To think that a cigarette lighter can cause more damage on a plane than 110ml of body lotion?

[MrsMerryHenry]

I don't get these guidelines for what you can take on board. If you take creams into the cabin they must be no more than 100ml. Now, granted, this is because of terrorists hiding dangerous chemicals in drinks, creams and lotions, etc. Fine. They have to set a limit somewhere, however arbitrary it may seem.

But why on earth are people allowed to take cigarette lighters? Have I missed something here; I thought smoking on-board was err, illegal! You can't smoke till you've landed and are out of the airport, so why would you need to carry a lighter?

It can really sting if you get hand lotion in your eyes.

[helpful]

Because the world is a place gone arse over tit.

Because they will explode if you put them in the hold? It gets very cold down there!

I've just been checking online, and oh yes, you are: see what I mean?

Or maybe it's just the crap budget airlines that don't give a damn about safety?

i had a first aid kit with a scissors in it and a lighter in my bag flying in may (not on purpose, forgot they were in there!) and nothing was said.... i'm fairly sure i could have done more damage with them that my moher could have with the bottle of water she was forced to dump

Your mother should've grassed you up, Tulips. I would've.

Immediately after the bomb plot I lost my favourite chapstick, which I'd bought in Aus so could not replace

she was horrified when we got the hotel and i was rummaging in my suitcase for the scissors only to realise i'd had it in my bag all along

funnily enough before 9/11 i got stopped every time at security... i've been frisked, scanned and questioned, had my bags searched and drugs tested and they once almost destroyed my handbag... since 9/11 i actually have less trouble!

Mind you pink, I am doubting your ability to hold up an aeroplane with a pair of scissors!!!!

Body lotion is dangerous stuff in the wrong hands.

Brettgirl, you haven't seen PinkTulips when she's angry. Just give her a bottle of Nivea and a pair of nail scissors and a bloodbath will ensue (but everyone's skin will be soooo strokable afterwards). She's vicious, I tell you, vicious. That woman must be stopped.

hana, you really think the cig lobby have spent their time fighting to have smokers allowed to take their lighters on planes? Really?

Do you have a conspiracy theory to go with that one?

Seriously, it is highly likely they would explode/crack at the temperature in the hold, I am fairly sure most people on planes would rather not have the hold liberally coated in lighter fluid before landing.

Yeah, a michael moore theory, that makes it right then

Seriously, someone tried to blow up a plane with plastic explosive not a lighter, if they had had the lighter and no explosive then it would not have been a problem, if they had the explosive and not the lighter it could still have been a problem. It was the plastic explosive not the lighter.

Some people are so determined to find a conspiracy they will make it up if they have to.

I still don't see why smokers aren't expected buy lighters after they've landed. You don't need explosives to cause damage with a lighter - you can just use it to set light to your in-flight magazine.

Yes, but you would have to set light to quite a few (and stop anyone else putting them out) to bring down a plane wouldn't you!

Just keep an eye open for anyone stockpilling magazines before the flight - especially if they take more than one copy of each of the free papers

But you would also have to be exceptionally vicious and handy with the nail scissors to kill enough passengers and crew to hijack a plane too, and they still ban them don't they?

brettgirl.... but they don't know that

for all they know i've trained from the age of 5 in some ninja dogo specialising in the use of nail scissors and cigarette lighter as a duel weapon fighting technique and am on a mission to avenge the death of my father (at the hands of an over enthusiastic air hostess natch) by systmatically bringing down ever commercial air liner in the sky

or somthing.....

I once was told to leave behind a metal hair clip that I had in my bag (one of those pointy ones on a spring - could be quite dangerous I guess).

They completely failed to notice the identical one I was wearing in my hair...

Maybe it is a conspiracy by the Fire Eaters Guild? Perhaps they are using their far reaching powers to ensure their plans of world domination are not foxed - after all they can get their little bottles of fluid on and a lighter to light themselves up with.... goodness, I never thought of that - now I will have to watch closely for anyone with singeing to the eyebrows and a smell a gasolene about them ....

I remember at Edinburgh airport they have this massive see-through box showing all the sharp items that have been removed from individuals, and around November time it is always FILLED with poppies (because in Scotland they have actual pins). But then, I was thinking that there are some stilleto heeled shoes that could do a lot of damage, and they don't confiscate those?

Also, how much damage can you do with a safety razor or tweezers? Remove someone's hair one by one?

lots

This is why you were always stopped by security PinkTulips.

I used to get stopped ALL THE TIME and searched, despite not looking a thing like a terrorist (nor knowing what damage to do with tweezers). My friend who used to work in airline security told me that it's because I look like the dimwit who might be used by a terrorist.

After a day trip to Dublin, my Dad got through both Irish and UK customs with his sizeable Swiss Army Knife in his pocket (he just forgot about it, as he's carried one since his teens), which has a very sharp knife in it, as well as other stuff, whereas my Mum was forced to throw away her handcream. What did they think she could do with it for terrorist purposes - moisturise the pilot's hands until they get too slippy to control the plane?!