With all the attention on liquids and gels, which are now banned from the cabin, the return of mandatory shoe removal at the airport has been flying under the radar screen, so to speak.

The Transportation Security Administration reinstituted shoe screening on August 10 following news of the plot to blow up planes using liquid explosives. Like Jason from the "Friday the 13th" slasher series, Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber," is back, inflicting the evil of eternal security lines. And now travelers must remove shoes without odor-fighting perfumes or sprays restricted under the liquid/gel edict. Presumably, foot powders might be OK, albeit messy, particularly going through a crowded security check point.

Reid's stunt spawned a new industry: special steel-free airport safe shoes guaranteed to fly travelers through security without a peep. Assuming the liquid and gel ban continues for any length of time, new solid or dry products to replace those items are sure to crop up.

BusinessWeek ran a curious article a few days ago about baby wipes that have purposes other than baby care. There are wipes with sunscreen in them and wipes with bug repellant. In addition, the article suggests using baby wipes as a substitute for liquid soap. Here's a list of alternative uses for baby wipes. (Being a Mom of toddlers, I'm a big fan of alternate uses for baby wipes, from spot cleaning to stain removal.)

Of course, if you really start to look at these things, it's hard to recognize a link between terrorism and an athlete's foot-fighting spray. Then again, if the current travel environment reflects human relations in the modern world, you've got to keep a sense of humor and an appreciation for the absurd.

What substitutes or alternate products are you using for your carry-on? Write to Barbara Correa at bboydstoncorrea@yahoo.com.