Alyssa Milano isn't a happy camper. The actress and mom of two had it out with Heathrow Airport on Twitter after her breast milk was confiscated by the London airport.
"@HeathrowAirport just took my pumped breast milk away. 10 ounces. Gone. Not okay," tweeted Milano on 9 April when she was travelling without her seven-month-old daughter, Elizabella Dylan.
Heathrow was quick to remind the American actress of The Rules for bringing liquids onboard flights into the UK—namely, carry-ons of only 100ml are permitted. An amount that isn't practical or sufficient for feeding purposes.
Milano was outraged, and rightly so.
Why should a baby's food be subject to the same rules as shampoo? Short answer: it shouldn't.
These rules are absurdist and even more absurdist is the fact that they have remained in place for so many years in the aftermath of 9/11. Is throwing out breast milk really the most effective way to prevent terrorism?
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While most commenters were supportive of Milano's plight, others were less forgiving.
"And since those are the rules, the source of your outrage is lack of preferential treatment. Get over it," tweeted Michael Bailey @Thespar. "It's a travelers responsibility to know the rules, especially when traveling internationally."
Either she didn't read up on the regulations before her flight, or flagrantly disregarded them as though they didn't pertain to her personally. I think most likely it's a case of the former, and for that reason Milano has my sympathy.
It's unrealistic to expect that moms of babes will either not travel or will not at some point travel without their infant in tow.
Rules may not be there to be broken, but they are certainly there to be publicly challenged and relentlessly debated so that change can be effected in cases as illogical as this.
Heathrow, are you listening?
Image Source: Instagram
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