This is typical of the Americans. No matter what problems they have with their security, it always has to come second to making money. No doubt the shopkeepers in the Pittsburgh Airport mall all screamed to their Congressman/woman about the threat to their jobs.
The Americans continue to be the hypocrites of aviation security. Their poorly trained and poorly paid security staff still make appalling blunders, such as the woman passenger who was allowed to board carrying a spray canister of mace (or pepper spray). I'm sure the person that scanned her luggage got a 'strict' telling off and no more. As for the woman who left her gun in the Ladies room, well.....
Yet if this had happened in the UK, the Americans would be swift to accuse us of not doing enough to prevent terrorism. What they really mean is, prevent a threat to the US. Hence their bullying tactics to make us use 'skymarshalls'.
There is no reason whatsoever for anyone but ticketed passengers to go through security to the gate. If a couple of newspaper stalls and the obligatory Starbucks suffer a loss of business, so be it.
I'm sure that a terrorist would not hesitate to enlist a few people to 'wave him off', all with a few more pounds of explosive or other threat to life. The more we allow unnecessary people through, the greater the threat to everyone. Its a shame the Americans are too greedy to see this.
Sorry about the rant, but when are these people going to learn?