MSY-MSP

Well I have some more information from the folks at MSP about the lighter ban, which has now apparently gone into effect here (a little early). The ban is as follows. No lighters period. No Bic's, Zippos, etc. Also the signage states that passengers will be allowed one book of matches. According to these folks there is going to be no second chance with the lighters, because it is illegal to bring them through the checkpoint, because they are banned by law. They said they will keep a list of every passenger caught with a lighter and it will be published to all of the checkpoints. (They said they do this with all other illegal items, guns, knives, and explosives) If you are caught with a lighter, it will be up to law enforcement what to do with you, probably just take the lighter and charge you with a petty misdemeanor (traffic level) for attempting to take a prohibitted item into an airport. TSA will fine you accordingly. The general thought is a first offense will be in the neighborhood of a $100 fine, second $500, third $1000, and a 4th will probably land you on the no fly list.

They are thinking of putting a lighter donation box at some of the checkpoints. kind of like the need a penny take a penny/ have a penny give a penny thing.

As for the matches thing, they are not sure how they are going to do this. A book of matches will be allowed, but seeing it is another thing. The current thought is an honesty program, i.e. remove the matches from your bag. The other options are random bag dumps, and complete bag dumps for all.

That is all I have heard for now. will advise as I learn more.

whirledtraveler

Gee, my grandfather had a huge match book cover collection.. it would be fun to take on a trip.

Is there a match in there? No. In there? No.

whirledtraveler

We still don't seem to be communicating, so let me simplify: If this isn't written down someplace where it can be reviewed by the public, a place where the public can know what the law and policies are, and what is and is not specifically prohibited, it is capricious. The job is to enforce the law, not to have a personal notion of what constitutes a "freebie."

kcvt750

Screener: "Got a match?"

Traveller: "Yeah, your policies and Afghani Democracy".

windwalker

I pray I get the chance to go through MSP before a "Law" as taken effect and it's tried to be enforced on me.
As anyone got the number for the ACLU?

Doppy

Well aren't we all safer now.

Are they going to go through the inventory of all of the airport vendors across the country to make sure that none of them are selling matches or lighters?

Another great policy which will cost a lot of money, waste a lot of time, jerk around a bunch of innocent people and do nothing to stop bad people.

red456

I'm hoping this was a typo, MSY-MSP. Otherwise, they're going to have to start stripping people at the curb!

Dovster

When you arrive at ATL (unless this has been changed recently) on an international flight you have to go through Security even if you have no connecting flight.

The reason is that after going through Customs you have to enter the secure area of the airport before leaving the airport itself.

This could lead to the absurd situation where somebody legally gets on a flight in France with a Bic and gets arrested in Atlanta for trying to take a cigarette lighter out of the airport!

MSY-MSP

Actually, the law states that they are banned on all flights into the US as well. It may also apply to flights that overfly the US too. So you shouldn't have had it at US customs at this point, and the screeners are only picking up what the French missed. This will however, lead to interesting security issues at foreign airports. In particular it will be tough to enforce at LHR, HKG, NRT unless the create a totally seperate area for US departures and US airlines, or enact the lighter ban there too. I have a feeling I will not be using FRA to go to the US ever again. They will probably move all of the flights to that little holding area in C used for the TLV flights.

I wonder how long this law will stay in the enforced category. Takers on bets. I give it 2-4 weeks, before the media really starts getting all over it for causing major headaches at the airports.

TWA4Ever

No - I was asked no questions about my check luggage, nor were there any signs posted to state that anything I was carrying was illegal and would be confiscated.

Btw, I carried this lighter in both my checked luggage and in my carry on during my three tours to the middle east - two to Kuwait, and one to Iraq. No one questioned it on NW or KL (and, believe me, on the C-130 I took into Iraq, everyone had bigger problems on his/her mind!) (Oh, one more thing - no FF miles for that C-130!!!)

Peetah

It'll be there for years. And the sheeple will live with it because it catches "terrorists".

whirledtraveler

Here's the deal: just because lighters and matches are banned, does that mean that they have to search everything for them? Drugs are illegal, but you don't see people dumping every bag looking for those.

Wouldn't it be enough to have them be illegal but not searched for exhaustively?

red456

Oh, but drugs can't bring down a plane while lighters and matches in the hands of the wrong people could.

windwalker

HOLY SH**
it's going to make GWB's latest speech
"...By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well — a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world."

a bit hard to carry out.
Guess it's a good thing the US of A is not considered a corner

Doppy

No, maybe not dumping every bag, but based on stories here and elsewhere, they do go well beyond the call of duty to search for "too much" money or drugs regularly.