Woman baffled after her crotch gets her stopped at airport security as she takes first flight in 15 years
An embarrassing situation for everyone involved
Let's be honest, going to the airport isn't exactly fun.
From those early starts to ensuring the taxi is there on time, the endless queues, and making sure you've remembered your passport, that's before you even get through security.
Airport security is a lot more stringent these days, and while some people complain about the invasiveness of what scanners can see, they're there to keep us safe before we get on the plane.
We've already covered why you should never put a padlock on a suitcase, why you shouldn't wear certain shoes, or why walking through a scanner with an erection might be a bad idea, but now, there's another embarrassing PSA.
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Apparently, it's not just men's crotches that can lead to them being flagged at airport security, with women also able to set off scanners and being left red-faced.
Posting on the r/TSA subreddit, one woman claimed she was stopped during her first flight in 15 years.
The OP wrote: "I flew for the first time in 15 years this week and both airports flagged my crotch at the arms up scanner.
"I don't care about the pat down, they were polite and professional and it doesn't bother me, but I'm wondering what did it."
Seemingly more intrigued by what happened than embarrassed, she wanted to know the mysterious cause of her scanner snafu.
Someone responded saying: "Last time I flew out of my home airport of Tampa, I got searched too, the guard said something unnerving like 'swamp rot' or 'swamp crotch' or something similarly embarrassing."
Suggesting what could be behind the flag, one person said: "Sweat, feminine products (liners, pads, depends) could be anything but those seem to be culprits and the leggings n bike shorts for some reason I have no idea otherwise maybe the compression in them."
Another said similar when they added: "In my experience: compression shorts, pads, diapers, moist/wetness, one piece suits are 85% of the flags I receive…. 12% is false alarms and 3% someone deliberately hiding something."
It really does seem that sweat could be the reason behind the woman being stopped.
Speaking to Reader's Digest, airport security expert Shawna Malvini Redden explained: "Perspiration is probably the weirdest thing that can set off the scanners. It has to do with millimeter wave technology and how the waves bounce off water."
Redden is the author of 101 Pat-Downs: An Undercover Look at Airport Security and the TSA, saying the issue is so common that airports in the likes of France and Germany have stopped using specific scanners because sweat in the crotch area is known for setting them off as false alarms.
In reality, there are any number of unexpected things that can set off an airport scanner. From obvious things like piercings and wire in your undergarments to more obscure reasons like thick hair and even tumors, it's amazing we get through these scanners at all.
Well, at least we know they're working.