Laptop Fires On Airplanes

The risk posed by lithium batteries on airplanes is not exactly new news to this community; but the issue is starting to get wider exposure. Reader Maximum Prophet points out that as usual xkcd gets it right, and sends in an NY Times article calling the batteries a fire risk that clears security. "More than half of the 22 battery fires in the cabin of passenger planes since 1999 have been in the last three years. One air safety expert suggested that these devices might be 'the last unrestricted fire hazard' people can bring on airplanes."

Comments

Re:Liquids on planes

[syousef]

The key here is that flying isn't a basic human right. Those airplanes are privately owned, and the people who own them can make any rules they want about who can ride. If they want to insist that only people with purple hair can fly, that's their perogative. If they want to insist that no-one more than eighteen inches tall can fly, they're allowed to do so. If they want to insist that people submit to a ridiculous, ineffective security screening before flying, they can.

What nonsense is this? I guess you haven't heard of anti-discrimination laws. Just try and start a business that caters to only one race, or excludes a gender and see how far you get before you're sued. Part of the social contract when you run a business is that your business is tolerated so long as it fits in with society. You don't get to make such arbitrary rules. They aren't tolerated. Your business license is also a privilege not a right and can be revoked if you decide to be an ass.