Airport Safety

I know by now, most of you have heard about what happened at the airport in Philadelphia yesterday.  For those who have no clue - an automobile crashed through the gate close to the runway and was speeding down the active runway where a plane was just a couple of minutes from landing.  Of course, police were also chasing the car.  Nobody had a clue as to what was going on.  Of course, radio transmissions from air traffic controllers averted the plane that was preparing to land.

What really floored me on this was the comment from the airport officials.  They simply say that their gates are FAA approved.  SO what?

Now, I have not flown since all the new security measures are in place, but you hear about what a hassle it is to get on an airplane these days.  The long lines, the questionable security measures such as pat-downs and/or scans.  And, if we want to be secure, I guess we have to deal with that.  You give up a little convenience to increase your safety. 

But - my question after the events of yesterday is this:  Is their vision regarding safety too narrow??

Now, the automobile that crashed the gate did not contain an explosive - although it could have.  And, the gates may be FAA approved, but the fact remains that they were not strong enough to stop the vehicle.  What is the point in going to so much trouble to make sure the passengers on the plane are not dangerous if you are not even willing to reinforce the airport gates to ensure that vehicles cannot simple drive onto the runways??

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.