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captaincrunch
November 6th, 2014, 06:54 PM
Today I had to go into the courthouse for records. They have security at the entrance and run you thru a metal detector. They told me that my lady ldun hair stick was not allowed in because it could be used as a weapon and actually had me take it out and leave it back in my car. They told me if I gave it to them they would have it destroyed.

I was rather annoyed since I had my babies riding on me in packs and they were pulling my hair once it was down.

Has anyone else had their hair sticks barred from entry before?

Ingrid
November 6th, 2014, 07:03 PM
But your stick wasn't even metal...?

Fists can be used as weapons too. You don't see anyone making fuss about that :lol:

neko_kawaii
November 6th, 2014, 07:08 PM
There have been numerous times when I've gone through security only to discover I forgot to take my knife out of my bag. They check it and give it back when I'm done. I went into a court room about a month ago with my hair up in a TT. No one questioned it.

I'd be curious to know why the rules are different there.

LadyLongLocks
November 6th, 2014, 09:16 PM
I have been having to use a dozen plastic good days hair pins to get past the detectors! I have been frequently going to the courthouse in the past year with a family member who can't drive.What a pain! I have not even tried claw clips, forks or hair sticks for fear of having to remove them.
I also had to take down a bun due to being in the room with my mother when she got a MRI. All I had was a few metal hair pins in but they demanded I remove them. I shocked a lot of people when my hair fell to my ankles.
Airports are another place that can give you trouble.

Avis
November 6th, 2014, 09:36 PM
Wow, I can't believe they said they would destroy it if you gave it to them!

I've never had anything like that happen, but twice at an airport I wore my hair in a cinnabun with a scrunchie (thinking "yay no metal, no problem) but after I came out of the metal detector, they made me wait and they squeezed my bun (because their might be something hidden in it?). At least they didn't make me take it down. But it was still weird. I guess I never imagined someone would try to smuggle something on a plane in their hair. :hmm:

ghost
November 6th, 2014, 09:40 PM
They said they would have it destroyed? That's so stupid.

MsPharaohMoan
November 6th, 2014, 11:08 PM
Wow, I can't believe they said they would destroy it if you gave it to them!

I've never had anything like that happen, but twice at an airport I wore my hair in a cinnabun with a scrunchie (thinking "yay no metal, no problem) but after I came out of the metal detector, they made me wait and they squeezed my bun (because their might be something hidden in it?). At least they didn't make me take it down. But it was still weird. I guess I never imagined someone would try to smuggle something on a plane in their hair. :hmm:

Squeezing buns makes me scratch my head. What an odd experience! Personally I'd have preferred letting it down to have my bun manhandled.

CathyGo
November 6th, 2014, 11:22 PM
Most places will hold items for people but it only takes one person to complain about they lost it, it had dust on it, they scratched it, they didn't spin around three times before handing it back, etc before the policy changes. Considering that a hair stick is allowed on an aircraft that's a bit ridiculous though.

truepeacenik
November 6th, 2014, 11:27 PM
I've had courthouse security take spoons.
Because although I was quite known, heading to the sheriff's office to get the cop report written for the paper, I might flip out and give a metal spoon to a person in court but heading back to the jail, where my treasured spoon would become a weapon.

I had to double check my backpack every week for that.

captaincrunch
November 6th, 2014, 11:42 PM
No it wasn't metal. Just a typical acrylic lady ldun. I was annoyed. The guard was a lady. Once I she had me take it out she told me I have beautiful hair. OK...uhh...thanks I guess. Then she told me she could give me a pencil to put it back up if I wanted. I said I don't think that will really work. It was an annoying experience.

The metal spoon confiscation story cracked me up!

FireFromWithin
November 7th, 2014, 12:15 AM
But they'd let you have the pencil? That seems silly. The pencil is likely to be even more pointy! This is why I take hair bands practically everywhere I go and where plaits for airports. Just in case.

Stormynights
November 7th, 2014, 12:42 AM
She is probably new on the job and very proud of her position.

CathyGo
November 7th, 2014, 12:49 AM
So a pencil would have been okay but not the hair stick you already had? Yeah, that makes sense.

cathair
November 7th, 2014, 04:01 AM
I had a fork that was in a lunch box, in a bag taken off with me at the passport office once. They refused to give it back too. My Dad was not amused, his favorite cutlery set is missing a fork now and he won't let me live it down 10 years later. Good job I didn't wear hair stick back then :)

monsoonstorm
November 7th, 2014, 04:17 AM
Well to be honest, ladyiduns are pretty solid and pretty spiky. I can easily see how they could be used as a weapon in the wrong hands.

This is why when I fly I always put my hair in a braid and check my hairsticks in in my main luggage.

Lyv
November 7th, 2014, 05:37 AM
I used to work in a courthouse and that's how ours worked there too. Tbh they don't know you and while most wouldn't think anything of a hair stick to them you could potentially be a disgruntled family member of a defendant who decides to pass that stick along in the courtroom. Our security didn't return items either, the amount they confiscate makes it way too difficult to keep track of what belongs to who.

neko_kawaii
November 7th, 2014, 06:51 AM
No it wasn't metal. Just a typical acrylic lady ldun. I was annoyed. The guard was a lady. Once I she had me take it out she told me I have beautiful hair. OK...uhh...thanks I guess. Then she told me she could give me a pencil to put it back up if I wanted. I said I don't think that will really work. It was an annoying experience.

The metal spoon confiscation story cracked me up!

I'm guessing she hasn't see La Femme Nikita.

Kherome
November 7th, 2014, 07:02 AM
Wow that is stupid. A plastic hairstick is bad, yet a pencil is not...weird.

Trinka
November 7th, 2014, 09:53 AM
I went through TSA once with a long paranda braided in my hair, and the yarn had little metallic flecks in it ... and the scanner picked it up and went berzerk. Yeah ... WHY did I choose THAT one? Not happening again!

arr
November 7th, 2014, 10:12 AM
That is really crazy. I volunteer in the jail in a very large city and am in close proximity with the inmates and they never made me take out my hair stick. We can take pens and pencils in and the inmates can use pencils so I don't see what difference a hair stick would make. I will say though that if you happen to carry something in that they don't allow, they always make you take it back to the car. They absolutely refuse to hold items for people. I guess that is standard procedure at these types of facilities.

Avis
November 7th, 2014, 10:20 AM
But they'd let you have the pencil? That seems silly. The pencil is likely to be even more pointy! This is why I take hair bands practically everywhere I go and where plaits for airports. Just in case.

I remember once at the airport (the same one that squeezed my cinnabun) that I had a side braid because I couldn't make braids straight down my back yet (pre-LHC) and when I stepped into the bodyscanner, this security guy was like "put your hair over your shoulder" and I did, very confused. I don't know what that would accomplish since it's just hair, not skin, muscle and bone. It seems like it would be really easy to see something hidden in it regardless of where it was placed on my body. Anyone work with this kind of equipment and know why? :confused:

The bun squeezing was weirder and normally I do NOT like being touched by strangers at all, but I was in a good mood since I was traveling with SO, so it turned out to be an amusing incident.

Avis
November 7th, 2014, 10:22 AM
Double post. :rolleyes:

Catatafish
November 7th, 2014, 10:35 AM
I was just thinking that you could conceal a thin blade, like a stiletto or something in a hair stick. Not for hurting people or anything, I just thought it would be handy in case you needed a knife, as one does sometimes.

swearnsue
November 7th, 2014, 11:40 AM
At least they didn't frisk your children like what was done by TSA a while back. People are so crazy these days (and look normal!) that these places can't be too careful.

swords & roses
November 7th, 2014, 11:44 AM
Barring hairsticks makes a bit of sense. It seems silly in about 99% of the scenarios, sure. But the security team may be more concerned about defendants than the person wearing the hairstick. While the wearer may never dream of using it as a weapon, if a defendant gets hostile, he or she may look for anything at all that could be easily grabbed and used as a weapon. Pens & pencils are typically in briefcases or in someone's hand, making them difficult to wrestle away from the bearer. A hairstick is a much easier "weapon" to obtain. Also, the security team may be trained to look for aggressive individuals holding pens, pencils, and cutlery, but it may take them a few precious moments more to recognize a hair accessory as a threat-in-progress and respond in time.

The situation is still frustrating, absolutely! But sadly, in today's world, the majority has to obey rules meant for the small few who caused reason for the rules to exist.

Back in my days of being a cast member in our local Renaissance Faire, we all had to keep our swords and daggers tied so that they could not be drawn, and firmly secured to ourselves. The rule-setters knew no one in cast would be foolish enough to swing around a blade in a crowded park. But the drunks at the pubs have been known to try to pull swords off of whoever is nearest them. Yikes!

As for the body scanners, to my knowledge, they are weak xray machines that are unable to show anything much deeper than half an inch or so from the outermost layer of whatever the xrays encounter. I could be wrong on that. I'm no expert in airport security! ;) But if that is the case, then the scanner wouldn't be able to see through a bun which could contain a sharpened file or pocket knife, or a braid that could be covering a knife or small pistol holster under the shirt.

chen bao jun
November 7th, 2014, 08:28 PM
I have had my bosoms squeezed in a weapon check at an airport. By a lady, but it was horrible. I don't usually mind being cheked at airport though it always happens to me because people think I am arab. I have had my husband and kids waved through and been checked and I am like, well I would rather be safe. But the bosom squeeze was a bit much.

Sarahlabyrinth
November 7th, 2014, 09:45 PM
I was made to take down my bun at airport security and had my hair examined - and then had to struggle off, carrying shoes, handbag, carry-on luggage, jacket, laptop AND hair toy with hair grabbing everything it could until I could find the ladies' and put my hair back up once again.... :(

Madora
November 8th, 2014, 06:11 AM
I have been having to use a dozen plastic good days hair pins to get past the detectors! I have been frequently going to the courthouse in the past year with a family member who can't drive.What a pain! I have not even tried claw clips, forks or hair sticks for fear of having to remove them.
I also had to take down a bun due to being in the room with my mother when she got a MRI. All I had was a few metal hair pins in but they demanded I remove them. I shocked a lot of people when my hair fell to my ankles.
Airports are another place that can give you trouble.

I'd LOVE to be shocked like they were, LadyLongLocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Madora
November 8th, 2014, 06:13 AM
I was made to take down my bun at airport security and had my hair examined - and then had to struggle off, carrying shoes, handbag, carry-on luggage, jacket, laptop AND hair toy with hair grabbing everything it could until I could find the ladies' and put my hair back up once again.... :(

That boggles my mind, Sarahlabyrinth! What is so dangerous about a bun? Did they think you were hiding a weapon in there??? Drugs??? How DID they examine your hair..with a fine tooth comb? LOL~

Paranda Belle
November 8th, 2014, 10:03 AM
This is why I always wear a beak clip/fakkare to put my hair up in a braided nautillus when flying. Everyone knows it's a hairtoy and not a weapon (even if it could be use to gauge someone's eye out. I usually take the clip out and clip it onto a bag handle which goes through the machine. My bun stays up, and if I need to redo it I can do it quickly and my hair is still contained in the braid.

I've also got through security using plastic claw clips, another obvious hair toy. But with my luck, I usually manage to set the machine off in some way!

Paranda Belle
November 8th, 2014, 10:07 AM
I was made to take down my bun at airport security and had my hair examined - and then had to struggle off, carrying shoes, handbag, carry-on luggage, jacket, laptop AND hair toy with hair grabbing everything it could until I could find the ladies' and put my hair back up once again.... :(

That sounds horrible. At most airports I've found benches/tables to put things on/repack. If there hasn't been anything, I've just calmy put everything back and got myself together. They make us take it off, they should wait for s to put it all back on!

Sarahlabyrinth
November 8th, 2014, 02:43 PM
That boggles my mind, Sarahlabyrinth! What is so dangerous about a bun? Did they think you were hiding a weapon in there??? Drugs??? How DID they examine your hair..with a fine tooth comb? LOL~

I presume they were looking for some kind of weapon. Who knows? I was fuming so much that if I had opened my mouth I probably would have shouted at them. They ran my hands down my hair and felt my scalp. :(

ravenhair44
November 8th, 2014, 09:18 PM
When we went on vacation to California, I had my bun examined at the airport. I didn't know why they wanted me to turn around after going thru the scanner and was shocked when the lady put her hands in my hair and spread my hair apart. :surprise: :shocked: I felt so violated. :oops: :flasher: :uhh: :ohmy: Even my husband was like, "What are they doing?"

Platzhalter
November 9th, 2014, 03:43 AM
Had my hair in a bun (with two sticks) and no one seemed to care at Luton airport. Not sure if that was luck or something else.