San Francisco International Airport continuously stands out on its own. It remains to be the only airport known to have a curtained veil of silver disco ball-like decorations at its underground train entrance, prominently announcing an arrival or departure to San Francisco, lest people confuse us with another city.
Due to increased foot traffic and infamous security checkpoints, which require passengers remove both thigh-high lace-up boots and all forty pieces of their family heirloom jewelry during baggage inspection, SFO passengers have been opting to get through congested terminal lines, before settling on meal options. In the past three years, post-security located eateries have experienced a 24.5 percent increase in business, while pre-security dining choices have experienced a 20 percent decline, a change which has lead to the closure of some of the airport’s food courts and restaurants.
According to the Ex, SFO officials have been considering using the vacated areas to expand crowded screening areas. “We are looking at the spaces for a variety of other potential uses, one of which may be for expansion of security queuing areas,” Leo Fermin, deputy airport director of business and finance of SFO, said.
Mike McCarron, a spokesperson for SFO, has said that a space left by the removal of a restaurant has already been utilized to widen a security checkpoint. Perhaps you will no longer have to rub shoulders with a European soccer team while waiting to get yourself and your baggage checked…unless you’d like to, of course.
The decrease in food options (only 18 out of the 42 food options at SFO are pre-security) is by no means an indication of diminished appetites. SFO still holds the national heavyweight title of “the highest [food and beverage] sales per enplaned passenger in the country,” according to Fermin. “Overall, our food and beverage program is doing very well.”
Perhaps this high volume of consumption is in response to dehydrated airplane food, and is indicative of a passenger’s Last Supper. Or perhaps passengers are performing a last-minute Man Vs. Food reenactment, before they are whisked off to Japan, or another destination where competitive eating is more socially acceptable.
Either way, it would be wonderful to come to SFO and deal with smaller security lines. This could mean less time behind the woman arguing with TSA employees about the contents of her purse, and more time for you to sink your teeth into a cheeseburger at Burger Joint. Or three, or four.
