"And if you are carrying something unusual, perhaps before trying to go through security, ask to speak to the person in charge if certain items are permissible."
Good idea, I support that, but my experience tells me, some people, like me, will make (honest) mistakes. I'm counting about .25 mistakes per year. I'd like to see airport security empowered to make their own decisions, not relying so much on rules...Israel, a country that has some experience dealing with terrorism, has been doing that for a long time, with some success I think.