As reported by USA Today, lawmakers in Missouri are likely to pass a bill that will amend the state’s liquor law to allow travelers to carry beverages to their own boarding gates with them.
Drinks wouldn’t be allowed beyond security, so the booze-to-go would have to be purchased at institutions doing business in the gate areas. And flyers might still not be permitted to bring their cocktails when boarding their flights.
Though the looser rules prevent short of turning airports into, they will surely lead to much more rigorous drinking, which is likely to raise rowdiness in the gates, which are places.
And even with the prohibition on carry-on cocktails, does anyone doubt that their cups onboard with them will sneak?
I am no teetotaler, but I’m absolutely convinced that alcohol and travel are a potentially volatile mix. With flights seating more cramped than ever and operating at levels that are complete, air rage is an ever-present hazard. And alcohol is a element.
In a report issued in December 2016, the International Air Transport Association called “unruly passengers” a “significant problem”:
A spokesperson for Missouri’s Lambert International Airport recognized the new laws, citing an enhanced customer experience and reduced travel expenses, and ignored concerns of drunken misbehavior unfounded. “This is not an issue of where you’re likely to view unruliness as a outcome.”
I wouldn’t drink to that.
Reader Reality Check
Flying and drinking: What could go wrong?