Sunday, April 10, 2011

Thwarting Airport High Priced Bottled Water

I have a problem paying $3 for a bottle of water inside the airport.  At COSTCO, I could buy 24 bottles for that price, so why should it be acceptable for an airport to charge more than 20X market price just because they have a perceived monopoly? Sure, I could bring my own steel or aluminum or BPA-free Nalgene water bottle, but then I'd have to clip it to my luggage, and go through extra security screening (link).  Instead, I've developed a method of collapsing a previously used water bottle, sealing it while it is compressed, putting this small sized package in a coat pocket, and then expanding it once I get through security a friendly potable water fountain.  Reduce, re-use, recycle.

In this case, I took the water bottle from last Saturday morning's North Mountain Preserve hike & altitude yoga session, and put it in the fridge to retard bacterial growth.  Then, Monday morning, I collapsed it, using both force and pulmonary negative pressure.  Once through security, I breathed life back into the bottle, refilled it, and had it on the plane with me, so I don't have to wait endlessly for the US Scare flight attendant to possible, maybe, offer me something to drink in my tiny coach seat.

If you are tired of paying outrageous prices for airport water, and you don't have the space or patience to carry a more permanently re-usable water bottle, try this method.  Caution: after 4 or 5 days, at "normal" temperatures, bacteria will begin to breed to make the bottle taste and smell "funky" so it's good only for a day or two typically.

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