A bit of embarassment?

American Airlines flight 1053 from Washington to Dallas made an emergency landing in Nashville Monday, after passengers smelled matches being struck. The crew diverted the flight, the passengers were evacuated from the plane and the baggage was all inspected. Searchers found evidence in one part of the cabin that matches had been lit, which is prohibited on planes. After "lengthy questioning" a passenger admitted to having some type of medical condition that affected her digestive system. The woman said that she was embarrassed and was lighting matches to cover the odor.

Unlike some rules associated with air travel these days, the prohibition against lighting matches really is about safety. The impact of a fire in an aircraft could be devastating, so prohibiting lit matches is a reasonable rule, especially since smoking isn't permitted anyway. I understand that the odors associated with digestive disturbances can be embarrassing (and offensive to fellow passengers), but lighting matches to conceal the odor? Surely there's a better way.

Source: This article from the Washington Post.