[Sebguer]

It's actually mandated by the FAA that an ashtray be present in the restrooms:

> (g) Regardless of whether smoking is allowed in any other part of the airplane, lavatories must have self-contained, removable ashtrays located conspicuously on or near the entry side of each lavatory door, except that one ashtray may serve more than one lavatory door if the ashtray can be seen readily from the cabin side of each lavatory served.

And the plane literally cannot fly with an inoperable or missing ashtray.

[RugnirViking]

what makes an inoperable ashtray? full? holes in the bottom?

I suppose the idea makes sense but the wording is amusing - I think of ashtrays as a static object, I can't imagine myself "operating" an ashtray

[r3trohack3r]

They are typically a V shaped receptacle that is flush with the wall and flips out.

The hinge jamming or becoming detached would make it inoperable.

[-warren]

Ok now thats wild!