I verbalize my understanding of the sterile area in that you are allowed to have an administrative search performed on you or your items at any time, whether attempting to enter the sterile area (checkpoint), or being in the sterile area (airside). This includes random pat-downs, bag searches, explosives testing, gate searches, and any other searches they wish to do, all performed by the TSA.

Everything that takes place at the checkpoint can be performed on you at any time, any place, in any way, and probably some things we never imagined, once you choose to be in the sterile area. It's a different world in there, then most pax are used to.