“Don’t let the sparks fly this Fourth of July”
The Federal Aviation Administration wants you to leave the fireworks at home when you travel this holiday weekend. But its warning to passengers is not only laughable, but also a little odd.
“Don’t let the sparks fly this Fourth of July” the agency cautions in a news release.
Oh really? As opposed to the other 364 days a year?
With the July 4 holiday approaching, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reminding the traveling public that they are not permitted to carry fireworks, including the smallest sparklers, aboard aircraft.
Why not?
Friction can cause fireworks to ignite during flight, posing a safety risk to passengers and crew. Because of this danger, domestic and international regulations prohibit passengers from carrying fireworks and firework novelty items in their checked or carry-on baggage, or on their persons.
Thanks for the warning, guys.
You don’t have to know the difference between Roman Candle and Rome to know that fireworks are a no-no on a plane. It’s a little troubling that the FAA even needs to publish that kind of warning. It’s also somewhat unsettling that the agency release leaves the most casual of readers with the impression that fireworks are OK the rest of the year. (Of course, they aren’t.)
It isn’t the first FAA statement about recreational incendiary devices that’s disturbing on several levels. Here’s another one from a few years ago.
Mislabeling fireworks as clothes, tools, machinery, cookies or some other common article is extremely dangerous and illegal. Airline employees will not have the necessary information to properly handle and store the fireworks and serious injury or loss of life may occur.
Hello? Why give passengers ideas?
Strangely, this was released only a few months before 9/11. Connect the dots, my friends. Was the government asleep at the yoke? You decide.
Maybe the greatest danger to the traveling public is … the traveling public.
You may also be interested in these articles
Comments
Please share your thoughts...