I was just reading Bob Krist's column on pages 48 and 49 of the December 2011 issue of
Outdoor Photographer magazine; the column is titled
"10 Years After: Airport Security Survival Guide". In it, Mr. Krist describes how he gets himself and his photographic equipment through TSA checkpoints. He provides several practical tips for travelers who carry photographic gear through TSA checkpoints.
The column also includes this informative line about pocket lint and TSA's full body scanners:
As I approach the machine, my cell phone, keys wallet, iPod touch, watch, coins, passport and any other loose stuff, including that apparently new thread to national security, pocket lint (the new scanners are particularly adept at detecting and the TSA is strangely insistent on you removing it from you pocket before being cleared), are zipped into the pockets of the jacket; that jacket is thrown in a bin.
A quick search of the TS/S Practical issues forum showed several anecdotal reports about pocket lint being an "anomaly" that would trigger patdowns. Mr. Krist's column is the first time I've seen the issue mentioned in a print (dead trees) publication.
The magazine arrived in my mailbox today, so it is probably on newstands now in case anyone would like to check it out..