Security Theatre (part 2)

Graham points to an article by my neighbor: Inside Job: My Life as an Airport Screener. The surprising thing about the theatre isn't that it exists. The surprising thing is that we're so bad at it.

It's easy to get hung up on whether it's appropriate to put on a show when it comes to airport security or eating at your restaurant or attending your church. But I think it's more interesting to get past that discussion and instead wonder, "If we're going to put on a show, how could we do it better?" Starbucks and Disney have both made billions doing just that.

If you and I sat down for an hour, I have no doubt we could dramatically increase the quality of the security show at the airport, or the bureaucracy show at the Department of Motor Vehicles or the litigation show at the local courthouse.