Originally Posted by
TSORon
Each airport is different. The vast majority of them were built long before the TSA became involved, and most are not all that thrilled to have to put up with the problems associated with redesigns or add-on construction just for the TSA. Arranging to have your bag inspected in front of you is going to be a problem.
Some airports have oversize baggage check stations where the TSA inspection occurs near where a passenger can wait (and provide combinations or keys to locks and/or advise the TSA on how to repack the bag).
Wouldn't it make sense to offer such baggage check stations for non-oversize baggage? I.e. passenger gets baggage tagged at the counter or kiosk or whatever, then takes it to the check station with the TSA inspection, and can remain nearby in case the TSA needs assistance opening or closing the bag (and can watch the inspection process).
Perhaps this can initially be optional, but when airports are remodeled (which seems to be fairly frequent), the airports can be remodeled to be able to handle this type of arrangement for all passengers.
Also, in the current arrangement, sticking tamper-evident tape around the screened bag should show whether it was opened subsequent to TSA screening. (Some foreign airports have the checked baggage screening before checking; they put tamper evident tape on the bag after screening.)