Now what?

I’m flying from Orlando to Newark, N.J., tomorrow. Great timing, with the latest terror threat. Fortunately, NPR asked me to write a story for its Web site about what to expect when you fly, and it actually has helped me feel a little better about tomorrow’s trip.

The big question on everyone’s mind is: What happens now?

When is it safe to travel with toothpaste? When are we allowed back on an aircraft with bottled water? To those questions I couldn’t get a straight answer — only speculation. The consensus is that this could continue for a while.

And that concerns a lot of people, including me.

Maybe it’s time for a little common sense. No one is arguing that taking the precautions that we did today were out of line.

But banning items like coffee and water indefinitely is over the top. I mean, common sense tells you that you open the container, take a whiff, and if it smells like coffee — and if the passenger is willing to take a sip — then it probably is coffee.

The chemicals that were reportedly stashed in a sports drink container could have easily been ferreted out with a simple sniff-test. And honestly, no terrorist, even one who wants to blow himself up, would chug from a toxic container.

Remember when tweezers and nailclippers were banned from flights? People knew that those prohibitions were silly (ever heard of a terrorist taking over a plane with tweezers?) but they said nothing. To argue with a government agency that was, after all, protecting us seemed … unpatriotic.

So call me a dissident if you must. But I say, let the people board with their Starbucks. Otherwise they’ll have to drink that dreadful coffee they synthesize on the plane!

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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