Flying out of Boston/Logan Friday AM. Played all the right games - stood here, hands held here, etc. thru full body scanner. Then TSA person told me to "wait there" and told me I had been "selected" for pat down. I did not argue, just asked why - since I thought body scanner was substitute for that. She said "It is because you have a big necklace on" - which I did and which was plastic. Never asked me to take off necklace - next time I will.

Is there some rule I missed? Just curious - was not argumentative then and not trying to be now.

I think TSA is in a constant state of change. Typically they buy some new type of equipment in limited quantity and install it in a limited number of airports for evaluation. Part of the evaluation would be comparing results from the new equipment with results from the old equipment or systems. That means some people will be selected for screening on both the new and old equipment. Its not unlike beta testing, where new IT is put in use in some locations to see if it really works, before a final product is released.

I believe many passengers are unaware that submitting to being irradiated by the scanner will not necessarily avoid their being subject to a pat-down.

The airport scanners only indicate what TSA refers to as an "anomaly". The scanner can't tell the difference between weapons or explosives or lint in your pocket or a breast prosthesis or a plastic necklace. So, the TSA clerk who is monitoring the x-ray screen from a remote room tells the TSA clerk who is standing next to the passenger who has just been irradiated that her/his "anomaly" needs to be resolved by a pat-down.

In your case, the necklace was your "anomaly" and common sense would call for the TSA clerk who was in the remote room to tell the TSA clerk who was standing next to you exactly where your "anomaly" was and to focus the pat- down on your neck.
One can only hope common sense prevailed and spared you from being subjected to an invasive search.

The full body scans are potentially invasive enough that for privacy reasons, they try to severely limit the communication betwen the person who sees the scans and the people at the checkpoint. This was for very good reasons (you don't want the screeners to be able to say, "Hey, here comes Katy Perry, go get pictures of her scan!" or "Hey, here's Senator Craig! How big is..."), but it means there's much less room for common sense.

Are you
1. a "hottie"?
2. a senior citizen (thought to be less likely to complain)?
3. although you may not know, it could be they need to meet a quota.

Definitely not #1. Age is mid-50s; My husband would die laughling if he thought I was selected as one less likely to complain.

You can always decline the scan wand and do the pat down

last week LON to ATL they scanned wanded and patted me down

just to board the airport tram to drive home

as I was going to go through secure airport areas.

so anything is possible they have their "quotas" to meet.

On the newer scanners, there is a screen which shows an outline of your body which you can look at as you walk out of the scanner. Three times there has been a box on part of my body so the TSA agent said he had to pad down that part of my body. Twice the box was on my upper back and one on my knee. The TSA agent joked once that I am work out too much.

Last month I was going through security at Hong Kong. I started to take off my belt and was told that wasn't necessary. I started to take off my shoes and again I was told it wasn't necessary. No body scanner. Just a metal detector which is not set at a high level.

Have you noticed how many people at the airport do not have to go through the body scanner? All of the employees working on the security side of the airport and the airline employees.

Now there are warnings about too many X-rays at the dentist office.

I was patted down after they saw something in my knee - and asked if I have a brace on. Darn arthritis

I haven't had to go through a scanner yet. I'm mysteriously pregnant each time I might go on a flight.

Just happened to me yesterday at IAD. The 'box' was on my wrist. The woman who was going to do the patting only checked my sleeve... it was my watch.