Butane lighters banned from airliners <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I don't know what to say.

Why don't they just ban passengers from airliners and be done with it?

IMHO it makes sense to me. From an emergency preparedness point of view it's sad <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> But the banning of carrying a folding knife on board made us poor men already.

What does? Banning lighters, or banning passengers? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

None of these "security" measures do anything to improve security, and they're not being dreamed up by people with formal training in Threat-Risk Assessments. This latest initiative is the brainchild of two elected representatives, who - in all probability - never bothered to actually get an expert opinion before they charged out to save the world.

Does this fall under the heading of "unintentional irony"?

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"This is probably not the biggest thing in the world," Dorgan said. "But it's one of those areas where a big government agency couldn't develop a little bit of common sense about something so obvious."
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He's right, of course. But it's not the same government agency he's thinking of...

I think we all forgot about the moron who couldn't get his shoes lit <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

I have enough trouble flying. I think everyone should be strip searched personally. We got some short memories. While it may be no safer who knows for sure every little bit helps.

Don't like it take a bus simple.

Flip

Without wishing to argue against you, but even before 9/11 butane lighters were frowned upon on aircraft, presumably as the pressure changes could affect them.
I last flew in 2000, and I remember then being asked if I had lighters on me.
All said and done, the stupidity/niavity of the authorities in thier rulings since 9/11 is not in doubt, which I think was your point. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

If passengers were banned from airliners, then perhaps we'd go back to the steam locomotive and enjoy a slower paced lifestyle, rather than racing around like idiots. I for one am all for it. The concept of travel with dignity and comfort seems out of step today.

BEGIN RANT. I know I'm a throwback, but I'd much rather take a luxurious ride on a train than be patted down as though I were a suspect (they don't even do that at our very scrupulous local courthouse), strapped into a large aluminum sardine can, and tossed into the air willynilly. END RANT.

Everyone in my family disagrees with me. No one likes the journey itself. They all want to arrive yesterday.

-- Craig

[quote]I think everyone should be strip searched personally. We got some short memories. While it may be no safer who knows for sure every little bit helps.[quote]
Oh, please. You know why 9/11 happened? Not because they had box cutters. It was because we've all
been conditioned to not fight back. Give the bad guys what they want and hope they don't hurt us.
Unless, of course, the bad guys have no intention of living through the hijacking. Woops. Our "experts"
didn't mention that.

And the strip search? Go ahead. Doesn't make us even a little safer. Passengers aren't the only
weak part of the commercial aviation system. Next time you're on a plane, look out the window at
all the baggage handlers, food service, fuel and general ramp rats running around. Ask yourself if they
were strip searched, or even subject to the same screening you just went through.

The TSA stuff is simple theater, designed to placate the unthinking masses. Pure and simple.

It doesn't surprise me in the least. After all, in this article the Associated Press calls butane lighters "incendiary devices".

More ignorance driven by fear.

Vince