>>Let me lay it out plainly for you (something I believe you already know, thus the "dense" earlier)...
>
>What's your point?
>
>Do those rules protect me, the passenger?

With all the pre-boarding security you are considered to be "protected" from harm in an airplane. And if some nutcase still tries to do something then the passengers NOW know that they should intervene and subdue any nutcases.
And no nutcase is going to get near the flight controls any more.

Airplanes have very tight security and then likely have Air Marshalls on board too. Maybe also pilots now even carry guns. To let fear overrule common sense is to have the terrorists win.

The terrorists aren't after **you**, they are 'after' the system. We have to learn to accept that the odds of safety are grossly (now) in our favour and we have to accept that in the rare case where some nutcase makes some fuss *WE* have to deal with it WHEN IT HAPPENS. To let FEAR of something happening rule our actions once we're all through security is borderline paranoid.

If you are nervous about someone on your flight why shouldn't it be you that gets off the flight?... Why does your paranoia give you the pass to stay on board?

How many people ejected by the pilot from one flight have gone on to hijack the next flight they got on?