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!

I wear an insulin pump and a sensor, and having electronics on your body can make some people jumpy. I always get patted down, in Dubai my breasts get felt all over (by women personnel), I have been tested for explosives, asked to show where it was attached to my body (meaning that I needed to partially undress). I approach the personnel with my doctors letter in one hand and telling them that I need to be in the queue where the woman personnel is (if they direct me to the wrong queue that is) because I need to be checked. You can always ask for a woman or a private room. I have to say that it's quickest to think about your outfit before you fly though. I'm easy about it because I always get checked.

Completely with you iwunderwhy

gunpowder comefromaway.

Exactly. She was wearing a vest. Do men ever get asked to strip down to their vests in the security line? No. It sounds suspiciously like pathetic little men who like looking at women’s breasts taking advantage of their position of power.

I don’t buy the “whatever it takes to keep us safe” line.

A) There are, and should be, limits on state powers, and these should not be abused. Otherwise where do you draw the line?

B) There are lots of pointless rules and inconsistencies which are conveniently not written down anywhere and which serve no purpose in keeping us safe. Eg airport security officials who decide to confiscate solid products which could (if heated) turn into liquids - eg cheese or butter. WTF? Keeping us safe from melted President butter? Or tapenade? Just because some moron is wearing a badge and an epaulette doesn’t mean he has a divine right to make up rules (like: women with large breasts strip to your vest in public, but men with big fat bellies, you pass right on....)

Do men ever get asked to strip down to their vests in the security line? No. It sounds suspiciously like pathetic little men who like looking at women’s breasts taking advantage of their position of power.
A camisole is a strap top. It's a commonly accepted base layer of clothing. It is not underwear.
If the OP had a t shirt on under the cardigan then they'd have gone down to the t shirt.
If a man wears a hoody/jumper and they want him to remove it then he will have a t shirt on, one would presume, or one of those hideous man strap tops (personal preference there I think they look silly). He would also be asked to go down to his base layer, but not underwear.

Honestly, if someone wants to perv on some tits a huge array of women's clothing accentuates boobs.

Really this is a 'security guard asked passenger to remove outer clothing so they were wearing a base layer'. It's a total non issue.

“Commonly accepted” by whom as a garment not an undergarment by, lolasmiles? Who wrote the book on this? But it’s irrelevant anyway, because it isn’t about the (entirely subjective) label you put on that item.

A man’s undershirt (or vest in the U.K.) is a far more substantial garment than a strappy camisole. American undershirts are basically white t-shirts worn under dress shirts to prevent sweat stains. Far more material involved than a camisole, concealing far more flesh. Yet NO MAN is ever asked to remove his shirt in the security line so they can have a look at his belly in his undershirt/vest so they can tell if it’s real blubber or actually plastic explosive.

Why? Because what matters is not whether it’s an undergarment or “base layer” - it’s whether removal is necessary to see what’s going on. It’s not necessary to remove a men’s dress shirt and it isn’t necessary to remove a thin short form fitting cardigan.

The only reason why the latter happens and not the former is that unprofessional security officials can get away with the latter.

I was asked to remove a cardigan and stand in the X ray thingy with my arms and legs wide. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Undaunted77
Given that almost every womanswear department has sold strap tops in the normal basics section for decades and it's fairly common to see women in strap tops, it's fairly safe to say that a strap top is indeed a top.

It's just useful in this situation for the permanently offended who are looking to be outraged to claim that a strap top that comes in a top and cardigan set (if I remember correctly) is suddenly getting a woman to strip to her underwear.

If anyone feels uncomfortable then there is the option of a private room.

It's a non issue. The OP isn't wrong to feel self conscious. We all have things we are self conscious about, but trying to turn this into some sensationalist strip to underwear because security staff with a queue of people want to perv on the outline of covered boobs is far fetched.

"Exactly. She was wearing a vest. Do men ever get asked to strip down to their vests in the security line? No. It sounds suspiciously like pathetic little men who like looking at women’s breasts taking advantage of their position of power."

Men are routinely asked to remove outer layers.

So yes, they must be equal opportunities perverts.

Or perhaps just doing their job, which involves inspecting people and their belongings.

A cardigan is an outer layer, same as a jumper, jacket, blazer etc.

Men get asked all the time to strip down to their t shirt etc, it just so happens op was wearing a vest rather then a t shirt or blouse etc. Don't pretend this is some secret misogyny and that men never get asked to remove outer layers, you're deluded.

I don’t wear a cardigan as an outer layer, same as I don’t wear a thin jumper as an outer layer. I wear them if it’s a bit too cold for a blouse but not cold enough for two layers.

I had this when I was going through security with (male) colleagues. I took of my light jacket and was wearing a little cardigan underneath with a camisole top under that. The camisole top was silky and lacy and was to make sure I looked professional and didn't show any cleavage at a meeting. I DO consider the camisole to be underwear. I'm nearly 60, quite large and I would never, ever go anywhere in a wee strappy top, silky, lacy top.

When asked to remove my cardigan I queried it, but I was told very rudely to take it off. I said I only had underwear on underneath, but I was told it 'was the rules'. I was not offered a private room even though I was quite upset. None of my male colleagues were asked to remove their jumpers and stand in their shirts, or to remove their shirts and stand in their vests.

I was extremely embarrassed at standing on view in front of my colleagues. I couldn't even stand with my arms folded across my chest as they made me go through the scanner. And I was upset at the response I'd got from staff. I complained and was told that I could have asked for a private room. But no-one offered that until after the event.

There is no way I would have thought before hand that what I was wearing was two layers of normal clothing.

Some on here seem to think that all airport security staff are sensible, follow the rules and exercise their power responsibly. That is not always the case.
As I said I wore a zip up cardigan with only a bra on. I refused to take it off. Luckily they did not make me wait for a private room as security was incredibly busy and it would no doubt have taken ages.

And if you have large breasts it is actually quite difficult sometimes to find nice tops that don't show cleavage. That is why so many of us wear little cami tops underneath.

I'm always told to remove my suit jacket at the airport.

A suit jacket is very different. We are talking about close fitting cardigans which are worn as a top, in the same way you would wear a jumper without a t shirt.

Can't say I've ever worn a jumper without a t-shirt underneath.

I do all the time. Not bulky jumpers, but close fitting jumpers. Wearing a t shirt underneath spoils the line of them. They are designed to wear by themselves. Same as the zip up cardigan I wore with just a bra underneath.

Mine are V neck Jenny so a t shirt would look dreadful underneath.

Yes I have a closer fitting jumper with a lower than usual round neck that a t shirt underneath would also look awful.

jennymanara
I agree. But a camisole isn't underwear and there's always the option request a private room if anyone feels uncomfortable.

as pp I think he was checking for cocaine chicken fillets

but that's not a security role, that's a customs/police role.

Security is to make sure you don't blow up the plane, not to make sure you're not a drugs mule. I can't see any reason why you need to take a thin cardigan off (as opposed to a thicker jacket/hoodie) when you are going through the arch or a body scanner (or both, in some airports) anyway.

Some security personnel are lovely (in my experience) (eg Jersey, Glasgow, Exeter, Southampton). Others are really quite unpleasant (Hamburg). They are ok at Heathrow despite it being such a large airport and probably the main UK target. Never flown from Luton or Stansted.

You aren't being sensitive, you are obviously just conservative in that regard. While it is standard for them to ask you to remove your shoes, belts, jewellery, coat/jacket every time without fail, a tight fitting cardigan depends on the person. I am also conservative with how I dress so I just say sorry but I don't want to take it off as I feel uncomfortable. I have never been taken into a side room (which I'd happily do), they usually just tell me I might need a pat down which is fine with me but usually doesn't happen. I think don't be afraid to just tell them it makes you feel uncomfortable, they do understand. Hope that helps