JumboJet

Congress bans lighters from airliners

By LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer
Last Updated 1:27 pm PST Wednesday, December 8, 2004

WASHINGTON (AP) - Passengers already are barred from smoking on commercial flights. Now they won't be allowed to bring their butane lighters on board either.

As part of the intelligence reform bill passed Wednesday, Congress added the lighters to the long list of banned items, including scissors, pen knives and box cutters.

Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota had pushed for the change for more than a year after learning the Transportation Security Administration allowed them on planes.

"When I found out that they had explicitly, in their rule, said you could take two butane lighters and four books of matches on board, I thought, 'What have they been drinking?'" Dorgan said. Matches still are allowed.

Dorgan cited FBI reports that would-be "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid would have been able to ignite his explosive and blow up a trans-Atlantic jetliner three years ago if he'd brought a butane lighter with him.

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Spiff

Don't these imbeciles have anything better to do? Isn't there a phone booth being dedicated someplace?

If a person wants to start a fire on board, banning butane lighters isn't going to prevent that person from doing so. Alcohol > 140 proof (and actually a bit lower) will burn just fine and the x-ray cannot tell the difference between the two. Just remove the label from your Everclear bottle and replace it with a nice 80 proof label and you're good to go.

I honestly think some people are just too stupid to be allowed to make decisions for others.

These two airheads had the opportunity to attach some meaningful riders to this stupid unIntelligence Reform bill, like no more Grope Fest or no more Shoe Carnival. Instead, they chose to participate in Grandstanding 101 and try to make a name for themselves as the Balloonheads Who Banned Butane Lighters. I hope their constituents run them out of town on a rail, just like what happened to Comrade Tom Daschle, the Father of the "you don't professionalize until you federalize" TSA.

FWAAA

Congressional idiocy and incompetence. Next, eyeglasses and magnifying glasses will be banned.

Yaatri

And you will be required to wear blinders so that the screeenrs could still from your bags while you looked straight ahead. .l,.

Doppy

Your tax dollars at work ^

windwalker

So I did hear my local news correctly
Ok I know you shouldn't(can't) have more than 2 lighters in your checked luggage(currently) but geesh, come on, ... is up with no lighters. I smoke(and that will be enough from the bashers) .
I can just see how long it's going to take getting through security now, assuming I'm not the only smoker in the crowd.
Because it is my guess that many of us will forget and the extra time it's going to take to find that one thrown in the bottom of our bag is just going to create even more pain.
Guess the senators want them so they can keep hiting the pipe-the only reason I can think of that they bother to pass some of the laws they do.

Wonder if that little metal band around the top just "happens to fall off" if it will even be noticed. Maybe some enterprising soul will deveolp an all plastic model.

If I understand this correctly, Butane lighters(Bic) and torch type lighters are now banned. Does this mean zippos are ok?

Dovster

As part of the intelligence reform bill passed Wednesday, Congress added the lighters to the long list of items, including scissors, pen knives and box cutters, that passengers are barred from carrying on to planes. The ban does not apply to checked luggage.

Duh, of course the ban does not apply to checked luggage. They are already banned there!

As a Zippo collector, I buy at least one every time I visit the States. I certainly hope that they are not banned.

Of course, I can well understand why Congress had to get rid of butane lighters. It is the only way to stop the rash of Bic-activated terrorist acts which have been having planes drop out of the sky left and right.

GUWonder

"Get ready for your fines boys and girls."

studentff

What idiocy.

The ND senator is one of those panicky anything-for-feel-good-security types. He's been trying to ban "fire starters" from planes for a while. I'm suprised they didn't ban matches too.

So are they going to stop all the stores that sell lighters airside from doing so too?

Fredd

Dovster

Remember those calls for "Regime Change 2004"? The arguments that the Democrats would stop the stupidity?

I wonder who a President Kerry would have put in charge of Homeland Security -- a Wyden or a Dorgan?

chtiet

Funny enough this guy boarded the plane in Europe, where you'll still be able to carry on as many lighters as you want...

Anyone know when this comes into effect?

FWAAA

Don't be too sure. As with many of the infantile restrictions added to the "prohibited list" in the wake of September 11, the USA has tremendous clout in convincing foreign countries to ban the same items from carryons. And if that doesn't work, the USA can order the airlines themselves to search for them and confiscate them at gate (or jetway) secondary screenings.

Effective date? Dunno. But the TSA will probably simply add them to the list later this week.

Spiff

This new idiocy goes into effect 60 days from when President Bush signs the unIntelligence Reform bill.

Attention terrorists: Only 62 torching days until you can't use a Bic for your wily plans.

Dovster

Anybody want to bet that even if the bill only outlaws butane lighters, the TSA will also ban Zippos for kicks and giggles?