Originally Posted by
cynicAAl
while TSA would prefer that everyone stay in the secure area, I doubt they could have blocked every exit and emergency exit in a large terminal. Life Safety Code requires that people be able to exit a building.
They blocked off part of the terminal with this barrier.
Use of the emergency exits may result in legal penalties if the government finds the use unauthorized/disallowed for the circumstances -- and for this kind of circumstance they'd probably want to deny allowance for such.
In packed places, when an emergency exit door becomes a bottle neck because primary exits are cut off, there is increased risk of injuries and deaths than if the primary exits remained open for use.
The TSA really isn't here as much to save lives as it's here to spend money and put on a show to justify its existence and convince the gullible that it's "tough" "security".