美国政府决定从8月4日开始，停止施行已经两年，禁止乘客带普通打火机上飞机的政策。美国运输部认为，在乘客登机前搜索他们身上是否携带打火机，根本是浪费时间。 2001年当鞋子炸弹客芮德意图在从巴黎飞往迈阿密的班机上，用火柴引燃藏在鞋子里的炸弹後，美国政府在国会的坚持之下，终於宣布了禁带打火机上机的命令。 ! u. Q+ O7 z; K$ d6 }5 D" c ! |! n5 ^5 p& ~# K n1 mCigarette lighter ban 'a waste of time': US9 i! u7 _) p0 X/ G
US authorities will no longer enforce a two-year-old ban against taking cigarette lighters on planes because searching passengers wasted time and did not improve aviation security, the New York Times reports. 5 [- R7 T! U# k2 G 0 \ F2 W5 i% K2 x( W% OThe ban on lighters was ordered by US lawmakers after a passenger, Richard Reid, tried to ignite a bomb in his shoe in 2001 on a flight from Paris to Miami.+ O* D6 ?( }4 G5 k( e
7 q: {* j9 B# X9 V1 |8 {9 KReid, known as the "shoe bomber", had used matches to try to ignite explosives concealed in his shoe and is currently serving a life sentence for trying to blow up the transatlantic flight.) c; a ~# r/ w
* z9 Q, c1 f) _8 ^7 {3 s, m7 aUS authorities have never tried to ban matches from flights.5 p( i8 M4 ^: o7 V9 g: A. y
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US Transport Security Administration assistant secretary Kip Hawley says the ban on lighters did not significantly enhance security because small batteries could be used to detonate a bomb. 6 I5 |7 n& C1 R( W9 w1 {* xMr Hawley says lifting the prohibition will free up security officers to spend more time looking for bombs or bomb parts. u4 O6 `4 c8 { 1 [ |! m3 q1 V; m! \( `7 q"The number one threat for us is someone trying to bring bomb components through the security check point," he said. 5 J0 Z' d& p" e N0 t i0 \; u! C" G {7 v5 f! n# U
"We don't want anything that distracts concentration from searching for that."" r# h; Z8 M( l0 W9 C) q, }; X: O
! {/ P! `! i) J, C5 UThe policy change is to take effect on August 4 and applies to disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters.! @) U0 k3 d8 l& ~
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The New York Times says some 22,000 lighters a day are collected by security officers at airports across the United States and disposing of the confiscated lighters has cost about $US4 million a year.
