An Unexpected Type Of Clothing Can Raise TSA's Red Flags Instantly

When the "graphic tee" was invented in 1959, it opened up a universe of possibilities. Suddenly, clothing didn't have to be a solid color or a simple combination of patterns and shapes. T-shirts were cheap, so anyone could wear a favorite logo, slogan, or picture. Fans could show off their favorite bands or beverages. Travelers could announce to passersby the places they had visited. Entrepreneurs could advertise their own companies, and activists could protest or promote a certain cause. In many ways, the graphic tee transformed public life, turning any given abdomen into a billboard.

But some t-shirts are cheekier than others and some are downright offensive. There are classics, like the "I'm with stupid" shirt, with an arrow pointing to the left or right. There are overt political messages about contentious topics, often mocking the opposition. Many graphic tees are, well, graphic, showing scenes of violence or grotesquerie. Words and images may drip with sexual innuendo, with varying levels of good humor. But all of these pale before outright hate messages, which target genders, ethnicities, or religions with direct hostility. Some may even threaten bodily harm.

There's one place these shirts may not fly –– literally –– and that's at a TSA checkpoint. Security guards may get suspicious of people with aggressive messages on their garments. The staffing agency Barton & Associates published a blog post about TSA clothing policies, asserting that "you don't want to wear any clothes with offensive or threatening material — while the TSA may let you through, you could be denied boarding by an airline." Indeed, offensive messaging on your clothes is one of the worst things you can wear to an airport, according to TSA agents.

But why can't we just wear what we want to wear? Who cares what people think? Western nations are generally tolerant of personal expression, graphic tees included. The First Amendment is a powerful force in the U.S., and plenty of rebels like to wear outfits that provoke the people around them. These messages could represent any worldview or political persuasion. As hurtful or frightening as images or words can be, many bystanders will simply choose to ignore messages they don't like, and others will shrug off the idea of a t-shirt being "threatening."

That freedom changes in an airport scenario, where TSA agents are charged with protecting travelers and are on the lookout for any suspicious behavior. Even having a beard can make you a walking red flag at airport security, so a graphic tee that derides authority or vows actual violence may bode even worse. Generalized messages aside, there are t-shirts that read "I hope TSA pats me down" and "TSA Screening Survivor: #metoo," which could increase the tension in an already tense environment. These suspicions can seem presumptuous or arbitrary, but that's one of the nuances of the job. At the end of the day, TSA agents need to take any sort of "threat" seriously. To understand this psychology better, here are some airport security secrets you should know.