To me the tell was when Pre-Check was introduced. For a fee, we'll revert to the airport security process being exactly the same as it was pre-9/11, IE: empty y

To me the tell was when Pre-Check was introduced. For a fee, we'll revert to the airport security process being exactly the same as it was pre-9/11, IE: empty your pockets but otherwise quick, efficient, slide through one machine and you are done. The only difference between the people in the different lines is how much money they were willing to pay for convenience.