Thank you, David. All your points are very well taken. Although I still wonder about the moribund grandma..seriously, I wonder what she was even doing getting on a plane! But that's another story.
To be honest, I try to be very well prepared before I get to the airport: leaving my swiss army knife at home, putting little bottles in a plastic bag (per your instructions, David) and so on. Most of the time I sail through without any problem which is why I was worried about my knife yesterday.
Then there was the woman ahead of me in line yesterday...you have to wonder if some people live with their head under a rock. This lady had a rolling carry on, overnight bag size. The screener asked if she had any liquids and yes, she did. So she opens her suitcase. Full size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, contact lens solution, who knows what else...all packed in among her clothes, not in little bottles, not in a plastic bag, not even in a toiletry bag. If felt like shouting, "Who taught you to pack? What if that bottle of Herbal Essence opened up and squirted all over your clothes??"
The agent gave the options you outlined, David, but she ended up having everything taken away. She didn't feel like she had enough time to go back downstairs and check her bag, she didn't have any one to give the stuff to, she came to the airport in a cab. So...
But, duh...!
L