AIBU at airport security asking me to remove cardigan

[Saavhi]

Yesterday I went through security at Stanstead and was asked by a staff member to take off my cardigan in order for him to check me. I have never been asked this or seen anyone have to remove an item of clothing. I was wearing a very strappy form-fitting top with a cardigan on top. I felt extremely exposed when stood there as my tits/side boob were basically on show (had used top buttons for modesty). I'm not sure why this was necessary as I had not set off the machine and in no way could it look like I was concealing anything.

I have disproportionately large breasts which I have always been very self-conscious of so I accept that I may have been oversensitive. AIBU to think it was odd? I wasn't pat down or anything!

#MorganKitten# can I ask why you wear two bras? Just interested?

In a minority here but I don’t think YABU entirely OP.

Firstly airports are hugely inconsistent - some insist everyone remove shoes and belts, some let you wear them through the scanner. Yes, nearly all airports want you to take off your coat and put it through the scanner. But it is VERY rare to find an airport/security official who wants you to take off ALL layers and literally strip down to your last one. Think about it - many men esp in the US wear vests under their shirts - do they EVER get asked to take their shirts off? I’ve flown 750,000 miles and I’ve never seen it happen. It’s totally U (and rather sexist) for them to ask you to strip down to your vest before passing through the scanner. It’s also U of other posters in this thread to tell you off for dressing inappropriately.

Second, modern body scanners can see perfectly well through clothes - especially a thin cardigan. They shouldn’t need you to take a cardigan off to see if you are hiding something underneath.

Thirdly, if a security official stopped you AFTER the scanner, then it should have been a female, not a male. Male security people should not be doing body searches on women. If he was, that’s definitely U too. And the female official should have patted you down with the back of her hand and their electronic wand first, and if still not satisfied should have offered you the option to undress in a private room with a witness present. If none of that happened, you are NBU.

If you feel uncomfortable with a male security giving you the chance her clothes pat down, you can request a female one.

It might be that they thought off you cardie like a hoodie or jacket - am extra layer that should have gone through the machine - but there are always plenty of both male and female staff at Gatwick security, so it's no both to ask for what you feel comfortable with.

MorganKitten can I ask why you wear two bras? Just interested?

Flew a few years ago and I set the scanner off so I had to take my shoes off and I got a patting down by a female security guard which involved her putting her hands on the inside of my knickers. No idea what set the machine off and very uncomfortable but they have to keep us safe so I put up and shut up.

WTAF!

I was in Frankfurt airport years ago - about 6 months after the liquid scare and the the jobs worth was going to try and make me take my tights off (it was the middle of winter and I had a jumper dress on and tights) I started saying I don’t f’ing think so in very bad German when one of the other security members came over and told them in wasn’t necessary, now that would have been an imposition!

So how do people who wear full coverage items for religious reasons get on at airports? If you were asked to remove a cardigan then I wonder what would happen there?

I was wondering that

I would hate to have to strip to my vest in public

as pp I think he was checking for cocaine chicken fillets.

So how do people who wear full coverage items for religious reasons get on at airports? If you were asked to remove a cardigan then I wonder what would happen there?
As others have already said there are private rooms and you can specify a same sex officer for the security check.

It's available to anyone who requests it.

Ah - I had thought they were only available post security when they wanted to investigate further. That's good to know

I was once asked to remove my wedding ring WTF I thought I'd heard wrong but no the security guy insisted that I removed it , have never been asked again.

Yes, I don't like going through that machine that blows Eric, so they took me to the private room instead. That was only one time though, thank goodness.

OK, I too want to know about this pat down inside knickers?! Surely not! What if it's that time of the month? What if you're older and have your Tena lady on?? And can someone please explain the swabbing? What do they swab and for what? I haven't flown for quite some years now and by the sounds of it I won't ever be flying again!

I went through Heathrow security on Friday - they asked me to put my cardigan in the tray, it’s not the first time I’ve had this request

I have had my hands swabbed. I think it is checking for traces of explosives? Just a sponge type thing they rub on your hands. It is no big deal.

A word of warning

Don’t clean your shoes before you set of to the airport

It sets of the explosives test and takes ages to get through security...

That explains why I got swabbed. I do clean my shoes before going on holiday.

Same chemicals in shoe polish, so sets of triggers

Gosh, there are some mean replies today!

OP I think you have it sorted now. I'm particularly round in the middle these days and try and wear longer line tops/jumpers to disguise my muffin top.

Last month on a domestic trip I was asked to step aside from a group of us (the blokes got away with their ''beer'' bellies) and I was scanned.

Last year in Thailand I was asked to remove my woollen shoes for x-ray purposes, for the life of me I don't understand why, but because of the morons who have taken so many lives via hijacking, it's just something we have to ''suck up'' if we want to travel.

I also clearly remember a few years back watching a passenger fiddling with something under his shirt well into a flight. Ultimately it was his money belt...!

If you are self conscious of your large breasts, then why did you chose to wear a skimpy top that barely covers them to travel on an aeroplane!

Oh for goodness sake! OP didn’t decide to wear a skimpy top. She wore a camisole underneath her cardigan. Many people do this (I did when I had big boobs) as it means your cardigan doesn’t show loads of cleavage. It’s a covering up strategy rather than the opposite.

So many of the posts on this thread are depressing and misogynist. OP has been told if she wears a skimpy top (that she didn’t intend to expose in that situation)
-that she was ‘asking for men to look st her boobs’
-that she is boasting about her figure.
-that security staff are above reproach because they are keeping us safe and must not be questioned.
-that what she experienced (none of us witnessed it) was completely normal and she is making a fuss over nothing.
-that other people have had it worse and didn’t complain so she shouldn’t either.

Yes the stakes weren’t high here but it’s the thin end of the wedge. It’s victim blaming and minimising. Reading this thread I can completely understand why so much sexual assault goes unreported and why so many men in power are free to abuse unchecked.

Blessed be the fucking fruit.

They're becoming v security conscious so I wouldn't think your body attracted border security more than anybody else! I was patted down at Gatwick last month, I expect them to do their job as should you!?

It's normal.

You should have dressed better for the airport why wear a top with side boob showing

There's actually a sign at stansted as you go through security that states please remove all belts, jackets etc. Most people remove them before being asked so maybe that's why you didn't see anyone else being asked.