I almost had taken from me a pair of wooden chopsticks I received as a gift for serving as a counselor at a summer culture camp for Korean kids adopted into non-Korean families. They probably cost no more than $2, but sentimental. Two TSO's were hassling me over them at a gate check (back in 2002). I asked if they also wanted my mechanical pencil and ballpoint pens, but they declined. They didn't get the "point." It took calling over their supervisor to clear the damn chopsticks and make my flight (which the GA was reluctantly holding for me, as I was the last passenger to board, thanks to Laurel and Hardy).

As an aside, I seem to recall getting chosen for additional random screening at both the regular checkpoints and at the gate almost every time I flew through 2002. One trip (ATL-DEN), I was "randomly" screened 4 times in two segments. Probably just coincidence, right? Hooray for being a tanned Korean-American.

MSY-MSP, that's terrible. I don't keep a spare with the car, so I'd be up the creek if that happened with my similar VW key.