Federal aviation regulations strictly require all commercial airplanes to have a functioning ashtray in the lavatory door, even though smoking on flights has been globally banned since the late 1990s.

A closer look

Federal aviation regulations strictly require all commercial airplanes to have a functioning ashtray in the lavatory door, even though smoking on flights has been globally banned since the late 1990s. The aerospace industry knows perfectly well that the average passenger has the impulse control of a toddler and will inevitably try to sneak a cigarette at thirty thousand feet. Rather than risking a stubborn nicotine addict throwing a smoldering cigarette butt into a trash bin full of highly flammable paper towels and bringing down a multi-million dollar metal tube, regulators mandate a designated safe disposal spot. It is a stunning example of billion-dollar engineering bowing to the undeniable reality of human stupidity, ensuring that when we inevitably break federal laws in the sky, we at least do it with proper fire safety protocols in place