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Since when do you have to take off your sweater ?

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Since when do you have to take off your sweater ?

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Old Mar 9, 2009, 12:29 am
  #1  
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Since when do you have to take off your sweater ?

Saturday morning at LAX the TSA agent wanted to make me take off my sweater

To be clear, I'm not talking about a jacket-sweater with a zipper but a simple cashmere sweater. It was not very warm in the terminal plus I had no hairbrush so sure enough I refused as I could care less about the few minutes extra security.

The guy ordered a pad down... huuuhhh

The agent who did the search again wanted me to take off the sweater and I said the reason why I'm standing here is because I'm not taking it off so let's get through it.

What a stupid thing is this now ?
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 12:46 am
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I'm guessing that I didn't have to takeoff the sweater where I am flying out of PHX from 2 months ago. I have a no comments from TSA to asking me to take off the sweater where I went through at metal detector. I think this is obvious where those passengers's privacy where its kept the sweater on all of the time. Because the winter season is almost over. So it will be nice warm weather condition coming up sometimes next month.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 1:48 am
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Shoes, sweater, underpants... What's your problem?

Just keep lining up, folks.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 2:22 am
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It is an unwritten rule that wearing clothes that are not "form fitting" can get you into secondary. Travel in something really tight and inappropriate, and you'll sail through.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 4:40 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by BubbaLoop
It is an unwritten rule that wearing clothes that are not "form fitting" can get you into secondary. Travel in something really tight and inappropriate, and you'll sail through.
The rule is actually written to the point that it has been publicized, and it is that you must remove any "outer layers" for passing through the WTMD. No comment on whether the rule makes sense or not, but that's the rule.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 5:07 am
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Originally Posted by sbm12
The rule is actually written to the point that it has been publicized, and it is that you must remove any "outer layers" for passing through the WTMD. No comment on whether the rule makes sense or not, but that's the rule.
Outer layers are one thing. Form fitting clothing is a completely different thing. TSOs have mentioned on the TSA blog that baggy clothing = secondary. This is not clearly stated anywhere official. Of course, there is no official list of checkpoint rules anywhere, so this is just the tip of the iceberg...
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 6:37 am
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Originally Posted by BubbaLoop
TSOs have mentioned on the TSA blog that baggy clothing = secondary. This is not clearly stated anywhere official.
Actually, the TSA website does say this pretty explicitly:
Loose Fitting Garments

You are permitted to wear loose fitting or religious garments during the screening process. You may be directed to additional screening if your clothing (religious or otherwise) is loose fitting or large enough to hide prohibited items. If you are directed by the security officer to proceed to additional screening, then you will undergo a combination of hand-wand screening and/or pat-down inspections that could include any portion of the body and head area that requires further examination.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 6:58 am
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Without a detailed description or image from the OP, we may all be picturing different things...I particularly think this is the case since some folks are citing "baggy clothes" language. The OP mentioned a simple cashmere sweater...from time to time I fly in what I'd describe as a simple cashmere sweater over a dress shirt; it is far from baggy and could possible only conceal the same derringer in an underarm holster that a t-shirt might.

FWIW I've never been asked to remove it.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 8:44 am
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So if they want us to take off sweaters what exactly is the point of the scanning machine (i.e. a gun holster becomes visible when we take off the sweater but it's not visible on the screen)?
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 9:13 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by patgarrett
So if they want us to take off sweaters what exactly is the point of the scanning machine (i.e. a gun holster becomes visible when we take off the sweater but it's not visible on the screen)?
The scanning machines are only operating in a tiny handful of airports. 99% of the time you are passing through a metal detector, there is no "screen".
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 9:34 am
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I fly in the same style sweatshirt all the time and never had to remove it until a few weeks ago in ORD. I complained to a supervisor type and he told me that if they cant make out form of the body then they will make you take it off. I pointed out that half of the people in line fit this description and he said it is a case by case thing.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 10:59 am
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Therein lies the rub. He can tell you anything he pleases to make you DO anything he pleases. You have no recourse, except not to fly.

NEXT...
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 11:12 am
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Originally Posted by jkhuggins
Actually, the TSA website does say this pretty explicitly:
Loose Fitting Garments

You are permitted to wear loose fitting or religious garments during the screening process. You may be directed to additional screening if your clothing (religious or otherwise) is loose fitting or large enough to hide prohibited items. If you are directed by the security officer to proceed to additional screening, then you will undergo a combination of hand-wand screening and/or pat-down inspections that could include any portion of the body and head area that requires further examination.
Thatīs new! Kudos to the TSA for finally putting that up.
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 11:56 am
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Originally Posted by BubbaLoop
Travel in something really tight and inappropriate, and you'll sail through.
Leggings for men
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Old Mar 9, 2009, 11:57 am
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I got this at SFO 2 weeks ago. Of course, they "suggested that I remove my sweater as I was halfway through the WTMD, and I played dumb and kept walking, so I got the secondary.

Oh well.
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