I have to agree with DEFCON4. As with all Govt regulations, the differences in the wording - the interpretation - and the execution - of security regulations, are all vastly different. Go to a different airport, and a different security screener, and the tins of tuna would never have rated a mention.
I read in Q pax info, where laptops have to have the battery removed prior to screening (batteries can hide explosives, ya know!
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I recently travelled PER-DRW-PER. Upon entering security screening at PER, I asked if the battery had to be removed, as the laptop was complete in its case. No problem! - straight thru the scanner, battery installed, and the laptop in its case.
Upon return, going thru DRW security, I was instructed in no mean manner, to get the laptop out of the case! The battery wasn't mentioned. Fortunately, I forgot all about the 125ml of olive oil in a half-full bottle I'd left in my camera bag - an oily liquid would almost certainly have been ID'ed as liquid nitroglycerin. Thank God I never discovered it until I got home, or I'd still be in a Darwin interrogation cell.
The most interesting part is when the missus flies with her new replacement knees. 500g of titanium in each knee, brings out some amazing reactions - even though the security people get told prior to screening. One woman insisted on jiggling the missus's pants, convinced that shaking them would loosen any hidden explosives.
The walk-thru scanner in PER goes ballistic with the titanium knees - the one in DRW never uttered a murmur (newest technology, we were informed -
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Sad to say, the greatest problem is that the security people are the people of the lowest skills, paid the lowest amount, to carry out a job that must rapidly turn into a farce, with the incredible variety of items and possibilities that they must regularly face.
Throw in an officious Anglo-Indian into the mix, whose level of diplomacy and people skills were bottom of the CV when he applied for the job in PER, and I don't envy anyone who has to face these people on a daily basis.