This trip's "security theater"

On the sequence of flights back home, I was subjected to a piece of security theater. (For those not aware of the term, security theater is the idea that things are being done for the appearance of security, without actually improving it.)

I left Albuquerque with a single knapsack, and a small grocery bag with food. The food included perishable items not likely to survive sitting in my car for 5 days, including (1) a tub of spreadable herb cheese, and (2) a tub of hummus.

All of my possessions cleared security in Albuquerque, with no one looking closely at the contents, other than through the x-ray machine. In Denver, I had to exit the security area to get more boarding passes (change of carrier). On returning through Denver security, a TSA person asked me the usual "any gels, liquids, blah blah blah" question. I said no. She happened to notice item (1) in the grocery bag, pulled it out and said "this isn't allowed, it's a gel-like substance." I noted that it had passed security in Albuquerque without trouble. Rather than argue the point with her supervisor, I let her have my half-empty tub of cheese (since I was now going to need the hummus for dinner...).

Now most of you (at least those of you who know what hummus looks like) can imagine why this is security theater, rather than real security.

Perhaps there will be more security theater on the return leg. I'll be transporting a few Indian "curry in a pouch" boxes as test fodder.