How the TSA created two classes of travelers

Mechanistically if they made the flow work better and did triage of the BEEEEP people off to one side of the main path we'd be less affected.

Shoes off is security pantomime. Designing processes not to need to do this is not outside human capability. Remember they have now upgraded xrays to do tomography and show 3d so we don't have to unpack bags as much.

China actually does some of this better: at Beijing airport I was co tested by the explosives wipedown in a cohort of around 30. Since the test is almost never positive, the vast majority of passengers get out in semi constant time, and other parts of the processing cycle can work in pulsed units of 20-30 people. You don't wind up feeling objectified when everyone is swiped with the magic wand.

Deliberately designing a 2+ class system for a government imposed process is pretty weird when you think about it. It's a giant anti-democratic signal who really counts.

Schiphol went with much more robotic tray processes as did Heathrow 4. I think both do better than LAX. Even just a basic production flow process around tray return and presentation to the queue can improve things.

Staffing is the main problem. They have zero to no motive to become part of an efficient cycle. Passive aggressive wins over the sheep and goats like me, is more valuable.

As a frequent flyer over the last 20 years I can say the xray scene in "up in the air" was perfect.

How are they going to justify the great expansion of the TSA otherwise? Just another branch of the police state.

The terrorists won. They got the US Gov. spending Trillions.

The terrorists won the first time I took off my shoes at the airport.