Passengers Can Carry Lighters on Planes

WASHINGTON -- Airline passengers could still carry butane lighters onto planes on Tuesday, the date by which Congress had ordered them banned.

The Transportation Security Administration, the agency charged with prohibiting dangerous items on aircraft, offered no comment on why it missed the deadline.

The ban was ushered through Congress last year by Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

The two senators were concerned that the lighters could be used to ignite a bomb on an airline. Richard Reid, the convicted shoebomber, could have succeeded in blowing up a trans-Atlantic flight three years ago if a flight attendant hadn't smelled the sulfur from his burning match, they said.

Dorgan, through a spokesman, said he was disappointed the TSA missed the deadline. During a Commerce Committee hearing on Tuesday, though, Dorgan said he was pleased the TSA intended to issue an order on the lighters within a few days.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-butane-lighters,0,1809063.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

Child's toy soldier with one-inch rubber gun: BANNED
Mommy's breast milk: BANNED
Cigarette lighters and matches - O-TAY!!!

is from a tobacco state. I'd bet that whatever repug - and you KNOW it's a repug! - who put the kibosh on the butane lighter ban is from a tobacco state.

the end of it. How difficult is it to tell everyone to confiscate cigarette lighters after a certain date?!

lighters being actual combustibles and all. Seems like the first thing to ban after weapons.

Cause if you need a damn smoke on the plane, do it in the fuckin' bathroom man!