May 7th, 2013 at 12:00PM: For some reason, people sometimes mistake me for a terrorist. Once I got interrogated by an air marshal for merely looking out a window, and the following year in London I totally freaked out several people on a bus.
The second incident was, I suppose, partially my fault. I boarded a city bus with a large suitcase, which I put on the luggage rack. Since the rack was right next to the door, I ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Security posts
The Day I Was Mistaken For A Terrorist
May 7th, 2013 at 12:00PM: For some reason, people sometimes mistake me for a terrorist. Once I got interrogated by an air marshal for merely looking out a window, and the following year in London I totally freaked out several people on a bus.
The second incident was, I suppose, partially my fault. I boarded a city bus with a large suitcase, which I put on the luggage rack. Since the rack was right next to the door, I ...Scammer Found Selling Fake Bomb Detectors To Airports
Apr 24th, 2013 at 4:30PM: A British court has found a man guilty of selling fake bomb detectors to Iraq and Georgia, the BBC reports. James McCormick, 56, of Langport, Somerset, was found guilty of fraud after making a fortune from detectors he knew didn't work.
He's estimated to have made some $76 million from the worthless devices, which were modeled after a novelty golf ball finder. In his sales pitches he claimed ...Not Constantinople: 9 Misconceptions About Istanbul, Turkey
Mar 7th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
The country of Turkey has been getting a lot of bad press this year, due to the tragic disappearance and murder of American Sarai Sierra in Istanbul, and the suicide bombing at the U.S. Consulate in Turkish capital city Ankara, which was quickly linked to a Marxist group protesting the Turkish position on the war in Syria (a Turkish security guard was killed, no Americans were harmed). Both ...Impact Of Sequester Cuts On Travel: Houston Is The Third World Airport Not Managua
Mar 5th, 2013 at 11:00AM: As Americans, we've been bred to believe that the way we do things should be a model for the rest of the world. But after spending a good chunk of my Friday, day one of the sequester federal spending cuts, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, I have to admit that Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, felt like a better run airport than that of our ...4 Big Travel Fears And How To Overcome Them
Feb 21st, 2013 at 11:00AM:
When I meet people who tell me they've never flown on an airplane or stepped foot outside their home state, I'm always a little taken aback. In this day and age when travel is so accessible, affordable and commonplace, it's amazing that there are still so many travel virgins out there.
Now, of course, if these folks didn't want to travel, or were unable to afford it, that would be ...Should Women Travel Alone? Of Course!
Feb 7th, 2013 at 10:00AM: News of the death of an American woman vacationing in Turkey made headlines across the country, but her tragic death also raises an important question because the mother of two – who was missing for nearly two weeks before police found her body over the weekend – was traveling by herself.
So it begs the question, should women travel alone?
Heading off on a solo voyage naturally ...Tourists Mistaken For Illegal Immigrants Beaten By Greek Police
Jan 11th, 2013 at 4:00PM: Greek authorities have been cracking down on illegal immigrants to the country but a number of tourists have been detained as part of the sweep. Some of the travelers have even been beaten so badly by police that they ended up in the hospital, according to the BBC.
Greek police patrolling the streets are stopping anyone who looks foreign and asking to see their ID. However, many tourists claim ...Nighttime 'Oyster Picnics' Offer A DIY Taste Of Puget Sound
Jan 3rd, 2013 at 5:00PM: Oyster aficionados and hunter-gatherer types will want to hoof it to Seattle this winter for a moonlight adventure of the briny kind. Fifth-generation, family-owned Taylor Shellfish Farms is hosting its annual "Walrus & Carpenter Picnics" on January 8, and February 7, to support the Puget Sound Restoration Fund.
Taylor is famed for its sustainably-farmed Manila and geoduck clams (click here ...No Hassle Flying Act To Save Time, Safely, For Some
Dec 14th, 2012 at 5:00PM: Cutting down on the hassle of flying internationally, the No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012 aims to eliminate excessive security screening of connecting baggage at U.S. airports. Currently, checked baggage on all inbound international flights has to be re-screened before being transferred to connecting U.S. flights. To help with holiday travel, congress has a plan.
"As thousands of Americans travel ...A TSA Agent Answers Questions From The Community
Nov 20th, 2012 at 4:00PM: If you are flying this week, you are probably anticipating long security lines, many tiny bottles of liquids, and a lot of time shuffling through a metal detector in your socks. Last night on Reddit, a TSA agent participated in a Q & A (known as an "I Am A..." or "Ask Me Anything" on the site), and the community asked some great questions on security, stereotypes and weird encounters. See ...The Travel Outfit That Will Let You Breeze Through Airport Security
Oct 30th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
After years of fine-tuning, I may have just mastered the art of dressing for airport security.
It wasn't easy, mind you. For many years, my travel uniform consisted of jeans, a belt, a white T-shirt and sneakers. But my belt would always set off the alarm, my sneakers were cumbersome to slip off and my jeans made it difficult to get comfortable once I was onboard. Not to mention the stains ...TSA Removes X-Ray Body Scanners From Major Airports, But Some Will Remain
Oct 19th, 2012 at 1:00PM: For all those who are against having to go through X-ray body scanners at airport security, you'll be happy to know some are now being removed. During the past few weeks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been quietly switching them out for safer radiation machines.
While the main goal of the change is to speed up the lines at security checkpoints in major airports, the ...Best Anti-Drug Poster Ever Found In Santander, Spain
Oct 1st, 2012 at 12:00PM:
I was at my local Sanidad Exterior here in Santander, Spain, getting some medicine for an upcoming trip when I spotted this wonderful poster. It reads: "If you bring drugs aboard the plane they'll cook you lobster and the captain will let you fly."
The next line reads: "If you believe that taking drugs is the solution to your problems you'll believe anything."
This brightened up an ...Admiring Greenland From The Air While Freaking Out An Air Marshal
Jul 8th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
Intercontinental flights are usually pretty dull. The route between London and Chicago, however, is one I always look forward to. That's because it flies over the southern tip of Greenland. The airplane heads northwest over Ireland, then arcs across the North Atlantic, barely missing Iceland before crossing Greenland.
I always seem to be lucky with the weather and get a clear view of the ...Instead Of Passport Stamps, Let's Collect ICTS Stickers
Apr 3rd, 2012 at 1:00PM: There's this nagging question that keeps coming up every time I read an interview with a travel writer or person who spends a great deal of time on the road, and frankly it's starting to bother me: "How many countries have you been to?"
The problem with that question is, visiting a country is different for every person. Some people are there for business; some are there for pleasure. Some step ...New PR Push from TSA: Checkpoint Hotties
Apr 1st, 2012 at 10:00AM:
This winter, you'll find something new between the super cute kitties and inspiring nature photos that fill the calendar racks at your local bookstore. Sources say the TSA is hard at work on "Checkpoint Hotties: 12 Reasons to Opt Out in 2013," a calendar featuring their most attractive screeners.
There's no gender discrimination here. Two versions of the calendar will be released, one ...The best way to fight terrorism is to ignore it
Mar 28th, 2012 at 10:30AM: Last week, the global intelligence company Stratfor finished a series about terrorism. Their final article, "Keeping Terrorism in Perspective" is especially important for travelers. The entire series is fascinating and enlightening and I recommend it highly.
In a nutshell, the analysts at Stratfor say terrorism is not going to go away and can never be entirely defeated. No government, even the ...House Oversight Committee requests feedback on TSA
Mar 24th, 2012 at 6:30PM: Public acceptance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and its somewhat dubious methodologies has always been tenuous among the American public. Some feel that the technology they use is the only way to keep American travelers safe. Others feel that their power and influence reaches too far. In either case, there's lots to say, and for once, congress appears to be listening.
On ...Babies and first class: why is this an issue?
Mar 12th, 2012 at 3:00PM: Earlier this week, I saw a story about babies and first class air travel posted on Facebook. The Facebook poster asked our own Heather Poole (flight attendant, mother, and new book author!) for her thoughts on the story, and she replied, "I'm fine with babies in first class. Usually they just sleep." Columnist Brett Snyder is a frequent flier and new dad wondering if he should use miles to upgrade ...St. Bride's Church in London: a place to honor fallen journalists
Feb 23rd, 2012 at 1:00PM: I am not a Christian. I have read the Bible twice and have attended the services of several denominations and remain unconvinced. Despite this, any time I'm in London I go to an old church off of Fleet Street to pay my respects.
Fleet Street used to be the center of London's journalism industry and St. Bride's was the journalists' church. The newspapers have since moved away to less expensive ...
