The TSA was established in the wake of 9/11, so most of these stories date back less than 6 years. But wasn't air security ramped up beginning in the 70s, in the wake of the first hijackings? I'll bet everyone has stories of security idiocies that predate the TSA follies. Here's mine:

Back in another life, probably around 1980, I flew from Boston to Kalamazoo with an early music ensemble to perform for a conference on medieval studies. The group's director played a dozen or so instruments, wooden flute-type things that pulled apart into two or three pieces. As there were no cases available for these things, she stored each part stuffed in an old sock and knotted, and the lot went into a gun case fitted with foam.

Leaving BOS was entirely uneventful, but in AZO, a *very* small airport, an over-zealous security official demanded that she untie and empty each sock so he could inspect the contents. I don't remember who actually opened the socks, but she insisted that he replace the contents of the case as he found them, according to the rules. Words were exchanged, but he ended up replacing all 30 instrument parts into 30 socks and tying 30 knots as the rest of us watched, struggling not to point and jeer. Can't be too careful with recorder-toting musicians -- NOT!