Is it possible for the screener who is manning the WTMD to cause it to beep when a pax walks through?
I think this happened to me earlier this month. The screener told me to take off my shoes, I told him it wasn't required, he told me I'd have to face secondary, I said I'd take my chances. As I walked through, it beeped, which NEVER happens to me! Never!
Could he have caused a beep just for spite?

Did he, by any chance, extend his arm towards you to "usher" you through the WTMD? If so, he may have (intentionally) set off the WTMD with his watch, ring or other jewelry.

Did he then wand you? Any unexpected results?

I have heard that shock from the floor and some types of electrical interference can set them off. Also, I've heard screeners admit that kicking the machine will set it off. Back in the pre-9/11 days, I would set off metal detectors in places with dry air (like Denver) and wouldn't in more humid environments. ...just empirical data.

There is a metal detector in the office building where my gym is located. It is used for visitors going up to upper floors where there is a government office. Every morning, I walk between a baggage X-Ray machine and a metal detector (not through it) spaced about 5' apart. This time of year, I'm dressed completely in Spandex and synthetic wool in addition to my running shoes and running watch. Since the metal detector is on my right and my watch is on my left hand, the watch is a couple of feet away from the metal detector. Guess what? I set it off almost every day -- and I'm not even walking through it!

Next time you get a retaliatory secondary, look down as you walk through to see if the screener kicks the metal detector.

Screeners are supposed to stand a certain distance away from the WTMD. In
order to make it alarm on you, they would have to encroach on this distance as you are walking through. A kick to the base would cause it to alarm as would a metal object or if you bump it walking through. What did the hand wand find?

the hand wand found nothing other than the rivets on my jeans. nothing in my shoes for sure. I don't remember what city it was in, or if he came too close to my space while I walked thru, it just seemed odd that I NEVER beep, and this time, I beeped when I told him I didn't want to take off my shoes.

another strange story in SAT... As I was walking thru the WTMD, the screener was reaching over towards me to tell me to take my shoes off. I continued to walk thru as I told him it wasn't required. I didn't beep, so he sent me to secondary and told the wand guy to just do my shoes, nothing else since I didn't beep. The guy gave him a confused look, then took me over and gave me the royal treatment. arms, legs, crotch, roll the waistband down, etc.

Did you notice if the WTMD going off for other screenees at an unusually high rate, too? My experience has been that some airports have set their sensitivity way too high sometimes; I had one where it was the grommets on my hat that set it off (a few small grommets on a Panama Jack hat).

This was when they let you walk through with your hat (long ago), and some airports had theirs desensitized to the point I could walk through with my pocket knife, keys, etc. and not set them off, yet DAB had theirs so sensitive that taking my hat off and going through again was enough to pass.

The WTMD is set once and left alone. It is not adjusted for sensitivity at random. There are many things that might influence it. I can tell you that they check them once a shift for calibration. But as far as changing it goes, nope it doesnt happen. The ones where I work are the same setting as they were two years ago when they were installed.

If the screener operating the x-ray put a hand wand close to the WTMD as you were walking through it will alarm. That is an old trick.

I know in my airport, I can have about a dollar in quarters and not ring, in another I will set it off.

You possibly went thru a very sensitive machine.

What about fifty cents in nickles?

Dunno...

Please read my thread "DCVA Shoe Carnival is a fraud", where I mention being screeded in the SAME clothes at LAS and DCA and only beeeping in DCA after a shoe removal refusal. Its all a scam, imho.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=385401

I cant explain this... but some detectors are very sensestive to others.

Your shoes might have had metal shanks, but thin enough to get by a hair(4 stars on the MAG).... but maybe in the other airport it might pick up the shanks(Past 4 stars).

When I was screening we had to randomly wand a certain percentage of the non-beeping passengers. To get less of a hassle from the non-beepers who I selected I would have them come through, quickly check their "star" count to make sure they were non-beepers and then place my shoe near the WTMD. I had steel-toed shoes so it would go off if my shoe was within a couple inches. Saved me grief although I'm sure I confused some people who thought they were clean. Not the most professional way to operate.

damn thats low.