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Congress bans lighters from airliners
Seattle PI ^ | Dec 8, 2004 | Leslie Miller

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.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airlinesecurity; intel8reform; intelligencereform; tsa
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
It's not during the flight that I would have a problem. It's during the waiting time. You have to get there 2 hours early. Then there is the time between connections when I would like to have smoke. Now, if I can't smoke from 6:00 in the mornig until 7:00 at night when my connecting flight finally lands, I may become a teensy bit irritated.
21 posted on 12/08/2004 2:53:35 PM PST by Betty Jane
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

---with dimwits like Wyden and Dorgan micromanaging things we don't need enemies--we'll self destruct---


22 posted on 12/08/2004 2:54:43 PM PST by rellimpank
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To: Prime Choice

No, but I do think it should at least be said that matches are not allowed. I know that some will pass through, but maybe at least some wouldn't. Most of the mentally-deranged out there that would start a fire on a plane are also the ones that think metal detectors pick up on more than just metal. lol


23 posted on 12/08/2004 2:54:54 PM PST by Bluegrass Conservative
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To: Bluegrass Conservative

"what need would anyone have for a lighter???"

To light my cigarette the instant I can get outside the terminal on arrival!


24 posted on 12/08/2004 2:55:10 PM PST by dalereed
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

"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."

I though Reid had some form of plastic explosive, which I don't think fire can detonate.


25 posted on 12/08/2004 2:55:18 PM PST by thompsonsjkc
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To: Betty Jane

Grab a patch! : )


26 posted on 12/08/2004 2:55:46 PM PST by Bluegrass Conservative
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
Okay, so maybe a terrorist isn't going to use a Zippo to hijack a plane. But, I'm more in fear of the prospect of some mentally-deranged jerk taking his lighter and a stack of the nearest airplane magazines and starting a fire on the plane. This isn't nanny-statism, this is just common sense!

In that case it would be wise to ban all liquids, powders, solids, etc.

Ramzi Yousef used to carry nitroglycerine in his contact lens solution bottle.

27 posted on 12/08/2004 2:56:00 PM PST by AdamSelene235
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
Buy a cheap Bic at the airport.

Right. They will sell lighters after you have passed through security already. You must not travel much or you might be smoking something else entirely this evening.

28 posted on 12/08/2004 2:56:31 PM PST by Glenn (The two keys to character: 1) Learn how to keep a secret. 2) ...)
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To: dalereed

And your need for a cigarette that quickly is worth endangering the lives of everyone on the plane?


29 posted on 12/08/2004 2:56:34 PM PST by Bluegrass Conservative
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To: AdamSelene235

All liquids, powders, solids, etc.? No. Nitroglycerine? Yes


30 posted on 12/08/2004 2:57:39 PM PST by Bluegrass Conservative
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Next items to be banned:
Shoe laces.

Then ballpoint pens.

Then leather belts.

Then paper-clips.


31 posted on 12/08/2004 2:58:45 PM PST by Redbob
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To: Bluegrass Conservative

So my point stands. This measure buys us no additional security whatsoever and only serves to increase the nanny-state.


32 posted on 12/08/2004 2:59:07 PM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)
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To: Glenn
Travel plenty. I just don't smoke. Can't say I look for lighters that often. And I'm not one of the "you shouldn't be able to smoke anywhere" folks. It's your body. You know the risks. If you want to accept them to enjoy a cigarette, that's you for it. I could care less.

However, I don't want the possibility of a fire on a plane.

33 posted on 12/08/2004 2:59:13 PM PST by Bluegrass Conservative
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To: Prime Choice

It does by additional security. It does not buy complete security.


34 posted on 12/08/2004 3:00:05 PM PST by Bluegrass Conservative
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
All liquids, powders, solids, etc.? No. Nitroglycerine? Yes

Given the extraordinary number of explosive compounds you will a complete laboratory analysis of *every* liquid, powder and solid that goes on an aircraft.

That isnt practical.

35 posted on 12/08/2004 3:00:09 PM PST by AdamSelene235
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To: TChris

the Shoe Bomber?


36 posted on 12/08/2004 3:00:13 PM PST by politicalmerc (To get Rejected Stickers http://www.tdowc.com/store/catalog)
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
All liquids, powders, solids, etc.? No. Nitroglycerine? Yes

Congratulations. By your senseless banning of nitroglycerine, you just sentenced countless people with heart conditions to death.

37 posted on 12/08/2004 3:00:54 PM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
However, I don't want the possibility of a fire on a plane.

Any moron can start a fire without a lighter.

38 posted on 12/08/2004 3:01:12 PM PST by AdamSelene235
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To: Bluegrass Conservative

It buys no security at all. Anyone with a book of matches can start a fire just as readily as anyone with a butane lighter.


39 posted on 12/08/2004 3:01:43 PM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)
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To: Bluegrass Conservative
No additional security? Okay, so maybe a terrorist isn't going to use a Zippo to hijack a plane. But, I'm more in fear of the prospect of some mentally-deranged jerk taking his lighter and a stack of the nearest airplane magazines and starting a fire on the plane. This isn't nanny-statism, this is just common sense!

But he could never do that with the matches that are still allowed, could he.

Bzzzzzzzt - wrong-o.

This is another in a long line of really stupid ideas that sound good but have no real effect.

BTW on a separate note - Had the shoe bomb not been allowed on the plane, the risk of getting it lit with a lighter would diminish exponentially.

Try again...
40 posted on 12/08/2004 3:01:47 PM PST by NonLinear ("If not instantaneous, then extrordinarily fast" - Galileo re. speed of light. circa 1600)
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