expect to be fully searched if

[susieq103]

You wear a few layers of clothing! We flew spirit air and had to carry very small bag in order to avoid $25 plus charge. So I wore shirt, pull over sweater, cardigan and light raincoat. Than shorts with zippered pockets and long sweat pants over that. Well they pulled me aside..padded me down over and over..than out came the wand! Had nothing to hide..just felt like a criminal and really embarrassed! !!

 

[Gracie09]

I could honestly see why they pulled you out. You had what five layers on top and three on the bottom including undergarments. Not exactly normal travel attire.

 

[susieq103]

Thats what they told me and really they are just doing their job!

 

[susieq103]

But also want to add traveling companions were layered up too. .can only carry on for free small backpack

 

[Donna M]

We flew Allegiant last weekend with only a backpack since we got a great rate and I didn't want to pay anything more. I was surprised how much I could fit in there. We only stayed 3 nights but that baby held a lot-and was heavy.

 

[aprilchem]

Yeah, I'd consider that many layers kind of suspicious. I'm not surprised you got patted down.

My religion requires that I dress modestly, so I wear floor-length skirts most of the time. I fly for work occasionally and I always get singled out for special security. I think they're worried about people hiding things under skirts.

 

[Denise W]

When we flew 2 weeks ago a TSA employee was walking along the lines reminding everyone that they had to take any extra clothing off - sweaters, jackets, or coats. That has always been the routine at our airport. We just put them on the belt to go through the X ray machine and then put them back on, just like our shoes!

Denise

 

[Lyndarella]

Two comments:

1 - The TSA tell people to remove jackets, sweaters, etc. (outer wear) at most airports I have been to.

2 - The TSA randomly select people for the wand thing at most airports I have been to. You could have been selected no matter what you were wearing.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You wear a few layers of clothing! We flew spirit air and had to carry very small bag in order to avoid $25 plus charge. So I wore shirt, pull over sweater, cardigan and light raincoat. Than shorts with zippered pockets and long sweat pants over that. Well they pulled me aside..padded me down over and over..than out came the wand! Had nothing to hide..just felt like a criminal and really embarrassed! !!

You could have been searched for any number of reasons; probably not because of the way you were dressed (although it sounds like you looked like a street person or someone eccentric). Seriously, pay for the bag.

 

[susieq103]

Pay $25 to pack a pair or shorts and sweater..don't think so..eccentric? Don't think so..but even I did look that way its better than being rude!

 

[maxiesmom]

You are always supposed to take any over-layers off to get thru security screening. Anything extra you had on should have gone into a bin, then you wouldn't have been patted down. So now you know for next time that if you choose to dress in a bunch of layers and not send them down the belt you will be patted down.

 

[kiford]

I've also been patted down when just wearing jeans and a shirt. They weren't baggy jeans but fairly close-fitting ones. I don't know how they thought I could possibly be hiding anything underneath them without it being obviously seen but they completely patted me down and ran their hand along inside the waistband (practically had to hold my stomach in so it could be done since there wasn't a lot of room). So there's also a bit of randomness to it. Just because you aren't wearing a lot of layers you may also get fully searched. However, I would say that the OPs layers probably did raise a red flag.

 

[sam_gordon]

A number of years ago I got patted down because I was wearing a hoodie. They told me any "bulky" clothes = pat down.

 

[aubriee]

I've also been patted down when just wearing jeans and a shirt. They weren't baggy jeans but fairly close-fitting ones. I don't know how they thought I could possibly be hiding anything underneath them without it being obviously seen but they completely patted me down and ran their hand along inside the waistband (practically had to hold my stomach in so it could be done since there wasn't a lot of room). So there's also a bit of randomness to it. Just because you aren't wearing a lot of layers you may also get fully searched. However, I would say that the OPs layers probably did raise a red flag.

A number of years ago I got patted down because I was wearing a hoodie. They told me any "bulky" clothes = pat down.

I've posted on here before about being patted down. I'm always careful to dress cautiously when I fly to avoid being chosen for a pat down (no loose clothing, nothing metal, nothing in my hair, all pockets completely empty, etc). However about a year or so ago I still got picked to be patted down. I was wearing thin shorts and a fitted tank top and was barefoot, because I had placed my flip flops in the bin. I still got picked for a pat down. What's funny is that I assumed they would be checking me from the waist up. Right? Nope! All she patted was my bare legs from the ankle up to the bottom edge of my shorts. What they thought I was hiding on bare legs I don't know.

I also got patted down several times a couple weeks ago. It was my fault though. We were flying out of DFW Dec 6th and got caught by that big ice/snow storm that hit Dallas. (We were supposed to leave DFW at 6:00am Friday morning and get into MCO at 9:30am. We didn't get out of DFW until late Saturday night Dec 7th and to even do that, they had to fly us to Tampa, where we had to rent a car, and finally got to Bonnet Creek about 2:00am Sunday morning.) To add to our problems, stupid me, was distracted by the weather when I was getting dressed Friday morning. I'm usually really careful not to wear anything that would set the scanners, but wanted to wear my Uggs and without thinking put on a pair of skinny jeans that had leather trim and black studs trim on the back pockets. It was bad enough when I set the scanner off the first time, but dang it, due to the bad weather the tram that takes you from one terminal to another was not able to run all day Friday. AA kept changing our flights trying to get us out of there, but it seemed like as soon as they'd get us on a flight, that flight would be canceled and they'd put us on another always at another terminal. With the tram not running, our choices were to walk around from terminal to terminal or to use their shuttle van. Because we had my 80 y/o mom with us, we chose to use the shuttle van, which meant we had to go back outside security each time, then go back through security at the new terminals. I set off those dang scanners every time I went through them. I got so tired of those female TSA agents patting my butt down. By the third time it happened, I just turned around and pointed to my butt. The TSA agents would laugh and say. "Oh! butt bling". We were already having a bad day due to all the flight cancellations and me having to get my butt patted down multiple times Friday just seemed to add to our frustrations. Thank goodness they had the tram running Saturday. In all they had us booked on thirteen flights those two days, before we finally got out.

 

[Srbright]

I think they're worried about people hiding things under skirts.

Haven't you ever seen "A Christmas Carol"? You can hide two kids under a long skirt!

Stacy

 

[seashoreCM]

Heck, I get so hot wearing all those layers of clothing that I would carry it all in a bag, including putting it through the X-rays at security, and put it all on only after reaching the boarding area. Then, after getting to my seat in the plane, take most of it off, put it back in the bag, and stuff it in the overhead bin.

Haven't you ever seen "A Christmas Carol"? You can hide two kids under a long skirt!

Haven't you ever seen "The Nutcracker" (unabridged)? Mother Ginger (Madame Guignole; Grandmere Ballabile) hides eight or so kids under her huge skirt!

 

[sam_gordon]

Heck, I get so hot wearing all those layers of clothing that I would carry it all in a bag, including putting it through the X-rays at security, and put it all on only after reaching the boarding area. Then, after getting to my seat in the plane, take most of it off, put it back in the bag, and stuff it in the overhead bin.

Why do that? If you're going to use overhead bin space anyway, why not leave the stuff in the bag to begin with?

 

[dis_guy]

Why do that? If you're going to use overhead bin space anyway, why not leave the stuff in the bag to begin with?

So the gate agent won't stop you for having too many pieces of carry-on luggage and having to gate check something.

 

[Lewisc]

You wear a few layers of clothing! We flew spirit air and had to carry very small bag in order to avoid $25 plus charge. So I wore shirt, pull over sweater, cardigan and light raincoat. Than shorts with zippered pockets and long sweat pants over that. Well they pulled me aside..padded me down over and over..than out came the wand! Had nothing to hide..just felt like a criminal and really embarrassed! !!

PP already told you the correct procedure is to remove your outer garments and put any metal items in your pockets (including items in your zipped pockets under your sweats) into the bin.

You're not a criminal but your actions slowed down the line. You are "cheating" Spirit out of some of their fees.

Why do that? If you're going to use overhead bin space anyway, why not leave the stuff in the bag to begin with?

Spirit charges for bin sized bags. Each passenger can take one personal sized item, which fits underneath the seat in front of them, for free. Some passengers transfer the excess items they're wearing and the almost too big personal item into a collapsible duffel and stow it in the bin. Posters have said some Spirit FA will only allow paid bin bags in the overhead bins. Passengers who don't pay for a bin bag might get stuck stowing their items under the seat in front of them.

 

[sam_gordon]

PP already told you the correct procedure is to remove your outer garments and put any metal items in your pockets (including items in your zipped pockets under your sweats) into the bin.

You're not a criminal but your actions slowed down the line. You are "cheating" Spirit out of some of their fees.



Spirit charges for bin sized bags. Each passenger can take one personal sized item, which fits underneath the seat in front of them, for free. Some passengers transfer the excess items they're wearing and the almost too big personal item into a collapsible duffel and stow it in the bin. Posters have said some Spirit FA will only allow paid bin bags in the overhead bins. Passengers who don't pay for a bin bag might get stuck stowing their items under the seat in front of them.

Does Spirit not regulate who's paid for overhead bags and who hasn't?