I'm curious what the point of all this is. Does anybody here believe that things as presently done are wrong, and that there is a chance to change it for the better? Because you have to believe both of those things for it to really matter.

Otherwise it's just an exercise that's probably best answered on-line in wikis and government security sites, instead of arguing on FT and choosing sides over which person is right and which person is wrong.

And finally, I don't think any of us have any right to know exactly how security works, nor do we have any right, or even an expectation, that it should be applied consistently. If I were a terrorist, a certain element of randomness in security would be the toughest thing to try and get around.

I'm fine with giving the OP empathy for what he had to go through. But I don't think any of us are owed something for the inconveniences of unexpected security measures, if they didn't prevent us from our planned travels. Obviously, my opinion only.