Originally Posted by Mats

Or it's the six or seven guys who bypass secondary screening for the flight to Tel Aviv and who stand around joking and chatting before the flight, but act like they've never met once on board.

I understand but oppose the Federal Air Marshal program. And it's not just the downgrades. I am reminded of EgyptAir 648, in which marshals miscalculated and there was a mid-air gunfight. There were five fatalities.

I am reminded of Rigoberto Alpazar, who was shot and killed by US Air Marshals in 2005 due to an acute psychotic episode.

Passengers have clearly shown their ability to handle problems on their own, like Richard Reid and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The Marshals have only seem to have demonstrated a threat rather than a benefit to aviation safety.