Posted on 12/08/2004 2:40:01 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
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 banned items, including scissors, pen knives and box cutters.
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-Ariz., 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.
How about airport kiosks "rent a lighter". LOL
Then you must be in favor of banning all electronics, batteries, in-flight movies, instruments and fuel.
Fires on planes are generally electrical and not intentionally started. In fact I have never heard of one that was started by a passenger and neither has my son in his 17 years as an airline mechanic. (Not including 7 years as a mechanic in the Air Force)
Try not smoking from 5pm one day until 1800 the next. Dallas to Moscow was BRUTAL.
ping
You actually check luggage?
I NEVER check in any luggage. Everything I need for a three day business flight can fit in a carry-on bag. And probably 90% of the business flyers out there never check any luggage, so I suspect this is going to bee a big issue.
"My dad says butane's a bastard gas."
The single most effective way to protect our national security is tightening our borders...It's not even on the radar screen in our White House. It stuns me and p!sses me off!
This is an issue the Democrats are going to use in their behalf in the next election...just wait and see.
RE: "Next items to be banned:
Shoe laces.
Then ballpoint pens.
Then leather belts.
Then paper-clips."
Mechanical Pencils (actually pencils in general I guess)
Socks full of loose change (which is my personal favorite jailhouse weapon)
For many a lighter is a personal item.
For smokers they just don't smoke on the airplane but they have the cigarets for the smoking lounges or areas.
(this is a feeeel good legislation. You can BUY nail cutters once you get through security)
OH, PLEASE!
Back off the hyperbole and hysteria.
Lighters have been forbidden from checked baggage for a long time, even before 9/11. The only way to transport a butane lighter to one's destination was either to ship it UPS, paying appropriate hazmat charges, or carry it on one's person.
LOL. Looks like we have a boyscout in the forum.
Personally, I always prefered a road flare for emergency firestarting (if you can't get it to burn with a flare, its definately too wet to burn)!
I wonder if they've banned road flares in carryon?
"...Everything I need for a three day business flight can fit in a carry-on bag..."
Assorted inane restrictions have made civilized life more unpleasant on arrival. It used to be nice to have a razor-sharp folding knife so I could cut apples at my hotel room, open plastic packaging, and uncork bottles of wine. As a lifelong non-smoker, a small lighter is handy for candles and burning threads from your garments. We need to concentrate on finding terrorists not things.
~ Blue Jays ~
I did Phoenix to Moscow (with stops in Dallas and Heathrow).
But I was in first class from Dallas to Heathrow and slept like a baby on that leg, so it wasn't too bad.
Probably true. However, I'm convinced that smokers will never understand why non-smokers have a problem being around them at times too.
Either take a small bag full of lighters to check or just purchase a cheap bic when you arrive at your destination then.
Hijacking is one thing, using the planes as missiles to fly into skyscrapers is another.
Holy smokes, is that a real pic of the Concord that crashed in France 5 -6 years ago?
I understand it's a personal item. I have some pocketknives that are very sentimental to me too. I don't take them on planes though.
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