As you may know, the Department of Transportation has recently issued
guidelines to address peanut allergies and air travel. According to today's
Boston Globe, the DOT sent guidelines to 10 major US airlines, proposing
they set up peanut-free zones on all flights.

Now the peanut growers have gone on the offensive (offensive being the
operative word) saying that "We certainly think it is taking a sledgehammer
to a gnat. ... The truth is people who are allergic to peanuts know not to
eat peanuts or peanut butter. This isn't something you get in your 40s;
you're born with this allergy.''

Of course, this clearly misses the point - it's not the folks who can't eat
peanuts who have prompted the guidelines - it's the folks that can't
*breathe* the peanut dust/vapor or be anywhere near a peanut without having
a severe, life-threatening reaction.

The article ran in the Boston Globe,

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe/globehtml/246/Proposal_for_peanut_free_zones_on
_a.shtml

and I intend to write them a letter taking them to task for letting this
statement out unchallenged, essentially giving the peanut industry a free
distribution channel for their propaganda without exercising due dilligence
regarding the facts of the matter. Now the ignorant public will be angry
yet again at those of us who appear to be promoting unwarranted regulation
at the expense of a freedom-loving people. Shame on them!

Sheesh!

Mark
____________________________________________________________
Mark Feblowitz                  GTE Laboratories Incorporated
[log in to unmask]              40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA 02154-1120