Piercing jewelry can cause airport questions

February 9, 2005
By:  Lori Wilkerson

Nicole Ritchie’s recent airport experience reinforces a problem that doesn’t occur to most people when they contemplate investing in piercing jewelry – setting off metal detectors. Miss Ritchie’s nipple rings set off a metal detector in the Reno airport, resulting in her having to show them to two female officers. While in most cases this shouldn’t happen because detectors are tuned to levels that won’t pick up on earrings and other types of jewelry, some types of heavier jewelry for piercings can and will set off metal detectors.

With heightened security since the events of 9/11, airports are a particularly strict area. If you set off a metal detector with your piercings' metal jewelry, try explaining calmly that you have a body modification that contains metal jewelry. You don’t want to sound angry or defensive – airport security is doing the job they are expected to do, and in some cases they haven’t had to deal with metallic jewelry from piercings before.

Ask if you can be wanded first to indicate where the jewelry is located and if that will be sufficient for security. If your piercing is in an area of the body that can cause embarrassment, such as a genital or nipple piercing, and they indicate that they need to actually see it, insist that at least two people of the same sex as you are present and that you are checked in a private location. While they may consider your jewelry a security issue, you still have the right to respect.

Your best bet when traveling is to simply remove all jewelry from your piercings before going to the airport, if they are sufficiently healed to make this an option.

About the Author:
Lori Wilkerson is a successful freelance writer and publisher of http://www.body-jewelry-useek.com.  Body jewelry, piercing and tattooing information you seek to perfectly adorn your body.

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