While I was in China, airline security managed to get even more ridiculous. Enough ink has been spilled talking about how ineffective these measures are, so I won’t rehash here (Bruce Schneier has written well about airline security if you’re curious).
I have a different question: Are people flying less because of all the extra hassle? If not, how much more can be tacked on before they do?
Yesterday, I arrived at the airport one hour and fifteen minutes before my domestic flight — and I barely made it to the gate in time! Because I didn’t check any bags, I had to fly without deodorant, toothpaste, and other threatening non-solids. At what point do these negatives start to outweigh the time savings? For any drive under four or five hours, I believe the it’s already quicker and more convenient to drive or take the train.
Clearly, for cross-country trips such as mine, driving isn’t an option — but going on fewer cross-country trips is an option.
