A Texas woman was forced to remove her nipple rings prior to boarding a flight in Lubbock.  Mandi Hamlin, age 37, had trouble removing one of the rings, so she was forced to request a pair of pliers from the Transportation Security Administration Agents.

According to reports, the male agents had “snickered” as she removed the nipple ring with pliers.

The TSA released a statement that their agents had followed procedure when requiring the removal of the body piercings.  They also noted that a new policy regarding body piercings has been issued.  The new policy allows TSA Agents to visually inspect body piercings or require their removal prior to boarding a flight.