Swilling a bottle of cognac in front of airport security: idiotic, or genius?

What you don't want to do with your expensive bottle of cognac you thought you could transport in your carry-on: Chug it so it doesn't go to waste. That's what a woman in China did. She didn't waste it, but she also didn't get on the flight because she was too drunk to fly.

The Transportation Security Administration says passengers toss drinks as diverse as water and whiskey at security checkpoints. Fliers do rush to finish off the odd bottle of water or coffee, but liquor-chugging isn't the norm.

Media reports say the woman collapsed after drinking a full bottle of Remy Martin XO Excellence (valued at around $185) at China's Beijing Capital International Airport. She was so drunk that she was denied access to her connecting flight from Beijing to Wenzhou.

Some websites gave her kudos for standing up to airport security.

"Give it up for the woman who downed an entire bottle of cognac at airport security," the website Maxim.com says. " Vice.com dubbed her "a hero of our time."

And there were plenty of comments in the Twittersphere too.

The TSA adds this reminder too: If you buy duty-free booze in another country, it still has to go through screening in the U.S. if you are taking a connecting flight. So you have to pack it in your checked luggage or enjoy it before you board.

And as for the cognac-swilling passenger, the South China Morning Post says she "woke up some hours later and thanked police for taking care of her."

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