Recently when departing LHR for a return trip to the US, having no checked luggage and an electronic boarding pass I was going to head to the gate. But I decided to ask if my passport needed to checked first. I was told I needed to pass through the "security" check first then go to the counter. The "security" check where they ask about your bags and put a silly sticker on the back of your passport before going to counter. The person at the counter said to do passport check at the gate.

I passed through the normal security and while in the lounge had my passport checked. I was told the check was not needed and I was set. When I got to the gate I showed my passport and BP. Where upon looking at the sticker I was "selected" for additional screening. The screening was joke.

Afterwards I got to thinking. In hindsight, as my passport did not need to be checked there was no real reason for me to go through the initial "security" check first thus no silly sticker. So wondering has anyone ever not had the passport "security" sticker when they got to the gate? What happened???