Don’t Say “Shot of Vodka” at the Airport

A 64-year-old man in Germany nearly died of alcohol poisoning after attempting to down two pints of vodka instead of handing the liquor over to airport security:

New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying larger quantities of liquid onto planes, and he was told at a security check he would have to either throw out the bottle of vodka or pay a fee to have his carry-on bag checked.

Instead, he chugged the bottle down — and was quickly unable to stand or otherwise function, police said.

A doctor called to the scene determined he had possibly life-threatening alcohol poisoning, and he was sent to a Nuremberg clinic for treatment.

The man, whose name was not released, is expected to be able to go home in a few days.

Writer and blogger Camper English is correct—the obvious question is, “What brand of vodka [was it]?”—but the story also makes me mourn in advance all the dangerous pies, bottles of wine and Champagne, and blenders bound for confiscation as the holidays draw near.