Originally Posted by JS
The odd thing about MSP is that it's like DFW, where all the businesses are behind security. It's been like that for years and there are no plans to do anything about it.
You would think that with the heavy-handed enforcement of parking in front of the terminal, there would be enough people in the airport waiting for arriving passengers to support something outside the secure area.
Criminy, even tiny little airports like ERI or GSP have a restaurant outside security (granted, there is no restaurant inside security). MSP and DFW -- both must have been designed by morons.
Recall that pre-9/11 (and most airports were designed pre-9/11), most airports in the US did not require a BP (or some special form of permission) to get through security. You just walked through the metal detector (no need to show ID, take off your shoes, etc.) and that was that. In that era, which side of the screening points shops, restaurants, lounges, etc. were on was of little consequence.