How To Play It Safe When You Travel
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/Elliott/129.asp
Could Your Car Be Spying On You?
Excerpt:
As many as 40 million cars on the road today have "black boxes." These event data recorders monitor airbag activity. But some models also track your speed, when you hit the brakes and if you're wearing your seatbelt. Some only activate right before a crash. Others monitor constantly but re-record information every five seconds...
This attorney is defending a woman accused in a deadly crash. Police are using the black box she never knew she had... to put her on trial…"It's akin to having ‘big brother’, having a government agent sitting in the back seat with the individual," says attorney Bob Weiner…
http://www.sianews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=931
AVIATION
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
http://www.aopa.org/
Aviation Web
http://www.avweb.com/
Aviation Weather -- ADDS
http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov/
Aviation Weather -- WeatherTAP, a Subscription service
http://www.weathertap.com/
Aviation Weather from The Weather Channel
http://www.weather.com/activities/aviation/
Mooney Aircraft Owner's Association
http://www.mooneypilots.com/
Court Will Decide If Police Need Warrant For GPS ‘Tracking’
Excerpt, May 12, 2003:
William Bradley Jackson worried that he hadn't properly concealed his victim's shallow grave. So he snuck away one quiet fall day to finish the job, unaware that sheriff's deputies had secretly attached a satellite tracking device to his truck. Police trickery triumphed over his treachery. Spokane County sheriff's investigators used the hidden device to retrace Jackson's path to the gravesite, where they found crucial evidence that would lead to his murder conviction in 2000. But what if the same secret technology, called global positioning satellite tracking, could track anyone at any time? . . .
The Washington Supreme Court will decide soon whether police agencies throughout the state may use the device freely -- without a warrant. The Jackson case is the first in the state dealing with the issue.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/121572_gps12.html
A Comprehensive Guide To Wilderness And Travel Medicine by Eric A. Weiss, M.D. is a great little pocket-sized guide if you are preparing for international, or any type, of traveling. I picked up my copy for $6.97 at http://www.beprepared.com.
Recently in Ohio several discussions and letters to the editors have appeared on the subject of “Stop and Pop.” People are finding themselves victims of unusual incidents on the road. The sometimes deadly game goes like this: A car may pull up behind you. You wait for the light to change. The car keeps rolling and stopping closer to your car. You don’t respond, but turn when the light changes. The car behind you suddenly roars around you, so you flash your lights to let him know he’s clear. Almost immediately he brakes, then lets off the brake and rolls forward. Unsure of what the other driver is doing, you slow down and give him more room. He goes a little further and brakes again. Again, you hold off and then proceed. Abruptly he pulls over to the side of the road with his right wheels on the berm. “He must want me to pass,” you think, so you pull to the left. As you approach, he suddenly pulls out and blocks the road by pulling sideways across in front of you. You slam on the brakes, as there’s no time to swerve or miss hitting him. Next the other car quickly pulls around yours and heads in a different direction. You back up and follow him, trying to get a license number, but he’s driving too fast and gets away.
You track down an officer and file a report. “You were either a victim of road rage or a gang initiation tactic,” he informs you, “where members flash their lights or tailgate a vehicle to get the driver to react. Then they will ‘stop and pop.’”
“Stop and pop” as in often “stop and shoot.”
“These people probably stole the car,” the officer continues, “and will likely dispose of it after it serves their purpose.”
What can you do? Try to be more observant of any peculiar activity of other vehicles around you while on the road. Write down license numbers immediately when the slightest thing that looks suspicious happens. If matters worsen, you may need the number later and not have time then to see or write it. If confronted by another driver, pull over in a lighted, busy area. Don’t follow him.
Do not acknowledge these people. Don’t think you can reason with them when they are out to hurt or kill. Call the police and relay all the information you have.
America’s 5 Worst Flights To Take
1. New York (La Guardia) to West Palm Beach, FL
2. Los Angeles to San Francisco
3. Chicago to Orlando, FL
4. Washington, D.C. (Dulles) to Newark, N.J
5. Las Vegas to Baltimore
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/125.asp?cobrand=msn&LID=3800
Bad Hotels: 5 Reasons To Check Out Early
By Christopher Elliott
If you’re an experienced traveler, you know the TV show “Fawlty Towers” is based more on fact than fiction.
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/143.asp?cobrand=msn&LID=3800
Prefer Staying At A B & B? 7 Things To Know
By Joseph Anthony
Seven things every business traveler should ask before committing to a B&B
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/176.asp
Bad Travel Service Ahead
By Christopher Elliott
Four strategies for avoiding poor customer service
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/128.asp
4 Best Hotel Chains For Business Travelers
By Christopher Elliott
Excerpt:
The American Customer Satisfaction Index, which is produced by a partnership of the University of Michigan Business School and two private companies, offers a vastly simplified look at hotels. Its latest survey suggests that the following hotel chains are worth checking out: Hilton and Marriott (tied for first place); Hyatt; Holiday and Starwood (tied for third place); Ramada Inns. Another popular measure of brand preference comes to us courtesy of Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, the Orlando travel consulting firm. Every year, it teams up with Yankelovich Partners, the Norwalk, Conn., consultants, to gauge what corporate travelers want in a hotel experience. This year's survey says Marriott is the hands-down favorite, followed closely by Holiday Inn, Hilton, Sheraton, Best Western and Hyatt…The result is my very own list of the best hotels for business travel: Hilton Garden Inn; Courtyard by Marriott; Best Western; Four Points by Sheraton…
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/120.asp
How To Beat Airport Layovers
http://local.msn.com/special/airportguide.asp
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly About Travel
By Joseph Anthony
“Here are some other travel trends and tidbits that I've either seen for myself while on the road or that fellow business travelers have shared…”
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/154.asp
Three Tips For Escaping Car Rental Traps
By Christopher Elliott
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/111.asp
Get Driving Directions
http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=mrfn&&&&dchg=&&zz=1055875232745&
Airport Information
Airport Guides, Flight Status, FAA Airport Codes, the latest on Airport and Airline Policies, Travel Alerts, more.
http://www.expedia.com/daily/airports/default.asp
America’s Best Roads
This list is for anyone who hates the freeway.
http://www.forbes.com/2003/06/09/cx_dl_0609feat.html
The new “Most Drivable Cities” study ranks 77 U.S. cities based on how easy it is for residents to drive around their city . . . America’s “Most Drivable Cities” have smooth driving surfaces, free-flowing traffic, low gas prices, and a pleasant climate.
The 10 Most Drivable Cities are:
Corpus Christi, TX
Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
Pensacola, FL
Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL
Oklahoma City, OK
Birmingham, AL
El Paso, TX
Memphis, TN
Tulsa, OK
The 10 Least Drivable Cities are:
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL
Denver, CO
Boston, MA
Oakland, CA
Detroit, MI
New York, NY
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA
Washington, D.C
Read the full story at http://houseandhome.msn.com/move/mostdrivablecities2003.aspx
Tips For Travelers (including New Airport Security Requirements)
http://www.astanet.com/travel/travelsafe.asp
Current Travel Warnings For US Citizens
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004574.html
Irv’s Travel Tips For The Vacationing/Business Traveler
http://www.irvs.com/travel.php
Travel Scams: You Don’t Get Something For Nothing
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004591.html
World Time Zones Map
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/daylight2.html
Road Mileages Between US Cities
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004592.html
Air Distances Between US Cities In Statute Miles
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004594.html
Air Distances Between World Cities In Statute Miles
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0759496.html
Traveling Safe When On International Business
A book excerpt from International Business, A Basic Guide For Women by Dr. Tracey Wilen
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Issue58B/safety.htm
Traveling Safe In The New World Environment
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Issue61/travelingsafe.htm
http://www.worldroom.com/pages/womensworld/print_version/printtravelsafe.html
Trip Tips
http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/trip_tips/
Your Travel Medicine Kit and Hints List
http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/trip_tips/content/travel_medecine.htm
Traveling Light, Traveling Far, Traveling Safe (survival, back roads)
During a crisis, if you have to travel anywhere across country, for any distance and for whatever reason, always and at all times assume all territory other than your "home turf" as hostile territory.
http://churimengro.tripod.com/woodsrunner/id29.html
Interactive Safety Quiz
http://www.courttv.com/safety_challenge/traveling_safe/
Getting The Best From Car Rentals
http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/trip_tips/content/car_rentals.htm
Travel Statistics & Trends
http://www.tia.org/Travel/default.asp
State and Territory Tourism Offices
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004586.html
Should You Travel While War Continues?
To play it safe, check these most important resources for determining what your travel plans should be:
The World Health Organization http://www.who.int/en/ for outbreak alerts and information regarding precautions.
The Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/ for travel advisories, vaccination recommendations and regional disease information worldwide.
The U.S. Department of State http://www.state.gov/ for updates on travel warnings, conditions and restrictions. http://www.ican.com/news/fullpage.cfm/articleid/1C932420-D1C5-4B60-BF5DF7F96A98BD45/cx/travel.travel_news/article.cfm
Travel Statistics
US Passport Information, Visas, Immunizations, Customs Information, A Safe Trip Abroad, Average Daily Temperatures (ºF) in Tourist Cities, The World’s Top Tourist Destinations, Travel Websites, more.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855290.html
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
http://www.bts.gov/itt/
Don't Use Cruise Control On Wet Or Icy Pavement at http://www.rense.com/general40/wet.htm warns:
A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car.
A resident of Kilgore, Texas, she was traveling between Gladewater and Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydroplane and literally flew through the air.
She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence! When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know -NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON. She had thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain. But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on and your car begins to hydroplane - when your tires loose contact with the pavement - your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you take off like an airplane … She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.
We all know you have little or no control over a car when it begins to hydroplane. You are at the mercy of the Good Lord. The highway patrol estimated her car was actually traveling through the air at 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control.
The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY -along with the airbag warning.
Read the full story at
http://www.rense.com/general40/wet.htm
The average rush-hour driver wasted 51 hours sitting in traffic in 2001, the Texas Transportation Institute said in its annual mobility study. The 20 urban areas with heaviest traffic as measured by number of hours of extra travel time for average rush-hour commuter in 2001 are:
Los Angeles, CA, 90 hours per year in congestion
San Francisco-Oakland, CA, 68 hours per year in congestion
Denver, CO, 64 hours per year in congestion
Miami, FL, 63 hours per year in congestion
Chicago, IL, 61 hours per year in congestion
Phoenix, AZ, 61 hours per year in congestion
San Jose, CA, 60 hours per year in congestion
Boston, MA, 58 hours per year in congestion
Washington, D.C., 58 hours per year in congestion
Portland, OR, 58 hours per year in congestion
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL, 57 hours per year in congestion
Seattle-Everett, WA, 56 hours per year in congestion
Atlanta, GA, 55 hours per year in congestion
San Bernardino-Riverside, CA, 55 hours per year in congestion
Houston, TX, 55 hours per year in congestion
Detroit, MI, 54 hours per year in congestion
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, 53 hours per year in congestion
San Diego, CA, 51 hours per year in congestion
Las Vegas, NV, 51 hours per year in congestion
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, 51 hours per year in congestion
Source: Texas Transportation Institute
Full story at http://www.msnbc.com/news/973844.asp
The vehicle identification number of your vehicle, which can be seen through your windshield, has now become the center of attention for crooks. If the number is copied down, and taken to either a car dealer or locksmith, a duplicate key can be made, and your car can be stolen. It is suggested that while your car is parked, to leave a piece of paper or business card over the VIN plate so it cannot be seen.
Today’s 25 Safest Cars On The Road
Consumer Reports publishes its results in five categories:
Upscale and large sedans. The Lexus LS300, the Audi A4 and the BMW 330i topped the charts. The Buick LeSabre Limited and Chrysler 300M came in at the bottom of 14 vehicles tested in this category.
Family sedans. The Volkswagen Passat GLX (V6) came in at number one, with the Toyota Camry XLE (V6) close behind. The four-cylinder Passat GLS, the Nissan Altima 3.5 SE and the Subaru Legacy also did well in this category. Safety dogs were the Pontiac Grand Prix GT, the Oldsmobile Alero and the Pontiac Grand Am.
Small cars. Volkswagen also took top honors in the battle of the bantamweights. The VW Golf TDI came in at No.1. Close behind was the Honda Civic EX and the Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI. Trailing in this category were the Hyundai Elantra GLS and the Chevrolet Cavalier LS.
Pickup trucks. In the full-sized pickup category, pole position went to the Toyota Tundra SR5 4.7, the Dodge Ram SLT 4.7 and the Ford F.150 XLT 5.4. Taking the top honors in the compact crew-cab pickups were the Toyota Tacoma TRD (V6) and the Nissan Frontier (V6). Rated as poor were the Dodge Dakota SLT, the Chevrolet S-10 L5 (V6) and the GMC Sonoma 5LS (V6). "Pickups generally don't do well in these assessments," says Champion. "They usually don't protect the driver in crashes and some of them have poor brakes and sloppy handling."
Sport utility vehicles and minivans. In the small-sized SUV category, the top vehicles for safety were the Saturn VUE (V6), the Honda CR-V EX and the Hyundai Santa Fe GLS (V6). In the midsized category, the winners were the Lexus RX300, the Acura MDX and the Toyota Highlander. SUVs that did poorly were the Chevrolet Trail Blazer, the GMC Envoy and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. As for minivans, the Honda Odyssey EX, the Toyota Sienna LE and the Mazda MPV LX all did well. But the Chevrolet Venture LS, the Oldsmobile Silhouette GLS and Pontiac Montana fared poorly.
Zuby says that the Pontiac Montana, a minivan, probably was the worst vehicle the institute has tested that's still being sold. "The crush zone didn't crush as much as it should have done, meaning there's a high likelihood of a serious injury in an accident."
More at: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/P63955.asp
The 25 Vehicles That Thieves Love Most
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P35264.asp
The 10 Cheapest Vehicles To Insure
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P56490.asp
Who Does and Doesn’t Have The Most Accidents
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P63952.asp
From "Be Aware--Hotel Room Door Lock Plastic Insert Cards" by Laura Quarantiello:
Bet you've never given a second thought to those plastic insert keys to your room you're given when you register at a hotel or motel these days. Law enforcement officers in California made an unsettling discovery during a recent investigation into an identity theft case. A card key (from the Double Tree Hotel) had encoded on it the customer's name, partial home address, room number, check in/out dates, credit card number and expiration date!
This may not seem to be a problem until you realize that, once you turn the key in when you check out your personal information is available for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a handful of cards home and, using a scanning device, access your information and then go shopping at your expense!
Hotel room key cards are kept in a drawer at the front desk and are not erased until the card is re-issued to a new guest. This means your personal information is sitting there, just waiting to be taken.
David Wolf, a deputy DA with the Kern County District Attorney's Office suggests you never leave your key card behind. Don't turn it in at the front desk when you check out. Instead, take it with you and destroy it. You won't be charged for the card and you'll have protected yourself from this potential leakage of your personal data.
Read the rest of this story at http://www.rense.com/general46/beawarehotelroom.htm
Are You On Uncle Sam’s No Fly List?
http://www.rense.com/general48/sass.htm
Check http://www.tsa.gov for items that cannot go aboard planes.
Feds Are Putting Weapons In Citizens' Luggage?
American travelers are finding blades planted in their luggage, and it looks as if federal workers - make that employees - are culpable. http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/6/11/102750.shtml
Rental Cars Have GPS That Record Where You Go
“We never would have caught the crook without GPS,” police say, but the fact is that rental cars have GPS systems that not only show where the car is, but record where it has been—whether you’re a crime suspect or not.
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/9220446.htm
Big Brother Can See Who’s Misbehaving in Traffic
"Big Brother is watching you, and you don't have the faintest idea," Metro police Sgt. Terry Wills said as he commanded the chopper over the highway, keeping up with the oblivious speeding trucker.
Story at http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/september2004/210904bigbrothercansee.htm
How Airlines and The Government Check Watch Lists
Here, in question and answer form, is a look at the government's watch lists.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6113896/
By the Numbers, U.S. Traffic Congestion Worse Than Ever
Traffic congestion continues to thicken across the United States, costing Americans $63.1 billion a year, according to the latest annual traffic study of 85 urban areas by the Texas Transportation Institute. Released Monday, the 2005 Urban Mobility Report measures traffic congestion trends from 1982 to 2003, reflecting the most recent data available.
Drivers in large, medium and small cities all experienced more severe congestion lasting a longer period of time and affecting more of the transportation network in 2003 than in the baseline year of 1982, this year's study shows. In 2003, the total amount of delay reached 3.7 billion hours, and 2.3 billion gallons of fuel were lost as engines sat idling in traffic jams.
In 1982 a motorist driving at the peak periods sat in traffic an average of 16 hours during the entire year. In 2003, that person sat in traffic for 47 hours, nearly three times as long.
In very large urban areas with more than three million people, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana area of California is the most congested, with the San Francisco-Oakland area not far behind.
Washington, DC is in third place, Atlanta, Georgia is the fourth most congested very large urban area, and Houston, Texas is fifth, the study shows.
Congestion occurs during longer portions of the day and delays more travelers and goods than ever before, the study shows. And congestion is more severe in larger urban areas.
If the current fuel prices are used, what the researchers call "the congestion invoice" climbs another $1.7 billion, which would bring the total cost to about $65 billion.
The invoice considers the value of extra travel time and the extra fuel consumed by vehicles traveling at slower speeds. Travel time has a value of $13.75 per person-hour and $72.65 per truck-hour in 2003. Fuel cost per gallon is the average price for each state.
Full article at http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2005/2005-05-10-03.asp
http://stevequayle.com/News.alert/05_Global/050511.traffic.html
View the full "2005 Urban Mobility Report" online at: http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/
10 Most Expensive Places to Drive
1. Atlanta, GA; 2. Birmingham, AL; 3. Nashville-Davidson, TN; 4. Orlando, FL; 5. Jacksonville, FL; 6. Pensacola, FL-AL; 7. Indianapolis, IN; 8. San Francisco-Oakland, CA; 9. Raleigh-Durham, NC; 10. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA. (Based on a family of two daily commuters, gas prices 4/11/05.)-MoneyCentral.MSN.com
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/extra/P116330.asp?GT1=6583
'No-Fly' Procedures Still Plague Air Travelers
Government overhaul program has funding, privacy and security issues
Thousands of airline travelers a day are wrongfully identified as being on the government’s "no fly" list of known or suspected terrorists due to the failings of the airline industry’s pre-screening process, experts told a congressional panel Wednesday (June 29, 2005). Meanwhile, the government system intended to take over that screening process is so underfunded it might not get off the ground, a government official warned.
The primary reason the airline’s procedure for pre-screening passengers is in disarray is because no two airlines handle it in the same way, legal and privacy experts said… More at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8407576/
The Chinese want cars (and everything else we Americans have) while Americans are back to buying bicycles. The PTB want us out of our cars and into public transportation or bicycles like people use regularly in Europe. Party time in America is rapidly nearing an end.
More Bicycles Sold Than Cars In US In Last 12 Months
More bicycles than cars have been sold in the United States over the past 12 months, with rising gas prices prompting commuters to opt for two wheels instead of four.-Rense.com
http://www.rense.com/general67/crdst.htm
10 Most Dangerous Intersections in the US
1. Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Flamingo Road and Pines Boulevard
2. Philadelphia, Penn.
Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard
3. Philadelphia, Penn.
Grant Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard
4. Phoenix, Ariz.
7th Street and Bell Road
5. Tulsa, Okla.
51st Street and Memorial Drive
6. Tulsa, Okla.
71st Street and Memorial Drive
7. Phoenix, Ariz.
19th Avenue and Northern Avenue
8. Frisco, Texas
State Highway 121 and Preston Road
9. Metairie, La.
Clearview Parkway and Veterans Memorial Boulevard
10. Sacramento, Calif.
Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue
http://www.tripspot.com/listintersections.htm
Your Credit Card Is Watching You
Excerpt from travel columnist Anita Dunham-Potter’s article at Tripso.com and MSN.com:
After returning home from a cruise in French Polynesia, I found a startling message on my answering machine: “This is Bank of America inquiring about charges made in Huahine on July 17. Please call as soon as possible regarding your account.”
I was worried. Had someone stolen my card number and gone on a shopping spree? I called the credit card company right away, and what I learned surprised me. My card wasn’t stolen. Instead, the credit card company was monitoring my spending.
I had never before used my credit card in French Polynesia, so when I bought black pearl earrings in Tahiti, the bank deemed the charges questionable and put a hold on my account — both for my protection and, presumably, to limit their own losses if the card had been compromised. Credit card companies often do this when their computers detect an abnormal pattern of use…
Full article, including tips to avoid situations like the one above
at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12390988/