Now that the scare about self concocted liquid explosives bringing down planes is about to fade due to the complete elimination of all liquids and gels in the possession of passengers, all of us who like or need to travel are wondering what will be next. I’m not looking forward to my next flight to Europe or elsewhere. No more brushing teeth (no toothpaste), no more applying deodorant (yuck), no more water to drink. (Hello, flight attendant!?). And no more of the liquid meals I’ve preferred to the ghastly trays which airlines try to pass off as “in flight meal”.

Shoe bombs, toilet bombs …. what is next? Shall we install cameras in plane lavatories to prevent bombs from being assembled in there? Subject passengers to strip searches before each flight? X-ray everyone to make sure they don’t carry something dangerous inside their bodies?

I wonder when we will finally wake up and begin to rationally and honesty address the roots of terrorism instead of the symptoms.

P.S. 2016: Ten years later. Toothpaste and deodorants are not a problem, since small “travel sized” containers are now widely available. But air passengers suffer even more indignities, and surprisingly, people only grumble but still accept the new status quo. And yet, a relatively small portion of the general public is interested in examining the political, economic, ideological and religious factors responsible for creating and feeding the terrorism problem in the first place. But I suppose that would be too complicated. 

Reinhard Kargl

Journalist and media professional currently based in Los Angeles, California. Focusing on science and technology.