Sweating at the airport? You could get flagged by TSA scanners
Jul 3, 2025, 6:18 PM
An air traveler is patted down after passing through a full-body scanner at an airport. (Photo: David McNew, Getty Images)
(Photo: David McNew, Getty Images)
Sweaty passengers are setting off security alarms at TSA, VICE reported earlier this week.
A woman admitted she had nothing in her pockets, but that her sweaty groin set off TSA scanners at the airport, according to the media outlet.
Several people shared similar stories, referencing the term “swamp crotch.”
TSA expert Malvini Redden told Reader’s Digest that perspiration can trigger the scanners. At the same time, TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston explained that Advanced Imaging Technology is used at airport checkpoints.
“It’s a millimeter wave scanner that detects a wide range of metallic and nonmetallic threats in a matter of seconds,” she said to Reader’s Digest.
In June, Alaska Airlines announced it is expanding its facial recognition program to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac).
TSA security could get even easier
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The program, for those who opt in, would eliminate the need to show ID or a boarding pass to a TSA agent. Instead, passengers would just need to scan their faces to continue through security.
It’s an effort by the airline to streamline airport security. Not everyone is eligible for the service, and those who use the program must opt in. Some of the eligibility requirements include an Alaska Airlines mileage plan account and enrollment in the TSA PreCheck program.
Contributing: Gwen Baumgardner, KIRO Newsradio
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