Flying pretty and the TSA

I have now flown pretty on 10 flights(5 roundtrips). On these 10 flights when I have gone through security I have been searched 7 out of 10 times for a rate of 70%. Since I started flying pretty I have flown 4 times en drab due to visiting family that does not know about Grace, and was not searched at all in those 4 times. In the past from 2010 to 2013 I flew a lot and it was en drab, and I estimate I may have been searched about 10% of the time. During this period I flew a lot and in 2011 and 2012 flew over 50 flights a year, with the other years being at least 25 flights. The searches were all minor, seemed mostly the back pocket. The one thing I will say is that I will not stop flying pretty.

On all 10 flights I have flown pretty I always wore a skirt or a dress. The flights were also all in the United States.

On the first 6 flights I flew en femme, I was searched 3 out of 6 times for a 50% rate. and the searches were minor and over very quickly. Dressing en femme is becoming a big part of my life, and I always fly pretty if possible when I fly. At the time I accepted the higher search rate as the cost of flying pretty.

On the last 4 flights I have flown pretty I have been searched all 4 times for a rate of 100%. I wish I had this kind of success when I played blackjack.

The first of the 4 flights I flew out of Phoenix and was searched in the back, and turned out to be a quick search.

Before going on I want to say I was treated respectfully by TSA, and understand the TSA officers were just doing their job. So it was nothing personal

The last 3 flights I have been on I have faced a lot more intensive searches. The first flight I wore a knee length sweater dress. I was searched in the back and the front above the breast, and on both thighs in the front. The second Flight I had on a knee length flared skirt and was searched in the back, and on the back thighs and the front thighs. Most of the time I am told verbally where I am going to be searched, but this time there was a machine highlighting the search areas, so I guess TSA searches are becoming more high tech. On the 3rd and last flight I was on, it turned out to be the worst search I have faced yet. I had a knee length flared skirt on. Stepping out of the scanner, knowing my recent history I am expecting to be searched. About a half minute later a TSA agent informs me that I am going to be searched. She tells me the search will be done in an area about ten feet from where we were. So in the area where the search will take place, she tells me she is going to search my skirt or something like that (I do not remember her exact words). Then I am informed to spread my legs and a lot wider than on the scanning machine. Then I have to place one leg back behind me. She then pushes my skirt against the leg in the back, and searches the back part of the leg covered by the skirt. The same procedure is then done with the other leg. It was humiliating and I am sure many others saw it. This search shook me up and took a little while to recover from.

I have googled TSA searches trying to find answers. I found some stuff from a few years back, so it is not necessarily current. I saw that some GG's claim that they are more likely to be searched if they are wearing a skirt or a dress rather than slacks. I am not sure wearing a skirt or a dress in itself increases the odds of being searched. From what I found loose fitting clothing does increase the odds of being searched, since it provides opportunity to hide Prohibited items.

So I have been thinking back on the last 3 flight and how my clothing may have caused me to face the searches I endured. I got the dress out I wore on the first of the 3 flights and put it on, and noticed how it flared in front, so it could explain why the officer searched my thighs in front. Could be TSA wanted to make sure I was not hiding any prohibited items under my dress. The other 2 times TSA could have felt the flared skirt created an opportunity to hide stuff, so TSA wanted to make sure I was not hiding anything under my skirt.

So in the future when I fly I will avoid flared and loose fitting clothing. I will wear clothing that is more from fitting. Looking back at the 3 times I was not searched I had on clothing that was more from fitting. The minor searches are not a huge problem, just want to avoid the more intensive ones. I have to be smarter about flying pretty.

I would love to hear about others experiences or about suggestions you may have.

Grace - nice stats! :)

My suggestion? Package all that up in a nice letter and write your local Councilman, Congressman and/or TSA board (or however you folk get representation onto TSA policies or the TSA receives complaints from citizens) and ask them how they account for the disproportionate times you were searched en femme versus your drab travels and perhaps highlighting a search that sounds rather too personal being carried out in too public a place. It can only help to bring the issue to their attention.

However, you are likely to receive the response that part of their purpose is to provide security by investigating anything that appears 'unusual' and therefore makes a traveller 'of interest' to their operatives - quite justifiably. A genetic male travelling 'pretty' and presenting as completely as possible as a female undoubtedly falls into that category. As too if you travelled wearing a Spongebob Squarepants outfit... :eek: (Not recommended...)

Would I rather think that security were checking too many people travelling rather than too few? Hell, yes... And honestly if some minorities get singled out more than others, that's probably just the nature of being amongst a minority community... :thinking:

Nice report though! :)

Katey x

Grow a thicker skin and don't worry about it ! My new DL pic matches my appearance and I figure that my chances of getting the "extra" search is the same chance of anyone else. It really only matters if you are running behind schedule as they do seem to take a few extra minutes!

I have flown pretty and have never been thoroughly search liked you have been. I have almost always worn short dresses, skirts or jeans so pretty hard to hide anything, maybe that's why I skate right through. I also do not wear breast forms, my naturals are 38c so I probably don't set off any extra measures. Whatever you do don't get discouraged, the extra scrutiny is well worth the experience of flying en femme.

I've been taken into "secondary" on every trip into the usa since 2008, and that's in drab ... I don't reckon on my chances dressed.

as for security, don't make me laugh, i could rant forever, it is a con. Any decent operator can kill with a pencil, let alone the glass bottles on sale in the duty free shops. I have mentally and verbally ripped to shreds so-called experts in that field. The creators of security fears are simply working commercial vested interests.

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Originally Posted by SANDRA MICHELLE

I also do not wear breast forms, my naturals are 38c so I probably don't set off any extra measures. Whatever you do don't get discouraged, the extra scrutiny is well worth the experience of flying en femme.

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You are so right, the extra scrutiny is worth the experience of flying en femme. My next plane trip will probably be the middle of April, and I will definitely be flying pretty both ways. I do not think wearing breast forms are that big of a deal with TSA anymore.

As I had mentioned above, I plan to wear clothing that is more from fitting, and not loose fitting or flared. Hopefully that can solve the problem, and if there is a search it will be a minor one.

If I do face a thorough search again, I feel I will be more prepared the next time it happens, and handle it much better.

Except for the times I was wearing a steel boned corset, I haven't been subjected to such additional 'hands on' security checks but then it is very rare in Australia for that to happen.

There is an additional check done on a certain percentage for explosives using a pad whisked over clothes and bags. I haven't kept accurate stats like you but I've been chosen every time I travel femme (some 10 flights a year) while many go through unchecked. I'm not sure why - perhaps my padding shows up in the xray machine. Its fun anyhow ... get to talk with some nice respectful people.

Hi Grace,

I'm sorry to hear you had to go through what you did. I've been patted down a couple of times when flying pretty (maybe 50%?) but it's always been done with courtesy and respect. Yep, I was wearing loose clothing too and maybe they picked up on the padded stuff underneath, but I've never been embarrassed by it. Perhaps the next time you can ask to be checked in a private room? I know that some airports provide this. But glad to hear that won't stop you from flying pretty!

It's been probably two years since I've last flown pretty, but we've flown a lot in that period and I now get TSA pre-check clearance. I plan to fly pretty this year, and we'll see if that makes a difference.

I am usually a clean skin as far as security goes, it is just my bag full of wires and electronics they like to look at.

Heathrow is the most thorough.As Eryn has said,
Most of mine are the lace type and have a stretchy open style of cap.

I always have a line to myself and no worries, I would not want to fly pretty, that may bring in other complications.

The worst time through security is when there is a security alert.

Grace,

I use to fly every two weeks or so on average and I never really had a problem and it did not matter what I wore. One time that I remembered being searched it was because I had a hair pin in my hair and another time I had a dress with side zipper. Maybe what triggers the searches are small metal objects that we forget about that show up on their screens.