My brother is an airline pilot based out of Atlanta. The following is of an encounter he had with airport security:
After dutifully submitting to the pocket-emptying shoeless trek through the TSA line, he retreived his items only to discover his Zippo lighter had been confiscated. He approached the security personnell in his airline captain uniform and asked what had become of the years-old constant companion to his pocket.
TSA: "We can't allow lighters on the flight."
Bro: "You realize I'm the one flying the plane?"
TSA" "Sir, a lighter is a dangerous item and we can't allow you to take it on the plane."
Bro: "Well, then you'd better take my hands as they're potentially dangerous items, too; they could be used to steer the jet into the ground."
TSA: "Well, uh, someone might force their way into the cockpit, take the lighter from you, and then be armed with it."
Bro: "Oh, I see. I guess you're gonna go into the cockpit, then, and take the flare gun and Crash Axe that are in there?"
TSA: "Sir, I'm just doing my job."
He never did get his Zippo back.