‘You’re not you’: Woman’s ‘perfect’ ID photo keeps getting her stopped at TSA, but what agent said about her appearance was absolutely brutal

Getting stopped by the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is never fun. But one California woman is now warning others that taking the perfect ID photo can actually lead to serious embarrassment at the airport. TikToker Davis Roe (@divaaadavisss) shared a video explaining her repeated problems with security agents who simply can’t believe the person standing in front of them is the same person in her driver’s license photo.

According to Bro Bible, Roe posted the video while sitting at her departure gate, wearing a bright yellow hoodie with her hair pulled back. She sounds truly defeated while explaining what happened to her. “Every time I go through TSA, I get absolutely f***ing humiliated,” she said. She mentioned that while the first few times were funny, the constant examination is now just “humbling.”

So, why is her photo so hard to match? Roe explained that she went full glam to get a “snatched” ID picture. Before the photo was taken, she made sure she was fully tan, super blonde, and had makeup specially designed to make her features really pop. Roe jokes that she’s basically “f***ing glowing and levitating off of my ID.”

Her glamorous photo creates awkward airport moments

While the photo is clearly stunning and even earned an Instagram post with the caption, “Ur a cop who pulled me over… wyd,” the TSA agents haven’t been quite as impressed. Roe talked about a recent incident where the agent tried to scan her ID card five separate times, but the system just wouldn’t recognize the photo as hers. The agent told her, “It’s not recognizing me. It says it needs a new photo.”

The agent then called a coworker over to help scan the ID and visually check Roe before finally letting her through security. It was the second agent’s comment that truly shocked and humbled Roe. She repeated what the agent said with brutal honesty: “The guy looks at my ID, looks at me, and he’s like, ‘I think it’s you. You’re just obviously way less blonde and way more pale.'” Roe jokingly responded, saying, “Wow, you really know how to win over a lady.”

After dealing with several similar experiences, Roe now warns other travelers against taking the “ID makeup” trend too seriously. It’s definitely tempting to have that perfect driver’s license photo, but you need to remember what happens when you’re standing at the airport at 5:00 AM. If you’re a “hungover piece of s***,” the ID is basically going to tell you you’re not you. Her final message was self-critical: “Moral of the story, Davis Roe is f***ing chopped in person.”

While airport security encounters can be uncomfortable, they pale in comparison to truly terrifying home invasion incidents that leave families traumatized.

If you’re worried that your photo glam might be too much, or if you simply don’t want your current travel look examined, there’s actually a lesser-known option available. According to the TSA’s website, travelers have the right to refuse to have their picture taken and compared to the ID photo. If you decline the photo scan, an agent will simply scan your ID and visually check that you’re the correct passenger.

Commenters were quick to point this out, saying that photo scans are completely optional. One person told travelers to simply say, “no thank you I don’t want to get my photo taken.” Another mentioned that they recently saw signs informing people of this right at Kansas City International, but those signs weren’t posted at LaGuardia. Security cameras at airports serve to protect travelers, much like how surveillance footage captured a witness’s harrowing escape during a tragic crime. It’s definitely a good tip to keep in mind if you want to avoid an embarrassing moment at the gate.