] Lighters haven't been permitted in checked bags for at
] least 30 years because they might start fires in cargo
] holds. Congress passed a bill last year adding lighters
] to the list of items prohibited in the cabin.
]
]
] The genesis for the ban was Richard Reid, who tried
] unsuccessfully to light explosives hidden in his shoes on
] a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001. He used matches.

In the words of Hannover Fist, "Aw, gimmie a break!" Want a list of easy ways to kill everyone on an airplane? Here's a couple. 1) Mix ammonia and bleach. In an enclosed area you have a good chance to simply overcome everyone with the fumes before they can land the damn thing. This works best in first class. 2) Store your explosives properly. Druggies have been getting drugs through airports in this way for years. 3) Properly packaged chemical agent. What happens when you fill a mini hairspray container with something nasty? You don't even need something ugly like Sarin, plain old ether would work just fine.

Richard Reid was a moron who might have managed to blow off his foot, but the potential for actual damage to the plane was minimal. Maybe if he'd flushed his shoes down the toilet after lighting them he might have been able to do something, but let's get real folks. Everything we've done to "improve air travel security" has made a plane safer, maybe, but has without question made getting to the plane much more dangerous.

Cigarette Lighters Banned From Airplanes