In an attempt to find more revenue sources that could help deal with America’s on-going monetary crisis, Congress announced today it is studying emergency legislation that would allow the Interstate Commerce Commission to charge a licensing fee for airline beverage carts under the same rules currently applied to commercial trucking.
“Those carts are clearly engaging in commerce and they are clearly crossing state lines; so we are well within our rights to charge them a licensing fee for it,” said legislative assistant Bob Payne.
The news sent a ripple of concern through the airline industry, with reports that some carriers were rushing to buy all the carts they could and instructing their lobbyists to argue that a fair compromise, should the licensing become law, would be to allow carts already in use to be grandmothered in, just as has happened with more and more issues involving flight attendants.
Some industry analysts, however, say that most airlines would simply find a way to eliminate the beverage carts, such as requiring flight attendants to wear multi-pocketed uniforms from which they would offer items for sale. But legislative assistant Payne does not think that will happen. “After all, the airlines know we would simply start charging a fee for having pockets.”
In related news, the beverage service was completed aboard a recent Newark-Phoenix flight with no injuries reported.
Travel humor writer Bob Payne has his own beverage cart repair business.
Bridgeandtunnelclub.com photo
I would suppose that airline’s would increase prices of beverages to recoup federal licensing fees. Better yet, we’d have to pay a premium for ice and name brand beverages!!!
That, Michaela, is a given.