Why Does TSA Keep Touching My Hair!!! Help Please!!!!

mscocoface

mscocoface

Well-Known Member
I have been traveling for the past 3 months and I have had different hair styles, pinned up, twists, hair down, twist out, etc. All my hair ornaments have either been plastic or at the most 3 medium size metal hair pins or no hair ornaments at all. Also I am natural.

Every SINGLE time I go through one of those wave machines (I call them stickem up boxes) I am stopped and a lady has to touch my hair. Last week I could not take it anymore and I asked why is it every time I go through this machine I have to get my hair frisked? The lady looks at me smiling and says "Oh a lot of ladies get their hair checked."

Now I would believe that if I had not seen 6 other ladies come through those machines with hair claws, long curly hair, big hair everything BUT my type of hair.

I am beyond frustrated, can someone from TSA please help me understand what in the world is going on? Is it possibly because of how dense my hair is or is perceived to be in that dang machine?

I am going to be traveling quite a bit for the next 3 months so just the thought of this gets me ticked all over again.

Anyone else dealing with this?

Rant over.
 
I have never had my hair searched or touched by the TSA. Not even when I was using a lace wig with 6 metal clips inside of it.

I have a flight tomorrow morning so I may be proven wrong. My hair is in kinky twists.

Didn't the TSA recently detain (and later arrest) a Black woman who was smuggling drugs in her hair? That may be the reason.
 
I have had my head searched when my hair has been pinned up with flat twist. My bobby pins make the medal detector go off.
 
I had my hair searched at SFO last week. It was in a puff. If the cancer machine can see through my clothes, why can't it see through my hair? You just have to grin and bear it. The searcher was a black woman and she was pretty nice about it.
 
I've never had that happen and I've gone through with a half wig with the metal combs.

Ms. Coco, some of those TSA ladies may just be messin with you cause you also have beautiful hair. Your shrinkage is crazzzaaayy. Other than that, I have no idea.
 
I think it's ridiculous that more often than not, people with afro-textured hair are checked by the TSA. They should do it for all or none at all. It is curious, and I feel your frustration.




You could always wear a straight wig for the flight, but you didn't hear it from me.... :look:
 
Well at least there are others. I have been flying a lot lately so it just took me by surprise.

It does not seem to matter how my hair is styled or if I have anything in my hair it is getting checked every single time. So ladies beware!

I had not heard about the black lady with the drugs in her hair. Goodness, I just hate having my hair touched. Thanks for the updates.
 
Nonie it has been in different styles at different times going through that stickem up machine.

Twists, untwisted, Bunned, Pinned, out, etc. EVERY time I get checked. It only happens when I go through that darn machine.
 
I travel frequently and my bun is often molested. I turned around once and saw the box around my bun. I don't use metal pins to secure it and often tuck it in the elastic band. I had one rep ask me what was in the bun.
 
Yes dynamic1 when you look back at that machine there is this yellow block that show up and it is always on my head which mean they have to check that area.
 
Nope, I used plastic barrets. Once I used 3 hairpins or I use nothing. What irked me was I noticed there was other ladies not of color who were going through that machine with those really big hair claw clamps the ones with metal in them and the machine did not mark them. They walked right on by.
 
I wonder whether they could tell you why your hair sets it off. Does that machine detect chemicals too? I'm at a loss on what exactly that machine's problem could be. If it's not metal, then some product?
 
Well I've had to bend over and shake my hair out once. It was loose, but tucked up in a beanie with hairpins. While I was waiting to have my purse searched since I forgot to pull out my lipglosses I looked on their screen and it is rather hard to tell what it is you are looking at. They showed me my purse on the screen and and why they stopped me- its not like looking at an X-Ray of a skeleton where everything is clearly defined and easily discernible. So it doesn't really bother me anymore.
 
Ooh, I just had another thought: if your hair is dense, maybe the machine indicates the area it can't "see-through" as an area that needs to be checked?
 
I've never been checked even with locs. I keep my hair as "flat" as possible when traveling so that it doesn't look like anything could be hiding in it. I use stretchy covered bands to hold my hair back - no pins, no clips, etc. It works for incident free travel.
 
I think it must be the density of my hair. Because as I said I have had all different styles and also it is not just one airport. I have been to several different states and cities Orange County, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and all of them stop me.
 
Nonie said:
@mscocoface, and you're not using any metal pins either?

ETA: I was asking whether it's twisted coz I think that chick who tried to smuggle coke in her locs has ruined it for those of use who wear styles that look like locs: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/woman-caught-smuggling-cocaine-in-dreadlocks_n_1146093.html
Click to expand...

These weren't even real locs. Well I'm gonna say it I don't mind being searched. I mean yeah it can be a bother but with stupid people like this, smuggling and other stuff, its totally worth it.
 
I just needed to rant and see if others were dealing with the same issue. I realize it may be necessary evil, but it is just so evasive having someone go through your head and they are not your or your hair stylist.

I hate it but I will deal with it as long as I have natural hair. I wonder if I would have this issue if I wore a wig through that stupid machine?
 
I moved from the Northeast to Florida in August, and have flown twice since then. I drove down in August, but the two times I flew (once in November, next time December/January) I was checked in the Tampa airport. The airports I flew to (Louisville, KY and Philly) didn't check me.

Honestly though, I was kind of excited that my puff had gotten to the size that they thought I could hide something in it. Crazy, I know.

Both times I was checked by Black women, and it was a quick, soft squeeze and that's it. I didn't have to take it down or anything.
 
mscocoface said:
I just needed to rant and see if others were dealing with the same issue. I realize it may be necessary evil, but it is just so evasive having someone go through your head and they are not your or your hair stylist.

I hate it but I will deal with it as long as I have natural hair. I wonder if I would have this issue if I wore a wig through that stupid machine?
Click to expand...

I have thought this same thing myself but I know I would be too embarrassed if they asked me to take it off lol. If you try it please let us know how it goes.
 
My issue with the wig is that I can't find one now that covers my whole head. Too much hair. Maybe a three quarter or something. Oh well. I will keep you posted.
 
mscocoface said:
I just needed to rant and see if others were dealing with the same issue. I realize it may be necessary evil, but it is just so evasive having someone go through your head and they are not your or your hair stylist.

I hate it but I will deal with it as long as I have natural hair. I wonder if I would have this issue if I wore a wig through that stupid machine?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't travel in a wig. Too much trouble if you have to take it off. Wouldn't a basic bun be much easier?
 
mscocoface said:
I think it must be the density of my hair. Because as I said I have had all different styles and also it is not just one airport. I have been to several different states and cities Orange County, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and all of them stop me.
Click to expand...

Okay, just saw this. You more than likely are flagged for something. Have you ever left any liquids or anything behind in your carry-on without putting them in a ziploc by accident?
 
Spiffy said:
Okay, just saw this. You more than likely are flagged for something. Have you ever left any liquids or anything behind in your carry-on without putting them in a ziploc by accident?
Click to expand...

Nope, I have travelled for years so I never place anything in my carryon that is liquid.
 
@Chameleonchick, :giggle: they couldn't have been real locs because real locks aren't hollow for anyone to be smuggling anything inside them. :lol: But even fake locs can fool some folks so...
 
Ogoma said:
I had my hair searched at SFO last week. It was in a puff. If the cancer machine can see through my clothes, why can't it see through my hair? You just have to grin and bear it. The searcher was a black woman and she was pretty nice about it.
Click to expand...


Right. I always DECLINE the machine and ask for a personal pat down. They always try to talk me out of it and I always say 'Thanks but no thanks" :look:.

My public raping comes with a complimentary head massage. They lift, move, pull and tug my hair I would be hesitant to wear a wig through a TSA check point. I love that upward karate chop they do to my vagina :blush:
 
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