OnFinal -
well. what can one say about your experience? Obviously, it was seriously substandard, and I for one am very sorry that it happened to you.
But what it demonstrates is a concentration on security that borders on the zealous - which kind of gives the lie to the claims of "a laughing stock". There will always be instances of thoughtless excess like what you describe, but the issue there has to be training and experience on the part of the people doing the work. It must be a thankless task, and perhaps it contains more than its share of "jobsworth" personalities.
I got the impression, in my last travels, that the level of courtesy and consideration for pax had improved enormously since the days immediately after 9-11. I flew domestic about 2 weeks after 9-11 and they obviously had a long way to go in those areas. Your experience shows that there is still work to be done. As others have suggested, two or three decades of experience with these issues in Europe and the Middle East is bound to have improved the process still further.
Have a good day.
llater,
llamas