There were, in fact, entire airports designed around the "pull up, run in, board plane" routine. Kansas City International entered service right around the time

There were, in fact, entire airports designed around the "pull up, run in, board plane" routine. Kansas City International entered service right around the time that hijacking commercial flights became a popular publicity stunt. The consequent installation of security checkpoints really harmed the airport's utilitarian vision, and TSA's post 9-11 sterile area rules made travel through KCI a complete farce. Nowadays, KCI has got to be one of the most hated airports in the country. I've met several people who've come away with a true and real disgust for Kansas City after being "trapped" in a five-gate sterile span with 200 people, a juice cart, and a bathroom. Exiting that small enclosure necessitates another pass through security. It's a sad story, and may be a good case study for why one shouldn't try too hard to optimize that next project.