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Original poster

Male security at LHR asked my 15 daughter to take off her hoodie when she was travelling alone

243 replies

sofato5miles · 17/10/2021 07:10

Am i over reacting? She was upset. She had a large but thin hoodie on and only a strappy top underneath. No female officers and she was properly unnerved by it. She was flying home alone for half term. She is a shy but capable girl. My gut feeling if she felt uncomfortable it was because something felt wrong. WWYD? Would you make an official complaint?

I have spoken to her about finding her voice before ( though in this specific case, requestiing a female officer). The hoodie was mostly zipped but you could see her straps.

OP posts:
2Two · 17/10/2021 09:20

How was the male officer supposed to know what she was wearing underneath the hoodie? And what was she going to do if it was warm on the flight or at her destination, was she planning to keep the hoodie on indefinitely?

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 17/10/2021 09:23

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Yes I was asked to remove my zipped up hoodie too at an airport, I was not happy, I was very obese at the time - since had gastric surgery - and was left standing in front of hundreds of people in little more than a bra like top with people sniggering. Given my time again I'd have told them to get stuffed and have insisted upon being taken to a private room. i was completely humiliated.
Given your time again, maybe you’d have worn clothing you were happy to be seen in underneath your jacket which you must’ve known you could be asked to remove, perhaps? 🙄
diddl · 17/10/2021 09:33

I usually find airports really warm & generally am down to a tshirt for most of the time, so wear a t shirt that I'm happy to strip down to.

So if she was so conscious of her top, if she got hot, she would have sat sweating into her hoodie rather than take it off?

Interested in this thread?

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Flying Holidays
ApplesinmyPocket · 17/10/2021 09:33

"The hoodie was mostly zipped but you could see her straps."

I'm barely awake yet so it could be me, but I'm struggling to picture this - a hoodie zip goes down the front, but straps are over the shoulders? Could her straps really be seen?

MobyDicksTinyCanoe · 17/10/2021 09:36

If she cant cope with being given instructions by security staff she shouldn't be travelling alone.

HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 17/10/2021 09:39

@sofato5miles

She flies about 6 return times a year 3 of those by herself. Had survived her grandfather dropping her at the wrong terminal, which she took in her stride. 🤦🏻‍♀️ it is a teenage body conscious thing combined with not thinking. Not a massive drama but since i have never worn a baggy hoodie i was just curious from a UK perspective. I am also tempering my protective response with being realistic and you have all reassured me that this was us dropping the ball and nothing sinister. Thank you
You did the right thing in asking here and you’ve done the right thing in reassuring your daughter.

It can really hard to be a teenage girl and she wasn’t at all in the wrong for feeling uncomfortable.

JesterMcFester · 17/10/2021 09:45

This is really odd. I have flown numerous times in a hoody and never been asked to remove it; it is very, very standard for people to fly in hoodies and I have never seen anyone else be asked to remove them.

Further more - our school used to insist we flew in our school hoodies until we had left the UK (for those of us abroad) - neither I or anyone I was with was asked to remove it and there often 30 /40 of us flying through to an international hub airport.

For a young female adult it should be common sense to ask her to wait, approach your female colleague and let her ask her to remove the hoody.

That said, there is no way that there was no female security officer there - there always is.

I am sorry your daughter was made to feel uncomfortable.

Peanutsandchilli · 17/10/2021 09:47

A baggy hoodie is akin to a jacket. I see no issue.

SoupDragon · 17/10/2021 09:47

@ApplesinmyPocket

"The hoodie was mostly zipped but you could see her straps."

I'm barely awake yet so it could be me, but I'm struggling to picture this - a hoodie zip goes down the front, but straps are over the shoulders? Could her straps really be seen?

The hoody is like cardigan, the straps of her vest top could be seen through the open neck.
Jobseeker19 · 17/10/2021 09:48

She can't be that young minded if you are happy for her to travel by herself

RampantIvy · 17/10/2021 09:51

This is really odd. I have flown numerous times in a hoody and never been asked to remove it; it is very, very standard for people to fly in hoodies and I have never seen anyone else be asked to remove them.

I think this is unusual. It is certainly normal practice at Heathrow, Leeds Bradford and Manchester airports to remove hoodies, belts and jackets, and often shoes.

Given my time again I'd have told them to get stuffed

Not exactly the best approach though, is it. I would imagine that anyone who was confrontational with security staff might not be allowed on the flight.

SoupDragon · 17/10/2021 09:51

OP you've seen that a complaint would be unreasonable but it is definitely a time to talk to your DD about thinking through her clothing choices in future. She's flown many times before so it shouldn't have been a surprise.

I have a 15 year old daughter and her clothing is all either super skimpy or akin to wearing something the size of a duvet cover with nothing in between. We've had chats about picking the right stuff before (I rarely intervene)

JesterMcFester · 17/10/2021 09:54

Well I've flown through Heathrow and Manchester in access of 200 times, in a hoody and never been in asked to remove it - I've been through Leeds a few times, and again never been asked.

I have been asked to remove coat, shoes and belt though on every occasion.

Clymene · 17/10/2021 09:56

@JesterMcFester

Well I've flown through Heathrow and Manchester in access of 200 times, in a hoody and never been in asked to remove it - I've been through Leeds a few times, and again never been asked.

I have been asked to remove coat, shoes and belt though on every occasion.

One with a zip down the front? I find that very surprising
JesterMcFester · 17/10/2021 09:58

Yes at times - they just wand it - just like they wand an underwired bra.

But I've also only had female security offices deal with me when doing this too.

Lots of clothing items have lots of various bits of metal... In fact most hoodies have metal in eyelets and on the end of the hod cord in some cases too. Jeans have metal buttons... bras are often underwired...

UsedUpUsername · 17/10/2021 10:04

Not through London but other airports I’ve definitely been asked to take off hoodies. It’s probably a judgement call by security since hoodies are something between a coat (which you always remove) and a shirt.

It can be awkward if you wear something skimpy underneath, as I had.

YoungGiftedPlump · 17/10/2021 10:04

You always have to remove jackets. Totally standard .

Mellowyellow222 · 17/10/2021 10:05

There might be a terminology thing here.

To me a hoodie is a jumper, we call a hoodie with a zip a zippie - just so the kids know which one to grab.

I think the girl was wearing a zippie, so a soft jacket

YoungGiftedPlump · 17/10/2021 10:06

You need to consider if she is mature enough and experienced enough to fly alone- sounds like she isn’t

TrollsAreSaddos · 17/10/2021 10:06

There are normal hoodies and then there are oversize hoodies - the oversize ones are like jackets. You could have all manner of things underneath.

PegasusReturns · 17/10/2021 10:07

OP you’re not being unreasonable and neither you or your DD are to blame for her feeling of discomfort.

Prior to covid I flew out of LHR about 2 x per month. There are some very obnoxious power hungry security attendants outside of the terminal 5 fast track.

DD had a very similar experience being asked to remove a hoodie by a female attendant and was given short shrift when she said she had nothing underneath. When she removed it the male attendant was very apologetic and told her to put it back on she could cover her sports style cropped bra immediately.

B229 · 17/10/2021 10:08

I've always removed my zip up hoodie, I always wear it because of this, easier to yank off in the security line then an over the head one. They shout out to remove jackets and belts and its a jacket.

I'd remind her in the future to wear a t-shirt or similar underneath before she flies again next time but don't think an official complaint is needed.

RampantIvy · 17/10/2021 10:09

@Mellowyellow222

There might be a terminology thing here.

To me a hoodie is a jumper, we call a hoodie with a zip a zippie - just so the kids know which one to grab.

I think the girl was wearing a zippie, so a soft jacket

Where do you live @Mellowyellow222? DD (21) calls sweatshirts jumpers, but if you look on any UK clothes website they are called sweatshirts, and a hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood and usually has a zip. Although M and S have started selling knitted wooly hoodies this year.

A jumper is knitted and woolly, and not like a sweatshirt at all.

Mellowyellow222 · 17/10/2021 10:15

Sorry we do call it a hoodie, but just in my family a hoodie will be solid, no zip.

The kids use zipped hoodies as jackets so we call them zippies.

Just in my family though

ArnoldBee · 17/10/2021 10:21

As others have said if your daughter is flying alone she needs to be comfortable with procedures.
I have always had to remove outer wear to go through security such as hoodie, coat or cardigan. I have also been pat down by a female officer. My 9 year old every bloody time is made to take his shoes and socks since he was a baby so now we all just wear sandals to save the faff. Whilst I understand your daughter wants to make her own clothing choices she needs to make sure she is comfortable being seen in public with what she is wearing.

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