Originally Posted by vegasman
To Dovster. I had a similar question. I smoke cigars, and asked if it was ok to carry on an EMPTY butane lighter. I waited 5 days for a reply, and got the same answer that you did. CAll them. Well I tried that and after ringing and ringing for what seemed like forever, I was transferred to an outsource company in INDIA. Imaging that, our own government outsourcing federal jobs to India. That sure sets an example. Well, the person who answered said no, not even an empty lighter. Doesn't make any sense at all. You cannot carry butane fuel, so what danger is there in an empty lighter????
I flew SAN-DCA over Memorial Day weekend, 2004. I had packed my Zippo in my checked luggage. It was empty - it had run dry during my CA stay, and I didn't see any point in refilling it out there.
Needless to say, TSA opened my checked luggage, left a note, and stole my lighter. (I had that lighter almost 25 years, and it came with me to two wars, and I carried it literally HUNDREDS of times in my pocket on board a plane. I called TSA. Nope - can't have it back. Nope - it will be destrpyed in San Diego. Nope - there is no supervisor for you to talk with. Nope - you were never allowed to carry a lighter - even in your checked luggage.)
I think this is my third retelling of this story in various postings - it still galls me what TSA did.