Random scanning at airports what's your take?

I was wondering if anyone ever had a body scan or a pat down at the airport? What are your thoughts about this? As for myself I was pulled aside and told a pat down search was going to be done by a female. It's kind of embarrassing because this is done out in the open for everyone to see. The day after this occurred I was flying back home and I was pulled from one line and told to wait in another, I asked why and was told that they were going to do a body scan and luggage search. This made me miss my flight twice because of the time it takes to go through this.  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( I was told later on that because I had purchased my ticket less than 24 hours in advance this was a flag.

Hi Tinker,

At least they gave you a reason because otherwise we are left with the feeling "why me". I have only thankfully been padded down once and pulled out of the line. Strange thing about that was it wasn't in the security line where your baggage going on the plane is checked. This was past all security checks and actually in line waiting to board.

I have often wondered why i was chosen and what about me made them want to check me out. But then again on another flight i saw a similar thing happen as we were about to board they singled out another passenger to pat down. So it could be nothing more than airline policy that randomly does this.

At some of the airports now they use that full body scan machine that helps eliminate the patting down altogether.

  I know Lips you would think once you bypassed this checkpoint that checkpoint you're in the clear. I think the only reason why I was told anything truth be told I was almost crying my eyes out :'( :'( :'( :'( I checked in that morning at 5:00 am, my flight was to leave at 5:45, by the time I got through the full body scan and luggage check, I missed my flight and the next flight after that. I didn't end up flying out till early afternoon.  >:( >:( >:(  I have a pit in my stomach because I have to fly out early this afternoon to Texas for a work conference. Well tomorrow I will be flying out from Texas to San Francisco but returning that evening back to Texas. I just have this feeling the nightmare is going to repeat itself someway. I hope I 'm wrong. 

Don't worry tinker i think you have paid your dues! The fact you missed your flight was awful and they should of compensated you in some way. Safe travels and think positive 

What a nightmare that is .  I don't recall being patted down and I've never had a  body scan..thank goodness just the usual hand held metal scan and a quick sniff from a dog.

I can understand how upset you are tinker;  I would be exactly the same.  It would feel like an invasion of privacy.

I hope you don't get more of the same on your next travels.

I have bad insomnia right now. I think I'm worrying to much about my flight to San Francisco this morning. I fly out at 6:00 am and my return flight back to Dallas is at 2:35 pm. I just purchased my ticket to San Francisco yesterday morning around 9:00 am, my boss had just notified me that I would be filling in for him at this meeting up in SF. I'll be bent out of shape like no ones business if I have to go through the same thing I did before.  >:( >:( >:(  Anger or frustration sometimes makes me cry.  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(It's only because I don't have control over a situation. My boss told me if I should happen  to find myself in the same situation to refuse their request. I've heard people being arrested for refusing to comply with these extra security measures and probably making a scene at the same time.  I will know soon enough if I'm in the clear!

That must be really stressful tinker. I hope it won't happen too often or at least you won't miss your flight. It is very  upsetting.

I saw body scanner only once actually, in Frankfurt, but I didn't go through it. Once they had to check my luggage, but they did that to everyone, before boarding a plane from Panama to Amsterdam.

That is really stressful and makes for a start to a bad flight. Do not let it get you down though. Breathe and do what you need to do at the meeting. I am praying everything goes well for you on the return trip. Good luck  .

When you get a pat down it's done by the same sex. They have you spread your legs apart and they start going up and down, if you happen to be wearing a skirt they can only go so high up the thigh so to speak. Or they can have you disrobe somewhere private.

They reserve the body scanners for trouble makers like me. Just kidding.  It's supposedly done by random. But I'm sure they have a certain criteria that they go off of when pulling people aside to do that extra screening. Apparently these scanners scan you in the nude even though you have your clothes on.It sees everything.

Never happened to me so far, but as far as I know it's not random at all. There are certain "flags" as you say that determines them to check one person instead of the other. They should have compensated you for the missed flight though.