Flying back from the Hamvention in Dayton last May they were on a lighter kick at checkin. They had everybody squeezing and venting all their lighter fluid and butane in the security line. The place reeked of fumes. The garbage can was full of paper towels soaked in lighter fluid. I was thinking, one person who lights their lighter instead of just releasing the gas, and we all go to the moon.

There isn't any consistancy at all, they are going nuts over lighters, when pretty much every single person getting on board was carrying battery packs, electronics, radios (all of which are much easier to hide bomb making stuff in then a lighter) and they didn't care. They were told to go after lighters, and that was all they cared about.

I had Rockports on, and we all know Rockports don't make it through easily. I was taking off my shoes, they told me that wasn't necessary, did I have a lighter?

Duh.

In most cases I haven't had an opportunity to laugh at the security people, but this trip was certainly one of them.