WI - No Security Theatre on Air Travel?

Two ways this can go:

One, the world says 'this is the cost of a free society', and accepts the risk. Unlikely, IMHO.

The other is to trade security theatre for real security. The experience of travelling isn't too different from pre-11th September 2001 for most people. Security guards are probably a bit more professional, and checks are a little more thorough, but not especially onerous. Airports are actually designed to get passengers from the front door through to the gate as quickly as possible - more chance to spend money, and less time as a soft target the wrong side of the security check.

But if you happen to tick too many boxes on somebody's form, you get really in-depth screening. You'll probably miss your flight, even if you're a false positive. Too bad, but at least they didn't let a terrorist through.
 
Pre-9/11 airport screening (metal detectors for guns, etc.), along with the added post-9/11 measures of stronger covert security, better intel, secure cockpit doors, sky marshalls and non-passive passengers seem sufficient. We don't need the added security theatre to feel safe.

Imagine today, if 9/11 were attempted again. Two guys stand up with box cutters. They wouldn't get into the cockpits and the passengers would stomp them to death. That's air safety.
 
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A lot more nut cases would create theatre aboard airliners. As Beez says most would be curb stomped by the other passengers, or be saved by the LE officers. All the success we have had in preventing terrorist actions have been by preventive investigation, intel gathering, and the occasional intervention by a ad hoc citizens militia from seat aisles 24 through 27.

Probablly more drunks & folks off their meds would be spotted by the cabin crew & ejected before takeoff, with lots of shouting and armwaving.
 
One thing I support is the rapid growth in the Air Marshall service, growing from 33 officers pre-9/11 to over 4,000 today. That, and passengers boots and locked cockpits make for safer skies, not some heavy set women yelling at me to take off my shoes.
 
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