Banning Matches and Lighters on Airplanes
According to the Washington Post:
When Congress voted last year to prohibit passengers from bringing lighters and matches aboard commercial airplanes, it sounded like a reasonable idea for improving airline security.
But as airports and government leaders began discussing how to create flame-free airport terminals, the task became more complicated. Would newsstands and other small airport stores located beyond the security checkpoint have to stop selling lighters? Would airports have to ban smoking and close smoking lounges? How would security screeners detect matches in passengers’ pockets or carry-on bags when they don’t contain metal to set off the magnetometers? And what about arriving international travelers, who might have matches and lighters with them as they walk through the terminal?
It’s the silly security season out there. Given all of the things to spend money on to improve security, how this got to the top of anyone’s list is beyond me.
Zwack • March 4, 2005 3:28 PM
But does it really improve safety?
Are they going to be screening for flint and steel? tinderbox? battery and resistance wire? Two sticks? a fire starting bow?
I’m sure I could carry enough fine wire in my watch band that I could use the watch battery, or the battery from my walkman to use to start a small fire.
I don’t know who at the Washington Post thought “It sounded like a reasonable idea”… It sounds like an utterly stupid idea to me.
Wouldn’t it just be better to make sure that proper firefighting equipment was available and explosives screening was performed?
When I moved to the US I brought most of my camping equipment, including a Trangia paraffin stove, and a fuel bottle. In light of regulations the fuel bottle was empty (thus full of fumes that probably made it even more likely to explode). But I had accidentally carried it on an international flight while full before (I just forgot to empty it out after a camping trip before boarding the flight home)… Nobody noticed.
Z.