Those New Airport Rules

The Associated Press published an interesting article today about how businesses are adapting to the new airport rules that ban liquid and gel substances. I loved this anecdote about how a seafodd purveyor creatively overcame the ban, which prevented them from selling lobsters and other seafood packed in newly forbidden ice or gel packets:

"Employees at Clearwater seafood company in Bedford, Nova Scotia noticed a drop in sales immediately after the restrictions went into place.

"The location at Halifax International Airport sells live and cooked lobster -- and both have to be kept cold.

"People were understandably reticent to pack lobsters in their checked luggage, chief executive officer Colin MacDonald said.

"Their solution? Frozen vegetables.

"MacDonald said the company checked with airport security and was given the go-ahead.

"Employees went to a grocery store and bought frozen carrots, peas and cauliflower. Now, instead of packing the wax-lined cardboard boxes with ice or gel packs, employees surround the lobster, live or cooked, with vegetables. The boxes can hold up to 15 live lobsters.

''Not much you can do with a pea -- unless you have a pea shooter,' MacDonald said.

"Retail business at Clearwater accounted for about $4 million of the $315 million dollars in sales last year, MacDonald said. Most of the company's business is bulk export."

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Mike Hofman

Mike Hofman was previously editor of Inc.com and a deputy editor at Inc. magazine, which he joined in 1996. The site was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Digital Media in 2010, and was named the best business website by Folio Magazine. In 2006, Hofman was part of a team of writers nominated for a Webby Award for best business blog. He lives in New York City.