I know to well how 'paranoid' the screeners are in the US, I was going through the "magic door' at JFK the other week, and the attendant said that I had to go through again, even in the crowded conditions, because, and I couldn't believe it, was because I had one of my hands in my pocket, I had to do it again with both hands showing!!
Then we followed that up with some really intelligent discussion about the danger level of having one of the flight crew actually board the aircraft with a 'lethal' pair of nail cutters in their possession!
After about 20 mins, I successfully got through.
My last comment to the senior security attendant, was something to the effect that he obviously wasn't hired for his intelligence level!
Reminds me of that scene in the movie 'Airplane' or 'Flying High', depending on which country you saw it, when the old lady was stopped by security to check through her purse, and whilst that was going on, several guys, of middle eastern appearance, walked through the 'magic door' with rifles, belted ammunition and machine guns slung over their shoulders, but the security guys didn't notice, they were way to involved in 'patting down' this little old lady, who had, of course, nothing of any significance on her.
Does this movie scene, made some twenty years ago, sound distressingly familiar, generally speaking?
Just thought I'd mention it,
Cheers