It don't have to be very technical, but myself, as a smoker, would value this.

On a recent trip to California, I realized that one cannot bring a butane lighter onto the plane with their carry-on luggage. The 2 lighters I found by the smokers stations were of little use, as they were both left by out-bound travlers at the same time I was scheduled to depart.

I propose a box be placed between the security checkpoint, and the luggage pick-up area of the airport.

Before entering security, a butane lighter could be deposited into the box and left for future users. Once your flight has landed, and on your way to pick up your luggage, you may simply walk to the box and grab a lighter that another traveller has left.

If needed, a ticket system could be implemented, that way one cannot take a lighter without first displaying a ticket showing that they did indeed deposit one before leaving the last airport.

Also, a small but measureable revenue could be generated by charging a small fee for the service.
-- Bluewraith, Jan 31 2007

Take a zippo, leave a zippo! I like it. This could be extended to all kinds of other stuff! You could take a quick digital picture of the table full of things you left behind (next to a transport worker posing with today's newspaper if you want to avoid reuse), and pick up equivalent articles at the destination. Adventurous customers could buy tickets granting them rights to one item from the big grab bag. Might be water, might be Glenfiddich, only one way to find out.
-- jutta, Feb 01 2007


Sorry Ms Degener, I'm afraid you cannot board the plane with that wad of paper tickets. They're flammable, you see. I'm going to have to ask you to leave them behind.
-- methinksnot, Feb 01 2007


Swap box Sign reads:

"Lighters only! No switch blades or firearms."
-- popbottle, Mar 06 2017



random, halfbakery