Twice, I've watched as a person in front of me had a bag hand searched so the TSA could confiscate a lighter from the bag that they saw on x-ray.

When the TSA person informed the bag owner that they would need to take it because they were banned, the owner of the bag/lighter reached into their pocket, pulled out another lighter, and said "oh, I didn't know they weren't allowed, here's one from my pocket." This was AFTER the WTMD of course...

and it's the same at iad at both the c & d smoking rooms as well

deleted

What's the "dangerous" aspect of lighters? The lighter fluid? Will the TSA today even routinely, readily and quickly identify that as being distinct from water or any other liquid poured into a more mundane-looking bottle? The answer is that the TSA would more often than not miss it.

Someone pouring lighter fluid into a bottle and keeping that and a few other items in bag, and a de facto lighter can be readily put together airside without the TSA being any wiser or the plane being put at any seriously greater risk.

This is just another stupid, ineffective restriction vis-a-vis terrorists. All this restriction does is inconvenience the innocent traveling public, enrich matchmakers and lighter salespersons, and make "criminals" of those who may have some personal need for a lighter and just pocket the thing while walking through the security checkpoint.

Deleted

Been through security about 10x with my Bic tossed in with toiletries and never had it found. (Helps that I carry a lot of toiletries!) I'm not too worried if I get caught. I'm sure claiming ignorance and surrendering the "weapon" will do just fine.

It really is hard to feel bad about violating the rule when you know that the offending object is almost impossible to use as a weapon!

I don't think it was banned because it was a weapon - in fact, I'm not sure anyone really knows why it was banned...

Lighters were banned because 2 anti-smoking senators (or congressmen) wanted them banned.

This is unfortunately not the only example of politicians trying to get their pet peeves codified in "security" policy/practice. See Sen. Stevens of Alaska and his obsession with passing legislation to severely restrict carry-on luggage. That is still in the pipeline, but he continues to pursue the issue often while using the "security" issue as cover and opportunity. If he gets his way -- and don't be surprised -- the law may even end up making some of the more petty European and Asian carriers' limits seem extremely generous.

Was leaving LAS at the D gates yesterday. My carry-on bag needed to be searched, as something suspicious was spotted during screening.

TSA: Where's the lighter? Tell me what pocket it's in.
Me: There's no lighter in there.
TSA: I saw it.
Me: There's no lighter in there.

She searched my bag thoroughly, took it over for rescreening, and finally came back.

Me: Did you find what you were looking for?
TSA: Something in your bag looked like a lighter.

Then she walked away. All in all, about 10 minutes wasted.

Any bets on whether this is yet another thing that would get through 21 out of 21 times?

Thank you to TSA officers who ignore the lighters.

I began putting matches in my carryon after having a number of lighters confiscated, mostly by overseas security (Singapore mainly). On a recent connection through Paris, I went through the myriad of re-screening checks in CDG, only to be stopped on the jetway by a surly agent who searched every inch of my carryon (laptop bag). He even went sofar as to take out some paperwork and glance over it (this got me quietly angry). He then took my book of matches and confiscated it, while leaving the other 2 books lying in the bag. Since when do they take matches too?

Completely illogical.

Would this have been AA security (on the jetway)? I was flying CDG-ORD last month and the AA security person at check-in insisted that I could not carry matches on the flight.

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531071