This is a very common occurance at MAN, I know lots of female staff (ground and air) who have put complaints in due to "excessive" patting down. Does anything ever seem to get done? Well no.
As for US security, I have had nothing but problems when I travel on my concesssions over there. They mark your boarding cards as such and away you go to be interoggated by the TSA, this is not anti-american rhetoric as I love the US.