Can we quit talking about women grasping men's tools? This conversation is becoming decidedly NSFW ... :cool:

I hate taking off my sweatshirt. I would rather have TSA do a pat down. It really varies from airport to airport, even same airport different screener if they ask you to remove it. I have even tried not putting it on till I pass security but when it cold you really need it on.

I'll take the challenge. How many tools do you have?

I had a strange one at CDG recently.

I was wearing a fairly obviously thin and fairly tight-fitting cardigan without even a button (it was tied with the built-in ribbon at the front), never mind a zip.

The security guy asked me if I could remove 'that', so I asked, "Are you talking about my cardigan? Do you really want me to take it off?". He said, "Yes please, if you could" with a smile.

He was so polite that I obliged, but if he weren't so polite and smiley, I may have objected. I have no idea what could have possibly been concealed under this thin cardigan that could not be concealed by my top which was also thin and fairly tight.

I can almost see the point.

(Disclaimer: this is purely speculative. I'd happily accept correction from TSOs who know the procedures ...)

I suspect that TSA's SOP says something simple like "have passengers remove sweatshirts and sweaters before screening". The reasoning, as has been pointed out, is that bulky versions of such apparel could be used to conceal "contraband" (however you choose to define it).

Now, what about tight sweaters, or shawls, or such like that? There are two alternatives.

• Allow the TSO to exercise their own judgment as to whether or not the sweater is "tight enough" to eliminate the possibility of smuggling. This is not without problems. Inevitably, different TSOs will use their judgment in different ways, leading to inconsistency in the screening process (which most of us complain about). Also, it could lead to certain embarrassing situations ... you can't necessarily tell if the bulge in a sweater is just a bulky sweater or just a really rotund passenger (like me).
• Have the TSO instruct passengers to remove all sweaters and sweatshirts, regardless of bulkiness or fit. This leads to absurdities like removing shawls. But it is easier to train on and standardize.

I suspect (but have no proof) that TSA has chosen the latter course as the simpler way to proceed.[/list]

CDG is well and truly outside the TSA's jurisdiction though. So the silliness is not limited to TSA. Frankly, it was a pain because I then had to put my cardigan back on, then my jacket back on, and then my overcoat.

True enough about jurisdiction ... except that TSA influences security in other countries, especially with their "suggestions" on how security ought to be conducted on flights headed to the US.

But my rule is that if I am not wearing anything other than a bra under my article of clothing, that article of clothing isn't coming off to walk through a WTMD.

I don't wear bulky clothing whilst travelling, and I don't wear sweatshirts. I usually wear a light weight top, or a light weight sweater, or the more complex 'cardigan'. That I will remove if ordered (which is usually only in America) as I am usually wearing a light tshirt underneath.

But nobody should have to remove an article of clothing if it is all that they are wearing ie with nothing underneath, just to walk through a metal detector.

I had a hooded sweatshirt on last year at IAD. The screener ordered me (yes -- ordered me) to take it off. Since I didn't have a shirt on underneath it, I repeated to him, "Did I hear you order me to take off my sweatshirt?" When he replied in the affirmative, off it came to reveal a bare-chested 50+ guy. I'm a marathon runner, so there's not much body fat on top, so, no embarrassment on my part. He never asked me if I had anything on underneath.

You would have thought I rushed the checkpoint with an M-60 machine gun! The moat dragon was literally yelling at me at the top of his lungs demanding to know why I took off my sweatshirt. "Because you ordered me to..." was my reply. To make a long story short, the screener became downright belligerent towards me to the point of trash-talking. I had a long discussion with the supervisor and the screening manager. The end result was one less screener on the payroll. (Trust me -- I know that for a fact.)

I call it a good start.

How many power trippers are still on the payroll?

I could name all your tools in a heartbeat. I have always loved carpentry and watch HGTV all the time. Now, using them would be a different story. At a bit over 100 lbs I couldn't even lift half of them.

The guy's an idiot. :D

I frequently wear a hoodie going into security, and I've been asked to remove it almost every time that I've just made a habit of taking it off without them asking so I can get through security more quickly. It's obnoxious.

I wonder what would happen with a coat dress?

P.S. For those who don't know, it's a dress but it looks a bit like a coat.

Googled it to improve my clothes vocabulary...

I'd feel like a flasher wearing one of these.

So would I! :eek:

I think that's a bit of an 'extreme case'. Most are a bit more subtle.