Began working at KIDL (KJFK) back in 1954. Prior to the hijackings, airports were loosely secured. At KLGA, only a low hedge separated you from the end of a runway and you could walk down and around the Pan Am hangars down at the Marine Terminal. In the 1950's at KIDL you could push open the doors from the passenger areas and access the ramp. If someone was there, they might shoo you back inside. It was not unusual for us maintenance folks to be working on an aircraft at the gate and find some stray soul staring up the ladder at you. Then too, in those days they had observation decks for people would go to the airport to see someone off.
The Eastern Air Shuttle running hourly between Boston, New York and Washington was no reservation and ticketless. The pax were supposed to fill out a card with your name and address and give to the agent as you boarded but you would see late arriving pax sprinting down the corridor to the gate, make a slash mark on the card and toss it at the agent who was holding the door open. Agent would close the door and the pushback would start. Need I say, no one had verified ID or frisked them for weapons or looked at their luggage?
I remember the first time (for EAL at KJFK at least) when they instituted hand held weapon detectors. It was on our first B747 San Juan departure of the day and was of course full. They made the announcement that all passengers would be checked with the hand held magnometer. A half dozen elected not to try to board and left. After the aircraft departure, they found several "Saturday Night Specials" (cheap pistols) in the potted plants of the gate area.
The "Fly me to Cuba" hijackings signaled the beginning of the end to the carefree flying experience and of course 9/11 put the final stamp on the process. No more running down the to the gate and going aboard. You have to prove your identity, if you meet certain criteria you may get special attention, you get checked, x-rayed and maybe hand frisked just to get to the gate area.
Airline maintenance techs are challenged for having sharp, pointy tools "and do you need so many?"
I am afraid the Bad Guys in this have won and it is the innocent who must suffer.