Ruining LAX for $9.6 billion

I actually spent an enjoyable hour at LAX recently. I wasn't flying, just picking up my co-Observers. Getting in and out was painless (it was 9 at night). Got a good parking spot directly across from baggage claim, scored a free Smarte Carte at the curb, and caught the infectious joy of the arriving tourists. So on the surface I see nothing to like in Mayor Hahn's $9.6 billion plan to remove all cars (New York Times) from the airport and make every one check in at a new collection center a mile away. Hahn calls it a prudent anti-terrorism step, even though RAND says centralizing check-in would actually increase casualities. Apparently what it's really about is adding passenger capacity, but that is more politically sensitive than the war against terror. (The L.A. Times story disagrees.) My concerns are more prosaic: my back hurts already thinking about lugging bags on and off buses, and it feels like another hour added to the whole LAX transaction.