1.5K

Going to the airport is a generally stressful, queue-laded mess for most travelers, but at least nothing out of the ordinary happens to them. It’s a lot of waiting and possibly a lot of money spent, but everything tends to go generally smoothly (or as smoothly as a visit to an airport can go).

For others, they just know it’s going to be an ordeal.

Here’s an example: everyone has all sorts of “mystery codes” on their boarding pass; here’s what a lot of them mean. A passenger may even get the dreaded SSSS on their boarding pass. But some passengers get SSSS every time. Like, EVERY time. There are things they can do to possibly stop that from happening. But until they try, these unfortunate folks just KNOW they’re going to have to go through whatever “additional inspection” again, because they wound up with SSSS on their boarding pass AGAIN.

Other people don’t get SSSS on their boarding pass. So you’d think they’d be able to get through the TSA security checkpoint without a problem, right? Nope. Because they always – ALWAYS – wind up making the scanner at the checkpoint “beep” and they have to get a patdown. Which brings up to this question one of our members posed to us not long ago:

“Why do I always get patted down at the airport?”

First, some background – the TSA agents have nothing to do with it. I can also promise you that 99% of TSA agents dislike doing pat downs about as much as you dislike getting one (hey guys, do you think a doctor enjoys doing prostate exams? Same thing. It’s just an unfortunate part of the job). So as mildly amusing as this meme might be, it’s really not true.

Here’s a quote from a self-proclaimed TSA agent that I recently read on Reddit:

Look guys, I’m just trying to pay my bills. I don’t want to pat people down and much as you don’t want me to pat you down. I don’t want to feel your junk on the back of my hand, but right now it’s the only thing paying my rent. You consented to this screening when you bought your ticket. If you have an issue with TSA, you should write your congressman and try to do something about it. However, for the time being, we’re not going anywhere, and you’re going to have to deal with it.

Fair enough.

But back to the original question: why DO some people ALWAYS wind up getting patted down?

Background Info – 2 different queues, 2 different types of scanners

Most travelers are aware that there are 2 different queues at the TSA security checkpoint – the “regular” line and the one for those who have TSA PreCheck.

Those on the “regular” line tend to go through full-body scanners, where they’re instructed to spread their legs and raise both arms over their head, like this:

Those scanners only “see” what’s on your person.

If you have TSA PreCheck, you go on the (generally shorter and faster) queue where you usually only have to go through a metal detector – so it can tell if you have metal anywhere on you (although sometimes you’re asked, “at random,” to go through a scanner, either instead of, as along with the metal detector).

It appears that if you have TSA PreCheck, and only go through a metal detector, not a full body scanner, there’s significantly less chance of having to get patted down. The scanners are just that much more sensitive to whatever they’re looking for when “non-known travelers” are going through them.

Why you get flagged:

You’re carrying metal

Hopefully you’ve emptied your pockets and taken off your belt. If you haven’t, guess what? The scanners will notice you have something “extra” on your person and you’re going to beep. But that shouldn’t happen every time you fly, since one would think you eventually learn to empty your pockets and take your belt off at least sometimes ;-).

If you have some sort of implant? (think shoulder or hip implant. Tooth implants are too small) Or if you have a bunch of hardware holding your femur or spine together because of that car accident you had back in 2012? The scanners shouldn’t pick those up, but it is most likely going to get flagged by the metal detector.

And if you wear a brace because of carpal tunnel, a dropped foot condition or whatever other reason? The scanner AND the metal detector are probably going to pick that up. Lucky you. You may not even bother going through the metal detector or scanner; you just know you’re going to get flagged anyway.

Case in point…my mother-in-law was disabled. Not only was she physically unable to “assume the position” (hands over your head, legs spread) in those older scanners (she passed away before TSA PreCheck was a thing), but she also had foot/leg braces halfway up to her knees, and if she walked any distance, it was with crutches (she used a wheelchair or ECV most of the time). She knew and accepted she was guaranteed to be wanded and potentially patted down every time she went through TSA security because she couldn’t be thoroughly scanned by the machines of the time.

So yeah…people with certain medical conditions know they’re going to have to go through “special” screening. But if that’s not the case for you, you start to wonder, “Why me?”

Miscellaneous other reasons

Again, this mainly happens when going through the scanner, not metal detector. But generally what happens is that the TSA agent gets a warning from the full body scanner that something on you is triggering its alarm. This is what the TSA agent will see on airport body scanners. And once you’ve “beeped,” the next step is a patdown.

What can potentially cause you to beep and therefore get a patdown? SO many things…

• A drawstring (pants or hoodie) that’s knotted or sticking out
• The hood of a hoodie
• Loose or baggy clothing (this includes boxers, guys. Try wearing tighty whiteys or even boxer briefs if you tend to wear boxers and “beep” in the groin area a lot)
• Saggy or baggy pants (make sure they’ve been pulled up high when you go through the scanner)
• Clothing that has “doubled up” on you (think like boxer shorts that have ridden up your legs, knee socks that have fallen down, or a pocket that’s all bunched up)
• Anecdotally…sweaty junk.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Scanners apparently pick up the excess moisture)
• If you’ve lost or gained a lot of weight and have a flap of belly (be it excess skin or fat) hanging over your groin area
• Thick, curly hair, or hair in a bun
• And, of course, if you refuse to go through the scanner, you’re going to get a patdown.

How to potentially fix the problem

The easiest way for most people to stop getting stopped for patdowns is to get TSA PreCheck; you’ll go through a metal detector instead of a scanner.

But if PreCheck isn’t for you, generally speaking, it appears that sweat, sags, excess clothing and spaces on your person that the scanners can’t “see” through are what seem to set them off the most. So if you “always” get flagged, maybe reconsider the types of clothing you wear or how you wear them. Maybe change your hairstyle

One other thing

Heads up that the TSA officers have no control of the scanners and really have no idea what makes the scanners beep or not. They don’t build the machines or write the software for them. Nor do they know how its algorithm works, what it’s sensitive to, or why YOU beeped, but “that guy” didn’t. They’re just instructed to pat down passengers who beep. Giving them a hard time about it won’t help. At all.

Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.

Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.

Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.

Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary