Talk about a lot of hot air! If the TSA hasn’t made you leery of flying, now add something else to the mix. This past week a Danish gastroenterologist has come out with a study that advocates you not travel with discomfort. No it’s not what you think. He’s actually advocating that if you suffer with intestinal gas while flying, you should not be shy about sharing your southerly breezes. I kid you not, the Doctor went so far as to actually say, “It’s healthy”.

Researchers bolster his claim by stating when you hold your gas, it can cause a lack of concentration. While they don’t advocate pilots participating in this activity yet, it does shed some light as to why on my last long flight with my wife, I bombed in our game, “Words with Friends”.

Despite the all-clear for passengers, pilots and co-pilots are urged not to install their little tree air freshener on the plane’s rear view mirror yet. They fear that if the practice becomes a habit among the flight crew, it could make the cockpit crew’s eyes water hampering their skills.

While you may scoff that this story is all hot air, ( it did appear on the CBS news station in Charlotte, NC) the recommendations are real. Researchers are asking that airline seats be imbedded with activated charcoal to minimize unpleasant odors.

Intestinal gas affecting concentration and thought processes? I think we may have found our ” smoking gun” in the US Congress. They all walk around as if they are in a fog and they seem extremely incoherent most of the time.

I suggest we send them charcoal activated suits and IV bags of Beano. Who knows, we may get something “passed” after all. And it better be good legislation!