I do not believe that there was a security lapse on Sep 11, since the box cutters used by the terrorists were not prohibited items. It was a failure of the US govt (FAA,FBI, and others), or in other words, a failure of Intelligence. Since then we have joined in to completely discard intelligence. (small 'i').
What is the use of increasing the "security" procedures to the insane level they are at now, when it will have no effect on safety? There have been no instances where hijackers have taken knives, guns etc from passengers to use in their illegal activities, and if the passengers had some way to protect themselves, they might be able to thwart the bstards.
Just as gun control is aimed at the honest citizen, leaving the criminal free to do what he wants, so is this cr@p.
In LAX now, it takes over two hours just to queue to get into the security area! Then you have to go through the stupid, stupid screening, with some being ordered to take off coats, shoes etc before the first pass through (based on ethnicity of course). And to make it work better, one of the three scanners has been taken out of service for the last few weeks. Around the walls stand useless, fully armed and fierce looking National Guard (probably pussycats, really).
It stands to reason that a government, run by special interests and spurred on by hysteria, would go for the most complicated, ineffective and expensive way to do anything, and their approach to this issue is typical. If something is not working, there cannot be anything wrong with what is being done; we just have to do it harder!
If Bin Laden failed to bring aviation to its knees, don't fret, we will do it for him.