Nobody is suggesting (as far as I can tell) that pax be allowed to use the flight deck to travel without a ticket. Those days are long gone.
Similarly, nobody is suggesting that pax that have some relationship with an operating crew member (or even an absent crew member) should have the right to a jumpseat. That too is part of ancient history.
What is being suggested is the following:
1) that the security policies adopted post 9/11 are a complete waste of time; and that
2) one of the best parts of the job, being allowed to show the office to pax of all ages and interests, has been quite unneccesarily lost to our profession.
It used to be that we could inspire future pilots, or help allay the fears of nervous flyers, or simply fascinate those who love aviation, but, for one reason or another have never been able to participate as we do. It is easy to make the case that doing all these things is commercially sensible.
However, the new way is that airport security services, terrified of being blamed for some lapse, go way beyond what is prudent and sensible. They enforce ever more ridiculous rules to no effect whatsoever. There is no logic to what they do, and very little standardisation between airports- even airports run by the same company (ie BAA in the UK).
Airlines, partly because they are driven by the same fear as the airports, and partly because they are unwilling to be seen to be politically incorrect, will not stand up to this nonsense.
I'm all for sensible, effective security that recognises the nature of the threat, and the extent to which they can prevent terrorism. We don't have that kind of security today. We have security driven by panic- knee-jerk security.
Frankly, I'm sure the terrorists we should really be afraid of- not the opportunists- must be laughing their heads off. Their real triumph is not so much the death and destruction they have caused, but the way that they have changed forever the way the western world approaches airline travel. They are actually changing our society! And we allow it. Sad.
I used to enjoy the job, but now it is made miserable by the constant nonsense we have to put up with. Very sad.