[grandalf]

Are you sure it was the same amount of money? Before the TSA, airport security agents were very minimally trained and there were no expensive body scanner machines.

I would not be surprised if the TSA version of airport security cost 10x the previous version.

[Spooky23]

Don't underestimate the cost of bodyshop-style arrangements. The guy fumbling through your luggage may have been making $8/hour, but the billing for it could have easily been 8-15x the salary.

[harkyns_castle]

A good point. It seems to me an increase in people annoying you throughout the flying process is only going to have increased costs, coupled with expensive hardware and presumably billions in software too.

Speaking for Tasmania, there's a desolate looking guy on the Hobart bomb scanner device every time that flags me over. His face says it all, "I know this is a bullshit job, just submit and it will be over with quickly, I collect a paycheck, you feel bad for a little while."