Lighters to be banned on planes...

[Geoff_M]

Just noticed this on the web...

Butane lighters banned from airliners

Thursday, December 9, 2004 Posted: 9:58 AM EST (1458 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Passengers already are barred from smoking on commercial flights. Now they won't be allowed to bring their butane lighters on board either.

As part of the intelligence reform bill passed Wednesday, Congress added the lighters to the long list of items, including scissors, pen knives and box cutters, that passengers are barred from carrying on to planes. The ban does not apply to checked luggage.

Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota had pushed for the change for more than a year after learning the Transportation Security Administration allowed them on planes.

"When I found out that they had explicitly, in their rule, said you could take two butane lighters and four books of matches on board, I thought, 'What have they been drinking?"' Dorgan said. Matches still are allowed.

Dorgan cited FBI reports that would-be "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid would have been able to ignite his explosive and blow up a trans-Atlantic jetliner three years ago if he'd brought a butane lighter with him.

Wyden and Dorgan were so persistent in their campaign against the incendiary devices that Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, joked earlier this year that he never thought butane lighters would get so much attention.

"This is probably not the biggest thing in the world," Dorgan said. "But it's one of those areas where a big government agency couldn't develop a little bit of common sense about something so obvious."

The ban takes effect 60 days after President Bush signs the intelligence reform bill into law.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/12/09/planes.butane.lighters.ap/index.html

 

[shatzjsl]

I am a smoker and often wondered why I was allowed to bring my lighter on the plane. I'm surprised they weren't on the original list of banned items.
A person could do a lot of damage with a lighter to start a fire. I guess match books could also be used. I have no problem with this.

 

[CarolA]

I see this as the tail wagging the dog.... The thing they need to prevent are EXPLOSIVES! If your local terrorist doesn't have these then the lighter is not the threat.

This goes right up there with the nail file on the fingernail clippers ban. (Somehow something that a weakling like me can break doesn't seem a big threat to me!)

 

[inkkognito]

No sharp objects, but you can bring glass containers. Don't they realize how sharp a glass bottle would be if you broke it? With as much as I fly, I really don't feel any more secure now than I did before 9/11.
Barb

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

I think its good to add to the list. It may seem stuphid to some but just imagine, the person with lighter could light the plane on fire. Not a good thing. I thinks it good they added to the list. I feel more safe now just because of all the extra security. I fly often and it seems safer, yea you wait longer but I would rather me even a little safer and do the longer wait.

Matt

 

[Sandyincanada]

All I can say is good grief!! I fly ALOT (through work) so for me, this means everytime I pop on and off a plane, I have to stop somewhere and buy a new lighter ( because the chances of me remembering to pack it all the time is next to nil as I've had to buy 4 manicure scissors this year alone because I forget to take it out of my make-up bag which is on my carry-on)...a person with a pack of matches can light a fire or a bomb or whatever as well. Matches are ok to use in a fix but not something I would want to use for a weeks business trip. This all may sound trivial to some people, but when your rushing off to meetings, etc, every minute can count.

I think they need a frequent flier listing or something. When I used to only fly once or twice a year, I would remember these things but when you fly alot, you tend to rush packing, ignore lists and concentrate on the work materials you need to bring with you. I do anyways. I pack way differently for a family vacation.

On a light (?) note....my in-laws went to Portugal last year, they took away my MIL's manicure scissors but when the meal was brought out, they were given real (silver) forks and knives!!

 

[NotUrsula]

Just wanted to point out that existing regulations require that you do NOT pack lighters or matches in checked baggage, so the rule now will be NO LIGHTERS at all. Your 4 books of paper matches are all you are going to get.

As to remembering what to pack or not pack when travelling for business, you do what most frequent business travelers do; you keep all toiletries and incidentals pre-packed (duplicates), and you make sure that everything in that kit is TSA-approved. When it is time to leave for a trip, you throw in your pre-packed toilet kit with fresh clothing, put your Rx medication in your carryon, and you roll. Any work things like extra chargers or cables stay pre-packed, too; this is a duplicate set just in case.

 

[safetymom]

I am much more organized for business travel. I have a separate set of everything that I keep in my suitcase. Doesn't take long at all to get ready for a business trip.

 

[dcentity2000]

This is getting silly.

You can't prevent all attacks - right now I think the top way to crash a plane would be for a terrorist to enrol as a pilot or air marshall - strict rules, yes, but I'll bet there's someone patient enough to do it. Or maybe a terrorist who suffers from an illness that requires the use of regular injections - schizoaffective disorder, for instance? Get him willing and you have needles full of God knows what up there.

There is a cut off point between destroying our liberties and preserving our lives - I'm not sure about this one but I'm sure we're thundering towards the crunch point.



Rich::