Bravo guest of 4.55pm. It took 30-odd posts for someone to make the obvious question.

Crazy as it sounds, most countries have security procedures specifically designed to prevent bombs being carried on to planes. Most even had such measures in place 9-11. In the immediate aftermath of 9-11, the pilots of British airlines said that they didn't want armed marshalls on planes: the place for security, they said, was at the check-ins, not on board. It would seem from many of the brainless posts here that most Americans prefer to have air mashalls murder the suspects.

Well that would be fine, but what's a poor air marshall to do if someone brings a bomb on board and forgets to mention it?