Originally Posted by
sullim4
I think this is just another piece of evidence that the free flow of alcohol in airport lounges and restaurants needs to be curtailed somewhat, perhaps limited to beer and wine. It's especially true in lounges - at least in the restaurants, you have to pay for what you consume. All you need is a credit card that gives you a priority pass, a "Club at NNN" lounge that serves free flowing well liquor of questionable quality at no cost, and someone that lacks the self control needed to order a reasonable amount of alcohol before a flight. Lounge bartenders don't care if they overserve - they don't have to deal with the customer for more than an hour or two while they wait for their flight.
My fear is that incidents like these are going to curtail in-flight service, and that would be a shame. I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and a tropical drink on flights to destinations like Hawaii. I don't dare get even tipsy on a plane because it'll ruin my body for the first day or two of my trip, or re-entry back into work.
Idiots like this are why we can't have nice things.
Restricting access has never worked. From prohibition, to our widely successful war on drugs, It's clear that if there's a demand, people will find a way.
The issue is that the consequences historically for bad behavior have been light. You behave like a buffoon, you get a slap on the wrist and that's about it. They need to seriously increase the penalties, both criminal and financial for behavior like this.
We've had similar issues in sports arenas, people get out of control; alcohol is not always the reason. Previously you might get kicked out and that's about it. Now, you might get a multi-year band or a lifetime ban from multiple arenas and also be referred to the cops.
I'm not sure how paying for a drink solves this issue. There are plenty of well-heeled, entitled boors out there. Back to the sports arena issue, a beer is $15; people still manage to get plastered.