Taking Off A Sweatshirt?
 

So I'm going through IAH security a few weeks back. It's about 2000hrs and the line is dead. Maybe about 10 people in line. I loaded all of my stuff into a bin, took off my belt and shoes and then a lady TSA asks me if I have on any clothing under my sweatshirt. I tell her that I have an undershirt on and she said that I have to remove my sweatshirt and send it through the screener.

This wasn't a jacket. It wasn't even a zip up sweatshirt. It was a pull over Nike hoodie.

Is this now SOP, to remove sweatshirts?

Should I just take off my sweat shirt and jeans next time and stroll through in my boxers and undershirt?

As I understand TSA procedures, TSA is concerned about "bulky clothing" that might be used to conceal items while moving through the checkpoint. If the TSO on duty feels that your outer layer of clothing is "bulky" and might conceal something, you'll be asked to remove it (if possible) or be subjected to a secondary screening (i.e. a patdown) to ensure that you're not concealing anything.

I really, really wish I had the guts to take my sweatshirt off with no t-shirt, to reveal my belly fat (worse than Pete Townshend's this evening!) and man-boobs.

They'd not be requesting that any time soon again...they might just want to poke their eyes out with sticks!

:p

You wouldn't be the first to do it!

I (exbayerIN) was told to remove my sweater a few weeks ago - it was all that I had on, so it wasn't coming off.

Apparently the TSA couldn't tell the difference between a (lightweight cotton) sweater and a 'shawl' - he asked for a female assist and the female officer basically told him that he was an idiot for not being able to identify basic articles of clothing. :D

This stuff really irritates me. In winter I usually wear a collared sweatshirt, not bulky or hooded. Sometimes they do a patdown, sometimes they don't. :rolleyes:

But, what really irritated me was in MSP in December I was given the option to remove it or be groped. I said I'll take the grope. Then when I was putting my shoes and belt back on and was re-organizing my carryon I observed the same screener, who was male. Every male that came through with a sweatshirt either had to remove it or be groped. But, every female was just waved on through :mad::mad::mad:. Either apply the dumb@$$ policy to everyone or don't.

Some male TSOs lack familiarity with women because no woman wants anything to do with them.;):rolleyes:

OUCH!

:p

I must defend my fellow male. You gals have WAY too many names for clothes. I can think of three or four names you guys have just for pants. Men operate in a much simpler realm when it comes to clothing. Pants. shirts, shorts, underwear, and socks.

When you can go out and name all my tools then and only then can you call this guy an idiot. ;)

Sweater! Sweater! You men wear those too.... in German it is the very complicated named 'Pullover'! :p It is the British who make it cofusing with the term 'jumper'.

Anyone confused by the terms 'sweater' or 'pullover' is may I suggest confused in general?

Yep. The bad guys are considered to be so stupid that duct taping a 1/4" thick pouch of PETN to their abs under a normal dress shirt isn't going to occur to them. Or a fake beer belly. (already on the market). Or a padded bra. The "bulky clothing" issue might be real if the WTMD was broken and they're looking for concealed metal weapons.

Or maybe there's a real risk, and the bad guys might be looking to smuggle ceramic machetes through the WTMD and onto the plane. Still - that won't get them through the hardened cockpit door so the airplane is safe. And a ceramic machete won't do anything that a Bic pen can't do in the hands of a trained assassin.

So what IS the fetish with sweatshirts?

Thanks for the replies, I guess it is something we'll have to deal with. I made a snide remark to the lady about how ridiculous it was after asking her "are you kidding me"?

My fear is if I protest too much over something relatively small like that, they'd yank me from the plane. SO I keep my mouth shut and comply. But I really wanted to refuse to get undressed, just not at the expense of missing my flight to LAS.

deleted

YEAH! What HE said!^^:D

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Some women can probably both name all your (work place) tools, and have a better grasp of their use. :p