Behold: the DNC Water Bottle Graveyard
You can bring metal water bottles through TSA, but not into the Democratic Convention. Whoops!
Photo: Susan Rinkunas Politics Democratic National Convention
CHICAGO —I might not have experienced a canceled flight on my way to the Democratic National Convention, but I still may be out 40 bucks.
The Democratic National Convention sent a list of prohibited items to credentialed attendees, which included delegates, lawmakers, and the media. I saw that it included “metal,” but, I thought to myself, “Surely, that excludes water bottles—humans need water to survive.” And I’ve brought metal bottles through TSA screening many times before, so this would be no problem. Reader, I was wrong. And I was not the only person who thought this on Monday evening, although perhaps some people simply didn’t read the list.
No matter what transpired before today, my heart sank as soon as I saw the collection of aluminum bottles on the ground outside the tent where everyone had to pass through the metal detectors. A veritable graveyard of bottles in different colors with straw tops, sport tops, and screw tops. I could make a comparison about how these various bottles are like the many types of people in the Democratic coalition, but that’s far too schlocky for Day 1.
Attendees exit the same way we came in, so there is still hope for me, and the other owners, to retrieve them later. Please wish us all luck.
Update 8/20/24: Security did collect bottles in a box for people to grab on their way out, but mine was nowhere to be found. RIP, 21-ounce white Hydroflask with flex straw cap, I hardly knew ye.
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