TSA-proof airplane clothing

[silly2003]

For females who do not like to be groped by TSA agents at airports, this is what I plan to wear.

1) no bra, only undershirt

2) no barettes

3) tight t-shirt

4) tight yoga pants

5) tennis shoes which I will have to take off.

 

I have not tried this outfit, but a month ago I got singled out for special screening. The agent (female) was directed by her male supervisor to find any metal on me, she found 2 metal stays on my bra and a metal hook and eye closure which she had to touch everywhere she found metal. I was lucky as compared to the girl in front of me who had an underwire bra on.

I had a large t-shirt and some dockers type slacks on and I am baby boomer white female. I was upset by this whole affair and vowed not to fly again, but then I couldn't go on a cruise, so I am going to try these clothes.

 

I say barrettes because I was originally asked to remove my barrettes, but I thought that was ridiculous and I have no comb or brush with me in carry on, so I said they could use the wand, I didn't know I was going to be frisked for not wanting to have my hair messed up for the next 4 hours. I either had to put up with the frisk or leave the airport. That was the only two choices. It didn't matter that I took out my barettes, they still had to frisk me.

 

So things have changed since December 2004. When I got home I did a bunch of web searches and found they about 15% of women are frisked like this. I think this is outrageous. I hope my change in clothing will keep me from being frisked this time. This is a warning to women who wear bras with metal in them (remember that eye and hook closure in the back - that is metal).

[Globaliser]

When I got home I did a bunch of web searches and found they about 15% of women are frisked like this. I think this is outrageous. I hope my change in clothing will keep me from being frisked this time.

Frisking is a very effective search technique, and is very common at airports all over the world. There are many places where a metal detector arch and a frisk are both compulsory. So 15% is really getting off quite lightly.

 

Do you want effective security or not?

[just4kixx]

decorative rivets on your shorts and jeans can set off the detector as well ;)

Learned that one from experience.:rolleyes:

Also, I asked what criteria requires shoes to be removed. Besides the obvious buckets and such, I was told it is the "size" of the sole.

 

A~:)

[jetskier]

Also some shoes have a metal shank in them. Most metal detectors are not effective at shoe level due to the rebar in the concrete floor. At the nuclear plant I used to work at, we had to install wooden ramps to increase the effectiveness of the unit. Also a pause mechanism was added to keep a quick kick from being performed which will allow a weapon to not be detected at shoe/ankle level.

 

When I traveled commercial from Okinawa to the States, every passenger was hand frisked by the girls with the white gloves.

Dave

[kevinsac]

The only guaranteed TSA-proof is .........

 

...........

 

..........hmmmmmmmmm

 

........nothing. :eek: And you'd get arrested for that. :rolleyes:

[greatam]

The only guaranteed TSA-proof is .........

 

...........

 

..........hmmmmmmmmm

 

........nothing. :eek: And you'd get arrested for that. :rolleyes:

 

I have truly thought about this long and hard, so don't anybody flame me.

 

The next time I get SSSS on my tickets, I am going to the bathroom and remove bra and underwear. That leaves me with top, pants, and slip on shoes. When they pull me over for secondary, I am going to ask to go behind the little screen, drop my Dockers and yank my top up. I just cannot stand the "touchy feely" groping by the TSA employees. If TSA could accomplish their screening as the screeners do overseas, I wouldn't mind. But those crappy gloves grabbing under your boobs is just too much. I am not against TSA, but their groping style of screening. I will probably miss my flight and may get arrested, BUT.

[gambit57]

If the screener likes what she sees, she may wave you through.

 

If the screener has caught a drug mule before, she may still search you thoroughly.

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Lvteks]

Well 15% sounds good to me. I have had both hips replaced and heaven help if I'm ever late for a flight. I set alarms off EVERY time.. I can honestly say I have never felt groped. Some were much nicer in attitude than others. Did get nervous while one took her sweet time and I was a little short of time. It is also unlikely you will have the same person inspect you on your next flight.

I have memorized the drill. the only exception is that even though I'm wearing slip-on shoes, I ask if I can leave them on until they do the whole nine yards.

 

Here's a secret I learned from my Custom Inspector husband. It isn't a lot of fun to do any kind of search of person or baggage. It all starts to stink after a while. I try to be very clean, wear a wireless bra, check for metal buttons, ditch the watch and earrings (into purse) and it's been years since I wore a belt. I just figure the easier I make it for TSA the faster we all get on the plane. Interesting question....would you do that job days/nights on end??

 

I figure the minor precaution beats jumping out of a tall tower. Maybe it will help.

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

[bswisu]

My DH has to go through the special screening every single time he flys. He has tried taking off his belt, shoes,ect., but he always sets off the scanner anyway. He was wounded in Vietman, but swears there isn't any metal left from the pins he had in his elbow. He says they took them all out. Still every time he goes through the scanner it is set off. It has kind of become a joke for us. I always let him go through first, and tell the kids not to get in a big hurry because I know we are going to have to wait while they frisk him.

[wrp96]

I always see people suggesting that women do without their underwires while traveling, but those people must not really need an underwire bra. I will put up with a screening if I have to, if that is what is necessary, but my underwire has never set off the metal detectors. There is NO WAY I can go without a bra, much less an underwire, for a long period of time.

[kenandlaura06]

I always see people suggesting that women do without their underwires while traveling, but those people must not really need an underwire bra. I will put up with a screening if I have to, if that is what is necessary, but my underwire has never set off the metal detectors. There is NO WAY I can go without a bra, much less an underwire, for a long period of time.

 

Same here.

 

I have put up with the screening and groping...and will do it to fly more safely!

[kyriecat]

I always see people suggesting that women do without their underwires while traveling, but those people must not really need an underwire bra. I will put up with a screening if I have to, if that is what is necessary, but my underwire has never set off the metal detectors. There is NO WAY I can go without a bra, much less an underwire, for a long period of time.

 

Apparently you have not been frisked by one of the very thorough agents. My underwire bra set off the detector at FLL. That was April 2002 so I didn't know what to expect. I had to go into the side room with a female agent and open my shirt while a male agent was in the room with his back turned. The female agent was so "thorough" in her inspection that I had visible finger-print bruises on my breasts. I do not normally bruise easily. I wear a 36DD bra and do not have implants so it should have been fairly obvious that I wasn't hiding in metal in my breasts.

 

I set off the metal detector in New Orleans a couple of years ago, again while wearing an underwire bra. This time I did not want to go in the side room because I thought the agent may be gentler if other passengers could see what she was doing. It didn't help because I still ended up with bruises. I would rather have a mammogram than have the TSA inspect my breasts. It hurts less.

 

Since then, I always make sure that I wear a sports bra, t-shirt, shorts/pants with elastic waist, flip-flops, and no jewelry. I haven't been frisked since, but I only fly around 6 times a year.

[kenandlaura06]

Apparently you have not been frisked by one of the very thorough agents. My underwire bra set off the detector at FLL. That was April 2002 so I didn't know what to expect. I had to go into the side room with a female agent and open my shirt while a male agent was in the room with his back turned. The female agent was so "thorough" in her inspection that I had visible finger-print bruises on my breasts. I do not normally bruise easily. I wear a 36DD bra and do not have implants so it should have been fairly obvious that I wasn't hiding in metal in my breasts.

 

I set off the metal detector in New Orleans a couple of years ago, again while wearing an underwire bra. This time I did not want to go in the side room because I thought the agent may be gentler if other passengers could see what she was doing. It didn't help because I still ended up with bruises. I would rather have a mammogram than have the TSA inspect my breasts. It hurts less.

 

Since then, I always make sure that I wear a sports bra, t-shirt, shorts/pants with elastic waist, flip-flops, and no jewelry. I haven't been frisked since, but I only fly around 6 times a year.

 

The fact that you were bruised is terrible. My frisking was obviously not that rough.

[w&k]

I sympathise with the groping - I'm also, ahem, lush. I have never been asked for a frisk, but I always wear a sports bra, britches with an elastic waist, and rubber sandals.

 

If you received bruises, the frisk was done improperly. According to the TSA site, the screeners are supposed to use the back of their hands until something is found.

 

My MIL had a knee replaced this spring, and she carries a card about the artificial joint. On our recent air trip, she was wanded and frisked, but with the proper, back-of-the-hand method.

 

Wendy

[DanJ]

When I traveled commercial from Okinawa to the States, every passenger was hand frisked by the girls with the white gloves.

Dave

 

hmm, maybe I need to go to Okinawa LOL

[stellalimelight]

I just wear what I want. I wear an underwire bra. Sometimes they set off the alarm sometimes it does not. I have always been patted down nicely here. I was in Manila and had to stand on a little step while the woman patted me down, including grabbing my crotch(for lack of better word). Of course, I say once you have gone through child birth, I can't imagine anything bothering me. Lost all modesty at that point.

 

Shelley

[kyriecat]

If you received bruises, the frisk was done improperly. According to the TSA site, the screeners are supposed to use the back of their hands until something is found.

 

I had read that also on the TSA website. The screeners, however, will tell you that the back of the hand screen only applies to those people who are randomly selected for further screening but did not set off the metal detector. If you set off the metal detector, anything the screener feels is appropriate to maintain the security of the other passengers is acceptable.

 

I don't like having having strange women squeezing my breasts, but I realized the TSA does worse things. My mom had to undergo a vaginal probing before her flight because she set off the metal detector. Supposedly all the hand wands at STL were broken so they had to do a private, extra thorough inspection of her because they could not use a wand to determine the exact area that the metal was located.

 

I don't even want to wear my wedding band to fly anymore because I'm afraid it may set off a detector and a wand won't be available. I don't think I could stand a strange woman poking her finger into my private regions, even through my clothing. I know myself too well - I would end up saying something that would get me banned from flying.