Waiting at the gate is an exploit I remember from that Friends episode (“The One with Ross’s New Girlfriend”, 1995) when Rachel – peak Jennifer Aniston with flowers in hand – waits for Ross returning from China, only for him to emerge with a new missus. Much like the whimsical innocence of mid-’90s sitcoms, we’ll never see such things in an airport again.
Looking at pre-9/11 airports is as if being confronted with an alien entity – the lax rules, the laissez-faire atmosphere of the buildings, the … freedom of the places. I flew on about seven flights prior to September 11, and even as a teenager I recall the airport endeavour was a doddle, much like crucifixion in the Python cinematic universe. It explains the success of the hijackers, especially when you consider box cutters and small knives were permitted on certain aircraft at the time.
I don’t think anyone with a modicum of concern for their own or another’s safety is bothered about making the ‘sacrifices’ of conforming to post-9/11 air travel rules. No bottle of Volvic allowed from outside the airport? Diddums. It’s a small price to pay.
The awfulness stems from interaction with passengers who are thick as fuck, and these are voluminous. Airports appear to be a breeding ground for the bottom-rung IQ scale of the general public. I’m talking about fuckers who line up at the conveyor belt oblivious to the omniscient signs on display indicating the liquid prohibitions, clowns who try and smuggle Prosecco on board, the haughty lot who protest at taking their shoes off, the numpties who insist on walking through the metal detector with a pocket full of shrapnel.
They are the real pain in the arse.
Further reading:
https://www.farecompare.com/travel-advice/9-ways-security-has-changed-since-911/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/29/my-short-life-as-an-airport-security-guard
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-airport-security-has-changed-since-september-11
https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/things-you-could-do-at-an-airport-before-9-11.html/
Wanderings and ... wonderings. 
This nostalgic look at airport security pre-9/11 highlights just how dramatically global aviation norms have shifted over the past two decades. While we may long for the simplicity and emotional moments—like greeting loved ones at the gate—we also recognize that today’s stringent screening measures are a necessary response to evolving security threats. The chaos of forgotten liquids and metal detector missteps may seem frustrating, but they underscore the scale and complexity of modern airport operations. Enhanced airport security protocols, biometric checks, and AI-driven threat detection are transforming travel into a more resilient and proactive environment. As we move toward touchless technologies and intelligent screening systems, the challenge lies in balancing efficiency, passenger convenience, and uncompromised safety. The airport security market is growing rapidly to meet these demands, and understanding this evolution is key to appreciating the safety of today’s air travel.
More insights here: https://alignstrategicimperative.com/industry/airport-security-market/