Lotion-Gate, Take 2

I'd kind of wondered about this:

Airport Retailers Are Left With Uncertain Future
By JEREMY W. PETERS and MICHAEL BARBARO

Airport retailers, who scrambled to adapt to post-Sept. 11 rules that forbid anyone without a ticket from crossing security checkpoints, are now facing the possibility that they will again become unintended victims of enhanced airport security.

With the decision by the Transportation Security Administration on Thursday to ban all liquids, gels and creams from carry-on luggage, newsstands and other airport retailers selling everything from fragrances to frappuccinos have been left wondering about the future of their businesses.

Although it is too early to tell what economic impact the new rules will have on airport stores, many of the merchants are worried and some have already felt the pinch.

Okay, dudes. Nobody asked me, but -- surely there is a relatively simple answer to this.

Has nobody ever heard of "duty-free"?

When you buy duty-free on the plane, you get it in a bag at the end of your journey.

Why would it not be possible to purchase something once you've gone through security, but not actually receive it until you landed at your destination?

"Here's your receipt. Hold on to it or you won't have proof of purchase when you land in Los Angeles ... London ... Dakar ... South Bend."

Nobody needs lotion in-flight. Nobody needs Chanel No. 5 in-flight. (Well, you may need it, particularly after a 22-hour flight, but if you spray it you're going to get smacked by your seatmate.) You need it when you get there. So God forbid, you maybe didn't get it in time and maybe there's no such thing as a drugstore on the other end of your trip. Load it on the plane, or have it waiting from supplies on the other end. If I can get my Glenfiddich once I disembark from my London flight, there's no reason I can't get my tanning lotion.

C'mon, people.