The AP reports that a pair of Democrat Senators want to ban all matches and lighters from airplanes. Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota are concerned that a terrorist could use matches or a lighter to ignite a makeshift bomb a la alleged "shoe bomber" Richard Reid.

"Richard Reid was one good flare-up away from blowing a hole in the side of a jet and taking 200 people with him," said Wyden, referring to the convicted terrorist who tried to light a bomb in his shoe on a trans-Atlantic flight in December 2002. It was the smell of sulfur that alerted a flight attendant to Reid's attempt.

"The FBI said the belief is if he had a lighter instead of a match, it would have detonated," Dorgan said.

To the best of my knowledge when Reid boarded his flight, shoe bombs were already banned on airplanes. Amazingly, the anti-bomb policy didn't prevent nor discourage Reid from sneaking one on board. Yet for some reason, these Senators think that a ban on matches, would have made a difference.

You do know who (and only who) this is going to impact? Smokers, and other members of the law abiding public. It will do nothing to stop terrorists, who are already trying to sneak guns, knives, bombs, etc. onto commercial airliners. Adding matches to the list does nothing to combat terrorism and everything to harass smokers.