Security at the airport getting betterMAY 19 2003

Airport security finally seems to be stabilizing after the frenzy of new procedures and policies following 9/11. American in Chicago is no longer checking IDs as you board the plane; once at the ticket counter to get your ticket is sufficient. The random bag searches at the gate seem to be a thing of the past as well; there were no announcements about them and no space set aside for searching at Chicago, Newark, or Portland airports. Security is still tight at the entrances to the gates (as it should be), but both travellers and airport personnel are so used to the drill by now (laptops out, coats off, take a swig of your drink, any metal on those shoes?) that everything runs fairly smoothly.