A hypothetical Gertrude Q. Sheeple (who hasn't flown herself in years, and thought the post-London measures "probably necessary" at the time) hears stories about her great-granddaughter's pediatric cough syrup being seized as A Big Catch because ... the Rx says "Annie Sprague" and the kid's bp reads "Ann Q. Sprague" while the TSA officer tells the mother that's "just too much of a risk to allow." Then, Gertrude's good friend, Linda Kowtow, tries to bring a small jar of specialty jam for her own aged, shut-in mother as a gift; the item is seized with a haughty "You should've known better!"

With each instance of overkill, it becomes tougher to claim "all for safety".