to be checked.
They will just move to football games and other venues as we already see happening
How about we focus on attention to throw these trained Ass Ho le,Gestapo Dobermen,Pinchers, out of the airports, and get some real security measures that work.
The Homeland Security and the TSA are nothing more than a Fat,Ugly, Over Bloated Pig,Terrorizing organization, which is sucking up 450billion dollars worth of tax payer money, and does absolutely nothing and can do absolutely nothing for this country or it's safety,at all,but put the label of Terrorist on itself.
Gullible Bobbleheaded,Fear Mongering, Brain Washed, people all believe the Spoon fed Garbage injected into their brains, by these Domestic Terrorists.
You've been Sucker Punched People!
they hide a bomb in a turbin yesterday
Had my hair twisted up and in a clip...they had me remove the clip...shake out my hair. Thought I was doing some commercial at first...... no big deal.
I like a good 'fro but, security issues aside, it's not cool to have your hair all in people's faces on an airplane- imagine being the person sitting behind her if/when she reclines her seat.
I was thinking exactly the same thing! How disgusting to have to sit close to that.
YAWN !!!!!
Get over yourself and try being original for once. And I don't mean "original" like everyone else....
Waaah, they patted my incredibly large hair, Waaah, I didn't want to draw any attention to myself with my incredibly large hair, Waaah, I'm humiliated (as you should be) with my incredibly large hair.... Frankly, I would expect the TSA (and I'm not fan) to check out this woman. Granted, maybe they could have "patted" her hair down instead of using fingers to run through her incredibly large hair, but I think this woman should be apologizing to the TSA agent who had to deal with her.... Lady, please don't fly, take the train!
(snicker)......you are too funny
Whatever the TSA was looking for already "went off" by the time they started checking her.
Any person who thinks their hair looks good like that anyway, ought to have it cut off not just patted down.
Nice non-story. Personally, I like the look of afros, but ones that are actually kept and shaped--not just left to roam free.
That can be or could be faded hair, which is capable to hide the bomb; TSA just does its job; for the turban just killed the Afghanistan former president.
you could hide an uzi in that rats nest.
someone should hand her an article about the former Afghan president being killed by a suicide bomber with a bomb in his turban. Then tell her to stfu.
I like the look, but don't sit in front of me at the movies, ball game or church.