Originally Posted by Flaflyer
Not to take TSAs’ side, but patting does have one advantage over flashing. I have seen obese people who could hide a large ceramic or carbon fiber knife between two rolls of fat. Neither visual nor WTMD inspection would find it. But then would such an item need to be carried on your person, might it be missed in the carry on?
Would patting down someone find that knife, though? I don't believe the TSA is in the business of re-arranging those particularly portly pax's skin.
A ceramic knife or carbon fiber
should be caught by the X-ray machine, as it will still have a different transmissiveness to x-rays than the items around it. Whether or not the person operating the x-ray notices is another issue--I know people who have forgotten large metal knives in their carry-ons and who haven't been stopped at the checkpoints.