Surely it’s entertaining to be in the company of a drunk on an aircraft for hours on end.
NOT.
It’s a nightmare.
It’s a safety risk. It’s violent. It’s anti-social.
It’s unpleasant.
It’s unfair to the lot that decides to remain sober.
We’ve noticed flight attendants at sixes and sevens because they can’t decide what to do with a sozzled passenger.
We’ve noticed minors at sixes and sevens because they can’t figure out how anyone could be more badly behaved than them.
God forbid, they get inspired to rise up to the challenge, we’ll have pained a generation of parents.
Sure, alcohol could add significantly to the pleasure of flying.
But what of those who don’t know where to draw the line? Or not draw another pint!
Do we really need to be higher up in the air when we’re already so up in the air?
Which leads us to ask, do we then need to take care of it at the ground-level? May be the sale of alcohol at airports needs some thought. Aviation policy therefore, needs a broad rethink.
If we are open to changing our minds, the process of purchasing booze from World Duty Free will change. Perhaps, the very option to purchase it will be gone.
If we decide to take a less radical route, maybe the packaging will get a little more restrictive. The harder to rip it open, the lesser the urge for instant consumption.
If we know most drinking is done in the terminal, how about breathalysing a passenger who displays signs of intoxication before they board the aircraft?
If there is a drink-drive limit, there’s got to be an air passenger limit.
And every Civil Aviation Authority must establish what being drunk means with a fixed number.
Whether deliberately or not, it needs to be illegal, the world over, to be drunk on a plane.
May be we can’t ban it. May be the relationship between booze and flying is far too deep-rooted. There are economic benefits. It’s an indulgence with psychological benefits. And there’s a whole lot of joy.
May be we can manage its bitterness. May be we can make it better.
Because, if authority cannot ameliorate, it ceases to be exactly what it was set up to do.
Take all the air you need. The alcohol: not so much.
Let’s drink to that!
Oops.
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