h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I strongly suspect that the "young man" who approached Michael Moore was a prankster, possibly a conservative one, anxious to show his friends how gullible liberals are when confronted with "evidence" about "Big Tobacco". I've heard tell of liberal jokers who write into conservative newspapers demanding ultra-authoritarian social policies to see if anyone replies in agreement. It's probably quite common.

Think about it, smokers are still going to smoke those cigarettes, whether they light-up immediately after they get off the plane or if they light-up in the car leaving the airport. The manufacturers profit-margin must be very small as far as "smokers leaving planes" is concerned. Certainly not enough that a government would put it's countries planes at risk for it.

I think the reason matches and lighters are not banned on flights is simply that, before Richard Reid, no one would seriously believe a terrorist would use one to explode a bomb. Terrorist bombs are usually not ignited with a lighter, they would usually have a device triggered by pressing a switch or a timer. Most security services would assume that someone on a plane wanting to use a lighter to harm would be trying to start a fire, which can be dealt with quite easily if there are fire-extinguishers on board. Like planes flying into buildings, nobody would think of a small-time terrorist with a bomb so crude it needs to be lit. A "lighting" terrorist bomb is the sign of a very amateur bombmaker (which would point to Reid having no links to Al Quaida).

We should remain open-minded of course, perhaps what this young man told Moore is true. But we should remain skeptical about any claims made in this manner, especially about the tobacco industry who are very much "flavour of the month" for economic conspiracy theories.

Some fair points there, Zagreb. Michael Moore himself has done a lot of the the kind of pranksterism you've described, so it could have been a case of the biter being bitten.

However, the question still remains: why weren't lighters and matches banned from planes after the Richard Reid incident? Sure, Reid may have shown himself to be a very amateur terrorist, but there could always be another amateur armed with a better lighter out there.

After Sept. 2001, US airport security is still apparently far too lax. If they can't get that sorted out, it's unlikely they'll get round to banning matches and lighters any day soon.

I'm glad I haven't got any Transatlantic travel planned!

Well, thanks. I *have* got transatlantic travel planned (I'm going to Boston for christmas), and you've put me in a *REALLY* good frame of mind for it, I must say...

Oh, and Ormy- I've reviewed the book at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A850538

Well done, Egon! The word about the mighty MM must be spread!

And don't panic - I'm sure that air travel is still safer than crossing the road.

well considering they found an unexploded second world war bomb on the estate behind my road yesterday, I'd say so.

Are they sure it was from the Second World War, and not a supporter's accessory from an Everton v Liverpool match?

I'm in Sunderland...

but it *was* the Tyne-Wear derby the other week.

And in case you don't believe the whole WW2 bomb in Sunderland scenario- http://www.sunderland-echo.co.uk/fullstory.asp?storyid=1

Have you stayed put, or have you got out of blast range until they get rid of it?

Well, I was evacuated at first, but then they said I could return although they hadn't detonated it yet, but I decided I didn't want to be down the road from no huge undetonated WW2 bomb, thanks very much, so I'm staying on a friend's couch until the policeman's taking his cordon away. Interestingly, my road now has a hell of a lot of cars parked on it, as the cordon encapsulates the multi-storey car park.

Actually they are banned. Michael Moore lies a lot and gets away with it most of the time since few people bother to check his facts. See for yourself: http://www.tsa.dot.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/Permitted_Prohibited.doc

Couldn't open that link, but I looked here: http://www.tsa.dot.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/prohibited_items.pdf .

I can see gun lighters (which presumably means lighters shaped like guns) lighter fuel and 'strike-anywhere' matches, but not other lighters or matches.

And I just don't accept that Michael Moore lies a lot. He'd never get away with it, because he's so high profile these days and there are lots of people who'd like to discredit him by fair means or foul. Perhaps you're one of them?

Probably not so much "lies" as repeated outdated or even non-existant "facts" he's come across in the past or been told about (the lighter/tobacco thing was apparently just what some unsubstantiable source told him).