Region of Waterloo International Airport - YKF

[danbrotherston]

And there are also multiple links in the security chain here...lets say the bus driver is paid off to stop and pickup someone who hasn't gone through security...they still need a valid boarding pass to get on the plane, and they won't have that if they haven't gone through security.

A better plan would be for the driver to load an unauthorized object onto the bus while it’s empty, then pick up perfectly legitimate passengers, including one who happens to be first in line and an accomplice, who sits down where the object is and later takes it onto the plane.

As for banks...I worked for one...their physical security is decent, but all they are doing is following best practices...limited cash on hand, time locks on safes, etc. None of this is new. In fact, things which ARE new...they're actually quite bad at...their IT security is not great...and the reason for this is conservatism. At the very top of every investment statement it says "past performance is not a guarantee of future results" but in every single conversation I had high up people at the bank, the prevailing opinion was "what we did yesterday worked, changing it is therefore a grave risk".

The main reason bank heists are uncommon is it isn't actually that good a value. Policing treats it very seriously (something something, police, something something protecting capital), so you're going to have a high chance of facing consequences, but your payout is low, because physically (or even technologically) compromising a single persons account or even a single branch isn't going to net you all that much cash.

Yes, when I speak favourably of bank security I’m talking about physical security in the branches, not the many obviously idiotic things they do around cheque and credit card handling. Even funds wiring has some unbelievably stupid practices.

I understand that it actually used to be possible to net quite a substantial haul by holding up a bank branch. Mostly invisible or at least subtle changes in procedures changed that, not a lot of impressive-looking guards. Now it’s easy to get a little bit of money, but that isn’t repeatable indefinitely. Of course it doesn’t hurt that a lot less cash is used these days.

Upon consideration, I’m not entirely convinced but I think you and other commenters have made a good case that the bus idea is no worse for security than many of the other things that already happen at the airport. I still think if we wanted/needed real airport security it would be best not to have cleared vehicles driving around outside the cleared zone.

I wouldn't say "easy"....but the biggest change that has happened that has limited the amount of cash you can get is the massive reduction in cash on hand that has resulted from our digital society. Tellers no longer even have a cash drawer....

As for the airport, that's a fair point, there should be more consistency...but again, I think the real key is actually the background checks (which I assume are done also on the random trades people who are allowed past security checkpoints--both inside and out). This actually comes back to the banks...another thing they are good at...and this is because banks are establishment and follow the law is that they practice KYC--know your customer...they try to know what their customers are doing to prevent being a party to their customers crimes.

Again, the best thing that can be done for security at the airport is to identify and background check the people who are there. I also think it's a shame that such security is needed at all. I can freely travel on a train (at least a domestic) with no identifying information no records of my travel, and no travelling through any security...yet airplanes suffer this enormous security apparatus.