THOUSANDS OF GALLONS of potentially hazardous material have been discarded at airports throughout Europe. As a citizen who sorts, recycles, compacts and composts, I need to know what the airport authorities are doing with the gallons of wine, whiskey, soft drinks, water, energy drinks and assorted other hazardous liquids. Surely they have not been discarded with other nonlethal waste.
Either the countless bottles and containers contain hazardous liquids and gels or they don't. However, we need to plan for the worst case scenario, don't we? So when I visit my airport of debarkation for my trans-Atlantic flight, I will insist upon placing my hazardous liquid into a suitable hazardous materials receptacle. And as a conscientious taxpayer, I expect to see cadres of HAZMAT experts sweeping through terminals with megaphones alerting travelers to the dangers of leaving behind unattended vessels containing fluids.
Remember, even the most trivial item can be used as a Weapon of Mass Disruption. We need to be more alert. The traveling public deserves more lerts.
But if you really want to get your water on board, wear a tummy bladder or a under a loose-fitting shirt or carry your plastic hip bottle in your cargo pants. No detectors will alert on plastic. This has been a public service announcement. Security screeners cannot be expected to have a sense of humour. Your travel privileges will be revoked if your plastic bladders are detected.