I think there’s also something to the lack of alternatives to air travel. If you’re going to fly from NY to LA, you’ll get there in 5-6 hours air time, plus 2-4 on either end. There’s no alternative that gets you there in the same day, so adding an hour delay of security theater may be wasteful but it doesn’t change your decision to fly, whereas for trains that delay would likely mean you drive instead.
One difference between the modes: a device that would cause minimal casualties on a train could bring a plane down.
There's some truth to this, though I don't think it changes the outcome of the analysis
I think there’s also something to the lack of alternatives to air travel. If you’re going to fly from NY to LA, you’ll get there in 5-6 hours air time, plus 2-4 on either end. There’s no alternative that gets you there in the same day, so adding an hour delay of security theater may be wasteful but it doesn’t change your decision to fly, whereas for trains that delay would likely mean you drive instead.
Indeed... I make a similar argument in the second footnote
Ah, didn’t see the footnote. Thanks!