Maybe I'm the only one, but I feel like in a way the TSA is going backwards instead of forward (moving on from 9/11). After 9/11, airport security was considerably tightened, lines became longer, ID checks were strict, and we even had National Guards patrolling the airports. Reports surfaced nation-wide in 2003 about screeners groping women, and the CAPPS II disaster came and went.

In 2004-2006, things began to loosen up - while shoes were required to come off, TSA backed off with Secure Flight, lines became shorter, TSA improved their pat-down process, and they were generally less invasive (little behavior detection, ID checks performed by airport contractors, etc).

Nowadays, we're seeing increased longer lines due to TSA taking over ID checks, the whole liquid fiasco, Secure Flight being in process, increased SPOT, more "propaganda" on their website giving statistics, reports of TSA taking down your personal info, and just a more invasive TSA... then the whole report on that woman who had problems going through security due to her piercing.

So, do you think TSA is going backwards - becoming more stricter than before? Longer lines (which I think is contrary to their goal to get you through the checkpoint as fast as possible), or are things actually improving compared to before? I'm not sure.

Discuss.