About the only thing that the whole airport security thing has accomplished is create huge markets for security devices for airports. As with all things branded as “good for business”, the consumer has to put up with it.
I was going through Reagan when they got a strong “hit” for RDX. Turns out the guy worked at an explosives range and had a good reason to have RDX on his briefcase.
Had it been some guy who stole a block of C4 or had made a device of Semtex, he would have been stopped.
The fancy xray machines catch guns, stray bullets, pepper spray, commercial fireworks, so they are not a totl waste of money either.
But the CLEAR system with the low RF freq shoe scanner is a waste.
I’m sure no Congressman haven’t gotten brides/contributions from the recipients of those huge airport boondoggle equipment contracts.