Latest news with #ShawnaMalviniRedden
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Your sweat stains can set off TSA body scanners
Travelers enduring scorching temperatures across the U.S. and Europe – or who tend to perspire profusely – may find their sweat stains triggering body scanner alarms at airport security. In a recent Reddit post, user u/ominous_pan said they couldn't figure out why they set off the millimeter wave scanner at a TSA checkpoint – the machine that creates 3D images of a traveler's body using radio waves. They claimed they had empty pockets and no body piercings. "I flew for the first time in 15 years this week and both airports flagged my crotch at the arms up scanner," the user wrote. In the comments, people suggested a potential reason was having sweat stains on her clothing, with several saying this has happened to them. It turns out that sweat can cause a false alarm at airport security, according to Shawna Malvini Redden, an organizational researcher and author of the book "101 Pat-Downs: An Undercover Look at Airport Security and the TSA." "The machine will send up an alarm if there's anything out of the ordinary," Redden told USA TODAY. "Conceivably, the machines could bounce off the sweat and cause a false alarm." Here's what travelers should know about sweat stains setting off false alarms. The machines where you enter and lift your arms use what's called millimeter wave advanced imaging technology, which scans passengers' bodies with non-ionizing radiation frequency, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The waves reflect off the body to detect weapons hidden underneath clothing, but can also catch water or sweat, according to ProPublica. Thicker or more layers of clothing are also more prone to setting off the alarm. In a statement, a TSA spokesperson confirmed that 'added moisture from a person's body can alter the density of clothing, so it is possible perspiration may cause our advanced imaging technology machines to alarm." False alarms with these scanners are not uncommon, with wigs, turbans and certain hairstyles also being wrongly detected by the machine. (Travelers can deny this type of screening in favor of a physical pat-down, unless their boarding pass states they've been selected for an enhanced screening.) Redden added that it's probably not the sweat itself but the "darker shadow" of the stain that's causing the false alarm. "Due to privacy software that protects passengers from having naked images of them produced by the scanners, (TSA officers) get a notation about an anomaly's general location, but no information about exactly where or what the object might be," she continued. If your sweat triggers the alarm, you'll likely be subject to additional screening, according to TSA. It may be anxiety-inducing, but there's no reason to panic, said Redden. "Alarms happen all of the time and unless you're smuggling something actually dangerous, the worst that will happen is a manual search in the form of a pat-down," she added. "This is something you can request a private room for and usually only adds a few minutes to your day." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can your sweat stains make you late for your flight?
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Viral: Reddit post reveals how sweat stains trigger TSA body scanners
Image credits: X Catching a flight soon? Maybe ensure to cool down a bit before approaching the security check as a viral post on Reddit has just revealed how sweat stains trigger the TSA body scanner. In a recent Reddit post , user u/ominous_pan shared that they couldn't figure out why they set off the millimetre wave scanner at a TSA checkpoint- the machine that creates 3D images of travellers' bodies using radio waves. They added that they had empty pockets and no piercings. "I flew for the first time in 15 years this week and both airports flagged my crotch at the arms up scanner," the user wrote. Why did this happen? Image credits: X Well, people in the comments suggested that a potential reason for the incident could be having sweat stains on their clothing. Many added that the same had happened with them. People pointed out that moistness, wetness, sweat or compression shorts, pads, diapers and liner can get a person flagged. Can sweat really trigger TSA body scanners ? According to Shawna Malvini Redden, an organisational researcher and author of the book "101 Pat-Downs: An Undercover Look at Airport Security and the TSA", sweat can cause a false alarm at airport security. "The machine will send up an alarm if there's anything out of the ordinary," she told USA TODAY. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why seniors are rushing to get this Internet box – here's why! Techno Mag Learn More Undo "Conceivably, the machines could bounce off the sweat and cause a false alarm." How does sweat trigger the scanners? Image credits: Getty Images The machines at the airport security make use of millimetre wave advanced imaging technology, which scans the bodies of the passengers with non-ionising radiation. The waves reflect off the body to detect weapons hidden underneath the body but also catch water or sweat, as per ProPublica. Thicker or layered clothing can also set off the alarm in this case. 'Added moisture from a person's body can alter the density of clothing, so it is possible perspiration may cause our advanced imaging technology machines to alarm," confirmed a TSA spokesperson in a statement.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Woman's crotch gets her stopped at airport security for 'weirdest' reason that can affect ANYONE
A woman who flew for the first time in 15 years has set the internet talking after sharing that her crotch got her stopped during a security scan. Writing on Reddit, the woman said: '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.' She added that she was wearing bike shorts and normal underwear and had no medical devices or piercings. Another traveller explained that the woman might have been flagged because she was sweating. They said: 'I got searched too, the guard said something unnerving like "swamp rot" or "swamp crotch" or something similarly embarrassing.' And as weird as it sounds, a 'swamp' or sweaty crotch could be the reason the woman set the scanners off. According to Shawna Malvini Redden, an expert on airport security, sweat can cause you issues at the airport. The expert told Reader's Digest: 'Perspiration is probably the weirdest thing that can set off the scanners. 'It has to do with millimetre wave technology and how the waves bounce off water.' According to Reader's Digest, France and Germany have actually stopped using the type of airport scanner that reacts to swamp crotch, as they cause so many false alarms. That's not the case in the USA though, so if you're travelling stateside, take extra care planning your outfit. Tight and non-breathable materials are much more likely to make you sweat, so you might want to avoid them at the airport if you want to swerve the 'swamp crotch' issue. Body scanners can also be set off by thick hair in a bun, body piercings, hair clips and wire supports in bras.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- USA Today
Your sweat stains can set off TSA body scanners
Travelers enduring scorching temperatures across the U.S. and Europe – or who tend to perspire profusely – may find their sweat stains triggering body scanner alarms at airport security. In a recent Reddit post, user u/ominous_pan said they couldn't figure out why they set off the millimeter wave scanner at a TSA checkpoint – the machine that creates 3D images of a traveler's body using radio waves. They claimed they had empty pockets and no body piercings. "I flew for the first time in 15 years this week and both airports flagged my crotch at the arms up scanner," the user wrote. In the comments, people suggested a potential reason was having sweat stains on her clothing, with several saying this has happened to them. It turns out that sweat can cause a false alarm at airport security, according to Shawna Malvini Redden, an organizational researcher and author of the book "101 Pat-Downs: An Undercover Look at Airport Security and the TSA." "The machine will send up an alarm if there's anything out of the ordinary," Redden told USA TODAY. "Conceivably, the machines could bounce off the sweat and cause a false alarm." Here's what travelers should know about sweat stains setting off false alarms. How could sweat set off the scanners at airport security? The machines where you enter and lift your arms use what's called millimeter wave advanced imaging technology, which scans passengers' bodies with non-ionizing radiation frequency, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The waves reflect off the body to detect weapons hidden underneath clothing, but can also catch water or sweat, according to ProPublica. Thicker or more layers of clothing are also more prone to setting off the alarm. In a statement, a TSA spokesperson confirmed that 'added moisture from a person's body can alter the density of clothing, so it is possible perspiration may cause our advanced imaging technology machines to alarm." False alarms with these scanners are not uncommon, with wigs, turbans and certain hairstyles also being wrongly detected by the machine. (Travelers can deny this type of screening in favor of a physical pat-down, unless their boarding pass states they've been selected for an enhanced screening.) Redden added that it's probably not the sweat itself but the "darker shadow" of the stain that's causing the false alarm. "Due to privacy software that protects passengers from having naked images of them produced by the scanners, (TSA officers) get a notation about an anomaly's general location, but no information about exactly where or what the object might be," she continued. What should travelers do? If your sweat triggers the alarm, you'll likely be subject to additional screening, according to TSA. It may be anxiety-inducing, but there's no reason to panic, said Redden. "Alarms happen all of the time and unless you're smuggling something actually dangerous, the worst that will happen is a manual search in the form of a pat-down," she added. "This is something you can request a private room for and usually only adds a few minutes to your day."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
Passenger flagged by TSA after ‘swamp crotch' sets off alarm — and it's happening to others, too
It's the ire of flyers who profusely perspire. Nearly no one enjoys getting stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) authorities at the airport. But when checkpoint alarm bells begin blaring around a traveler's groin, as happened to one befuddled passenger not long ago, there is a chance it's due to extreme wetness in their pants, insiders say. 'I flew for the first time in 15 years this week, and both airports flagged my crotch at the arms up scanner,' a confused tripper confessed on Reddit recently. The wet wanderluster described herself as a 'midsized adult woman (169 lbs, 5-foot-8),' wearing bike shorts and normal underwear. The skyway siren assured social media readers that her private parts are neither pierced nor outfitted with medical devices. She claimed her pockets were totally empty. 'I don't care about the pat down, they were polite and professional and it doesn't bother me,' said the baffled belle, 'but I'm wondering what did it.' Internet know-it-alls say it's crotch sweat — and they're likely right. 'Sweat, feminine products (liners, pads, depends) could be anything but those seem to be culprits,' a Reddit commenter wrote. 'Last time I flew out of my home airport of Tampa, I got searched too,' admitted an equally clammy jet-setter. 'The [security] guard said something unnerving like 'swamp rot' or 'swamp crotch' or something similarly embarrassing.' It's a bodily function that can wrongfully trigger red flags, per TSA expert Shawna Malvini Redden. 'Perspiration is probably the weirdest thing that can set off the scanners,' Malvini Redden recently explained to Reader's Digest. 'It has to do with millimeter wave technology and how the waves bounce off water.' The insider added that because the machines often generate false alarms set off due to sweat, some countries, including France and Germany, have banned the scanners all together. But massive moisture isn't the only reason the TSA technology might mistake one's undercarriage for a dangerous weapon. It's been alleged that frequent flyers boasting larger features, such as a bootylicious behind, can expect to be stopped and searched before getting the green light to board a plane. 'On-person screening technology effectively screens diverse populations of travelers every day,' Representatives for TSA previously told The Post, adding that their devices and screening algorithms are trained to recognize body composition. Any unexpected abnormalities, including excess sweat, could potentially prompt an alert, they said.
