Reason erections can set off TSA scanners after man was flagged and saw what showed on camera

Just when you thought security at an airport couldn’t get any more uncomfortable, your body has other plans.

There’s a surprising and rather large hiccup some well-endowed travellers are facing and it’s a problem that is now rising to attention.

From jangling keys to forgotten coins, or a phone hiding away in your pocket, it’s amazing how many everyday pocket items you forget to remove before going through airport security - but what do you do if the thing that sets off the alarm is an appendage?

Travellers are documenting their experiences of having their large penises and erections trigger the alarms at airport security. The TSA scanners may feel humiliating, but they’re a necessary part of travelling through an airport. Modern scanners use millimeter wave or automated threat detection tech to display an outline of your body to identify any potential threats, however, early versions of these machines did show naked images of passengers, but these machines have been phased out.

How much of you is revealed by the scanners? (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Although the scanners are used to identify things like sharp objects, explosives and unusually shaped bags of drugs, large genitals may also get flagged as an unusual shape. The software is designed to highlight on the virtual silhouette of the traveller where the suspicious item is located on their person.

One man recalled his awkward TSA experience on Reddit after he went through security with 'a slight chub' shortly after bidding farewell to his long-distance girlfriend.

In his cautionary tale about airport erections, he wrote: “ I had flown to visit my girlfriend and when she dropped me off we were kissing making out you know in her car before I left. I had a SLIGHT chub still, dudes know what I mean by this.

"I was scared, it was going away but too slowly, of course the one time there is no line.”

"I put my hands up and did the scanner, I look at the screen, and THERE IS A HUGE RED CIRCLE around my private area. I got pat down once, this is common at airports, I have a subcutaneous defibrillator in my chest but he went to my legs.

"Then he brought over his supervisor, he pat me down again and I said lowly 'I was just with my girl my bad man' and he said you're good to go."

Airport security isn't fun but it's necessary (Getty stock)

He went on to describe the incident as 'the most humiliating experience I have ever had in my life' and shared his hopes that there weren't any cameras recording him.

In a separate Reddit thread, a man had a similar experience after going through airport security and having his crotch flagged as a potential threat.

“I travel very often, and nearly every time that I go through airport security, the full-body scanner is set off,” he said. “A yellow box appears on the screen over my penis. And then, of course, I have to get a very personal pat down in sensitive areas. Not only is it just uncomfortable to have someone touch me in personal areas every time I go to the airport, but it’s also very time consuming.”

Others empathized with the guy's situation and shared that they'd had similar experiences.

So, next time you're flying, if things start to rise... just think about baggage claim.