TSA is stopping passengers for an incredibly embarrassing reason | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

When you are flying, you expect some level of inconvenience.

It’s safe to assume that you’ll have to deal with rude people on planes, fights over tray tables and reclining seats, seat change disputes, and perhaps even cockroaches crawling down cabin walls (if you’re flying on Spirit Air).

And now, you can’t even check a bag for free on Southwest anymore, which was one of the last perks that helped customers to feel like they were maybe getting a reasonable deal instead of being bilked out of every dollar.

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Despite all those annoyances, though, nothing compares to the dread of being stopped for a search by the TSA. After all, getting a pat-down – or even just getting your contraband hummus snatched because it is “too creamy” – can be embarrassing and stressful.

No sane person wants to be manhandled by a stranger in an airport line or made to toss out their perfectly good stuff because of security rules, but that’s been a reality of flying in the United States for a long time.

Unfortunately, however, some flyers are having an especially difficult time dealing with TSA’s security protocols. That is because they have found themselves stopped for a very embarrassing reason.

Sweaty passengers face big risks of getting stopped by the TSA.

Image source&colon; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

This could be the worst reason ever to be stopped by TSA

The problematic TSA stops were recently reported in a Reddit thread by someone who had not flown for 15 years.

Her initial foray back into air travel got off to a very bad start, as she was flagged for extra screening in the arms up scanner. And this happened to her on both her flights.

The traveler wasn’t just annoyed because she had to be patted down, though. Unfortunately, she had triggered the problem because she alerted in a very sensitive private area.

The woman explained that she had no jewelry or piercings and is a mid-sized adult woman who was wearing normal underclothing as well as bicycle shorts. She had no explanation for why her private area would have triggered a scan both times.

But this wasn’t even the most shocking part.

It turns out that what happened to this poor flyer was not an isolated incident. In fact, numerous other people also weighed in and said they had been flagged in sensitive places and subjected to pat-downs because of it.

The issue, apparently, is something that could happen to anyone – or at least to anyone who is sweating or has dampness “down there.”

That’s because, as one person who experienced this phenomenon explained, the TSA agent said that “swamp crotch” was the issue that caused her to trigger the scanner the most and require screening more often.

Why does your most sensitive area trigger the TSA’s scanner?

If you’re hoping this was just a few isolated cases and isn’t something that you’ll personally have to worry about on your next airport trip, you are unfortunately out of luck.

There is actually a reason why your private areas might draw unwanted attention from the TSA – especially at this time of year when it’s hot out. It tends to be an area where you may be prone to sweating and dampness, and both can cause TSA machines to malfunction.

As Shawna Malvini Redden, Ph.D., author of 101 Pat-Downs and a communication researcher who has studied the TSA since 2010, recently told Reader’s Digest, “Perspiration is probably the weirdest thing that can set off the scanners. It has to do with millimeter wave technology and how the waves bounce off water.”

Unfortunately, travelers can’t typically do too much about the fact they may get some dampness that triggers the machine. In fact, since other flyers said wearing feminine pads and liners was also a red flag that could also increase the risk of a scan, those who tend to trigger a search because of this issue have limited choices.

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Of course, you can try to stop in the bathroom and freshen up before going through the TSA line.

There’s no guarantee that it will work, but it certainly can’t hurt for any number of reasons, and if it helps you avoid the embarrassment of a TSA agent calling out your sweaty privates in the middle of a crowded airport, it may be worth it.