Yeah, they've been doing that the last two Mondays at SAT. Saw it again this morning in the AA gates. Exactly as described.

A few points.

1) I saw them check a guy with a computer bag and rollaboard. They didn't even open the rollaboard, and they pawed through the computer bag in a cursory manner.

2) They spent almost as much time checking his boarding pass as they did the bag. Didn't ask for ID, just spend 30 seconds looking at the boarding pass.

3) As I watched over a 30 minute period, I saw them check 6-8 passengers.

4) As a "search", this was an effort that was worse than useless. It was a waste of TSA time, and an inconvenience to the passengers. It was, at best, theater.

With all due respect to our resident TSA person (who works that terminal), while I am opposed to the gate searches at the outset, if such searches are going to be done, at least make them good theater. What I saw was a HUGE waste of time. It wasn't even good theater.