A female passenger at IAH in Texas claims a TSA agent followed her in the women’s restroom to confront her over her perfume. Reddit user Sapphire_Bug explained that she went into a bathroom stall after smoking outside to mask the smell with perfume. The agent came in after her and began asking question after question, which many online users felt was an overreach of authority.
Posting her story to r/tsa, Sapphire_Bug said she was the only one in the bathroom when this happened. The TSA agent interrogated her about which perfume she used and what cigarettes she smoked, to which she answered all honestly.
The questions were very specific, but what bothered the passenger was the “terrifying” way the TSA agent “continued to stare her down.” Eventually, the agent left and was allegedly nowhere to be found before her flight departed from IAH.
Hundreds of Reddit users debated on the TSA agent’s behavior in the comment section. “Maybe she thought you were smoking in the bathroom?” suggested a commenter. Other replies added that the airport worker could have believed Sapphire_Bug was vaping or using drugs. On the other hand, many others were strongly against how aggressive the agent was.
“Since when is TSA checking bathroom stalls for perfume?” questioned a Redditor. “Not her job, and she has no legal authority to make an arrest. Just plain weird,” remarks another. One wondered why the TSA worker didn’t have airport security do the questioning instead.
Many Redditors Criticized the Woman For Using Perfume Before Boarding a Flight
The rest of the comments were filled with people complaining about those who get on planes smelling like smoke, perfume, or cologne. “Everyone will be forced to smell you for hours,” groaned a commenter. “You shouldn’t be allowed to fly when you smell like this intentionally,” angrily wrote one individual.
To conclude, though, the agent wasn’t in the wrong for asking questions, as they are instructed to inspect passengers’ belongings closely to ensure the safety of those flying. On the flip side, plenty of Redditors found it peculiar that the IAH TSA agent had to perform questioning in a bathroom.
