Quote Originally Posted by emily_in_nc View Post
I'm unclear on something with all the hoo-ha about ll this on the news. Will I have to go through the body scan x-ray or patdown if I don't set off the metal detector? Or are those more intrusive measures reserved for people who do set off the regular detectors?

Surprisingly, even with a stainless steel plate and 4 pins in my pelvis, I don't set off the regular detectors, thankfully.
The backscatter machines (they are about 6.5 feet tall and you stand between two "walls" and hold your arms up) are the new normal scanning procedure in place of the old x-ray machines. They take a picture of your body (basically going through your clothes) where anything on the outside shows up. Sometimes they pat you down really quickly (might only be if they see something in the scan).

If you opt out of the new machines you can go through the old style x-ray machines, but then they do a more extensive pat-down on you, possibly with the x-ray wand thingy, and usually with their hands.

I am pretty sure if you set off the backscatter machine, you ALSO go through the other machine AND you get the more extensive pat down, too.