Originally Posted by ND Sol
That may be a distinction without a difference. What control? I can go buy a refundable ticket from an e-ticket machine at the airport to get in without a problem. No, I believe that the extra resources required for letting in non-passengers was what excluded non-passengers from being let through.
That certainly seems to make the most sense, and from a logistical standpoint, with the TSA's current screening "efficiency," I'd prefer it stay that way for now. Can you imagine the wait times at airports if the TSA had to screen everyone's friends & family who want to meet them at the gate, see them off, etc.? (This seemed to work fine pre-9/11, hence my quotes on "efficiency," for it clearly wouldn't work today)