TSA doesn?t care

[Charla]

Went through TSA before boarding a flight in Grand Junction, CO. Realized that I?d left my toenail polish on and also had a bralette on. Nobody said a word as I removed my sneakers and walked through the body scanner. But I the lady running the scanner repeated the scan twice and then announced that there was something on my upper chest.
I told her, “I am transgender and I am wearing a bra.”
She said, “Then I will need to pat you down as a woman. Do you mind?”
I said “No, please go ahead.”
She touched my shoulders and breasts and said, “You are clear. Go ahead.”
I thanked her and put on my shoes and left. No townspeople were running after me with pitchforks and burning torches…

[Patience]

The toenail polish should not have been an issue assuming you were not barefoot. Going through the security check in socks is bad enough.

I have flown enfemme, but going through the security check with my forms and hip pads in my carry on. They actually pulled the bag to the side to check it, but no problem. Luckily, no pat downs.

[docrobbysherry]

TSA DOES CARE!

I never get "patted down" in guy mode and I fly a lot!

[kimdl93]

I have had a couple pat downs in male mode, nothing out of the ordinary.

Looking ahead, I do hope to fly en femme, so its reassuring that TSA is well trained to deal with us.

[TheHiddenMe]

I've flown pretty three times now.

The first time the TSA agent saw my ID and said my name ought to be "Dainja" in a fun way.

The last time I gave the TSA agent my ID and then looked again with a surprised look on his face, so maybe I "passed" a bit better than I think I do.

Regardless, I had zero issues.

[Angela Marie]

I was going to start a thread asking this question and then I saw this one. Good to know. I plan on going fully dressed next time I fly. Hope it goes well

[CarlaWestin]

In vegas when TSA x-ray showed my breastforms in the carry-on, the TSA lady asked, "So, what show are you with, Hon?"
But in DC, the agent pulled each one out and made a spectacle out of explosive testing each one.

[Patience]

Were you wearing them at the time?

[Claire M]

First flying pretty experience, the TSA agent checking documents looked at my male driver's license, looked at me en femme, smiled, said "You got new glasses!" and passed me on. I wasn't sure what would happen in the scanner with my breast forms so I had taken them out and placed them inmy carry-on. Turned out the scanner was down so we just walked through a metal detector. My carryon got pulled for a manual inspection. The agent dug around, called over her supervisor who looked at something, nodded and told me I was good to go. I asked the agent about the concern, expecting my boobs to come up but it turns out big bags of trail mix can't be read by the X-ray machine. All in all an easy experience with no questions or hassles!

[HelpMe,Rhonda]

Had another experience of getting gendered the way I like but wasn't expecting when going through security for a redeye flight, was in raingear, no makeup, masked, with a passport that hadn't been updated. "Ma'am, I can take you" at the part where they check your documents, followed by what felt like an extra moment of scrutiny.

[Genifer Teal]

I can second that. I was traveling full femne. The lady said to her supervisor that there was 2 anomalies. He looked at me and asked her what she reasonably thought was going on. They let me go.

[Aunt Kelly]

In vegas when TSA x-ray showed my breastforms in the carry-on, the TSA lady asked, "So, what show are you with, Hon?"
But in DC, the agent pulled each one out and made a spectacle out of explosive testing each one.

That's our mainstream media at work. Nine times out of ten, when the story is about transgender anything, they roll the stock footage of drag queens.
As for the explosive testing, I'd have been lodging a complaint to make sure that that tool received some remedial training.

[alwayshave]

That's just have a protocol and they follow that. So if they see something on the scan they believe they shouldn't, they're going to pat you down. My wife, all 4'10" of her, gets patted down every time we go through.

[CDMargret]

I kind of remember something about getting a preapproval thru TSA so you can bypass the screening area. Anyone know about this? I may be just plain wrong about that too.

[MonicaPVD]

Those are Global Entry or PreCheck subscriptions. They're lifesavers if you travel a lot, whether or not you are dressed.

[SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE]

TSA customer service is hit or miss. There are cities where you can make more money flipping burgers at McDs than screening passengers at the airport. Take a deep breath and try to be empathetic.

[Sometimes Steffi]

Some years back, I took packed some femme so I could have some fun while I was out of town. I decided to pack my forms and some fake jewelry in my carry-on bag. I was in full male mode and had no problem going thru TSA. However, my bag kept going back and forth thru the scanner. So, I walked up to the TSA guy and told him that I had some breast forms in there. He said he would have to inspect the bag and asked me if I wanted a private screening. I had read the rules in advance and I knew that I was entitled to ask for a private screening. So we went to a private anf I showed him the breast forms. I even asked if I could re-pack my bag in private and he let me. So. very professional, and no problem at all.

Read the rules and have them memorized in advance. Ask for a supervisor if the TSA is not doing the screening correctly. I think that breast forms are actually considered "reasonable accommodations" for Americans with Disabilities (ADA) and that's that.

[Girl]

I dress 24/7, including when I'm taking a flight.
Since I started to dress full-time; I've flown at least a dozen times around Europe, with several different airlines. I've offically changed my name to my female name, so that is the name in my passport.
I don't really pass 100%, but even so, no passport control officer and no airline official checking the boarding cards at the gate has ever commented on my name.
When I go through security, wearing a bra underneath my blouse or dress and with my make-up in my 1 litre plastic bag, the officials there don't mind and don't say anything either.
They all behave in a very professional manner.
I've been patted down once but, when I used to travel in male clothes, I occasionally got patted down, so I'm sure that one time was just a random event and didn't have anything to do with how I was dressed.

[StephanieLake]

I kind of remember something about getting a preapproval thru TSA so you can bypass the screening area. Anyone know about this? I may be just plain wrong about that too.

Global entry and TSA Precheck don't let you bypass screening, they just streamline it. You don't have to remove your shoes or take your electronics out of your carry on. Still worth the money, IMHO.

[brucecarol92]

Very good story about the airport TSA people being accepting of you.
Did you try to go onto a line of people with female TSA officers?
Was the bra you were wearing soft cup or underwire?
BruceCarol92

[LisaMarieDayton]

For my Honeymoon last November-December I flew for the first time since I started living full time as a female. I was extremely nervous since I still haven't had any surgeries done; I did have my legal name change and gender markers changed for my Passport and Driver's License though. I thought for certain there would be issues as I boarded at Dayton International, but I had none! I walked through the scanner and baggage check without any problems.

On my return flight out of Los Angeles though, was horrible! After I went through the body scanner, I was immediately pulled out of line and off to the side because they found 'anomalies' in my chest and groin area. I told them that I am transgender male to female. It did not matter. The agent (male) acted like he never heard of a trans person before and asked if I was a man. I told him again I am transitioning to a female. He asked to pat me down and I refused and said if I had to undo go this indignity than I need a female agent to pat me down. I had to wait for almost 5 minutes and when a female agent arrived she had a disgusted look on her face as she touched my personal area. I guess the male agent never told her I am trans. She asked what I was carrying down there and again I had to explain I am transgender and haven't had my bottom surgery yet. She also asked if I was a man. Again I had to explain what a transgender person was. She shook her head and had a very negative attitude. She ended up letting me go, but then yelled at me because it took a minute to find my bag off the conveyor and I was slowing everyone down because I am shaking and embarrassed as everyone was staring at me; one of the few times I cried openly in public. My wife was passed through immediately and was already past the security checkpoint and was worried it took almost ten minutes before I got through. She was livid and told me we are going to speak to a supervisor. I didn't want to miss our flight so I convinced her to just let it go. I was mortified as it was.

I couldn't understand how in a small airport in Dayton, Ohio could be so knowledgeable and accepting of trans people, while a major airport like LAX could be so ignorant and intolerant. I bet a hundred trans people go through LAX every week; Dayton nowhere near that many.

I think I will wait until all my surgeries are completed before I fly again.

[jjjjohanne]

I went through TSA in a skirt and pantyhose as a man. I was standing in my stocking feet between two women while waiting on the X-Ray. It was scary, amazing, and beautiful.

[nancy58]

Every dang time I have flown in the last few years (in male mode, with no feminine anything in my luggage but a safety razor and maybe a Secret deodorant -- both elsewhere in checked luggage -- I have gotten the kind of pat-down where the agent feels my groin. There are a couple of clips from my prostate surgery 14 years ago in my abdomen, but they're nowhere near the part being examined. Luckily, my wife signed up for TSA PreCheck, so I had license to do so as well. I haven't yet had a chance to use it, though.

[Suzie Petersen]

Having TSA Pre Check, Clear, or any other security preference account does not prevent or reduce the chance/risk of a physical pat down.
All it does is allow you to keep your footwear on, keep a jacket and head wear on, and let you put your carry on luggage into the scanner without removing laptops and "larger electronic devices".
Typically (in the US) you will then walk through a metal detector, not the body scanner machine.
If they detect anything out of the ordinary, the following security measures are exacty the same for everybody. They might first ask you to through the body scanner. If they see anything there, a pat down and/of the wand is next.

So in short, TSA Pre Check does not prevent a pat down.
If that happens, be cool, follow instructions, dont make a scene. At that point, they have no sense of humor and they can make your life miserable. You certainly have rights, but until they very clearly step over that line, you are better off just sucking it up.

[CynthiaD]

I?ve been patted down many times. Sometimes when wearing a bra, always when wearing pantyhose. I?ve been asked about my peculiar underwear many times, and I just tell the truth. There are certain airports where your bag will be searched every time you pack breastforms, and some where the just don?t care. I don?t give a hoot about any of this. It?s no big deal. I?m more concerned about taking off my shoes. I don?t think the world is a safer place because I?m walking through the airport in my stocking feet.

[Charla]

In my case, I didn’t try to pick a line with female TSA agents. And I was wearing a bralette with no cups or adjusters (Bali Comfort Revolution). I was surprised that the scanner even noticed it.