It’s not safe at all! If the Mexican Authorities are warning Americans NOT to come to Mexico for Spring Break due to their very high crime rate in murder…then what do you think? I wouldn’t go period!
My wife and recently changed our plans to celebrate our 5 year anniversary in Cancun due to the violence in Mexico. We even had a free place to stay at a very nice condo. We are instead booking a cruise to the Caribbean. Safety is my biggest concern.
I am probably one of many that has booked a vacation in Mexico and can not get out of the reservation due to costly cancelation fees. I am going to try and keep my activities with groups and tour guides as aposed to freely traveling the area I will visit this month.
I was going to cancel my reservations on JetBlue.
When I called them, they didn’t know what I was talking about. Said they didn’t know about a State Dept. Alert. I am not going until May so I am in a wait and see mode…..Thanks for this story though and help us find out the airlines policies….
No worries here…just use a little common sense. Been three years in a row to Mexico on spring break with the family with no problems or concerns. I have also been on personal business in areas of Mexico where no gringos are probably within a hundred miles, often seeing armed military checkpoints along the way. Never felt truly unsafe, even though I was aware of some kidnappings. To insure your safety it’s simple… don’t wander around late at night in unfamiliar areas, don’t wear a lot of jewelry or flash a lot of cash and always be aware of your surroundings. Not much different than here in Atlanta. The Mexican people are by and large very friendly and gracious to tourists. Much more so in my opinion than some of the Carribean destinations I’ve been to before. Also, hard to believe but right now it is cheaper for us to go there than Florida… and guaranteed warm temperatures!
You know, if it wasn’t for the 21 National Minimum Drinking Age, college students wouldn’t even be going to Mexico for Spring Break. Put the drinking age back to 18, like it was for the baby boomers.
People should not be scared to go to Mexico for vacation or spring break if they travel to safer places, other than Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana for example, where drug cartel problems exist. Other areas of Mexico are not experiencing these problems and just because an advisory is put out for certain areas doesn’t mean you should avoid all of Mexico. I have lived north of Puerto Vallarta for 3 years and people are vacationing here and in Puerto Vallarta and enjoying Mexico. Mexico depends on tourism for its economy and the Mexican people and businesses who depend on tourists for their living will suffer when the the media puts out blanket statements about avoiding
Mexico.
My son and friends have reservations for a resort in Puerto Vallarta. Anyone know anything about the safety in this area? I am very nervous about him traveling in Mexico, but he says he isn’t able to get the $ back for the resort which was paid in advance. He has travel insurance so his flight would be covered but not the resort fees.
The sad part is that the most recent problems in Mexico are a DIRECT result of the US government’s failed War On Drugs. No, Mexico is a country rife with corruption, violent police, and financial and social problems caused by government monetary policy and a complete disrespect for property rights. That being said, if drugs were relegalized in this country (as they were before 1915), the drug crime problem in Mexico and the United States would disappear virtually overnight.
Don’t believe me? Just look at crime statistics during and after the end of alcohol Prohibition. The same organized crime activities of drive by shootings, killings over territory, police corruption, etc. were rampant and a direct result of the illegality of alcohol. Those same problems are present now because of the illegality of drugs. Millions in this country routinely use frugs without harming anyone but themselves (and even personal harm could be debated). It is the dealers and distributors that are involved in most of the violent crime, as well as users stealing to afford the black market inflated prices that would surely drop to affordable levels were they legal.
You don’t ever worry about a Budweiser and a Miller beer truck driver shooting it out on the street over territory. That competition is handled by salesmen in a non-violent manner. Likewise, CVS and Rite-Aid pharmacists would not be killing people in the street were they allowed to peacefully sell a defined, well-labelled, regulated substance that many peacefully wish to use. More violent crime is associated with people under the influence of alcohol than drugs, yet with one we learned our lesson of failure and the other, the failure continues.
Utopia, no. Still a medical problem? Yes. But considering the billions spent every year just on the judicial system costs let alone the other societal costs of the violence and the destroyed families, legalization is clearly the only workable, constitutional, and wise solution to the drug problem the government should be considering.
For the unfortunate victims in Mexico and our inner cities, it would certainly be a welcome blessing for their situations. Spring break would be just the beginning of safer times in Mexico and the US.
There are drug related murders in Miami, Detroit, and Atlanta regularly. Doesn’t mean the US is an overly dangerious country and the whole place should be avoided. The people in Mexico are mostly honest hardworking people. Don’t do drugs and criminal acts in Mexico and stay in the populated resort areas and there shouldn’t be a problem. I think it is a knee jerk reaction.
Im going to cancun mexico in about 2 weeks. my parents are going with me and my friends. But they are freakin out about all the drug cartel stuff.. is it safe to go? or should we try to relocate. I do not want to be some where that is very unsafe. go or not??
I just watched a special on this the other night. Two reporters went to Tijuana to investigate. They obtained a police radio scanner so that they could hear the murder calls come across the scanner.
They started out the day as the sun was coming up. The reporters followed murder call after murder call ALL day. The sun was going down when one reporter said: We’ve seen enough! (something like 6k murders last year?)
These were assignations not shootings! Machine guns, severed heads, etc. The reporters had to be escorted by armed guards every where they went.
They interviewed the chief of police who said the day before his election, 30 men rushed his home and tore it to shreds with machine guns. He got away. He was eventually fired from his position as chief and within one month, the next chief was assassinated.
It’s a VERY serious situation and I would not advise ANYONE to choose this as a resort destination at this time. An ounce of prevention…..
Notice that the alcohol supporters recognize the economic value of freedom too. States like Arizona and Wyoming and others used to also see positive economic benefit from the lower drinking age when other states around them were at 21. Restrictive Blue Laws and high taxation continue to benefit adjoining freedom loving states still. Big surprise. Personal responsibility is imperative, but freedom does work. Just look at the tourism business in Holland and more specifically Amsterdam. A wonderful city where both marijuana and prostitution coexist with everyone in charming neighborhoods filled with families, children and the elderly. No big deal.
Personally I never felt safe at all in Mexico as far back as the early 80’s. Shakedowns by corrupt police, unhealty water, abject poverty, poor roads. Maybe at some of the big tourist resorts like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and other places on the Mexican Riviera, but any of the smaller border towns like Juarez, Tiajuana, or even more south like Ensenada are just powder kegs waiting to explode. The Drug War will be just one of the many sparks that lights the fuse.
MarShele…PV is very safe. I’ve been there the last two years for spring break and had no issues and I’ve seen about all there is to see there. Read my post above about using common sense. Although I went with my family and did not venture into the big off-resort drinking spots like Senior Frogs, PV has a good rep…more so than its neighbor to the south, Alcapulco. Cab drivers are a little crazy though.
Mexico, or for that matter, most of our cities right here in America, wouldn’t be dangerous if we once and for all ended the nearly half-century failure of the “war on drugs”!
Just as in the first Prohibition, where the consequences became far worse than the “cure”, drive-by shootings, gangsters & their violence & corruption of officials running rampant, and even increasing numbers of fatalities due to people drinking unregulated booze, we see the same, and worse today!
Oddly, it took this nation only a little more than 10 years to right this huge mistake, and it took a constitutional amendment to do so, yet we see decade after decade go by, with conditions only getting worse, until now we see more murders in Mexico, in one year, than our forces have suffered in six years of fighting a real war in Iraq!
Decriminalizing, regulating, and taxing drugs would not only be a boon to our economy, & allow law enforcement & the prison system to focus on violent criminals, but it would yank the rug out from under the drug cartels, & homeland gangs, by instantly removing the huge profits from their trafficking!
Me and my husband just returned from a resort in Cancun, Mexico on Feb 28th and we did not experience any problems. We stayed for 7 days, we walked to Downtown Cancun and took the bus to various locations. I am not sure what people are talking about when they are saying it is not safe.
Great, just great. Yet another thing for us parents to worry about! Thank goodness that won’t be an issue in my house. My 17 year old daughter will be in college next year & she knows such a thing is out of the question. I’m very strict with her. She’s not allowed out at night unless it’s with her dad & me; & on weekends she’s allowed to go to the library or shopping with the one friend my husband & I approve of. Boys/dating? OUT OF THE QUESTION! We insist she dress modestly in long loose dresses or blouse & skirt, her hair is kept plain & short & absolutely no make-up. We monitor everythig she reads, views & listens to. Of course she complains about being unpopular & being treated like a freak at school but what else can I do? Better unpopular than a victim of rape or murder.
I understand your concern about your daughter. But, you should know that once your daughter is off to college and turns 18, you will have no control over what she does or wears unless she lives at home. You have a higher chance of causing her to rebel (even if secretly) rather than keeping her “under control”. I would suggest teaching her how to be streetsmart and make smart decisions wherever she goes and no matter what she does. You cannot be at her side forever.
As for Cancun: I am waiting for more people living in the area to respond. That would be more helpful. Lots of murders and drive-bys happen just 30 miles from me in places like Compton/Lynwood. Where I live, its not dangerous at all. I hoping this is the case with Cancun since it is about 1400 miles away from all the serious fighting. More input from Mexican locals please!
The BORDER towns are the problem, not the rest of the country. Do you know how big Mexico is??? This hysteria is getting out of control. I just got back from Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (that’s in Mexico). I was there for a month. NO PROBLEMS. If people take simple precautions anywhere when they travel, they will not run into problems.
If a college-aged child wants to go to Mexico (given that the child is not still living at home), there is nothing the parent can really do, no matter how “strict” the parents would like to be. Sometimes being overly strict backfires in that once the child goes off to college and learns how much fun he/she can have, they do things that would have been “out of the question” when at home. And, there’s nothing that the parent can do about it unless they plan on moving on-campus themselves to monitor the poor child. I’ve been there, so I do know what I’m talking about.
Everyone here is extremely overreacting. Violence along the border of Mexico is bad, but places like Acapulco and Cancun are safe enough for drunken spring break debauchery. Think of it like this: If the bloods and the crips were having an all out war in Chicago, a blood might shoot a crip in Miami Beach, but that doesn’t mean that Miami isn’t safe. There may be isolated incidents in resort towns, just as there is isolated violence in all major U.S. Cities. Bottom line: the reosrts are 1,000 miles away from the violent border cities. They are packed with people. You are fine to go.
I was in Cancun last weekend with a colleague and we had no problems, except for the return flight on Sunday being cancelled because of snow in Atlanta. The beach was beautiful and we did not feel unsafe at any time. Due to the downturn in the US economy, we saw more Canadians and wealthy Mexicans at our resort. Live your life and see the world for yourself! Do not give in to the fear mongering perpetuated by the American media.
Tijuana has more than 2 milion habitants and has many issues in the Eastern zones, (I DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET THERE) but why blame Rosarito Beach? With the new road you don’t even touch base in Tijuana to get there.
Spring Break will be safe and fun as always. Is like not going to Anaheim because of East LA killings!!! Come on guys…
For the record, in 2007 there were 16,929 murders,90,427 forcible rapes, with 1,408,337 violent crimes. Where??? The United States of America. I think things should be kept in perspective.
The State Dept didn’t say “don’t go to Mexico”, it said to use the same common sense precautions you’d use in the US—stay outa dark alleys & away from drug & prostitution areas. They have wisely advised to avoid Tijuana, Juarez, Matamoros, & other border towns….even including Rosarita Beach, tho we have friends who just returned from there, but they were a middle-aged couple, not college kids on break.
We just returned from Puerto Escondido, Zipolite, & Huatulco, & I’d assure you it’s a lot safer there than in a lot of places in the US. Don’t be deceived by the media furor, or government propaganda! Statistics say that if you’re 3 times more likely to be a victim of violence in the US than in Mexico, as long as you use the same precautions you’d use at home.
Mexico is an incredibly beautiful country, filled with friendly, helpful, & welcoming people. And many of them depend on tourism to pay their bills & feed their families. Go to any resort area, & you’ll have a great time, while helping out the people of Mexico.
Thanks John T. That makes me feel a little better. He has reserved a shuttle ride from the airport to the resort so may not have to deal with cab, however, maybe the shuttle is the same situation! Thanks again.
Mexico is not a safe vacation destinatio period. 30% of all non-natural deaths of U.S. citizens outside this country occur in Mexico. To read tragic Mexico vacation DEATH stories, many written by heartbroken family members visit:WWW.MEXICOVACATIONAWARENESS.COM
My 18 year old son was killed in a border town last march and he was using common sense not doing anything illegal and only barely had one beer in his system. Sometimes just being in a dangerous environment and looking like a duck out of water he was blonde green eyed muscular young man with a big smile and when he was found he was beaten to death. Guns didnt kill him, knives didnt kill him people did and they were young gang members that took him with no motive and beat him to death with sticks. I dont recommend any parent or person going near the border unless you want to go to a third world country and identify your child or relative in a morgue because that s always a possibility which is something I would never wish even on the parents of the people who murdered my son. Not good memories and there was nothing I could do to keep my son from going to mexico. He had his own money bought his own tickets and went no matter how much I told him “I don’t think it’s safe and to please stay away from the border.” When kids are young and think they are invincible they will do what they want. I still feel like if only I could have done something and feel if I could have handcuffed him to his door knob to keep him from going.. but, it happened.. and he was in the wrong place and met the wrong people and the only thing I believe he was trying to do was help someone else out that he saw that was being beaten. In America I believe most people adhere to good samaritan morals or rules and would put their self out there to help someone else and that was how my son was. I feel people do not practice that same thing in mexico if they see something they will turn their head and let you bleed to death in the street. They do not want to be involved. To me my son will always be a hero but, I just want to let other parents know that yes it can happen and sometimes you cant do anything to stop it no matter how much you warn your kids. I m glad that the warnings are getting out there because I saw nothing of the warnings last year and it was still really bad at that time it was just not being talked about. Also alot of deaths in mexico of american citizens are being reported in reports by our state department as “accidents”not ” homicides ” so I don’t feel that would give us correct numbers or correct information do you?
Being a regular traveller to Mexico I can tell you as long as you stick to the main tourist spots you will be fine.We have travelled to area’s such as Puerto Vallarta and Cancun on some occasions multiple times in a year with no sense of trouble or none of the tension or ”corruption” people speak of.We have always had a really good time and continue to travel to the region.With that being said the border towns such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and other towns well known for the drug trade should be avoided at all costs particularly now with the drug cartels battling it out.We have never been and will never go to the border towns, just far to corrupt and with the U.S. being where the drugs are going (or trying to get), the border towns are where the trouble lurks…Use your common sense when travelling anywhere in the world.Mexico has it’s problems but then again so does Canada, and right in your own backyard.You wouldnt walk into a drug dealing neighborhood in the U.S so why would you do it anywhere else?
Thank-you for writing about Son killed in Mexico. I sent my son your story and hopes he listens to your warning. He is going on a Mission trip Spring Break with his chruch and the minster has him and everyone else who is going convinced that it’s safe. Does anyone know or have been to Piedras Negras? Its on the board across from Eagle Pass.
I have had a house in Acapulco since 1992, and I have been to DF, TJ, and CJ many times in the last few years. I read the police blotter of El Sol and Novedades newspapers everyday. Almost all the big crimes occur outside of town or else in bad neighborhoods (e.g., Zapata, Renacimiento) that tourists have no reason to go to in the first place. Every year, three or four American tourists die in Acapulco, but I cannot think of any due to political or drug violence. The major factor in 90% of the cases is traffic accidents.
So, don’t drive here and be super careful crossing the street.
This is a great place for spring break, and you don’t need a high priced package, because there are many cheap hotels, restaurants, stores, night clubs, etc. (as well as the pricey places).
i was in tijuana mon and tues mar. 2 & 3 for a dentist appointment..i went with a friend and we stayed in a hotel there..lots of police on the street which made me feel very safe..we had no problems…as for acapulco, i was there three times last year and i am on my way back the week of march 16th…i was in cancun in jan. 09 and had a wonderful time..no problems..i drink alcohol with friends at the clubs but i do not get stupid drunk…do not use drugs so there are no problems… anywhere you go you can be a victim of crime. the only crime i saw was people trying to sell you junk on the beach..lol.enjoy your vacations in mexico…
there is problems like in every other country. Some times I’m scared to be in the US just thinking everyone has a gun!!! We are just victims of a panic campaing. If you travel, of course you have to be careful and follow the rules. If you just want to get drunk and do whatever, then you will probalby get in trouble. We need some criteria instead of believing everything we say…The bottom line is: we are the ones buying drugs and we are the ones selling arms to Mexico mafias.
Mexico is a beautiful country with some much to offer beyond the beaches… and this drug war is in specific areas, not every where you go.
2008 saw more people killed in Mexico than were killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan…would you go do Spring Break in Iraq? Seriously, why risk losing your head traveling to Mexico…besides, KEEP AMERICAN DOLLARS IN AMERICA.
Worried Mom: What you should be woried about is the problems your daughter will have as a result of your sheltering her from a normal, human experience. Wearing makeup and making new friends does not invite rape and murder. Keeping your child locked in the basement throughout her adolesence, however, will leave her completely unable to cope with the real world. That poor girl is going to snap one day and act out in a way that WILL invite problems into her life.
i am going to Puerto Vallarta and i plan to get wasted 16 to 20 hours per day! dont buy drugs or wander around along if your a girl. (if you are a girl thinking of wandering around along look me up)
[...] college kids prepare for Spring Break, many are receiving warnings from their schools and parents about a favorite destination: Mexico. Escalating violence between [...]
I just returned from Cancun last week and it was as fantastic as always. The fact that some crimes happened in downtown Cancun doesn’t have anything to do with the safety in the Hotel Zone. It is rare for tourists to go downtown anyway, nor would you go to an area in your own town that may possibly be dangerous. The media loves to put a one sided twist on everything because that is what draws attention, but even if you were to stay at home all day something could happen. So, please use normal common sense and enjoy all the beauty that Mexico and Cancun has to offer.
Alan, this article deals with TRAVEL so it was placed in the TRAVEL section. If you want to talk CRIME then look in the Metro/ State section you dumba**.
I think the “Worried Mom” response was made up, it sounded bogus to me. If not, then it’s very sad. Part of your job as parent is not only to keep your kids safe but also prepare them to live on their own in the world. Sheltering them from everything isn’t the answer. You give them bits of responsibility as they grow while they are still in your home so you are their safety net. Wearing makeup doesn’t make you a prostitute. Haven’t you heard of moderation? A young lady can dress modestly, wear natural looking makeup and go on a date without being “ruined”. Just set some ground rules that have to be followed.
I think that the economy is going to cause more college kids to stay home than the fear of violence. My college aged nephew has been on spring break this past week and he and his friends didn’t go on a trip to Mexico or even Florida.
I think if these kids use common sense and caution they should be ok if they stay in the resort areas and don’t go off the beaten path. However, common sense and caution doesn’t come naturally to college kids so it might be best if they stayed closer to home.
I think this’d be one of the greatest jobs ever! On Millennium (Celebrity), the domestic staff was elevated to ombudsman status; Caribbeans. But on the down side they can exact showcase talent. Any qualifier could likely find more durable entertaining work. RCCL count so heavily on the shows to carry the reputation.
If your family is anything like my in-laws, DON’T DO IT. Even though we all are fortunate to have enough money to vacation separately, we go on a family vacation every year. It is HORRIBLE. Every year all the “kids” (grown adults) dread the vacation but somehow feel forced to go anyway. It is agony. I literally start dreading the next year’s vacation on the last day of the current year’s vacation. It causes me and my sister-in-laws SO much stress because my mother-in-law is evil and no one likes her. I am very grateful to have a family and a place to stay, but I can honestly say that I would prefer to stay home and go to work. One year I did not go and it caused ALL kinds of drama. Good grief, no vacation is better than this vacation!
I’ve always spent a lot of time visiting with family and friends. I’m fortunate to have several weeks a year off work and I love to travel. My budget doesn’t allow for as much as I’d like. Staying with family and friends makes it possible. When I go to my little sister’s house I feel like I’m at a spa. I’m always treated like royalty. I’ve even visited with my best friend’s family and with my father’s Navy buddies. Being shown around by the locals makes it special. No tourist traps for me. I always try to make myself useful and not be a burden. It also helps to prepare a meal or two for my hosts or take them out.
Hey Keith — Love the phrase “friends and family” tour — very cute!! We are having a family of 5 come to stay with us this summer from Washington DC. We visited with them last spring break and the kids all got along so well we thought it would be big fun to have them come and stay with us. The mom has never been to Atlanta so she’s excited to see the South. Each family will have two bedrooms and a bath. We’ve got a big backyard so I think in between sigh seeing with them the kids will just run and play out back. I think it’s going to be so much to have them here and other than gas and some tourism costs basically a free vacation for them. I think it’s such a nice old-fashioned concept to see new places and stay with family and friends — plus it does save money.
Were plannin a family vacation over the spring break next month, we’ll be staying in a cabin in Pigeon Forge TN. Along with our parents, there will be 7 siblings and our families for a total of ~23 people. 4 of the 7 siblings have been laid off, so the 3 working siblings will be picking up most of the cost. Fortunately, we all get along great, in-laws and all and we love getting the kids (ages 4-14) together. We’re all looking forward to it!
We are getting ready to leave on a cruise for spring break. We are going to Catalina and Ensenada. We have been following the news and researching on the internet, but still don’t feel like we’re getting the answers we are looking for. At this point we have decided to stay on the boat when we get to Ensenada. We just don’t want to take the chance. There are eight of us going including my mom and dad and my two sisters and their husbands. Some of us have been to Mexico many times before and now we just don’t feel safe. Does anyone know if the boat actually docks at Ensenada or are we to take smaller boats in? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I work with the Travel Channel online team and the Switzerland episode mentioned in the post is actually the upcoming episode on Monday March 23rd. In addition to snowboarding, he also competes in Schwingen (Swiss wrestling). There is a preview on his YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/dhanijones.
Yup – and I review the sites before I book a hotel room. It’s a way to help make an informed decision about where to stay. You can usually tell the nit picky complaints from a reoccurring theme (as in one REALLY bad hotel (super smokey and RUDE) that I stayed in Chicago)
I think it’s all about intent: What do you want to get out of this? If you just want to vent to make yourself feel superior, then it’s a waste of time. And it should be constructive feedback, not just whining. And I do feel people have become just plain rude and demanding. But yes, ultimately, they’re trying to get my money for their service, so it’s worth it to keep them accountable and hopefully make things better for the next person, and your visit.
Tripadvisor.com & Yahoo travel are the best travel sites on the web for reviews. I check it for hotels reviews and locale info. I also tell the hotel desk that I post reviews, good and bad, and they will be reviewed. It’s amazing how well you are often treated when you mention Tripadvisor, even when I have a Hotwire or Priceline res. The info should be out there so the public can make good purchasing decisions.
I frequently check Trip Advisor for hotel and activity ratings. I frequently post reviews but try not to be too negative. I generally have middle of the road expectations so I don’t get too diappointed unless its really bad… One such negative review related to a multi day hotel stay with NO hot water. Management kept saying it was going to be fixed. I unded up speaking with one of the repairmen on the day I was leaving and he said the part had just arrived and mgmt knew when to expect it.
when reading reviews, I generally toss out the most extreme on both the negative and positive ends of the spectrum.
i think it was cool that someone like yourslf would even think of doing something like swiss wrestling. I know because i use to swiss wrestle here in california, good job Dhani, p.s. you have a new fan.
My boyfriend and I are talking about a beach wedding this fall. He loves Tybee Island. We both agree it has to be very small, informal, just us, his daughter and mine. Do we need witnesses, or can the justice of the peace bring his wife or something?
My husband I got married at Helton Creek Falls and the whole wedding party (and what a paerty it was!) took over Amicalola State Park just north of Dawsonville Ga. We rented out all the cabins and most of the lodge for a three day wedding party, had the ceramony IN the falls at Helton Creek and the reception at The Smith House in Dalonaga. Our friends have been back several times and still rave about the wonderful non pompous wedding…by the way…we live all the way in Tampa FL and had people come in from 5 states and as far away as Utah. It didn’t break the budget, heck, hardly touched the budget and was so very perfect and we couldn’t have asked for a better “destination” wedding!
It pains me to think about and relive my experience with clothing optional beaches. My experience in Cancun was quite alarming to say the least. Ironically, my particular resort was not clothing optional, however, the beach was not closed off. The nudies tended to wander down toward our end of the beach. Truly I believe that the body is a beautiful design, and when taken care of it is a pleasure to behold. Now back to reality. Ideal bodies are not always the case. But, to each his own. I just believe retirement communities and clothing optional beaches should not combine. At least that appeared to be the case. Or maybe they just offered discounts to seniors. (I know that not all seniors have given in to gravity, but largely it is the case!) I blame the magazines. Dammit Plaboy! You ruined it with your perfect bodies. Thanks a lot Hugh! (Smile)
Nude people are rather a Ho Hum affair. Being nude with a large crowd is forgettable in about 20 minutes. We are increasingly getting over our Victorian prudishness and starting to get a grip on reality…this is good. Maybe the sin shouters will be over whelmed by large nude demonstrations and protests…this is VERY good. They control you through sex remember? Everybody does it, over and over so make it a sin…I am for reducing the clown quotient in America.
I have often wondered what it would be like. I have to agree with the above person who posted the fist comment. The human body is beautiful by design. I’m writing a story about a nude beach. Perhaps I should go, for information puposes.
Lol, why is that here, is CEO of Delta is a nudist? Wouldn’t there be a risk of one of his employees spot him from the air, haha. Was the landing gear down or raised, lol. That is one of the most retarded letters I’ve ever seen. Well, in the last 48 hours, anyway. What is it with old people and the CAPS key, anyway? Maybe she should go to a nudist beach and chill out, she will feel better.
Well Delores. I don’t know how you knew I would read this nudist article but you did. I guess that is what they mean by anticipating where the puck will go. Anyway, got your message and I will talk to the Delta website guys, all of my representatives and all of my customer service people and tell them to function properly. Sorry. Rich
WE went to Hawaii for a wedding a few years ago…of course the couple was from the West Coast, and so was 90% of the guests. Surprisingly there were over 150 people there…it really was awesome and it was a great excuse to go visit the other side of the US!
Nude is the way god made us. Could it be that our problems with nudity, etc. are the source of so many of our sexual, interpersonal, and body image problems? No, must be something else.
Funny how we claim to be the freeest nation on earth (so far off at this point that even the claim should bring a smirk to your face) yet what you don’t, what you put into your body, what you do with your body, etc. are the least free things in our society.
Besides, if you run accross a guy hiking nude in the cold Alps, how much will there be visible to offend your sensibilities anyway.
Why do people have a problem with the naked body. We all have one. People shield their kids from nudity, GASP, that person has a body, just like everyone else. Stupid. I walk around my house nekkid all the time. Freedom. I hate wearing clothes.
I think the reason Delta is included is because the TSA is so paranoid and so ineffective, we will all likely be forced to fly naked soon just to make sure we aren’t smuggling anything like a toothpick that could be used to blow up a plane.
I only take nude vacations. If I can’t go nude, I don’t go at all. And lucky for me, there are lots of available options. My favorites are Cape d Agde in France and Club Orient on St Maartin.
I have no problem with nudity at all. In fact, I’m frequently nude inside and outside my home. People should get over their insecurities and accept that everyone had a body.
Nudity is Ok (inside your home) in my book. Not because I’m prudish but as people have mentioned you have to take the good with the bad and you see a lot more bad then good.
I have to think the Dalores post is either a joke or a mean-spirited action because who really posts their personal information to the web?? I reported the comment simply because of the personal information (not to mention it had nothing to do with the article.) Hopefully it will be removed.
It’s the same old story — always, the ones that should cover up the most are the ones that think they’re the sexiest/most attractive. Jeff Foxworthy did a relevant routine about this subject. Most people aren’t that great-looking with their clothes ON; I sure don’t want to pay to see them jiggle and sag!
My husband and I have gone to Orient Beach in St. Martin for the past two years. We don’t stay at Club Orient, but we walk down to the nude beach to sun bathe. I like it, he loves it, and it’s great to keep the fires burning. The people who frequent the nude beaches and resorts are respectful of others, and there is no staring. That comes from the US tourists off the cruise ships. I’ve seen a father and his young teen sons repeatedly walk the nude beach, just to get an eyeful.
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail have a week in the summer when they hike in the buff. I don’t remember which week, but my son hiked the Trail and honored the undress code along with most of the rest of them.
Those of you that prefer all your nudes to be in pristine shape evidently don’t “get it”. the Victorian attitude towards nudity that we have all been subjected to are only as archaic as the the idea that everybody needs to match a certain standard before they can take their clothes off. No, I am not 5′5″ and 5 feet tall. In fact, I am 6′ 3″ and an athletic build. But many of my friends at the clothing optional resort in which I reside full time are far from perfect in regards to their bodies – but if the body is all you care about, I doubt you can be more shallow without getting out of the pool completely.
Our community enjoys a vibrant and healthy social life. The friendships that I have formed here are as close as any I have ever had. The idea is not to compare bodies, but hearts.
I don’t take nude vacations, but one of the resorts I go to has a nude beach. It is completely separate from the clothing side as to not “offend” anyone and protects the nudies from gawkers. It is completely non-sexual and there is no swinging or swapping. It is relaxing to lay out in the sun and don’t have to worry about damp swimsuits, tan lines, etc. Everyone should try it at least once.
I tried to find some info on Hike Naked Day 2009, and instead found this Web site: http://www.hikingnaked.com/. The regional page is broken down by state, and there are several naked hikers in Georgia.
My favorite battlefield in Ga. is Chicamauga. Its the only one where you can actually get a feel for the battle. The rest are really in bad shape. Its a travesty…
As noted, we were born nude. I imagine that we did run around nude for a time back “in the beginning, and I imagine that the daily scrapes, bruising,etc, as well as things dangling and jiggling called for an invention to cover things up. Back then folks probably saw it as perverted to cover up and use the “new fangled invention” called clothes, just as folks see nudity as perverted. It is all a cycle. Who knows, maybe one day we will be back to total nudity only to realize/remember how much more comfortable it was to keep from getting scraped, caught, pinched, burned, frostbit, etc.
Its NUDE, not LEWD ! Few people have perfect bodies. Thats what you will encounter at a nudist resort, any of the 3 or 4 in North Georgia. Nudity breaks down social barriers. You can’t tell a banker from a bus driver. You won’t find staring when everyone is nude! Nothing better than jumping in the pool or hot tub, and having the sun’s rays dry you off. Its the least sexually charged place you will experience.
I always enjoy it when the slightest hint of criticism causes someone to accuse someone else of being a “Christian hater”, yet when some fundamentalist ultra-conservative type Christian stands up and demands that books they don’t like be removed from all libraries, they are just “defending their faith”.
JTEX—get used to it…it’s called freedom of speech, which you obviously believe that you and your nudy left-wing buddies hold the monopoly on…I’ll gladly take the hit as a “fundamentalist ultra-conservative type” on behalf of the rest of those who are clothed and in their right mind…
I remember when I first joined the Army & saw my first uncircumcised man. I remember it looked like an anteater with goiters. I was deeply saddened because I knew then that he would never know love. I don’t wish to see this on the beach anymore than I would wish to see a dead catfish.
My husband I got married at Helton Creek Falls and the whole wedding party (and what a paerty it was!) took over Amicalola State Park just north of Dawsonville Ga.This is really a wonderful place.Log on kissBBW.c o m.and you ;ll know more about it.There are many big beautiful women ,hot and sexy,waiting for you.
Going nude is wonderful. I do it at home and at nudist camps and beaches. The freedom is wonderful. And when you’re surrounded by others who are nude, you get that feeling that we truly are all the same. The class “barriers” are broken. Frankly, those who’ve never gone to nude beaches or camps should try it at least once before they criticize anyone. Sure there are jerks who will come to stare or do something stupid, but that’s when you alert management or police. Oh-many beaches have lifeguard/police patrols and camps and other resorts often have their own security. We do need to get over our negative attitudes about nudity.
cj – I walk around naked in front of my kids……got a problem with that? Too bad……my house, my rules. sorry you are such a prude. you probably shower with clothes on……
CJ, I am part owner of a small nudist property in central Florida, I am as conservative as most people you know.
The majority of members at my club are conservatives!
I have a family, and yes my children are nudists too, I go to church, I believe in GOD, I tithe, I pay my taxes and probably a large portion of yours… On my more liberal side, I believe abortions are bad, but I don’t think they should be outlawed, that is between a woman and her maker, I don’t care if a gay couple gets married or has a civil union, whatever you call it… and, I am a nudist!
There are no sex shows going on at a nudist resort, there are no public stripper poles, there are no lap dances, it is NOT about perversion, it is about freedom and enjoying yourself.
Loosen up.
Nudity by itself should not be offensive. However, overt sexual behavior in a public place is not a good idea!
It is also hard to understand the tone of the original article, the writer seems surprised that there are actually nudist resorts in GA “and some EVEN allow the entire family.”
Children who are raised to not be offended by the human body make great physicians and scientists, they have not been taught shame. Shame is not a productive trait, go back and watch “Oh God” with George Burns.
Nudist resorts and nudist activities are everywhere! Seek and you shall find one near you. If you run across naked hikers in the future, and it bothers you, look them in the eye, not below the belt, it may be your son or daughter!
I’ve been a nudist and have been going to Paradise Valley (formally Hidden Valley)for 16 years. Anyone that hasn’t been there (or to any nudist resort) can’t possibly know enough to even make a comment. Before I went , I could count the close friendships I had on one hand. The close friendships I have now are more than I could have ever imagined. Visiting a nudist resort is nothing like a lot of the post here seem to think it is. It is definitely not about sex, it’s about freedom.You meet people as they really are without all of the preconcieved judgements clothing creates. When you are nude you don’t know if the person next to you is the CEO of a national company,a doctor (I’ve met several)a Lawyer (we do forgive them for that)a celebrity (yes met some too) or just an average person like myself.
My husband and I are both members of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), and we take at least one Nakation (nude vacation) per year. Our five children always go with us. All of the resorts we have visited have been family-friendly and wonderful. Before you knock the nudists, visit http://www.aanr.com and read more about it. You will wish you had become a nudist sooner.
Nude vacations are the most inexpensive way to travel. I recommend it to everyone. My favorite resorts are Abbott’s Glen in Vermont and Cypress Cove in Florida.
Being German and being familiar with the German lifestyle, I have no problems with nudity. For instance, in Germany whole families go to the bath houses where one would enjoy the bath right next to grandma and uncle and cousins and siblings. American people definitely would have a problem with that, but, as for not throwing the baby out with the bath water…. at least one can enjoy the accommodations available to them to be “in” with nature, among other like-minded adults, free of all societies stigmas. But it sure would be nice to not have these resorts overrun by a slew of people with naked body complex or to bring with them their puritan attitudes. Maybe all newbies should start out on the “beginner slope” !!
Cool Hand Luke…. lol ! Catfish are not likely to show up on the beach unless your “beach” might be a swampy lake down a dirt road and if that’s the case watch out for those campgrounds with low hanging fruit they are everywhere!!! As far as the natural male appendage, being skinned is not the beauty God designed men with. All men that are natural in that way would rarely want to be cut, but, alot of men that have been peeled would give anything to undo the damage. Granted there are a few oddities of nature but for the most part most uncut men have tools that are, well, run of the mill. If you went campin’ with me you would likely get over your penis envy! But as for the type of beaches, you may see a dead catfish or even a carp or a beer can.
I have done it many times and have enjoyed it thoroughly. Consider the phrase it is hard to be a snob when you are naked. You get to know people based on who they are not whether they are waiting the latest thing from Anne Kelin or Armani. Besides, after awhile, you don’t think about people are naked or not. It would be like going to a party where everybody is wearing red and you alone are wearing green. It also is about as comfortable as you can get. Just remember one thing-remember if you desire to be weird sexually nude places really are not where you want to be. People don’t put up with crap like that.
Are you serious?!? Let’s just invite all of the communists and socialists to come into our country in take over … oh wait … we just did by electing Obama into office!
Yes, my wife and I would love to go there. It’s probably one of the few places in the world that hasn’t been infected by McDonalds, Disney, and the other “garbage” that passes for American “culture”.
Absolutely, I would be fascinated to be able to go to Cuba and see for myself what conditions there are. It has always seems odd to me that I can travel to Korea or China or Iran or Afghanistan, none notable democracies, but I cannot go to Cuba. Especially because one of our complaints about Castro is he will not let his citizens travel freely.
Would love to go. But, I am curious about a comparison in the article that says the city of Detroit has as many hotel rooms as the entire country of Cuba. I can’t believe it! You mean to tell me that people actually go to Detroit?
Shannon…The Question is…Are YOU Serious? This is just the outdated thinking that has gotten this Country into the state it is in Now. Thanks to the decision making of a Conservative, outdated, ill-informed, C-Student President (Bush). Wow!! Have you had your head Stuck in the Sand? We now have an informed, ultra Modern, Intelligent and Academic President, who makes hard decisions by being fully informed. Hey…Don’t knock Socialism just yet…at lease in a socialist State you don’t have to pay for education and medical coverage….from where I’m sitting, that just keeps looking better and better by the Day.
Parents went to Cuba on their honeymoon in 1947. I have a lot fo souveneirs from their trip and would love to visit!
As for that jackass “Shannon”….who the heck is inviting anyone to take over our country? What a jerk!
NO, US representatives that have visited Cuba recently have not visited any of the thousands of the political prisoners on the island. They are ignoring the fact that the current government has no intentions of allowing any form of free speech or free communication. We will only be injecting US cash into the pockets of a 50 year old dictatorship that has no vested interest on the human rights of it’s population.
Wanda, you say: “at lease (sic) in a socialist State you don’t have to pay for education and medical coverage.”
Are you kidding me? Do you think education and healthcare just fall out of the sky? Taxpayers pay for those services through significantly higher. It’s your kind of “government = no price” thinking that will bankrupt this country. Your ignorance is insulting.
Democrats never met a Communist they didn’t like. Nevermind this country is guilty of human rights violations and oppression of its people. Who cares? Certainly not the Democratic Black Caucus who recently visited, hobnobbing with Castro himself while demeaning their home country, the United States. Disgusting. Do us a favor, next time make it a ONE-WAY ticket.
Having lived and worked there (I am Canadian) I find the place endlessly interesting and not at all as the American press propagandises.
yes the economy is inefficent in many areas but for a Latin country pretty good.
And I hate to drag this up, but if one is poor and sick, best to be a Cuban than an American.
I learned many lessons there and on was to note that the American press can uniformly trash a country with out regard to the facts. And yes there are lots of Americans there defying there own Govts. wishes.
I can’t wait to go. I’ve been wanting to visit for years. I hope that all restrictions are lifted. If we can visit and trade with the Soviet Union and China, why not Cuba? Oh, I forgot. Black people live in Cuba!
Hasn’t anyone heard the old saying about keeping your friends close and enemies closer? What people fail to realize is that after time almost all communist regimes have fallen once the western influences have traveled through and discovered what was really going on inside those countries, socially, emotionally and politically. I think that U.S. travelers being allowed inside Cuba will help way more than allowing Cuba to fester without exposure to the mainstream U.S.
I’ll go. I’d like to be as educated as I can be about the country, and see people’s reactions, listen to stories, and try to understand what is really going on within Cuba, as opposed to relying on what our government (or anyone else’s) wants me to think about it.
Don’t you think that the people of Cuba would have things a little easier over time, since their government will have to be a little more careful in how they treat their citizens when plenty of U.S. eyes and ears are there?
We’ve been saving by staying in state for our vacations. Using sites like the ajc and exploregeorgia.org to find travel deals and look for those “undiscovered gems” that make for great weekend getaways.
We’re lucky that our lifestyle has not been affected by the economy. It has actually helped us! Thanks to slow sales, the resort we are going to in September offered a deal and we were able to upgrade to the penthouse suite for only 100 bucks more for the week! We are also already booked for spring break 2010- and the kids travel free!! Good times!
We are renting a condo at the beach but we are eating in instead of out while we are there. Also, we will not spend money on any shopping trips while we are there.
Yes, it’s only fair. If an overweight passenger prevents the person in the adjacent seat from being able to comfortably use that seat, then the overweight person is taking away from what the other passenger paid for.
I think it’s fair, yes. I agree that if I could help the obese passenger by moving MY seat, I would but frankly I haven’t been on many flights where there were numerous seats available where I could exercise that option. We pay to have a seat on a plane. We basically rent the seat and the space for the duration of the flight. If the fat rolls on a particular person are so large that they interfere with my comfort and safety, then they should absolutely be required to buy a bigger seat.
I don’t mind being squished against the window or shoved into the aisle a bit by an overweight passenger. To be fair, that’s happened to me only three times in many, many flights. It’s the screaming kids (on almost every flight) that drive me up the wall.
As it should be! I only hope Delta follows suit. As a frequent Delta flyer I have endured too many uncomforatable flights when the person sitting beside me spilled over in to my seat (sweat and all). If you require the space of two seats, you should pay for two seats.
I agree, they should pay more. We all pay for/rent a seat and expect reasonable comfort. I don’t expect not to rub shoulders/arms occasionaly, but no way should anyone be subjected to someone elses gurth literally laying on you for a flight. It is also unsafe if anything were to happen on the flight and it just isn’t right. It should be handled in a way to preserve there dignity as much as possible but it is what it is. You have to pay extra for oversized luggage that sits next to luggage for pete’s sake, absolutely a person that ways considerably more, takes up the space of two or more people should be expected to pay up.
You people have it all wrong! Do as the government does..
Borrow money for your vacation! Twice as much as you need!! Have a blast and let your children worry about paying it back. That is the progressive thing to do. And after all…, the same thing Congress is doing to America.
As a frequent flyer and a larger person I was on the side of I pay for my ticket and I fit in the seat so leave me alone. But, on a recent flight from LAX I had an empty seat next to me and hoped it remained so. But… I saw him coming down the aisle, the biggest man I have ever seen on a plane and I just knew he was coming to sit on/by me. I fit in my seat and I can fasten the seat belt but he couldn’t. He was by the window and took up his seat and half of mine. He had his own seat belt extender. the arm rest wouldn’t go down. He should have paid for 2 seats.
What bothers more is women being able to carry a fairly large infant on board and sit with the child on “her lap”. Couple that with a fat woman and it is miserable. Fat and with child should equal purchasing an extra seat.
Absolutely–if you don’t fit in one seat, you should pay for two. That said, perhaps airlines should start installing a couple of seats that are a bit wider (maybe 1.5 times normal size). I’m not a very large person, but I flew internationally with my ex who’s 6′4″ and about 260. He fit in his seat just fine (though his poor legs were cramped). besides, if you really weigh *that* much, you’re sucking up more gas. Fair’s fair.
I think this is the best rule the airline came up with and I think all airlines should follow. I went to LA this past summer from Atlanta and had a large man sitting in the middle. I was at the window and another flyer was in the aisle seat. The flight attendent didn’t give him 1 extended seat belt but 3 total. I cant sit here with my knees bent towards window. I told her I will get off the plane and take another flight before I sit here this long. Me and her went back and forth with the problem until I told her if I need you to give me 1/2 of my ticket price back because I paid for a seat ,but yet I am sitting in half of my seat and the other half is being shared by this man next to me. Finally they found me another seat and I couldn’t been happier.
Airlines are not buffets, but rather more akin to traditional restaurants where you pay for what you eat. You should absolutely pay for the space you occupy. Either pay for 2 seats or buy a 1st class ticket. It isn’t my responsibility to accommodate your irresponsibility at the dinner table by tolerating your amorphic, gelatinous rolls in my lap, on my leg, etc. Consider this: If we are neighbors, both paying rent or owning our homes, would you tolerate my piling up my belongings in your living room because I can’t fit them in my house?
Here’s a concept: stop shoving people in like cattle, and give them 2″ extra inches of seat space in coach. Make *everybody* more comfortable, and save overweight people embarassment.
If you aren’t fat, then you do not know how embarassing it is, nor how incredibly uncomfortable, to do all you can to squish into a seat and not impinge on your neighbor’s space. And what about people who can’t afford business seats? Callously tell them not to fly?
Not all fat people are the same size nor dimensions. I carry my weight in my thighs/hips, which means I need an extender and I can fit into a single seat, although painfully so. (I do buy upgrades when I can afford them.) There are also plenty of fat people who have skinny legs, have no problem fitting in their seats from the waist down, but are huge up top, and spill into your seat from that direction.
The fact is that at least 60% of the American population is overweight. But public transportation doesn’t reflect that nor give sway for changes in pysiology over the past 50 years. I have more room on my bus ride home than I do on an airplane!
I want a refund for every skinny person who has sat next to me stinking to high heaven because they apparently have no clue how to shower; or has drowned themselves in cologne; or has a baby that screams and cries half the flight; or yacks my ear off; or snores like a truck.
AIRLINES SHOULD REVERT TO THE WIDER SEATS OF THE ’50s AND STOP SCREWING THE FLYING PUBLIC. SQUEEZING PASSENGERS INTO SEATS ONLY LARGE ENOUGH FOR A 3 YEAR OLD TO SIT IN COMFORTABLY IS NOT ONLY CRUEL , IT’S DOWNRIGHT GREEDY.
why draw the line at the size of a person? I had to spend 75% of a 9 hour flight next to a thin person who snored like a buzz saw and drooled on top of that. A breath mint might have been nice as well. It was so loud I couldn’t rest comfortably. I was also afraid something was going to fly out his mouth and hit me. Did I have a pleasant flight? NO! I would have rather had someone with good oral hygiene who spilled over a little in to my seat.
Yes, I not only think it’s fair, but it’s about time. I’m not overweight, but I’m not small, and I have had to sit next to too many people that take up what little space I’ve paid for.
Man you people are some whiners!!!! Want some cheese with that whine???
It’s not fair…….I had to sit next to blah blah blah….
Should you charge fat people extra at a buffet? Should there be a scale at the door? If you weigh over 250, you pay twice as much. But if you weight under 250, you get regular pricing? I’m a light eater, but a friend of mine can eat two pizzas in one sitting, but he only weights 210, and is over 6 feet tall. Should he be charged more at the buffet cuz he eats more than I do?
When does it end? How do you make EVERYONE happy?????
Should grocery stores charge for fat people in the aisles that you can’t get around. They are occupying space……
Should playgrounds be made larger for fat kids? Wider slides?
Should auto makers charge more for a larger vehicle for fat people?
Airlines should widen the seats or remove a few rows of seats to give passengers extra room. Obesity has been proven to be a disease. This disease should not prevent a paying passenger from traveling without added fees.
If airline seat designers can design First-Class seats that fold into complete beds, then they should be able to design a seat that could adjustably accommodate multiple sizes.
My dislike is when a large person raises the armrest without asking so that they can have half of my seat. My preference would be to require for the passenger to be required to pay for first class with the larger seats or to pay for two seats in coach.
By the way what happens on ASA where the seats are really small and the bathrooms are probably inaccessible for some of the passengers described in earler posts.
Yes and No, Yes because it is uncomfortable for the person sitting next to them, and No because it is discrimination. Make planes with larger seats to accommodate overweight passengers. Should the movie theater charge an overweight person for two seats at the theater because the same thing happens there. Also if obesity is on the rise, then maybe these places should make changes to coincide with the rise in obesity.
All obesity is not caused by a disease/medication. Some need to except that they just like to overeat period. Storm, your analogies are all over the place and don’t negate the arguments presented here.
It is certainly a problem with the overall amount of space given to begin with, I am a size XS to S with womanly hips and some airline seats are snug for me in the hip area. BUT, there is a BIG problem with obesity in this country and most of it is not a disease (although maybe psychological) so somethings need to be done. Paige and Darryl, I couldn’t agree more… on a flight there is NOTHING worse to me than screaming children which seems to happen on almost every single flight now and that is much more disruptive than a large person taking some of your space. Make parents pay extra whose kids disrupt the ENTIRE plane and not just the person sitting next to them!
Whether or not they are required to purchase two seats you should just do what I do. Just refust to raise the armrest. If they can fit on thier side then no problem…if not they have a problem because that armrest is not going anywhere tubby.
If there aren’t two adjacent seats available and the “large” person pays extra because they don’t fit in their seat, should the person in the seat where the “fat” hangs over be given compensation? Why do I pay full price when part of my seat is occuppied by a “wide body”? Yes, charge them more, but be fair to the person who is not given an option to give up part of their seat.
Absolutely obese people should be charged for additional space. Airlines DO offer wider seats and that’s in FIRST CLASS!! If you don’t want to pay for the wider seat, then buy TWO in coach so that you don’t infringe upon other paying customers. I’ve actually had to remove someone from a flight because they took up two seats. And NO you don’t get compensation for being removed either because you KNOW you should have paid for two seats. Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell-Douglas, etc… aren’t making the coach any wider. Just make your butt SMALLER!
Stevie, its even better when you have the seats usually bulkhead or exit aisles that have fixed armrests. I saw an instance where the passenger would not fit in to one of those seats and he was moved next to a very unhappy new seat mate. Full planes on Friday are a pain
Wow. I’ve always been overweight, and thank God I’ve never met any of you self-centered fat people haters! I require a seat belt extender, but do not “spill over” into the next seat and keep the armrest down. So I should pay for an extra seat because I need a seat belt extender? P.S. If you’ve never had a weight problem you don’t have a clue. If I thought I could get rid of the weight by using a carving knife (with or without anesthesia) I’d start cutting. All of us don’t eat whole boxes of Twinkies and cartons of ice cream. Yes, I overeat – but I’ve seen plenty of skinny people eat more at the buffet than I do. It’s like the t-shirts say “I might be fat, but you’re ugly…and I can always lose weight.” Feel free to subsitute “rude,” “conceited,” “self-centered,” etc. for the word “ugly.”
Obese people should have to pay. Flying is a pain anyway, even when you aren’t sitting next to goliath. If I have to be inconvienced by a extra large person while flying, there is no reason they shouldn’t be inconvienced by paying more or upgrading to first class.
When the cost of being obese starts to burden the obese, they may start doing something about it. With our medicare, medicaid, and welfare; most obese people aren’t having to pay a thing in health coverage for being so fat. I think a “fat tax” on fatty’s on airplanes is a move in the right direction!
I was on a flight Minneapolis to Palm Springs on a single aisle plane and had the window seat. In the middle seat next to me was a wide passenger that made me lean against the window if I didn’t want to rub against him. But the real danger wasn’t him but the well dressed man on the aisle who was sooo obese that he forcibly wedged himself into the seat so that the armrest were so tight they acted as his seat belt. He did not ask for a seat belt extension and could not use a seatbelt any way during take off or landing. It was obvious that he always flew this way. Although I needed to go to the bathroom during the flight I had to contain myself because I was trapped. The worst was if there were an air emergency and we had to evacuate the plane, I could not get out quickly and would have died. This is not just a matter of an personal rights but the safty of other passengers. When a musician travels with his cello, he buys an extra seat and the cello always has the window seat and the muscian the middle seat. Obese passengers should not be given the aisle seat trapping his or her seatmates.
SayWhat – Sure, some posted comments are rude and call names, but I sure hope you don’t believe that everyone who feels encroached upon by a large person and agrees with this airline policy is somehow a “fat people hater?” that’s just shortsighted and silly. It’s like having a neighbor that plays music as if he is at an outdoor concert at 2am, are you a jerk or a “hater” for calling the cops? for making an HOA rule about not making everyone have to listen to your music at 2am? Come on. You can agree with this policy and not be guilty of discrimination, its just physics, common courtesy, and common sense. IMHO
SayWhat, it does not seem to me that people on here are “fat people haters” I think this has just become a problem that isn’t quite fair. Also, the obesity rates in this country are so startling that foreigners can spot an American coming from a mile away b/c fat is associated with Americans. Being made to pay extra for a ticket is embarrassing and might actually be a motivator for some obese people to make a change.
I do know what it is like as I used to weigh 215 pounds at a height of 5 foot 4 inches and the embarrassment I felt was the motivator for me to do something about it. Was it easy…no! Was it possible and took determination and personal choice…yes! 7 years later and I was 128 pounds (by exercise and eating well) which is where I have been ever since. Most people have the choice, it is just whether or not you choose to act on it! If you choose not to, why should other people suffer?
I say yes to larger passengers paying extra only if “FUNKY” passengers are not allowed on until they shower. I will take a fat arm in my space over holding my breath for four plus hours any day.
Why dont the airlines put a few wider seats in the plane? Everyone deserves to fly and be treated the same. This discrimination bull is really getting on my last nerve. Black, white, mexican (legals that is) fat, skinny, young, old, babies, toddlers. Lighten up people. We all have feelings and we all all created equal. Just some of you think your better then others. By the way im white, 5′6″ and weight 135 so im not fat and sticking up for fat people. Im a christian sticking up for GODS people.
I have a t-shirt that says “I beat anorexia!” and yes people too large to fit in one seat should have to pay either for an upgrade or for 2 or more seats.
I’m 6′7″, and am what the industry calls Large and Tall, not big and tall, as I was told by a very robust man in a big and tall store once. If I pay a little more can I have the seat in front of me moved a couple of inches forward? How about charging Mr Five Foot tall more for sitting in the emergency row, just because they like to stretch out more?
Thank you Braves #1. I think people with screaming babies should have to pay extra. If they start charging over-weight people more, then I sense a lawsuit coming. That is just like making a black person or mexican or whatever color you are pay more because or their color. Are we really going to revert back to major disrespect and discrimination? I am 5′2 and 140 NOT overweight, but I have friends that are overweight and know how embarrasing it can be to not be able to buckle your seatbelt or ride rides at an amusement park. Overweight people don’t enjoy it….I say we extend the seatbelts to accomodate the overweight and when the obnoxiously skinny people go flying out the window Oh well they should have paid extra for a smaller seat belt to hold them in.
Have people walk through a corridor the width of a seat, similar to the size gauge that is used for carry on luggage. If the person does not fit then tell them they are going to have to “super size” their seating accommodations at the ticket counter.
Public transportation (which airlines are NOT) should not be forced to change to a new American “Physiology”, rather, the 60% of America that is fat or obese, should get back down to a normal, healthy weight. No thyroids, no emotional eating, no stress, no genes, no excuses. You’re born with blue eyes or red hair, not 80lbs overweight. This would have so many benefits! Reduced health care costs. Reduced energy consumption. Um, reduced food consumption leading to lower costs!
Regardless to whether you’re obese from overeating or from a disease the results are the same. If you require the extra space you should pay the extra cost. Maybe it’s not twice the fare because that may become cost prohibitive for many. If this is implemented, I hope it’s done in a way that does not humiilate or embarass the traveler. I would rather suffer a little discomfort rather than cause someone to feel that emotional pain.
It is bothersome to have your seat invaded on a plane by someone else but I think charging double is unfair and the airlines should make provisions for special passengers; accommodations for larger beings and mothers with babies. These seats could be placed throughout the aircraft. It’s the most respectable way to handle this issue.
I am large but can fit. I am also in favor of charging for additional space. The passenger should have the option to upgrade for a special seat with more room, or buy an extra seat. There needs to be an option available other than first class. I have seen a few people who cannot get down the aisle and I think, “How on earth are they going to fit?”
I have literally been choked for hours (due to allergy/asthma) from folks bathing in scent. Something should also be done about that. Subtle, folks, goes a long way.
And I know virtually no one who would not agree that a noisy child/baby area should be available to protect the other passengers from too much noise. If an airline advertised itself as small child free, I am SURE many travelers would pay the premium to sign on. I am not a child hater, but you have to realize that not everyone enjoys your child and sympathizes with your child’s travel adjustment problems. I have traveled near many parents who had the traveling with a kid thing figured out, and many more who were oblivious or overwhelmed.
If you have ever tried to fly with the overlapping folds of a weight-impaired passenger overlapping onto the arm rest, your leg, your arm, shoulder, torso, you would not have to ask. I pay to use my entire seat space – from floor to overhead. If a passenger cannot fit in a coach seat, require them to pay for a seat they CAN fit into. The last time I was squished between an enormous passenger and the side of the plane, I made up my mind to always reserve an aisle seat when booking my flight.
For all of the people who think that fat people (sorry for not being politically correct) should pay extra, they have never had to sit next to one. I think what they should do is make the fat people sit next to the squirming, crying, screaming babies!
People of the world are so mean . . . some of your comments are horrific and uncalled for –you can express yourselves just as well without out being so obnoxious. Let’s face it, most plane flights are usually a big hassle, unless you fly on a private vessel but to constantly put down larger people as I’ve seen done on this blog is just mean. I bet many of you have children that are bullies.
Just wondering what would happen if you substituted the words “black” or “Jewish” for the words “fat” or “obese” in any of these blogs. Prejudice against overweight people is the only bigotry that remains acceptable in our society.
First, add to the base price of a ticket the combined weight of pax and luggage, and that is a collectible surcharge at boarding, billed automatically to the method of payment for the original ticket.
Second, if the collectible surcharge is over a certain amount, the pax is assessed and given 2 seats if it is not the luggage that passed the threshold, with no additional payment other than the surcharge that everyone of us would pay.
However, don’t hold your breath waiting for the airlines to do anything until forced by congress. They don’t think like that.
The base ticket is for everyone to “rent” an equal amount of square inches. If someone need more than they rent, they need to pay more for another “plot”
*** Prejudice against overweight people is the only bigotry that remains acceptable in our society. ***
This is not about prejudice, it is actually about equality … everyone pays the same for the amout of area that they use. If a fat person uses an extra seat for free when available, it is everyone one else subsidizing that second seat.
The worst flight of my life was next to an overweight guy who simply did not fit into the seat AT ALL. Seats are claustrophobic enough, but sitting next to a guy whose arm is firmly planted in your boob for two hours was misery. I asked him, politely, to please move his arm, and he ignored me (he spoke English, he asked for doubles from the snack cart). I asked the flight attendant to move, but the flight was full. I would have gladly sat next to a screaming baby for two hours rather than have to put up with that guy again.
If a person can pull a armrest up, I sure can pull it right back down. If s/he doesn’t like it, oh well. Guess what, I don’t like being mauled, either. And my likes count at least as much as theirs.
I travel frequently, and just recently I have had 2 situations that almost caused me to ask for a refund. There are various reasons to have a less than enjoyable flight. I am overweight myself, but fit in the seat and use the regular seatbelt. The lady next to me on a 3.5 hour flight probably weighed less than me, but was shorter and had very wide hips. Part of her left thigh infringed on me and I had to lean to the left the entire flight. Then last week I had a lady next to me who was carrying her 14 mo. old little girl. She really was well-behaved for the 4.5 hour flight, but she kept flinging her little arms so that they hit me on the arm or in the stomach. Her mom was very apologetic. There was not a seat to spare on the plane, so that was not an option. Personally, I think the best and least expensive rule for everyone is partial or full reimbursement for a flight if your neighbor makes your flight unbearable.
Kid-free airlines? Sign me up! I think the some of the screaming kids are just as tortured as the other passengers. On the other hand, ear plugs do wonderful things to mitigate the screaming kids AND help if you have ear problems like I do.
As a frequent traveler who is neither small nor obese, I have to say that there should be a surcharge. I try very hard to respectful to everyone I fly with, but I can’t stand to be elbowed in the breast or turn myself into a pretzel just to avoid having some stranger lean up against me. Lemme tell ya, in the summer, this really sucks big time!
I think this policy is discriminatory. But if they’re going to start charging people for making other passengers uncomfortable, why not charge people who have long legs and their knees stick you in the back or butt for the whole flight? I hate that, so so much… and it happens much more often to me than a fat person taking up extra space in my seat.
Maybe the better idea is for the airlines to stop packing people in so tightly it’s like a sardine can.
Airlines have become so greedy, and money hungry! They cram too many seats on plane and make them small to boot! They should give people more leg room and make seats a bit wider, comfortable, and not discriminate. Should you have to pay more because you were born ugly?
Now, hold on a minute passengers! Airlines are already charging too many fees. Look at the big picture. One, just because plus size passengers pay more doesn’t mean they won’t still be sitting next to you and adding to your discomfort and two, 61% of the population is overweight so airlines need to make the necessary adjustments to accomodate heavier/wider passengers (ex. bigger seats/added legroom). Let’s not just give them another cash cow. Heck, I’m 6′5″ so what’s next, a fee because my long legs stick out in the aisle a few inches? Gimme’ a break —
People who are large enough to take up more than their seat should pay extra. I have friends who buy 3 tickets (they are a couple) when they have a long flight. I also find the screaming children and those allowed to do as they please very offensive.
Go United. Now can we do the same for subways, buses and the roads? If you weigh more you are putting more wear and tear on the roads and you need to pay up.
60% of the US is overweight. Remember that counts people who are 1 pound or 500 pounds over the ideal. More importantly I don’t care how fat you are. If you are using more that your seat…pay. If you are embarassed by your weight, DIET! Don’t give me that I have a Thyroid problem. The vast majority of the grossly overweight (more than 50 pounds over) in this country have a fast food, donut, and lack of exercise problem. Embarass you? Good I hope it does to the point of causing you to get off your butt. The airline is a private company and doesn’t need to change it’s airplane, or it’s policy to fit you. You need to pay the required fee’s or find another mode of transport.
Have everyone pay by the pound….embarrassing but fair to all…just step on the scales just like baggage. (And I’m not a tiny person so this does not benefit me,,but it’s fair)
Last year I flew over 200 segments, mostly on DL and FL, but hit just about every airline at least once. Mostly domestic, all over the country, with a dozen or so international flights in the mix.
I’m sure I’ve sat next to very large people on some of those flights. I’m sure there have been screaming kids on some of those flight. But every single one of those flights got me from where I was to where I needed to be reasonably close to on-time. Isn’t that the point of flying?
I board the plane, read the paper, do some work, listen to my I-Pod, and generally don’t pay attention to what’s going on around me. Maybe I’m lucky that I get to sit in the section of the plane reserved for frequent fliers – those who fly once a month or less might not realize the front of the cabin is held for frequent fliers – so I avoid the people that look as the airplane ride as part of the vacation as opposed to transportation.
The plane ride is meant to get you and everyone else on the flight from Point A to Point B. Those snobs who think it’s better than riding the bus should figure out the price of the ticket per mile. MARTA is more expensive a ride per mile! Concentrate on what you paid for – cheap transportation – rather than looking for private jet amenities and the unimportant things – a child whose going to visit grandparents but doesn’t understand what air pressure does on ears, a person who isn’t happy about being heavy but may be going to his mother’s funeral and feels bad enough about the situation. Frankly, give me a sweaty obese man in the middle seat over a chatty, holier-than-thou complainer who thinks because we are next to each other on a plane that somehow means we should chat and that the fact that turbulence meant the flight attendant didn’t get a chance to give you a few sips of Fresca somehow means you should get your money back for the ticket.
Control yourselves and you can be happy in any situation. Look for something to complain about and be miserable. It’s your choice.
I can’t believe there is any controversy over this. Has our culture really descended so far that Political Correctness allows fat people to think they are somehow entitled for a free seat or to encroach on the seat of the people next to them? It’s time we stood up to this nonsense.
I don’t think that paying a extra fee is right. I agree with Big Juicy. I am a formal football player and I am big, I am 6′4 and 285 pounds and it is all muscles, and I don’t always fit so i have to buy two seats come on give me a break. The airlines need to make bigger seats and people need to stop crying and suck it up or drive your own damn car. With everything going on in the world right now and people are crying about plane seats, what about the people that have lost their homes and jobs and other things, that is something to cry about!!!!!!!!!
I like the by the pound idea. I am over 200 lbs and rarely fly but not being able to buckle my seatbelt took me from over 300 lbs to where I am today and I am still losing.
I flew an international flight…14 hrs with one of the largest men I have ever seen in my row. The elderly lady in the middle seat moved to another seat and we had the middle seat open. He did not spill over to the sides of the middle seat. His belly was just so rotund that he could not literally put his tray table down without it being at an incline. I kindly suggested that he use the empty middle seat for his beverage but smiled and struggled throughout the trip. Now, I don’t think that it is fair that he should pay more for comfort. There is a reasonable expectation for that. I don’t think it is fair either for the passenger in front of him having to deal with him pushing the seat forward to maneuver..nor is it fair for the person behind him that had their knees compressed when he would get up from his seat or lean back to attempt to put down the tray table. I think airlines should offer reserved larger seating for maybe an add on price, not necessarily a full fare. I think he already larger human beings know their weight restrictions and don’t need to be glared at with fear. Airlines are capable to adjust for the demand of the public.
Have you ever seen a truck on the road with a “wide load” banner. That wide load permit cost extra, just like a wide load airline passenger should pay.
Well, I’m sure this is going to do wonders for the economy and the airline’s profits. I refuse to fly already because it is too expensive and quite frankly I cannot stand to be around other fliers who complain and complain and complain. I remember the very last time I flew over 8 years ago. I had my son who was 10 months at the time. I had paid for an extra seat and he was in a carseat. They made the announcement that people with infants could board early. This woman bagan shouting that “That’s not fair!” When I got closer she actually blocked my way and refused to move! I mean, do you want me carrying a diaper bag, a purse, and a carseat over your head after you’ve taken your seat. There is a good chance that I’ll knock in the head with one thing or another! Well, guess who was my seat mate. I paid for two seats and the skinny whiner didn’t understand why she couldn’t put this next to my son in his seat and why she couldn’t use his tray and “Couldn’t I take him out of the carseat and put it on the floor so she could?” Give me a break! Fat people are not the problem. It is the people who think they are “entitled” and it should be “their” way or no way. Or the frequent fliers who think they own the plane because they fly more often.No thanks, I will save my money and my sanity! Just a reminder: An airplane is not your personal flying car!
Lets say that you weight 150 lbs. You try to check a bag that weighs 55 lbs. They charge you more for checking that bag. However, the 250 lb person in front of you pays no additional charge. Where is the logic?
Great comment Big Juicy (crazy mental image) LOL and Zeus also… One question to the posters… The airline will get more money from raising the price, but what will you get? People are complaining and I can relate, but it’s not like the fare heist (I meant hike) is going to change your situation. By the way, I’m sure everyone commenting on this blog was an uncontrollable crying baby at some point who couldn’t be stopped. Ask your parent if they ever wanted you to shut up.
If all the small people say they want to charge obese fees, how bout we charge a “smelly person” fee, “infant in arms” fee, “noisy child” fee, “listens to ipod too loud” fee, “legs too long to let person in front of you recline seat” fee, or even a “gets up to go to bathroom too much” fee.
If every obese person decided to stop flying because of the fee then the price of tickets would go up to make up for the losses so is that what you want. DEAL WITH IT for the 2hrs or so that ur on the plane. The purpose of a flight is to get from A to B.
Why dont the airlines have a few “comfy” seats in the back of the plane that they could charge a slight increase for obese ppl to gladly choose those seats.
It’s a safety issue as well. If that fat person wedged in their seat next to you or nearby is between you & the emergency exits, you’re at increased risk in the event an evacuation is required. Personally, I’d demand a seat swap, another flight or reimbursement.
My husband and son have to pay more for first class seats if they are to have room for their legs because they are both almost 6′ 5″. Is there a difference?
There is a difference between a taller person, a person of a different religion/ethnicity, and an overweight person with regard to this discussion. The issue is whether or not the overweight person is taking up space paid for by another passenger. If this is the case, then absolutely, the person should either pay for two seats or pay for a first class seat. I don’t see this as an issue of prejudice. I see it as an issue of fairness to BOTH the people who have paid good money for an entire seat and to those who are larger and need more space to accommodate their size.
Airlines should stop cramming people into coach seats. Surely it cannot be as safe as having a 1/3 or more less people in such a confined space.
I am 6′2 and 175 (not fat), and I am very uncomfortable in coach due to a lack of leg room that cannot be resolved by purchasing an adjacent seat. It’s especially bad when the person in front reclines their chair.
I think that until we all get more reasonably sized seats, charging the obese for 2 seats is the only solution. I took a flight to Hawaii (6 hours) and was sitting in between a man who was so large that the armrest couldn’t even come down, and another large person. It was a miserable flight for all of us. I felt sorry for the obese man because he was clearly trying to be as polite as possible, but the situation was horrible.
Shame Shame on all of you . I know you all hate me because we are overweight but where is your humanity. I’m big but its your fault, all of you. Even when I purchase a a first class seat those are uncomforatble as well but I only do that because of those dirty looks from people in coach even before I’m seated. I’m always early for a flight so that I’m out of the way of the slim people but I still see the stares, it’s just so cruel. You all should just try to understand it from my view and you will see how I am a victim of a society that discriminates agianst those who have a weight problem….shame on all of you for not having any human compasion and sympathy.
This is a bad idea. If a person who is too big has to purchase a extra ticket, wouldn’t that push the flight time back? They can’t purchase the ticket on the plane right? They’ve got to get up, go back to the ticket counter in the terminal while everyone on the plane waits. That could take another 30-40 minutes while everyone else on the plane waits. Planes take too long to take off as it is.
YES!!! Why should I be uncomfortable,because someone doesn’t know how to control their eating habits. It happens to me all the time and I demand that I get another seat. Lose weight or buy two seats! Plain and simple.
People, this is ez. If you need more than 1 seat, you pay for more than one seat. Lose weight, save money. Just because the US has become a country of “entitlement” does not mean I have to put up with your obeseness spilling into my lap.
people ARe overweight for a variety of reasons, but when it comes to flying, everyone is paying for a service, i.e., a seat to get from Point A to Point B. I pay the same as everyone else (usually) for my seat, and I want 100% of it. I have flown extensively, and there were times when the individual next to me was so large they spilled over into my seat several inches, not even mentioning the arm rest. If you are that big, then yes, you should pay extra. Whether in the form of larger seats (someone would probably sue for discrimination) or 2 seats, but everyone is entitled to get what they paid for.
I am not overweight but I am 6 feet tall and do not fit into air plane seats. Should I have buy an extra seat because they dont make them large enough for someone who is taller? Honestly, the seats just need to be a bit larger.
I am tearing up after reading some of the rude comments posted here. As an overweight person, It is embarrassing enough to ask for a belt extension and yes, I use it and stay in my own seat and try not to infringe on the passenger sitting next to me but to think that another passenger thinks I am less than human really hurts. I have sat next to people with the worst body odor ever, the baby who kept crying and the child behind me kicking my seat and you know what I realized I am going to be on the flight for a couple of hours and I can deal with it. Why don’t the airlines make the seat bigger? This is just one more embarrassement for those of us who are larger. We might as well be lined up against the wall so everyone can point and stare before we get on the flight, that way everyone get to take their pot shot at us before the plane takes off.
If obese people are charged more for a seat then short skinny people should be charged less then tall average weight passengers. If you have to buy a second seat for your 3 year child that only weighs 30+ lbs then they should pay less then an adult. Make everyone step on a scale and charge the tickets based on height and weight. Install some seats that are better for obese, tall and also short people. My feet dangle above the ground and it’s very uncomfortable on long flights.
Be consistent in the policy- it’s discrimination otherwise.
I am obese. Even if there was nobody beside me, I couldn’t sit in the seat with the armrest down. I always purchase two seats when I fly. Yes, it bothers me that it costs me so much to fly, but the comfort is worth it, and it saves me the embarrassment of causing problems for my neighbors.
On a flight from LA, I had the crew try to put someone extra in my other seat. I had to argue for 5 minutes about how I paid full price for the seat, and they couldn’t give it away.
It would be nice if planes had a few seats on each plane strictly for the obese to purchase, like stadiums do, but it isn’t very practical, and is not likely to happen. Until something changes, I accept my responsibility to buy two seats. My biggest concern is the size of the restrooms.I have no idea how the handicapped use them, because to be honest, if I have to #2 on a plane, there is going to be a serious problem, because there simply isn’t enough room in there for that to happen properly.
Yes. I think the industry should adopt standards like they do for luggage. Charge by weight. Create a base fare and then add on the weight charge. Kids and tiny adults (who weigh less and therefore will require less fuel for transportation as well as space) would be charged less than a heavy set adult. It would also motivate our obese society and is probably the fairest solution. And if you’re embarrassed about your weight, do something about it.
I’m a bigger man, 6′3″ & 240 lbs but no fat. I pretty much max out the coach seats because of my build. I have broad shoulders that span the width of the coach seats. Because of my dimensions I am hypersensative to those sitting next to me. The airlines simply don’t make coach seats for people my size.
Last summer, I had the disgusting experience of sharing the coach section with the Iranian national basketball team. You just haven’t experienced life until you’ve flown from Salt Lake to the ATL beside a seven footer with no manners who smells like a herd of goats. I would have paid the air marshall a hundred bucks to shoot me half way here if he could’ve been found.
Parents must bring entertainment and food for their children on any flight. If they can’t handle that, they shouldn’t be allowed to fly, or have kids for that matter. My kids are 7 and 5 and have never pitched a fit on a plane. They have flown many times from Seattle to Atlanta and back without mishap. Parents must be held accountable for a child that misbehaves due to the parents lack of foresight.
Although I feel for the obese/overweight people of this world because I test the limits of my own seat, I also believe that if you can’t fit in your assigned seat, you should pay for and be given two seats.
America is Obese… I went to my High school reunion and could not really identify everyone because we had all gotten so BIG…..but I think that with a little respect and wisdom a standard should be set for the airline industry so that those that are a little more frumpy can pay the price while they work on dropping those extra pounds by any means necessary….we big-Uns pay more for clothes (not 2x as much) and thats just all part of the price that you pay when you dont take authority over your health…but at the same time if someone takes up two seats then yes charge them for 2 seats but if its just a little bit more of a seat then add a surcharge on to cover …but prescreen us for our weight so that the special accomodations can be made beforehand w/out causing so much embarassment on the plane….there is a way to work it out
Fat people or large people whether they are NFL players (probably in first class) should have to pay more if they take more space. If you have extra luggage you pay so should they. I am 5′2″ those seats are crowded anyway. It is not fair if I have to sit next to one of them.
Just a quick medical update for all you lay persons … there are almost no medical conditions which “cause” you to be overweight. Drugs, genes and diseases can make it easy to gain weight BUT if you don’t put the calories in your mouth you won’t gain or keep weight on … it is strictly a voluntary condition. Just like smoking it is hard to give up but completely up to the individual. An obese, and therefore sweaty, person encroaching on your space certainly should not be tolerated when the answer is so easy … buy another seat! The airlines just need to figure out a way to enforce this BEFORE boarding the plane!!
Airlines are so money hungry that they will pack passengers like cattle. If they would design all seats like the ones in business/first class, everyone will be able to sit comfortably rather than paying extra fees due to weight.
ONLY if they charge more for children who are FAR FAR FAR more annoying with their screaming and crying that is an overweight person taking more than one seat.
Just because I have a 42 inch waist doesn’t mean im fat. i’m 7 feet tall and I fly coach for the same reason you fly coach, I CAN’T AFFORD THE PRICE OF FIRST CLASS!!!!!
Discrimination? Bwahahahahahahaha…Thanks for the laugh. Nobody can change their race, sex, or national origin, but fatties can lose weight if they really wanted to. That’s what’s wrong with most fat people. They don’t want to take responsibility for their situation. They are victims. “Wawawawawawawawa…why am I so fat? Oh, and pass the cheese dip.” Absolutely laughable.
RE: “If you aren’t fat, then you do not know how embarassing it is” – I disagree; I’m not fat because I know how embarrassing it might be; I eat well and exercise. Try it.
RE: “REVERT TO THE WIDER SEATS OF THE ’50s” – I agree; the older policies are better policies. In the 30’s, airlines would charge passengers for any weight over 185 lbs. Let’s hear it for the 30’s!
RE: “would you tolerate my piling up my belongings in your living room because I can’t fit them in my house?” – I agree; excellent analogy! How can anyone possibly rationalize that they should occupy part of my seat?
This is difficult, because as bad as I feel for those who are overweight, I also don’t enjoy having someone take up half of my seat. I feel for those who have medical issues and are obese because of them. If the airlines charged extra for every person who is obese, I would find it troubling because there are those who cannot help it. Unfortunately those of us who aren’t obese pay the price if someone spills not only into our seats but also onto us because it’s gross. Maybe they could be denied the fingernail-sized pretzels the airlines now hand out. Seriously, though. If folks are that embarrassed about their weight and they do not have a thyroid issue or another issue that has caused them to gain weight, maybe it would be a good idea to charge extra for the seats and maybe they would decide to lose weight either out of embarrassment or because they don’t want to pay the extra money. I know it sounds cruel and I have no idea how you could separate those who have medical issues and those who are just fat. This is just my opinion.
Look, enough with having to be Politically correct and worry about hurting someone’s feelings. Our country is long-overdue to correct our ways. If you can’t take care of yourself and you require more space then you pay for it. Btw- I am a Paraplegic and don’t expect people to give me a special seat on the plane and still manage to stay fit even though I can’t use half of my body. Probably 90% of the fatties blame this or that but in truth you are just plain lazy. Take care of yourself and magically seating will not be a problem!
You know, there is a difference between being overweight and being a giant lard butt who can’t have their body fit into one seat. Are airline seats comfortable and roomy? Heck no, but if your blubber is spilling over on to my seat you need to be paying for your seat and MY seat that you are using.
Yes—fat people should pay for 2 seats. Yesterday, on a flight to San Diego, the plane was packed and of course some big fat guy got the middle seat next to me. He was so fat, that his arm rest couldn’t go down, then he copped an attitude and wanted me to move over so his fat could take up some of my seat. Plus, this loser reeked of cigarette smoke. It was 4 hours plus, but seemed like 20 hours.
To be totally fair, the airlines should charge passengers by weight like they do luggage, the smaller you are, the less you pay, so the screaming horrific brat that lay in the aisle kicking and yelling at the top of her lungs while being held down by her mother for 3 hours on the last flight I was on would be practically free. Oh Joy! 20 bucks a pound for every one, that would be fair. So if you’re anoxeric, you get a deal and since you only eat every Tuesday, you won’t even have to worry about the lack of any food on the flight. The fat guy can sit next to you. If he gets hungry, maybe he’ll eat you.
If you are overweight, you are eating too much FOR YOU. Just because a skinny person eats more than you does not mean YOU are not still eating too much. Weight can be controlled with EFFORT. That means lots of excercise and diet. Combine these two and you will overcome any weight issues you have. The real issue is that most of the overweight people I know are lazy – period. They eat way too much and will NOT excercise. I work out 6 days a week and watch my calories. I don’t reward my self with eating everything I want. I work very hard to maintain my weight. Anyone can do it…you just have to want to do it. It is all about the effort and lifestyle changes.
I rather have a fat person next to me than the kids like the whiny, bratty, obnoxious brat hell children that sat next to me for the long ass flight to Hawaii.
YES the should pay for an extra seat… OR Seat them all in the same row/next to each other. Lets see how they like their personal space getting infringed upon.
the airlines is like all big companies thier GREDDY why dont they just make the seats bigger instead of making the seats so small.the seats are bigger in 1st class 1st class can still be 1st class cause they still have the best of everything else.
As some have said here – just push away from the buffet! It is true, most Americans are overweight because they over-eat. Yet, there are those people who have disease (thyroid issues) or take medication (steroids) and are obese because of that. How do you regulate how fat is too fat? And, if it is a medical condition, do the airlines give them a break?
I don’t have children. So, it is an inconvenience and aggravation to me when children are hitting the back of my seat or peering over the seat in front of me, drooling all over my tray table. The screams and crying of toddlers is another affront to my sensibilities. Can we make flights that are for adults only? Or, would that be discrimination?
How about the disabled? It takes time and effort by the airline to have employees push wheelchairs from the arrival area to the gate. Also, it takes extra time for the crew to wheel them onboard. Can you charge extra for that? And, we don’t know how they became disabled. Maybe they were born that way. Or, maybe they were a drunk driver and brought it on themselves.
I guess we don’t really know the reason behind most of the ailments and afflictions that other people deal with in life. Maybe obesity, as it is an epidemic, should qualify people as a protected class. Isn’t everyone part of some protected class anyway?
Fat people choose to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many people do you see in Africa? NONE! Fat people get off the couch….stop feeding your face. By allmeans call me if you want to loose weight….but it aint going to be pretty…..you have to looooooose the fork
Absolutely!! I hold my breath whenever I see large people waiting to board with me. Isn’t there a weight limit for passenger planes? If so, how is it taken into consideration? When numerous obese people are on the same plane it doesn’t it affect the fuel, flight of the plane, etc.?
Maybe if we didn’t have a culture that makes excuses for people to be overweight (actually encourages them to be so for profit), 60% of us wouldn’t BE fat. Fat people, you do NOT have my permission to overeat and simply say you “have a problem”. How is that behaviour different from me saying I “have a problem” working for a living so everyone else should please pay all my expenses. Take responsibility for yourself, choose not to be fat – DO THE WORK!
I am fat; therefore, I do not fly. I can’t subject myself to the rude and hurtful comments and looks any longer. I think that being rude and mean to fat people is considered ok by too many poeple in our society. It is discrimination, and it is ok. If I had to fly, I would definitely purchase two seats, but I do not intend to subject myself (or anyone else after reading these comments) to that. Some of you who comment about fat people are obviously those kids in school who called kids names. Those kinds of comments just make fat people go home to eat to comfort themselves. It’s not fat that makes a person sweat! Some fat people probably eat less at a buffet than many of you who are thin and and so judgmental. I find many of these comments to be rude, childish and just plain mean. Bottom line: airlines give passengers as little space as they can to make as much money as they can. I think most people would like more space.
Okay so all of you people with problems with FAT people who gets to define what FAT is? Is it 160 pounds (that’s what the airline seat capacity is designed for)? How will it be enforced? If the airlines enforce it like they do carryon luggage then good luck! What are you going to do when the maintenance guy fixes a seat belt by shorting it 5 or 6 inches? Believe it or not that happens all the time. How is this not discrimination! Obesity is classified as a disease so how is this any different than bringing in a person in a wheel chair. Do they have to pay extra? How about tall people who, because of the long legs, prohibit the passenger in front of them from reclining in their seat. Are they going to charge extra for Black people or Asians? This is a load of crap. For the record I am a FAT white guy but I can fit into a seat without an extension and I am 5 feet 8 inches tall and weigh 260 pounds. I travel 40 weeks a year for business. With all that I’ve seen on planes this is just BS!
Heck no – that’s how I got a free ticket out of Delta. The man next to me was SO BIG that he spilled over into my seat – I had to sit sideways from Newark to Atlanta. I complained to Delta – free round trip ticket! The attendants knew I was aggrevated and even suggested I call Delta to complain.
I can take it a step further. I am a petite young fellow, at 150lbs. What boggles me is that I am forced to pay extra fares for bringing a bag along with me. However, me and my one bag together probably weigh roughly 175 lbs total. However, there will be someone checking in for my flight, who weighs 250lbs and their bag weighs just under the 50. So effectively 300lbs of weight compared to my 175lbs. Why do we pay the same price? It makes absolutely no sense if the airlines argument is always weight related. I suggest charging per pound to fly. Makes it easier and more fair for everyone.
Interesting to hear people say, “it’s uncomfortable for me so I don’t fly…”. Some of us normal-sized people that fly for business purposes have no choice. And if you are embarassed at having to ask for a seatbelt extension, rest assured the person next to you dreads every minute of your presence there. To the person who likens “prejudice toward overweight people to racism” I call B.S.! Black people are black and can’t change that. Fat people do not have to be fat!!!
I am 6′3″ and played college football and am not close to 260 now… I fly every week too… there are lots of issues to deal with…fat people blobbing into my seat is top on my list… I hope they make all 5′8″ 260lb people pay double…
Yes.!! Maybe it will be an incentive for them to make efforts to lose some weight. If a person physically requires 2 seats to sit on an airplane, then they should pay for 2 seats. What is the alternative? Redesign airplane seats to have a special obese section and charge everybody more for that crap? I don’t think so. Then people would be protesting the airlines. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
The American way, scream “discrimination” and blame someone or something else on our weaknesses. You pay more for your “larger” size clothes, replacing furniture you wear out, and on and on. This has been needed for some time.
In my opinion, you’ve asked the wrong question. Life is not FAIR, therefore, the quandry. Is it reasonable to ask people who take up 2 spaces to pay for 2 spaces……yes, it is.
Have any of you geniuses stopped to think……this overweight person you are so repulsed by might just be a huge air marshall that could save your life in needed to combat a skinny terrorist…..or perhaps a doctor that could help in a medical emergency.
I would be happy to be charged a net price based on weight as would most Delta PM’s even though I am taller and bigger than most people… I travel every week and have one carry on that fits nicely in the overhead and my breif case. I also always put my breifcase under my seat unless I am in the bulkhead, so I do not take up overhead room… that is because I am considerate of others… I tolerate children and always try to help the parents when I can… still, how can a fat blobby person who flobbles and pours into my seat forcing me to touch them the entire flight be fair to me?
KK Are you saying that obesity is so common we should all just accept it and start adjusting to it!? If the average weight of Americans is increasing, our nation has a serious problem. It’s not a condition we should be adjusting to.
wow “Cracker”…what cave did you climb out of? If you use the American definition of being overweight….There are several doctors that would be deemed as overweight. Unfortunately this thread will probably go on forever due to the fact that many people like yourself have not gotten over simple prejudice towards others. Lets just hope and pray that you don’t need a “fatty” to save your life or do anything for you if your lifetime. And if that be the case….enjoy your time on your own personal “FANTASY ISLAND”….tell Mr. Rourke and Tattoo I said hello.
All you fat people darn sure dont mind paying extra for your “super size at the drive through” so you dang sure shouldn’t mind paying extra for all the space you consume on an airplane!
Get the fork out of your fat mouth or just don’t fly. Leave the flying to all us pretty people without kids!
Nick, I wish I had a cave, I understand some are rather nice.
1) We are not talking about overweight here…we are talking about giant fat people who pour into your seat because they can not fit in their own. Sorry you can not understand the difference. My wife is a Doctor, and I have yet to meet a Doctor at her hospital, practice, med school, or CE events that would not fit in a seat on an airplane. Some may be considered overwight, but not giant blobs of people who can not fit in a seat on a plane. Can you understand this? I know I am just a simple caveman confused by your modern ways…I hope I am clear on this with my simple mind, however…
2)Now, let’s discuss your use of the word prejudice. You clearly do not understand the active definition of prejudice. We all have prejudice. You are prejudice as you think my IQ is below your 90 IQ because I think fatty fat fatties should pay more for flying because i do not like it when they pour into my seat. I am certanly prejudice. When I see a great big giant fat person, I pre judge them. I fully think that they stuff their gullets full of food and do not exercise. I validate this prejudice by knowing that everyone I know who eats right and exercises is not a giant tubby flabby flabonist… I certainly do not know the relevant facts as to how the people got so giantly fat, so I rely on prejudice. I am not mean to people who are giantly fat. In fact, I try to be polite. I help them put their bags in the overhead becuase they usually can not reach them. I also help them put their bags under the seat and help them get their bags back out as they physically can not do this becuase they have giant midsections and limited mobility due to being grossly out of shape.
So, I guess we are both prejudice. However, I do not wet the bed and I am smarter than you. Sorry if that stings….
This would be impossible to regulate. Are you going to require someone who purchases a ticket thru e-ticket to then step on a scale, or more appropriately – sit in a standard airline seat, when they arrive at the airport. I’m seeing a carnival sign above the seat saying “You must be this size or less to take your flight”.
You’ll have to give full refunds to passengers who can’t fit. This will cost the airline revenue for a seat they thought was filled.
Larger seats seem to be the way to go, but it will take millions of $’s to retro-fit all the airliners with larger seats. This will also decrease the number of passengers the plane can carry, thereby raising the cost of tickets to everyone (unless the airlines expected to eat the cost).
I’ve had to sit next to a few obese people in my years of traveling. Seating arrangements were not the best as I’m 6′3″ & weigh 230lbs. But if we’re going to start culling people at the gate from taking flights, my vote goes to all the sick travelers. I’m sure you are a nice person, but I don’t want or need your virus.
“Cracker”….lol……. I must say….you are a big joke. I won’t belittle myself by going back and forth with you in this forum. I must say it was kind of your wife…being a mental therapist, to marry one of her patients. I simply want all of you to stop to think about the fact that some people are situationaly overweight. “Cracker”, I do understand that you were once an athlete. Think of the consequences if you were to become disabled or were to have limited use of your total physical being. At that point exercise would become difficult. People we are in the 21st century. As opposed to persecuting thoses that are different from us, or outcasting those that don’t fit into what we deem to be the “norm”….lets reach out in concern and try to help. Not by degrading a person, but by embracing them as a fellow human being.
To the comment about supersizing, you do realize that what a supersize is at McDonalds or wherever is the same amount of fries that were a regular size a few years ago right? Airline seats have gotten smaller over the years so no matter your size, an adult is likely to be uncomfortable in that seat before even considering if they or a seat mate are obese.
Now you are prejudice against the mentally ill… but wait, since you wet the bed and do not use logic, it is OK for you to say it…
I am disabled. I have had many, many, many surgeries on my knees, back and shoulders. I walk with a limp and it is very, very painful for me to exercise. I could easily be a flob of blobbyness right now if I did not have discipline and pride in myself. I could have a handicap sticker for my car and have someone tote me through the airport on a wheelchair as well. I choose to not. I understand that there are exceptions. I also understand that there are also many who choose to stuff their gullets with food and take no responsibility for their actions and are empowered by people like you to continue.
Wow, some of you really are cruel…Cracker & J….this is a question about fairness not insult hour at the improv theatre. As mentioned by many, there are bigger inconveniences on planes than someone is large taking up some of your space. So, do we charge more for all of that (stinky people, loud children, long legs poking)? None of it is pleasant but it is unfortunately part of air travel now.
I have been big in my past and am now in shape due to personal choice…which weight loss is for most people. It took embarrassing moments and insults for me to do something about it and I am glad I did. However, what gives you rude people the right in blatantly insult people because they are different than you? No one is perfect and people who insult others are usually the ones who truly have problems with themselves and make fun of others to feel better about themselves.
Debate like an educated individual but do not insult others for your own sick amusement….
why is this becoming an argument over fat people versus skinny people? Just charge by weight!!! Simple. If you are fat and happy, pay more. If you are skinny and happy, pay less. It takes less fuel to get my 150lb body 1500 miles than it does to take your 300lb body the same distance. It doesn’t matter at all if you want to be fat, or skinny, are happy with it, or not. You are who you are. So cough up the dough for your portion of the gas money and stop making me cough it up for you.
The problem is not the size of the people, it’s the size of the seats. The seats are too small for even the average person. Also the overheads are too small for the huge bags that people continue to bring on board. When will the airlines realize they need to quit squeezing. I applaud the present administration’s effort to bring back railroads. There is plenty of room on the train!!
yes this does display “ad hominem”, but those of us that truly know just a little bit also know that ad hominem is primarily used to skirt the actual issue in order to be rude or insulting. Which you have more than done. By the way, I have said nothing insulting against the mentally disabled or challenged. You see being mentaly ill and mentally disabled is two totally seperate entities. To be ill is to be sick….and you my friend……are a real “sicko”. ie: dahmer, gacy, manson, bundy, etc etc……THAT IS MENTALLY ILL. And that is why I commended your wife the good doctor on marrying such a special “nut job”. Perhaps she can instill some humanity in you.
But Niiiiick, we are in the 21st century. As opposed to persecuting thoses that are different from us, or outcasting those that don’t fit into what we deem to be the “norm”….lets reach out in concern and try to help. Not by degrading a person, but by embracing them as a fellow human being.
Hey Bobby, having lived in Europe for a few years, I can tell you that there is not plenty of room on trains. Try taking the train from Gatwick or Heathrow to London…there are people all piled in there standing up with their bags in the isles… take a train from London to Dover in the morning with the commuters and the school kids… you are lucky to get a seat unless you get 1st class…there is no way to put an even average sized bag in the overheads… Eurorail is a little better, but the seats are not any bigger than a coach seat on a MD-88… and as soon as someone blows one of them up, there will be long security lines to get on them too…. but why let the facts get in the way of a good story…
The airlines have two options:
1. Charge over sized passenger for two 2 if the occupy two seats.
2. Sit the oversized passengers in the same row… so they can squish eachother!
Wow…having once been over 250 lbs at 5′6″, and yes I squished into my own seat, next to my 6′3″ 200 lb hubby who needed more leg room, I am appalled at the way some of your folks raised you. Fat is truly the last acceptable prejudice. Call a Mexican a “wetback” or a black person the N word, expect to get your butt kicked. However, on this blog and world wide, it is ok to call them big fat fattie, lardo, fat butt, fat a$$, etc without fear of reprisal. I understand nobody wanting to sit next to someone obese or morbidly obese, but us fat folks don’t want to sit next to your stinky, marinated in cologne selves, or not bathed selves, or bratty kids screaming either.
Oh, and I’m not fat anymore (140 lbs), but I still can’t stand the way people treat overweight and obese people. I did have a medical condition; hello, I was in the US Army and still gained weight regardless of PT 7-10 times a week. I didn’t drink soda, eat fast food, or over eat at all. If it was you, your spouse, your mom/dad, or child….you would certainly expect the world to behave differently.
I agree the airlines should institute a few rows of larger seats. They make enough money stuffing us in like sardines with crappy service as is. Even if I was still 250 a per lb rate would suit me fine. I can pack a week’s worth of clothes, shoes, accessories, and toiletries into a carry on bag vs. the “super vain” types with 3 outfits a day and shoes to match!
Weight is not the problem here; size is. Why should airlines charge by weight? I doubt that a few hundred pounds extra would greatly affect the cost of flying the plane. Also, weighing people before they board seems crude and could be greatly humiliating to everyone, not just overweight passengers.
I think that the fact that 60% of Americans are overweight needs to be addressed by the airlines but I do not think that average-sized individuals should have to shoulder the cost of making the seats larger. Airline fair would increase significantly if airlines could fit fewer passengers on each flight.
Passengers who cannot fit into coach seats should pay for business class seats, as these seats have more room. If you can’t fit, get off the plane and make new travel arrangements. Other passengers shouldn’t be forced to wait while the airline accomodates you. If you know you won’t fit into a single coach seat, make alternate plans AHEAD of time to avoid embarrasment for you and everyone else. This is not discriminatory; it’s equitable and responsible.
[...] last week’s announcement that United Airlines would start charging more for overweight passengers who couldn’t fit into a single seat, now we learn that Delta Airlines will begin charging a [...]
Speaking of small seats… Travel to an out of state SEC football stadium and look at the seating. We are always squished. It is the size of the seat space and not the size of the person that is the problem here.
Rail travel is the most civilized form of travel available. It is a crying shame that this country moved away from this mode. Everyone in the world and this country particularly is in such a hurry. We are all rushing toward our deaths anyway. We might as well slow down and enjoy the ride, the scenery and the civility.
It is not worth the 5 billion “or more” that is budgeted for the task. High speed trains work in Europe and Japan because the populations are much more consolidated and urbanized than in the US. The train system in the US hasn’t turned a profit in decades, I see no justification for the taxpayers supporting failing industries. Obama says he will make some hard choices and maybe find a way to cut 100 million from his 2010 budget (1/36,000th). When the deficit increase is 1.2 trillion dollars in a single year, we need a lot more cutting than that. I have a good start, how about you cut the 5+ billion from the train idea, then add the 6 billion for the “volunteer” program. Wow I just cut 1% of the budget, I must be a magician!
What makes you think the train system must turn a profit??? If the roadways and airports weren’t all paid for by the governement, those forms of travel wouldn’t be profitable either.
I’m pretty sure the interstate highway system hasn’t turned a profit in decades. Come to think of it, I don’t think we turn a profit from airport expansion. Should we not invest in those either? Although it would be nuts to build a HSR line clear across the country, there are regions of the US with similar density and distance between cities (this article mentions two of them). A great example is Spain, a country with a great HSR system, which is nearly identical to California in terms of density and area. Not surprisingly, California is planning to connect LA with SF and the voters just approved it.
I really hope this happens. I love traveling by plane. I don’t travel by amtrak because the service is both slow and overpriced. High speed trains however are a whole other story. I regularly travel from Atlanta to NY, a 2-hour flight that usually takes about 6 hours (door-to-door) without any delays.
If I had the option to travel by high speed train, I would choose it every time.
Per H.R. 2095 [110th] and the Joint Explanatory Statement – Division A (p82 in PDF) for H.R. 1 [111th] a.k.a. the stimulus bill, the threshold for “high speed rail” has been raised from 90mph to 110mph, i.e. what is known as regular speed for intercity trains elsewhere in the developed world. Admittedly, not a huge jump but it’s still early days. California’s true bullet train system will reach top speeds of 220mph on an all-new, dedicated network of 800 miles of dual track – with a price tag to match.
Based on the experience of other railways, *average* train speeds need to be on the order of 1.5-2x car travel at the speed limit in order to attract sufficient ridership to turn an operating profit. In that context, it’s actually remarkable that Amtrak’s Acela Express manages to do so even though its average speed is just 80mph or so, especially north of NYC. For planning purposes, the focus needs to be on door-to-door travel time. Avoiding wait states, delays and slow sections is more important – and harder – than reaching top speed somewhere along the line.
On the legacy narrow-gauge network in Hokkaido, Japan Railways use extremely lightweight active tilt trains and up-to-date databases of track geometry to *anticipate* where they can afford to accelerate and where they need to slow down. This combination allows them to achieve respectable line haul times in spite of mandated top speeds of just 130km/h (80mph). In the US, such lightweight rolling stock is not allowed to share track with heavy freight trains.
I’d love it, but the price would have to be far less than what Amtrak offers even now on its regular trains. For me to consider it worthwhile, I need to be able to travel by train for less than I can travel by air. That’s just not the case right now unless it’s a VERY short trip.
I love the idea. Train travel simply makes sense (economically [with the price of gas], ecologically [with ozone deterioration]). I hope the intermediate stop between Atlanta and Columbia is Augusta. The rapid trains would avoid the traffic jams in downtown Augusta I remember as a child. Additionally, it would bring back a bit of history….trains coming from Augusta stopped in a little town called Terminus..then Marthasville…now Atlanta.
What happened to the Georgia Rail passenger program? That would have made all of Georgia accessible from Atlanta to Savannah, Brunswick, Athens. Just think what a road trip that would be on football weekends. And to Jacksonville Florida for the Georgia Florida game. Day trips, night trips, a whole other alternate life style would blossom to invlove family bonding. Not just travel to get from point A to point B. I love the idea. Its bigger than just trying to find the best way to get where you want to go.
The Obama plan is a nice start, but we need high speed trains to travel at least 200 mph and make stops in the major cities for it to work. Most of the corridors make sense, but the trains need to travel much faster than 110 mph for many large numbers of people to use them for intercity travel.
The $8 billion for high-speed corridors is a very smart investment that will pay dividends for generations to come. Passenger rail is the safest, most environmentally friendly, and efficient means of transportation – this is why Europe has invested so heavily in its train systems. Another important reason we need passenger rail is that a comprehensive system of passenger trains would reduce our need to import oil from the unstable Mideast. In several surveys, 70% of respondents have said they want taxpayer investment in passenger rail. And in every corridor where state investments have been made, ridership has increased greatly (California, Washington state, the Midwest). What has been missing is Federal investment because certain politicians believe that passenger rail must make a profit – even though highways and airports don’t make a profit and are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.
“On the legacy narrow-gauge network in Hokkaido, Japan Railways use extremely lightweight active tilt trains and up-to-date databases of track geometry to *anticipate* where they can afford to accelerate and where they need to slow down. This combination allows them to achieve respectable line haul times in spite of mandated top speeds of just 130km/h (80mph). In the US, such lightweight rolling stock is not allowed to share track with heavy freight trains.”
Quoted from Rafael.
Exactly…In Oregon and California the freight trains and Amtrak share the same lines. I can’t imagine the amounts of money it would take to either replace the lines or lay down another set of tracks. Then you will have all the tree huggers protesting about it. This is another one of Obama’s stupid hair brained ideas and it will never work.
As for the Highway system it is paid for by the tax payers not subsidized by the tax payers that is the distinct difference. The airports are subsidized by the Government and the Airlines pay for the use of the airport. When we get on the highway, freeway, beltway, whatever, it is free or there may be a small toll charge. When you use Amtrak it is NOT free. That is the difference. Why not make it free? like the highway system? Amtrak’s board of directors is appointed by the President, and the DOT holds the majority of STOCK. I personally find that interesting. That is why they need to make money…because it is a business.
The concept of ‘profit’ and passenger rail is largely a red herring. No passenger railway is the world truly covers all expenses from revenue (Acela certainly doesn’t). However, many other very worthwhile government services do not directly turn a profit, yet it would be ludicrous to condemn roads, airports, public schools, or even police or fire services because they don’t make money. All such services do, though, ultimately make a positive contribution to society; The money spent on education gets repaid many times over in a better educated, more affluent workforce, while infrastructure development – road, rail, air, and waterways – promotes economic development (clearly important right now) and job creation. Mobility – often provided most efficiently by rail (every mode of transport has its place) – of freight and passengers is vital for a vibrant, growing economy, yet due to lack on infrastructure investment in general – and passenger rail in particular – we are a nation headed for gridlock.
Atlanta is a good example. You want it to be easy for people to move about, going to work or school, or out shopping or dining and spending money. It is harder to do that when your highways resemble parking lots,. Rail can be a big part of the solution – be it high speed trains, commuter rail, or light-rail such as Marta. Consider for a moment the promise of high sped raill linking Georgia. Any point on the system is then a couple hours from Atlanta, making it completely practical – and even a pleasant trip – for someone from Valdosta or Dalton (for instance) to come into the city to go shopping, attend classes, or even work here. None of those options are practical with air travel, and would take too long by automobile (even without the resulting traffic congestion). Passenger rail holds enormous promise – integrated with a network serving other states and across the country – but it will never make money. That is, again however, utterly not the point.
The real problem here is not so much the person’s size, but rather the size of the seat. If the airline seats were not intentionally made as narrow as possible (to cram more of them on the plane) this wouldn’t be such a pervasive problem. With a seat made a reasonable width, far fewer people would ’spill over’ or not fit; Indeed, if the width really is a reasonable dimension, this problem would become sufficiently rare that it wouldn’t be worth mentioning, let alone develop a policy.
Well,well,well, spring break is over and all that commotion of not going to Mexico due to drug violence was way,let me repeat WAY over exagerated. Beleive me if there would have been any US causalties to students due to drug related violence it would have made it to front page news. I have lost trust in US journalism,and the electronic media does not report facts anymore but hearsay.
There seems to be a deliberate disinformation campaign within the US against Mexico. The so called failed state is not so,when is it gonna fail? The economic disaster forecasted in Mexico did not ocurr either. That mexico has problems,YES. What is not reported is the huge effort to combat corruption and the effects of this fight against corruption is why Mexico’s considered a failed state. If nothing was done then that would be critized. I don’t understand why some groups in the US are using the media to give a blow to Mexico. everything falls under it’s own weight and that there are no casualties from drug related violence is proof of this disinformation campaign. The 3 points that I have mentioned have all been false reports in American Media.
The spring break warning was to hurt Mexico economically not to protect US citizens. It was exagerated.
The mexican state is stronger today than it ever was as it weeds out corruption. The imminent failed state was a wrong prediction just as the weapons of mass destruction in Irak. I hope the US is not paying for their intel, if they are they should get their money back.
The economic downfall did not happen becuase Mexicos finances are in better order than In the US.
Mexico has almost 80 billion US in reserve and an aproved credit line which will probably never use of 40 billion which gives confidence to investors.
It has spent 7 billion US in the drug war which has shaken the entire fiber of Mexican society because it is for real, everyone knows that if they don’t shape up they will ship out. This is Mexicos main problem along with the disinformation campaign from US media equal to second world war propaganda.
I agree with the author. While I love trains and try to take them as much as possible for a whole host of reasons, environmental ones among them, in order for trains to have mass appeal they are going to have to be competitive with planes on routes where flying is an option in price and perhaps even time. 90 mile per hour trains are nothing to be excited about. New York Central ran trains above that speed in the 1940s. Even steam engines could move over 100 mph more than 100 years ago. The northeast corridor owned by Amtrak runs their trains (most designed in the 1970s) at 125 mph in the open stretches. Acela approaches 150 mph in the same stretches. The stops as well as rail congestion are problematic factors, dropping the overall speed on a line very dramatically. Most importantly, the fact that 70% of rail lines that Amtrak runs on currently are owned by freight carriers, means dramatic slow downs and delays. This is going to mean building new, restricted access, lines for high speed rail, not sharing tracks under unfavorable terms with freight.
I am opposed to the expenditure of any money for HSR. First of all, the $8B will only pay for some consultants, who will take and write a report. In addition, HSR will take a many year commitment, something we are not good at. Obama will be office 4 or 8 years, and then the next regime will shoot it down.
I would rather see the money spent on rehabilitating the current system, equipment, and routes. We, in Florida can only get to Atlanta by way of Washington DC, or NewOrleans the same way. There needs to be a viable network that connects all major population centers. If I am in a hurry, I choose to fly, but 90% of my travel, prior to August 2005 was by rail. Katrina shutdown the only Amtrak train that was of use to me, so I am forced to either say home or fly – SouthWest Airlines has a seat reserved for me on 4 flights in June, none of which I am looking forward to, but grandchildren are grandchildren.
Lou wrote: “As for the Highway system it is paid for by the tax payers not subsidized by the tax payers that is the distinct difference.”
Sorry Lou, but last year the Fed dropped $8 Billion of our Federal Income Tax dollars into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to keep it from going bankrupt, that’s a subsidy since even those who don’t own cars saw their money go into the HTF. The HTF, which is funded via the Federal fuel tax, pays for the bulk of our Interstate Highway System’s (IHS) repairs and expansions.
It was estimated early last year, before the high gas prices last summer drove the fuel tax revenues down even futher, that the HTF will need a $9 Billion subsidy this year and next. Comes 2011 & 2012, that number jumps to $12 Billion, unless Congress raises the fuel taxes and soon.
Even worse is the fact that the current 5 year plan authorized by Congress that we’re operating under, was $79 Billion less than the DOT estimated it actually needed to maintain a state of good repair to the IHS. And that was before a bridge on I-35 in Minneapolis-St Paul fell into a river over a year ago, which set of a flurry of bridge inspections that found Billions more work that is needed.
Then we come to the Stimulus package which also has funding for highways, in addition to high speed rail, yet another subsidy. And many also consider the bailout to the Detroit automakers yet another subsidy.
Lou wrote: “The airports are subsidized by the Government and the Airlines pay for the use of the airport.”
If the airlines paid for the full value of their use of the airports, then the airports would not need a government subsidy. Of course if the airlines did that, they’d be bankrupt too. By the way, We The People also watched as just shy of $1 Billion of our Federal income tax dollars was dumped into the FAA to support airline operations. Heck, we even pay companies to fly almost empty airplanes into small airports around the country. The program is called EAS, Essential Air Service.
Lou wrote: “When we get on the highway, freeway, beltway, whatever, it is free or there may be a small toll charge. When you use Amtrak it is NOT free. That is the difference. Why not make it free? like the highway system?”
The highways aren’t free, you’re paying via the fuel tax, even though you, I, and the rest of America aren’t paying enough via the fuel tax.
Lou wrote: “Amtrak’s board of directors is appointed by the President, and the DOT holds the majority of STOCK. I personally find that interesting. That is why they need to make money…because it is a business.”
What other company sees it’s board appointed by only one person? What other company can basically ignore State laws? What other company pays no property taxes, state income taxes, state sales taxes?
Amtrak is a company in name only, and the only reason for that is to allow our politicians to be able to point at it’s company status to avoid blame for any problems or failures.
[...] writer: Would I use high speed trains? “I’m thinking the answer would be no.” Not unless they were cheap and “seriously fast.” (Atlanta Journal [...]
high speed rail is *IDEAL* for regional travel. the DC-BOS route is incredibly well traveled. A high-speed train from ATL to Charlotte, Birmingham, Savannah or Chattanooga is almost a no-brainer. A high speed rail would make New Orleans a 2.5 – 5 hour trip (depending on train speed) rather than a 7-8 hour interstate trip. i’d take rail in a heartbeat if pricing was competitive and the schedules made sense (atl to charlotte that arrives at 1am? what?). i’d take the train more often if it wasn’t so inconvenient.
My sister and I have booked a trip to an all inclusive resort on the hotel strip in Cancun for the second week of May. We are keeping an eye on the developments, but are uneasy about the trip because of the swine flu outbreak and the NY spring breakers who got the virus from Cancun. We are going to buy traveler’s insurance for an extra $30 each that will cover medical expenses if we get sick, and guarantee at least a 75% reimbursement if we cancel prior to a 48 hour deadline after deciding not to go. Hopefully it won’t get worse.
Looking at a map from one of Mexico City’s major newspapers, it’s quite apparent that the epicenter of the outbreak is Mexico City, “zona metropolitana” immediately surrounding the city, and the state of San Luis Potosi. Look a little farther out and states such as Guanajauto, Veracruz, and Gurrerro (home of Acapulco) have few, if any, cases. If you are planning on going to Mexico, go! The exchange rate is fantastic, the tourist resorts are uncrowded, and the number one security priority (both in terms of Swine Flu and Narco-violence) of the Mexican government is places where tourists frequent. If you are smart and proactive, you will have a great trip! Go and enjoy!
no way, 187 people sick??? 6 Canadians was the latest stat, you know how many Canadians have visited Mexico in the last month, thousands and only 6 reported flu like symptoms, no data on how many of the six cases where travelers, and in all 6 cases the symptoms were mild.
We booked a trip to a resort in the Yucatan May 22-25. If it were just my husband and I we would still go. We have young children at home so we have decided to talk to our travel agent about making different arrangements. It is always better to be safe than sorry when you have little ones
So here’s the deal all, my boyfriend and i just booked all inclusive to Cancun Mexico on Thursday, we are leaving this Tuesday lol with Airfare and resort and a few activities for 7 days it cost us 3500.00 bucks, we where unable to get the travel insurance due to the fact that we booked last minute. I’m hoping that we are still able to go, but because im Navy my command may say the risks is to high due to the fact that we will be leaving soon on deployment. I also hope i am able to get a refund or change my destination to Hawaii but it’s not looking good. This sucks.
We’ve also heard about Tybee Island and and its beautiful beaches.
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Don’t succumb to the hype! The chances of getting swine flu if you travel to Mexico — even to the danger spots — are small! Mexico is a WONDERFUL country. Cancun and Veracruz are wonderful destinations. Mexico City is splendid! The post by Taylor regarding the dangers of the cartels is SPOT on: Mexican security is highest (and best) in the tourist spots. GO AND ENJOY!! (Just be sensible and not stupid.)
You don’t need witnesses ~ must get your marriage license @ probate court and there’s no waiting period or expiration date. VERY easy to get married in Georgia!
Well I have a cruise planned from June 1st- 5th. It goes to Key West and Cozumel. We will only be in Cozumel from 1-10 on one of the days. I guess the biggest threat would be someone getting off of the boat and being exposed to the flu and possibly bringing it back on board. I didn’t get the insurance but I think it will be okay. I’m not that big of a worrying person. I especially don’t base all my actions on a media that can’t even admit when things are getting better because that would not make a good story. It is a real cause for concern but so is the drug cartel violence and people have been going and having fun every week. So I hope everyone like myself that is still going has a great time!! Does anyone know what Carnival’s policy would be if it was still a state of emergency by the time of my cruise. Would they just go to another location or allow me to transfer to a different destination?
To Everyone with travel plans to Mexico,
DHS is about to issue a travel advisory for Mexico. If you can change your plans to travel to Mexico, do yourself a big favor and reschedule.
The current thinking for the reason that Mexico has had 80+ deaths while the US has seen none so far is that there are probably somewhere around 50,000 to 100,000 cases in Mexico, and that these official deaths are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many people are really infected.
This outbreak has been growing in Meico for the last month – it is not controlled – I am not telling you what to do but I can tell you, as a public health person, what I am telling my friends and loved ones: DON’T GO TO MEXICO UNTIL THEY’VE FIGURED THINGS OUT AND GOTTEN THE EPIDEMIC UNDER CONTROL. Things are still at a very early stage and will contiue to change, but right now it looks like delaying travel to Mexico is a good idea, personally speaking (although not for “business”, which is why they are holding back on a total travel ban.)
Well here’s the comment that I have. i will be traveling on a cruise line that leaves from california and will stop in cabo st lucas, and cozumel. My family and I are very concerned about this but the insurance that we were trying to purchase woould not cover us because we tried getting it so late. This is a very scar situation bc of the way that you can contract the virus. Because we have spent thousands of dollars planning this trip we will be going unless a travel warning has been issued, otherwise we will have to chalk it up and wear our mask. Someone needs to send some stronger medicine over to mexico to stop this. This is where the U.S is needed!!!! Not in Iraq
Let’s see: 100,000 drug gang members running loose (and their government adamantly opposing US protecting/sealing OUR side of the border), now the swine-bird flu outbreak. Nope, not going to Mexico, this year or any other year.
The budget estimates I’ve seen for rail are pretty cheap compared to, say, a new highway lane. If they’re taking my tax money anyway, I’d rather pony up for the 120mph trains instead of the 90 mph trains. Think about the difference between 90 and 120 like this:
Atlanta to Charlotte in 2 hours & 40 minutes? Not bad.
Atlanta to Charlotte in 2 hours flat? I would never buy a plane ticket again!
I have a honeymoon planned in Riviera Maya from June 10-17th…. I am a little worried about how the flu develops .. Advice? I also have the trip paid in full with no insurance so the chances of changing plans and getting the money back are slim im sure. Im a little ify! and i dont want to ruin my honeymoon
why would anybody want to go to Mexico. If they are all jumping the fence to get over here then something must be wrong. all of the drugs dealers and murderers, and pig flus. you have got to be kidding me.i am with you STJ i will never in my life time want to step foot in that nasty, gressy, dirty, dieseased riddden place.
Like Margaret, I will be traveling to Riviera Maya late June for my honeymoon. I am also a bit nervous. I am hoping within the next few weeks, there will be a breakthrough…do you think this is reality? If the US and/or airlines put a Federal ban on traveling to Mexico, will I see a refund from the airline…regardless of trip insurance?
I am also going to Mexico on my honeymoon June 22nd. I didn’t purchase insurance either but I spent the day talking to the airlines and resorts and most airlines are allowing members to change flights with no fee, but are only doing that from week to week. They did say that if you want to change you flight now you only have to pay about $100 per ticket. Most resorts are understanding but you can’t get back any money for shuttle services and other excursions. My best advice for Jeremy and Margaret is just sit tight for a few weeks and see how things shake out.
I don’t understand why people use this swine-flu epidemy to show how negative, ignorant and racist this people can be, wake up MEXIHELLNO! in what era are you living in, look around you, who do you see! stop the ignorance and try to be a little more human! get out of your couch and get yourself enroll back in high schol to get some education. Patetic!
I´m Mexican, and i´m sad because the way theworld is acting, treating us like were radioactive, and the worst isthat all is pure ignorance, and specially from the “first world”. But do what you need to, life is amazing and we will defeat this situation as a nation unitet. I hope that neither of your countryes find in this situation, because then you know what is feels like. Ah, and by the way, do you know how the virus is transmited? … gess not… Fearfull humans.
I’m from UK and my tickets have arrived today (For 26th May) so far no insurance but would still like to go, my tour operator will not change my holiday at the moment, only for trip up to 22nd of may so i will lose my money if i decide to chane myself, i’m willing to risk it!
I live with my wife in Puerto Vallarta, and have done so for five and a half years. I am a retired medical professional from British Columbia. When this all broke out we were at first concerned and seriously considered leaving. But after a few days we witnessed the incredible response of the Mexican government, which has been praised world wide, and as there has been no confirmed cases anywhere near us, and that this flu is treatable AND we have incredible medical services here, we decided to stay.
We love it here. It is our home. We love the Mexican people, incredible, open, caring, and tons of laughs.
And we feel much safer walking the streets here than in any major city in Canada or the US. Much safer. My grandkids age 10-16 all run around here like it is their own.
The other day I was speaking with two Federales who were having a coffee outside a local store. Young guys, 25 or so. I asked them what it was like working as a Federal police officer in Vallarta (I asked in english, my spanish isn’t so hot…). One of them told me his mother was so happy when he was posted here because it is so beautiful and safe here.
The resorts are quiet, mostly die hard Puerto Vallarta visitors it seems. The quiet is kinda nice actually, manana in the extreme. Buckets of ice cold beer for 5 bucks, beautiful beaches, sundown at 9 pm, nice life.
If you are worried about coming here for your vacation, don’t be. All of us here are going about life as usual, at a little slower pace.
See you soon.
Lots of my friends come down to visit me in Gulf Shores during the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival. We enjoy going to the different venues to see the musicians. And November is a great time to be at the beach.
You bet – “The Vancouver International Folk Music Festival”!!
It’s a beloved yearly tradition in gorgeous Vancouver, B.C. Many people attend from the U.S.
It’s a bit out of the SE, but Summerfest in Milwaukee is perhaps, the best annual music festival…11 days, on dedicated grounds right along Lake Michigan, 30+ stages including an amphitheater….last Thurs in June to the Sun after the 4th of July
The Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak Fl. in early June is the BEST in the Southeast! Just a few hours drive South of ATL on I-75 http://www.waneemusicfestival.com
The Savannah Music Festival (March 18 – April 6) is a great festival and withing 4 hours driving time from Atlanta. I have attended the last 3 years. The have something for everyone from kids show (during the weekdays) and Grammy award wining acts such as Dianne Reeves, Mariza, Marcus Roberts and Chick Corea. Savannah is a cool town for food and romance. Just be prepared for gnats
AtlantaFest, right here in Stone Mountain, June 17-20. People do travel from near and far, but we are fortunate that it is local. Many award winning groups, family friendly (no drunks, no profanity), and admission also gets you in to all the attractions at Stone Moutain. They have been around for many years, there is a reason why, check it out!
Well, if those of you with plans to go are anything like my wife and I who are scheduled to leave on the 13th of May, you are probably obsessing over this flu and watching every news report to get the up to the minute updates. The problem is that I think watching the news is not the best way to prepare. Lets face it, the media organizations are part of a BUSINESS and they make their living on the number of people watching. So what do they do? They HYPE every story and DRAMATIZE every interview. So my wife and I have decided to make our decision with our brains rather than our emotions and are going. We are just going to take common sense precautions. The one thing that will keep us from going is if either of us are suffering from any flu like symptoms. My understanding is that the Mexican authorities are on high alert and may deny anyone access into the country it they exhibit signs of illness. Keep this in mind if you are sick because you don’t want to spend your time in Mexico in quarantine.
im planning to go to mexico on june the 10th 4 2 weeks,i live in england are starting to get a bit worried,im well up for going though just want to know wheather everything will still be happening like clubs etc any help would be mnt
While customer care is percieved to be relative priority, money is # 1. Airlines are a public accomidation! Why have they not adjusted seating for such issues? How many years have they had oportunity to expand seating for portions of an airplane? They have the $1,000 oversized seat with customer care that serves 15 high society, while the remaining 150 passengers are patient for service in a cramped seating arrangement. Airlines make a point of larger seats for us less fortunate, but cant seem to find a layout of seating that allows 8 or so heavy set customers per flight to fly. What of pregnant woman or extremely large athletes? Are the 6-9 month pregant woman to pay per pound? Or the 6′8″ 275lbs customer that is all muscle pay per poound? I imgine there body to weight ratio is far better then half the 150 lbs 5″9 customer but still make that “elbo space” a bit tight for there neighbor.
AIRLINES SHOULD NOT CHARGE MORE. They should maake a portion of the seating per aircraft feasible for ALL of society….heavyset, pregnant woman, and disabled.
Like the auto industry….airlines should RESTRUCTURE!
i too have a holiday booked for the 10th of june just hoping and praying that things blow over cos me and my fiancee have really looked forward to this holiday, if we have to cancel or change our destination hell knows where we will end up
There are some pretty cool music festivals in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I love that area anyway, so I definitely make my way down for music festivals, as well as other events.
Traveling for music is one of the best parts of the experience. I used to live in CO and traveled to the first and second Bonnaroo (24hr drive). Wanee Music Fest/ MagFest in Live Oak are great and close to ATL. Before Roger Waters announced tour dates in SE, I had bought tickets to the Indianapolis show. If you can’t travel for music…where’s your true sense of adventure?
there must be a special in cancun june 10th cuz thats when me and my friends are going im not worried about the flu i jus dont wanna go down there and it be dead do u think that would be a possibility?
Why won´t you read mexican newspappers!!!!! don´t you see the nwes arround the world! God!!!
if you are so scared don´t come, we receive only wider criteria.
all dead, no clubs?, yeah rigth.
don´t come, stay at youre bubble world?
yea meanings i have never seen a mexico newspaper in my life im 19 i dont watch the news like i said im not scared of the flu jus wanna make sure cancun is still happening when i get there
I think we’ll see a lot of city-hopping on high-speed rail as opposed to people taking the whole route (aside to save money). I think it is very viable compared to an airport for Atlanta to Charlotte routes, etc. A lot less sitting around waiting for the flight.
Tom: Seriously, do you get into the airport with 5 minutes to spare? Think about all the time you waste in the airport. It turns a 1 hour flight into 3 hours if you include sitting around at the airport.
im supposed to be flying out with 3 kids on the 5 th of june and im so upset that the travel agent wont let me change destinations free of charge…. £250 is alot of money when you have saved for a year for this holiday…first choice have just continually fobbed me off. i understand they dont probably know anything but they should let familys have pririty to change free,we are having sleepless nites, the kids are upset and worried we still have to go to mexico.travel agents should look out for there customers and not try and make more money out of a sad situation… i have travelled with this company for 14 yrs never again… has anyone had the same problems
European HSR exists because they have eliminated level grade crossings. When we – a nation of auto lovers – are willing to give up easy crossing of rail lines then we can have rapid rail.
No. Here’s why; I will only take my pets with me when they and I can share the flight together, it’s a very easy design, giving human and companions their own compartments to share. Until then, I use car when I travel to places that I’m taking my pets.
I never let anyone who I don’t know watch my pets, this isn’t about to change.
My husband my son and myself are due to go to Mexico on the 26th June and I am so looking forward to going on holiday I do not think people should be that worried as lets face it you can catch the flu in Britain every year in winter. Please lets get our priorities right on the scale of things there is not many people infected so get over it.
My fiancee and i are goin to Mexico inJune for 2 weeks. I’ve been readin the internet like insane-o. Im pretty positve we’re goin. Swine flu, drug cartell. What are you gonna do? Im just gonna keep myself up to date on all the news goin around.
I completely agree! Not having to rush into a job after graduation can be an extremely rewarding experience. Most of all new graduates don’t need to feel guilty about taking time off to travel before settling down as the current state of the economy almost encourages students to take advantage of the opportunity. Myself and two of my friends decided to teach overseas and we went through Footprints Recruiting and they were wonderful. They helped us secure teaching jobs in Asia and their services were free. I had the chance to travel to Vietnam on my break from teaching and I will never forget all the warm people I met while teaching in South Korea. I strongly encourage others to do the same.
iam ment to be going to riviera maya on the 4th june with first choice and to say they have been useless is a understatement ive spent a fortune on my mobile and still dont know if iam going and its less than 3wks away. also ive noticed on the first choice website that they keep putting hols up to jamiaca dom rep as i check the prices most days incase we have change destinations and i think this is disgusting has anyone else noticed this?
Hi Sarah — Thanks for your input! Did you have to get a teaching certification before you left for Asia? When did you start your international job search? Was it weeks or months before you departed?
We just got back to California from five days in Mexico, we had an amazing time, no tourists, no problems, no flu.. I cannot think of a BETTER time to go. Just think, Chichen Itza to yourself! And the risk of getting swine flu here in SoCal is much greater than the risk in SE Mexico.
NNOOO!!! what is wrong with you people!! Don’t think big people already have low esteem and have emotion problems. I am sure they all of you people have a friend or a family memeber overweight. I am not overweight i am only 110 pounds but i feel for these people. are you gona charge a mother with a cry baby more because they made passengers uncomfortable. Come on make sense. God made people all shapes and sizes and i am sure he doesnt want you to discrimnated against these people. I have believe that people should be more considerate and think of others! peace and love xoxo
I am suppose to go to Cancun from 6/26-7/3 with my husband and son. I am very nervous if the resort/town will be empty. Like nate asked, i would like to know. I want to enjoy Cancuna nd all it has to offer in it’s prime. I don’t want the crowds of spring break, but the natural vibe of the town is what i’m looking for. I am nervous about the flu and the drugs and the killing. Please let me know what you think, any advise or suggestion are greatly appreciated.
Maybe! Under special circumstances like a sudden trip that may resort in a long stay away from home or relocation. I personally would like to be with my furry baby during a flight however if the circumstances called for a separate flight, I would consider this service.
Interesting points! I was actually thinking about this topic last night and this morning (particularly how to incorporate it into my own blog). Thanks for the tips, bro!
Yes, I am. I am not convinced that the machines are worth their cost and cost of man power to operate them.
I am concerned that the TSA takes a knee-jerk approach to preventing terrorist attacks rather than a pro-active approach. All security procedures should be taken outside the airport before ANYONE and ANY BAGGAGE / PACKAGE enter the airport.
I am even more worried about millions of citizens (not just travelers) who are blase and lack the foresight to be alert about potential dangers in plain view AND reporting them immediately such as unattended bags and unusual behavior. Americans are far more naive than our European neighbors.
Fantastic and interesting forum will look through more a little later, i drive a taxi in Portugal so if anyone from this forum comes on holiday to the Algarve Portugal, come and have a coffee with me, and i can also let you know lots of history from the area…
Just like to say hi will come and chat a little later just finishing off some homework, and believe me it is not easy writing in the heat here at the moment.
Well, I’m always up for trying new beaches. But my absolute favorite beaches are in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on the Alabama Gulf Coast. We go there every year (sometimes a couple times!). There is so much for my family to do, everything from fishing and golf to hiking and observing nature at its best. And of course the sugar-white beaches are fabulous! You can find a lot of info on the area at http://www.thebeachiscalling.org.
The Sunday after the 2004 Derby I went to the Maker’s Mark Brewery for a tour – it was wonderful!! Very interesting to see the whole process from start to finish. My favorite part was the aroma in the aging room – they call it “the angel’s share” – I thought that was really cool. My only warning to fellow travelers is to not go on a Sunday. Maker’s Mark isn’t exactly in a dry county, but it is in one that won’t allow you to “sample the wares” on a Sunday. We had to settle for some delicious bourbon candy instead – and we took home Maker’s Mark barbecue sauce – hand-dipped lid and all, but no bourbon
When I was in 4th grade, my family rented a motor home and drove out to a dude ranch in Wyoming to meet some friends for a two week vacation. The drive was only supposed to take three days, but it ended up taking about eight because the motor home broke down four times. We stayed in more Holidomes than RV parks. The highlight of the trip was watching my dad get into someone’s car we had flagged down because the motor home had broken down half way up a giant hill and about 40 miles from the nearest town. We tried to write down every detail about that person and their car and hoped that my dad would actually come back unharmed in those pre-cell phone days! He did return, and we did eventually make it to Wyoming and back, but, needless to say, our RVing days were over.
I went on a cruise to Alaska with my 4 siblings and their significant others and my parents. After a long flight with spirited trivia games and adult beverages, we spent 2 days exploring Vancouver. The cruise goes up the inward passage so it is always smooth sailing. The sun is up about 20 hours a day, and when it is down it’s just barely over the horizon so its never really that dark. Some of the best photos I took were at 3 in the morning where the mist is red from the rising sun. We did the adventure junkets off of the ship…we rode zip lines through the trees in Ketchican – riding along 150 feet off the ground. Took a seaplane ride over the glaciers and landed on a lake in northern BC. Rode a small dinghy up a fjord to the base of a glacier while dodging icebergs, sealions, whales and seals to watch the ice calve into the sea. In Juneau we took a helicoper ride up onto the Mendenhall Glacier and drank the pure run off rivers that run across it. In Skagway a train ride up the very canyons the gold rush had run up 150 years earlier dropped us off at the Chilkoot Trail in the Yukon where we hiked a few miles along a prisine glacier lake. One morning was spent sea kayaking in a little bay that was shared by hundreds of otters and a few bears and bald eagles. The afternoon was spent whale watching, where we also saw eagle nests and the salmon spawning. The final day was spent driving up the Kenai peninsula (near the site of the notorious bridge to nowhere) and exploring Anchorage. We were fortunate that our flight home was delayed by 4 hours, so we took the bonus time to make a small plane excursion off to explore McKinley and were able to see not only a group of hikers scaling the mountain, but witnessed an avalanche on the other slope. Back in Anchorage we enjoyed some of the many microbreweries…then boarded the plane and headed home. A remarkable vacation!
Vacation Horror…Ok..my family and I went with my parents on vacation to the DR..my mom wanted to save money and booked us on a no name brand airline with retired planes that are no longer used in the USA..just great..on the way back I felt something was wrong when we arrived at the tiki airport to a airline terminal where when you checked in there were two sticks in the ground to hang your AIRLINE sign in for check in! We boarded the plane and was 1/2 way back home..when the pilot came on and told everyone to turn off their electronic devices..my son who was playing gameboy continued playing..suddenly we looked over and heard a pop pop..outside the window the engine had caught on fire. My son said, “Mom looked what I did to the plane take my gameboy!” Behind us a lady yelled, “Media..the plane is on fire and preceded to faint in the isles! Panic hits like the wave at a football game! The flight attendent jumped over her and head to the front of the plane..my mother starts screaming she has killed the whole family, my father whose English isn’t so great asks for a drink!!..the plane is then ordered to turn around and go back to Punta Cana..we arrive to rescue vehicles on the runway and the slide gig!..we finally get off the plane to a spokesperson who states we can go back on the 3 am flight or the 9 am flight. I ask him, how many planes do you have with your airline..he says two including the one we were on and that they are sending over the part to fix the plane that just came back for the 9 am flight! I took the 3 am..THANK YOU!..well with no place to go we stayed in the open airport with 3 young kids and the rest of the people wanting to go back at 3. Well the mosquitos realized it was a buffet and proceeded to eat us alive! Nice! We are standing for 3 hours smacking ourselves! Finally the plane arrives..we cheer and rush forward to get home..ONLY to find that one of the passengers, had a immigration issue! NICE..45 min later..finally…The spokesperson announces that those that had previous assigned seat numbers could go first and the rest would board after. As soon as he said that my sleeping son proceeded to PEE ON ME!! Nice! I grabbed the spokesperson and said, “My son just pee on me..I want to go first!” I guess after looking into my eyes, he grabbed the speaker and said, “Women and children first.. and this lady is first!” I was never so happy to get home, take a shower and put on itch creme!
Family Vacation each year is always special as we spend a week on the beach with our two children and three grandchildren. This year was ever more special as my wife during her 30 years as supervisor for the Department of Family and Children Services dreamed of spending a month on the beach after she retired. She was able to get away from the abused Children situation three years ago and this year we were able to fullfill her dream. We spent a month on the beach with our children and grandchildren able to be there for a week and the last week her sister and brother in law was able to come down for for 5 days. This was great as she and her sister are very close and to us everything is about family. As of this July 4th, we have had 39 vacations together. P.S. the reason we were married on Independance Day is it was the only week of vacation I had in my old job, (I WOULD GIVE UP MY INDEPENDANCE ALL OVER AGAIN)
We are a family of four and we love to travel. We were going on a trip to Ireland and my brother, who has a friend from Ireland, decided to join us. His friend offered to let us stay in their cottage while we were there. This was an extremely gracious offer and considering the positive impact on our travel budget, we accepted.
We visited Cork for a few days and did some sightseeing prior to heading north to the cottage. First, I would like to note that it was winter, and I’ll leave it at that. Second, the cottage was located exactly in the middle of nowhere. We stopped twice for directions while driving in sleet. The second stop was one of my favorite experiences of the whole vacation because of the authenticity of it. It was late at night and we were on a country road looking for our turn. We pulled into a pub and walked in to a room that looked very much like someone’s living room with a fire place and a bar in the middle of the room. The bar was lined with little old men who were only able to give us directions once they figured out the family tree of the person who owned the cottage. They pointed us in the right direction and when we pulled into the driveway of the cottage, it looked like something out of a fairy tale (from the outside).
My husband and brother went in to get a fire started and to turn some lights on. We got inside and found a lot of bugs, a single wood burning stove that had not been used in quite some time, and no way to wash/dry our bedsheets in order to go to bed. We were tired, hungry, and a little scared to turn the lights out. We made some macaroni and cheese and played UNO in the kitchen/living room while we waited for the stove to heat up the room. Since this was the only room that was warm, we pulled the chairs together and decided to sleep as best we could. I drew the short straw and slept straight up in a chair with my 7 year old daughter draped across me.
About an hour after we had all fallen asleep, we noticed the room started to smell smokey and the pipe coming out of the top of the wood burning stove was glowing bright orange. I quickly gathered the kids and our bags and headed to the car. On the way to the car, I noticed dozens of blinking eyes reflecting at me from the dark. Apparently, we were surrounded by a field of sheep, which I wish I could have seen in the daylight. My brother and husband put the fire out and returned everything to the way we found it.
We got in the car and drove to Galway to find a hotel room. There was a sporting event going on in the city, so after stopping at several hotels, we started to get a little discouraged. Finally, I remembered the hotel we had originally booked, which was just outside of town. We showed up at 2 am, bedraggled and wreaking of smoke. The gentleman at the desk, who obviously felt sorry for me, told us that he did not have a room to sleep 5, but we could take a double room and drag the cushions in from the couch in the hallway for one of the kids to sleep on the floor. We gladly took it and enjoyed the rest of our trip.
To this day, if you ask my kids about their trip to Ireland, they will first tell you about the night we ‘burned down’ the cottage!
My story happened when I was about 13.. My mom, stepdad, sister, brother and myself decided to go camping. We bought a tent, supplies, etc.. We had absolutly no experience with tents, camping, etc whatsoever.. We brought out dog camping with us, in a tent, to Lake Lanier campgrounds.. It was absolutly awful.. It rained the WHOLE time, the dog had diarrhea and we spend the whole time fighting since we were all so stressed out… I think we got rid of that tent as soon as we got back! LOL And I have not been anywhere near a tent since!
I too, have camping memories. One trip to Florida we were evacuated from the State park due to the impending arrival of a hurricane. They told us on the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. We weren’t due to go home until Tuesday. So, rather than drive back to Atlanta that afternoon, we looked at the map, picked an inland Florida State park and headed there. Got there and it turned out to be in the middle of swampland. High humidity, hot, gator warning signs, very large mosquitoes. We spend most of the time inside the camper, it was too miserable to be outside for more than 20 or 30 minutes. The bright spot that in the park was an underground cavern. We took the tour and were sad when it was over. It was very cool underground compared to the heat above.
We went to Amicalola Falls last February. Rainy, cloudy and foggy the whole weekend. But then again the campground is on top of the mountain. The Falls were beautiful and my two boys did manage to get some hiking in. We had extreme trouble starting and keeping a campfire. That made it difficult to get out food cooked. In the middle of the night on Saturday, we ran out of propane and the heater shut off. My husband drove for an hour, thanks to the GPS, to find propane. Finally Sunday just before we left, the sky cleared and the sun came out, so we were able to get some great pictures.
Memorial Day this year we went camping with 2 other families at a campground near Hiwassee, Georgia. Great time despite the rain. But thankfully our friends brought tarps and we strung them up between the trees and stayed dry. We had 10 kids and 6 adults and had a wonderful time. That is until we went to pack up and leave. We could not find the keys to our pickup truck. We looked for over an hour, turning everything inside out. We never did find them, but finally found the spare key, so we did manage to get home.
So our motto is, every trip must contain memories. Some funny and some not, but we will always be able to recall the trip.
I love my family and last year I decided to make my normal family of 6 (two adults four kids) an extended family vacation. I invited my aunts and cousins to go along. They all agreed and thought it was a great idea and I was excited! We were all headed to the beach. The trip started out smooth enough a little complaining here and there about the 6 hour drive but I just ignored it and kept moving since were were in three cars I really didn’t have to hear that crap anyway. We got to the beach and to our designated rooms and just relaxed the first day. On the second day it was one of my cousins birthday so we had a little gathering in one of the rooms with all 15 of us. We left my neice in charge of the children and all the adults took a stroll on the beach. We all needed to get out anyway because we were all feeling rather grand from the party beverages. After strolling for about an hour hoping to come down a little we headed back into the hotel but not before I took a cool dip in the pool – fully dressed shoes and all. The problem with that was I can’t swim. I guess that told me that the walk did me no justice. I did have a designated driver that goodness. We left the hotel and headed back to our hotel. As soon as I walked in the door one of my other cousins was calling me telling me I was not going to believe what she had just seen. It seems that my aunt and cousin decided to have their own WWF show in the room that they were sharing. It must have started with some words but I know it ended in a cage match. The kids were horrified my cousin was horrified and my husband and I were tickled. He said only your family. He was in awe. The rest of the trip was pretty much ruined because there were too many attitudes from that point on. Later on I heard that the match was over a twinkie. My cousin was made someone ate the last twinkie. LOL. I said never again…well I lied we are headed out in two weeks. I can’t wait but I did send out a memo – NO WRESTLING, FIGHTING, OR BOXING MATCHES ALLOWED.
When I was a kid, we used to take a lot of road trips in the family station wagon. It was great for building the bonds with my two brothers and 2 sisters. We played ‘I spy’ and other roadtrip games. We sang ‘Puff the Majic Dragon’ and other popular songs. Of course every now and then, Dad would have to use the Daddy voice when we started getting on each other’s nerves . Something that happened on just about every trip that stood out: Dad would ask Mom, “did you get the …?” I remember she would say ‘Oh no…” It would be something different each time and we would already be a couple of hours out-of-town so we couldn’t turn around. It’s so funny…it happens to us now…but I always try to go over the list while we are still in the driveway.
The best family vacation me and my kids ever had was when they were 11 and 13 years old. My parents live in Tampa, Florida, but they were here in Atlanta that weekend so we stayed in their apartment while they were up here. It was the first time that I was able to provide a vacation that money within reason was not option. My dad had got us discounted tickets to Busch Garden. Saturday we got to the park a little early because we had to wait for the parking lot to open. We enjoyed the park so much. My youngest son didn’t like to ride roller coasters so he had to hold all our things. While me and oldest so rode every rollercoaster at Busch Garden that summer. You know how high the food is in the park, but we were able to eat and drink what and when we wanted without having to think about the cost. After we left the park they wanted to go back to the apartment and get in the pool where they spent another two hours in the water. We later went to CiCi’s where they ate until their stomachs were full and slept that night like babies. The next day we started out on our journey early again. We beached hopped that day. We went to every beach from Clearwater/St. Pete to De Soto Park. I am not a big fan of bridges over a lot of water and my kid knew this. So on the way back home I miss my turn to get on the Gandy bridge which I could handle and I look up I was headed for the interstate 275 bridge. I pull over to the side of the rode and started to panic slightly. There was nowhere for me to turn around so I had to hold my breath, grip the stirring wheel, and ride the middle of the road. My oldest son was sitting up front he turned off the radio, told my youngest son to be quiet and we crossed that bridge in silence. When I got off the bridge my heart was racing but we made it and of course you know they turn the radio back on. When we got back to the apartment they head back to the pool again for another two hours. THIS WAS OUR BEST VACATION EVER.
My family, and I go on vacation each year to the beach for 9 days. We have been going, and staying at the same place for 30 years. This is a very fun time for all of us. We are now 5 generations going. The things that I remember doing as a child I now see my nieces and nephew doing. It’s so great to watch. We enjoy our time on the beach, and the kids getting excited when they hear the bell of the ice cream truck coming closer is awesome. They get their ice cream, and before they can even take the first bite it’s already melting. By the time they get done with it they literally have ice cream from head to toe. They love it though. We also enjoy our time at the pool of the hotel that has a 60 foot waterslide. They kids go up the stairs and down the slide over and over again for hours, and when you tell them it’s time to go you always get the famous 1 more time. We are getting ready to go on this trip, and I’m counting down the days……13 days left.
My husband works for a commercial airline and we have enjoyed and cursed the benefit of travel by way of Non Reservation throughout his career. Back in the “old days” this meant, that you dressed your self in your Sunday best, (suits, ties, dresses, stockings and heels) you checked your bags and you waited at a prescribed terminal gate to see if someone had failed to wake up and get to the plane on time, so you might have the chance of sitting in their seat. I use the word “chance” loosely as you always ran into other “Non Revs” at the same gate hoping to get in that same seat before you did. While you waited to see if you would even get to start your vacation, it gave you the opportunity to size up other non revs lurking about and try to guess if they had more seniority with the Company than we did. Were the other non revs graying in the temples, were their children teenagers or ankle biters? After being “bumped” from two or three flights that we had watched load and depart, we finally got on a plane headed for Calgary, Canada. Given the nature of this kind of travel and the dicey way the trips tend to start out, we often would not make a reservation for a car or hotel, since we were never sure if we would reach our destination. Well we make it as far as the Airport at Calgary; our goal is Banff National Park. Unbeknownst to us, it was the same weekend as several other non publicized events that managed to scarf up almost every available rental car, save one lone compact which we stuffed our luggage and two kids into. Ahhh! By now it is starting to get dark and we hope to put a few miles between us and the airport. We didn’t get very far before we pass several motels with neon “No Vacancy” signs, we keep traveling…more “No Vacancy” signs. Finally, we stop and inquire at one motel and the guy looks at us and says “there’s nothing available for miles.” I think the owner of that motel saw how beat down we were looking, the desperation in my voice, the whiny kids, and he starts to make a couple calls in an effort to keep us from wandering around aimlessly or forced to spend the night in our car. After a few calls he reports good news, there is a vacancy in the town of Canmore. We head for Canmore; we arrive at what appeared to be a Saloon/Brothel, not the first choice for a vacationing family, rather the last resort. We signed in and was handed a couple of dingy towels and a small bar of soap. That should have been our first clue. We found our room on the second floor. Two twin size, dirty looking beds, light bulb hanging from the ceiling and bath sink stuck on the side of the wall. No toilet, no shower, both were down the hall on the right. Needless to say, we were disappointed, but exhausted as we prepared for a long night, opting to sleep on top of the spread and not in the sheets, and a long night it was. Right outside our window was an alley, about 2:30 in the morning a brawl breaks out with several guys cursing and motorcycles gunning up and down the alley. At that point, I sat perched in a chair for the rest of the night waiting for the crack of dawn. The rest of the trip was enjoyable, but that was certainly a memorable night to forget.
Last summer for my mom’s 80th bday, I took her to Austria and the Czech Republic. We were riding a train between Vienna and Prague when the train stopped and an elderly man and about a 6yr old boy joined us in our compartment. Neither spoke a lick of english and were clearly “czech country folks”. (maybe a farmer and his grandson we thought). While we were riding along the boy had a water bottle in his hand and was in my opinion being very good. He was smiling and giggling (as opposed to the american kids down a ways on the train running up and down the halls and screaming) The elderly man, clearly unhappy about something scolded the boy repeatedly. We had no idea why. Then, without warning the elderly man reached across and smacked that boy across the face! A smack that clearly would have someone here thrown in jail. The boy never cried, never whined. He sat very still and had a frown on his face. My mom and I looked at each other in horror but remembered we were in their country now, not ours. When we finally reached Prague and our hotel, my poor mom came down with a bad case of hemorhoides. I went out, not knowing any Czech, looking for a pharmacy where hopefully I could find someone who spoke english. I had visions of trying to describe hemorhoides to someone who didn’t speak english and the thought wasn’t pretty. Luckily I found someone who knew enough English to understand as I stood there pretending to scratch my a** what I was looking for. I kept the Preparation-H box as a souvenir (all the text is in Czech)
About 20 years ago, my family and I planned a vacation to Epcot Center in Orlando. A couple days before leaving for vacation, our pet cat had caught a baby squirrel. We were able to rescue the hairless squirrel, whose eyes had not opened yet, and care for it. The day we drove to Orlando, my father mentioned we could not leave the squirrel in the hotel as there was a chance the hotel staff could find the pet and kick us out. So, we checked into the hotel, freshened up, grabbed the squirrel, which was residing in a Girl Scout Cookie Box, and went to Epcot. Worried about the family budget at the time and the price of admission to the park, an executive decision was made to save the $5 pet boarding fee at Epcot and leave the squirrel in the car. Yes, Precious, the squirrel, was left in the car, in Florida, in the middle of the summer. My family enjoyed the park and, feeling we had just had the best vacation ever, headed back to the car. Getting into the car my mom looked at my father and said, “we have a problem.” Precious was not moving. My mother, who thought Precious had a heart attack, started CPR. As we drove back to the hotel, my sister and I watched in horror as my mother performed mouth to snout. After a few minutes of the life saving technique, my mother told us the squirrel was gone. She put the squirrel back in the Girl Scout Cookie Box and let my sister and me say good bye. When I looked at Precious, she had the look of a hot dog whose eyes had popped open like two fried eggs. Our vacation ended with my mother performing a burial service in the parking lot of the hotel. My father was not in attendance as he was in the dog house. 20 years later my family still reminds my father of the incident with Precious.
One of the best Disney “secrets” is how to ride in the driver’s cabin of the Monorail. You don’t have to be royalty, or even pay extra. You just have to know WHERE to stand. When you approach the monorail entrance go as far forward as you can. You will see a turnstile. There is usually a castmember there so you can ask if you are in the right line. You may have to wait for the second (or third) train, but this is especially helpful after fireworks or parades when the regular cars are slammed full of guests and their strollers. The only downside… a maximum of 4 passengers at any time, so if you have a big family you may have to split up.
I’ve always wanted to see Patagonia in the southern tip of South America, so last fall my dad, his sister Alice, and I made our way down to the Chilean part of the region. The three of us had vacationed together before, and from that, I knew that Alice would keep things lively. After four flights, a taxi, and a bus over the course of four days, we arrived just outside the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia. We quickly settled into our hotel and made arrangements to go to the park the next day.
That morning, a bus picked us up and took us to the park, stopping by a convenience store so that we could pick up last-minute necessities. I realized just how differently Alice and I reasoned when I compared our purchases. For our hiking trip, I chose graham crackers and water while she bought chocolate and beer. (My dad, the smartest of the three, didn’t buy anything. He knew that Alice and I would tote our own goods, and then share with him when it was time.)
After a few days of intense trekking through landscapes chock full of snow capped mountains and dotted with guanaco (a relative of the llama), we headed back to civilization. Once we arrived, we sought out a masseuse to work the kinks out of our shoulders and backs that we had acquired from toting around all that water and beer. We promptly spotted a sign in the window of one of the better hotels in town. We went in and made individual appointments for that afternoon. Because I speak Spanish, I was chosen as to go first. I was supposed to scope the place out and report back to the others before they went in.
I entered the tiny room and was greeted by a professional looking middle aged woman. “So far, so good,” I thought. After the usual small talk, she told me to get on the table.
“Should I take my boots off?” I asked in the tone of voice that clearly meant, “Huh? I haven’t even taken my shoes off yet!”
She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Whatever.”
I quickly pulled my boots off and hopped on the table, wondering why I hadn’t been told to remove anything else.
“What areas do you want me to focus on?” the lady asked.
“My shoulders and back,” I replied.
For the next hour, she focused almost exclusively on my scalp and face. I was hesitant to say anything because every time that I looked at her, she had her eyes closed and was silently chanting to herself. So I just kept my mouth shut and hoped that she would move to my shoulders and back. Eventually she did, but only for about five minutes. When the hour was up, she informed me that her tip was not included in the price. I nodded, left some money on the table, and went downstairs to pay the rest. Once downstairs, I closed out my bill and looked for Alice, who was supposed to go next. She was nowhere in sight, so I proceeded to the hotel where the three of us were staying and found my dad.
“Where’s Alice?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I guess she’s on her way to get a massage.” He answered.
At that point, I told tell him about my experience. I summed it up with, “Just be ready because it’s not what you’re used to.”
“Okay,” he replied.
Shortly after my dad left for his turn, Alice returned to the room with a bewildered look on her face.
“What did you think of the massage?” she asked.
“It was the lousiest one I’ve ever gotten,” I answered. “What about you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead she asked, “Did you take your clothes off?”
“No,” I responded. “I don’t know how on earth that lady thought she could give me a good rub down when I’m all bundled up in these winter clothes.”
“WHAT?!?!?!” Alice nearly screamed. “YOU DIDN’T TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF?!?!?!?”
“No.” I gave her a funny look. “Did you?”
“Yes! She told me to! She told me to take everything off. EVERYTHING!!!! I removed my shirt and pants, and she just looked at me and told me to take the rest off!” Alice exclaimed.
“Are you sure?” I laughed. “I mean, are you sure that’s what she meant?” I asked.
“YES!!! She told me IN ENGLISH,” Alice said.
“She didn’t speak in English to me at all,” I responded, a little skeptical.
“I swear! She told me in English to take everything off!” Alice protested. “So I did, and got on the table and tried to cover myself with a towel, and she just pulled away. I kept telling myself, ‘Amber did this, Amber did this.’ It was the only thing that got me through.”
By that time I tears were rolling down my face I was laughing so hard.
Alice, however, did not find it funny. “She gave me a nipple massage!”
I nearly wet my pants.
“I just kept repeating to myself, ‘Amber did this. Amber did this.’ I can’t BELIEVE you didn’t take your clothes off! Whatever you do, don’t tell Joe,” Alice pleaded. I howled with laughter, knowing that there was no way on earth I was going to keep this story from my dad.
“How much did you pay?” Alice asked me.
“Thirty dollars, plus a five dollar tip,” I told her. “And you?”
“She charged me FORTY dollars, and that didn’t include a tip!” Alice exclaimed.
“I bet you had to pay extra for the nipple massage,” I gasped hysterically.
When my dad returned, we immediately quizzed him about his experience. “It was okay, but I’ve had better,” he told us. “She talked a lot and didn’t use enough pressure on my back and shoulders.”
I was still reeling from Alice’s story, and could not contain my laughter.
“Well, I guess I’ll tell you before Amber does,” Alice began. And she proceeded to repeat her story again, with more embellishments than before.
My dad and I spent the rest of the trip teasing Alice, asking her if she was ready for another “Patagonian style” massage. To this day, we still double over with laughter when we talk about it.
Every year we take a road trip to Pensacola Beach. Its breathtaking with its sugar white sand and blue clear water. Its a must see & experience. http://www.visitpensacolabeach.com/
There will be a Twi/Tour Salute to Twilight Convention in Atlanta July 10-12 with many of the stars. Did you know? If you’re interested kindly join http://www.myspace.com/twilightconventions
For more information about Twilight Conventions coming to other cities please visit http://www.twilightconvention.com
Thank you.
Anita
[...] You’ve sent in your tales of memorable family trips. We’ve narrowed them to three finalists. Vote for your favorite story and qualify to win a grand prize. [...]
[...] You’ve sent in your tales of memorable family trips. We’ve narrowed them to three finalists. Vote for your favorite story and qualify to win a grand prize. [...]
I guess you can consider this a family vacation. My father had recently married a bimbo and he wanted me to meet my new “grandparents”. (My dad got along with them because they were the same age.)
On one hot July day, Dad, the bimbo, my boyfriend and I started up the interstate in Dad’s brand new motor home. The bimbo had picked it out so of course, it had all of the bells and whistles. After many miles, my boyfriend told me that he was not feeling well and went into the bathroom. That is when we discovered that there was something horribly wrong with the plumbing.
The smell that filled vehicle was deadly. The bimbo and I kept looking at each other, and finally broke into hysterical laughter. We started opening every window as quickly as possible which resulted in everything not tied down to start blowing around like we were stuck in the middle of a tornado. Soon thereafter, we discovered that opening the windows and letting in hot air only exacerbated the smell.
My father reacted to the smell and the flying debris by trying to outrun it. The worse the smell got, the faster he drove. Pretty soon, we were flying. He passed everyone and everything. You know how they tell you to vary your speed when breaking in a new vehicle, well that went out the window (while the smell did not). He had the pedal to the metal and was not letting up.
My boyfriend finally came out of the bathroom, looking sort of green. When he realized what he had caused, he played the “I am sick” card (which was really the “I am embarrassed” card) and went to the back to lie down.
Shortly afterward, he called me to the back. There, he took my hand and asked me to marry him. That was almost 15 years ago and we have been happily married for over 14 years now. Dad and the bimbo did not fare as well. She has gone back to bimbo-land which made everyone happy.
So, while most women can paint a pretty picture of the story of how they got engaged, the one I can relate has mini-tornados, noxious odors and my dad driving up the interstate like a bat out of hell.
I often frequent National and State parks any chance I get. I absolutely love the outdoors that is when it’s not a code orange smog alert day. I feel that parks are treasures and are great for getting and staying in touch with nature. They are places to unwind and remove you from the daily bump and grind. I do not know whether or not the free weekend deals will encourage or entice anyone to visit a park, but what else can a park offer? Most already have free admission, free walking/hiking trails, free educational classes and tours, and so on. If the free weekend deals help bring a couch potato or serious gamer outside, then I think that’s a good thing. If it brings a family closer together, I feel that’s wonderful. If this helps anyone appreciate the beauty of Nature, I think this is fantastic!
I’m sending my husband to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a long weekend of golf…but he has to bring me and the kids with him! Can’t pass up a family vacation at the Alabama Gulf Coast. And it’s a great place for golf, so he’ll get plenty of time on the green that weekend!
Georgia folks in NYC
When we were in college, my husband (boyfriend then) and I decided to go to New York City with my sister and a friend of hers. My parents were living in New Jersey so it was an easy hour bus ride. We arrived at Port Authority bus station in New York not knowing what to expect. The first thing we saw when getting off the bus was a crash right in front of us. Two cars collided into each other. The drivers got out, started cursing and yelling at each other. Then they proceeded to get back in their cars and drive off. What a welcome to the Big Apple! Well now we are in NY, what should we do? Going to see a Broadway play sounded like a great idea! We went to Times Square to buy tickets and were amazed at the mobs of people waiting in line. We proceeding to get in a random line and after about 45 minutes of not moving anywhere, we realized the futility of this venture. Someone told us we could go to the Winter Garden theatre and get tickets there to see Cats. We found our way there and hopped in another long line. We were getting tired and hungry so while we waited, my husband went across the street to get Arby’s. He had to take out a loan at the bank next door for the unbelievable New York prices for a measly greasy meal. After another hour, we made it to the ticket window only to be told the only seats left were balcony seats with a partial view for $45! We decided it wasn’t worth it. Now we have wasted a couple of hours in New York City and haven’t seen anything! We headed to the Empire State Building. At this point, I really needed to use the bathroom. I asked the guard where to find a bathroom and he rudely says “Upstairs! Move along!” Upstairs??! We got our tickets and proceeding to the line. I think all people do in New York City is wait in line! We go up the elevator a few flights and got off again looking for a bathroom. Once again we were told the bathroom was Upstairs…Yes, I had to go to the top of the Empire State Building to find a bathroom! Next we planned to go to the Statue of Liberty. However, when we got there, the last ferry of the day had left. We braved ourselves on the subway with a lot of rude and pushy people. Getting directions was nearly impossible and the maps were confusing and not very helpful. We finally made it to Little Italy for a delicious Italian dinner (the highlight of the trip!) Then we realized that we had to find our way back to Port Authority to get home. We were on the subway discussing how to get back when another man told us he was going there so follow him. He got off and we set out to follow him. Being from the South, we were not used to the pace of the New Yorkers. He took off running and we boogied after him. It was quite the site, the four of us chasing the strange man down the street. A couple of times we thought we’d lost him, but one of us would shout “There he goes around that corner! Hurry!”. Breathless and tired, we finally made it to the bus station. My husband decided that New York City was too faced-paced and unfriendly for his taste. He was ready to go home to the southern hospitality of Atlanta.
[...] You’ve sent in your tales of memorable family trips. We’ve narrowed them to three finalists. Vote for your favorite story and qualify to win a grand prize. [...]
We’re leaving in a week to Cancun mexico. I’ve been reading alot, and it obviuos its not a ghost town, things are open.(malls and clubs) Hope everything will be fine. I will for sure comment on this site when i get back.
So my wife and I are on a company trip to Amelia Island and staying at the Ritz Carlton. I’m scheduled to play golf with a colleague but I have to rush to take a shower and in my haste to get in and get out, I hang my shirt from the emergency fire sprinkler on the ceiling just inside the bathroom door. As I’m showering my wife rushes in, the door brushes the shirt and sets off the emergency fire sprinkler in the room and I mean it was like Niagara Falls in the bathroom. A flood begins in the bathroom with water running into the bedroom and out into the hallway. My wife is screaming, not knowing what has happened–only that she is being sprayed with gray water. I’m in a panic running out of the room with just a towel setting off other alarms trying to find a housekeeping person. I made the tee time but we’ve never been invited back!
How about everyone just pays by the pound? You would be charged a flat rate for your seat and then a premium based on your weight. So the 120 lb woman pays one price and the 300 lb man pays another. This should cover the airline’s expense of occasionally needing to allot an extra seat for a large person and rewards people for being lighter. That could be positive public health intervention as well as good business practice.
Wow. What an ugly issue, huh? In 2 weeks I am going to Ireland & I have been in tears since I purchased the tickets. Why? Im fat. LOL! If you think it’s uncomfortable to sit NEXT to me? Try BEING me!! I am already anticipating the narrow ailes, the seats, the struggle with the seatbelt – and oh no… the bathrooms! I don’t know if I require a belt extension. I Can put my armrest down, but not sure about the tray! AND I am able to squeeze my “girth” into the seat. But It still sucks. For me, the person next to me, and for the poor flight attendants who have to “watch me” board to see if Im gonna cause the plane to lean to one side.
This is my question. From reading people’s cruel & humiliating respnses re: fluffy folks having the NERVE to leave our houses & force the perfect to look at us – what is the issue? Is the issue #1 – charge us more as a form of punishment for letting ourselves “go” & wanting to fly somewhere? Why should we have to buy another seat?? WHY can’t the airlines accomodate us? which, in turn, accomodates you perfect skinny people?? OR #2 – Is the issue that there is an actual SAFETY concern regarding our weighing more than average, thus creating a risk to the mechanics of the aircraft?? Many of you mention that we should have to weigh-in & pay a “fat tax” if we exceed the set requirement. That IS reason enough to charge us more & I would have no problem with that. I want a safe flight too!!
Many of you – and RIGHTLY SO – commented that you paid for a full seat on a flight and deserve to enjoy your trip. Absolutely. Totally agree. BUT – I did too. I paid for a seat on a plane & like it or not – I deserve to be comfortable as well & not subjected to nasty remarks, insults, stares & humiliation. Why am I “lesser” of a customer, deserving of nothing, but expected to pay the same as, if not twice as much as the skinny? If airlines are going to charge us more, humiliate us in front of everyone, threat “bumping” us off the flight… why should I have to pay to be treated that way?? Would any of you skinny folks pay more for that treatment? Do you really think that makes me feel good? Do you really think Im not aware of my weight issue? Do you really think I’m luggin’ this extra crap around with me for giggles??
Make the reason for the discrimination clear at least. I’m a kind person. I’m a reasonable person. I am a respectful person. I am a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a sister & a friend. I am a 911 dispatcher who may save your life someday. Would it really be such a hardship on you all to be as kind to me as I am to you?
Yes, YOU… the one who’s been up drinking all night & smells like stale booze. YOU, the chain smoker. YOU, the one who refuses to wear deodorant. YOU, the one who bathes in perfume/cologne. YOU, who ate a pound of garlic before boarding & didn’t brush their teeth. YOU, with the crying baby, sick baby, hyper-active toddler, or kid that stares at me through the crack between the seats in front of mine. YOU, who won’t stop talking to me. YOU, who WON’T talk to me. You with the spider legs longer than the aisle who has no choice but to stretch them over near me…(and go right ahead! BUT,only after you purchase an extra “floor” space).
I appreciate EVERYONE’s right to get what they paid for & expect a comfortable flight where they can move & breath & not feel “smooshed”… I really do. I want that as well.
How about instead of attacking us poor, lazy, smelly, oozers of fat into others paid for personal space – we ask the airline’s to stop packing us in like sardines & for THEM to address the issue. Don’t any of you get that?? The airlines are struggling & instead of providing REAL answers & resolutions – they are pointing to the fat & yelling “blame them!! it’s all their fault!! We don’t like them on our planes EITHER!!” and ask them to grow the hell up & make seats/sections available to accomodate ALL customers who are paying the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY & deserve the SAME treatment.
Thanks for allowing me to vent – and if any of you are forced to sit next to me in 2 weeks to Ireland, I promise to lean out into the aisle the entire 10hours & make sure NONE of our body parts even slightly touch….
Spring Break 2007. My family and I were on a short get-a-way to Helen, Ga and my kids wanted to swim so we hunted a hotel that had a indoor pool because it was kinda chilly. So we wound-up at the Super 8, checked in for a 2 night stay, paid cash(upfront), went to our room and changed to go to the pool. We had a great time in the pool and went back to our room to shower and get ready for bed. Thats when the trouble started….(I am the practical joker in the family and I am always trying to scare everyone.)So my kids got out of the shower and the floor in the bathroom was wet, I had my pj’s on and I had to use the bathroom, so I grabbed a towel, wiped up the floor and tossed it in front of the sink in the other room. Well, when I tossed it there was something brown that looked like a shoe string. Well, being funny, I screamed SNAKE. My husband and kids jumped on top of the beds sreaming and yelling “Get it, Get it” I’m laughing at them, bent over the towel to actually see what was in it and dang if it wasn’t a snake. It looks up at me and hisses and a fork-it tounge come out and shakes at me! Then I really start screaming snake, snake! I WET MYSELF!(I do not like snakes at all)and they knew that I was for real this time. My husand, not coming to my rescue, yells at me to get the garbage can and put it over it. I say a few bad words at him and try to get him to understand that “he” is “the man” and he should be the one to trap the snake. My kids were screaming, My oldest daughter was yelling she wanted to take a picture of it and all I was thinking was this snake is between me and the door, and if the flash goes off will it scare the snake more and it come after me like the deer did in “Are we there yet”. Well,”I” trap the snake in the garbage can, with my husband still standing on the bed and my kids run to get the front desk attendant. The lady come in and takes the snake, kills it and returns to informs us that it was a baby copperhead. She asks us if we wanted to change rooms, my husband tells her that it was late(by this time it was 1:00am)and he did not want to move everything so “he” was ok. SHe leaves our room. I explain to him(in a nice, sweet, calm voice)that if there is a baby cooperhead, there is a BIG MAMA Copperhead somewhere near and me and the kids would not be staying in that room, we would be sleeping in the truck! He then decides that we should change rooms. The lady at the front desk changes our room to a room on the upper floor, kinda laughing about our situation. We get to the other room and we try to settle-in, it is now about 3:00am. We try to watch happy cartoons to forget about the snake. That works for my husband and kids, they fall asleep(for a little while)I keep watching cartoons and a dang GEICO commerical comes on, that stupid lizards tail looks like a snake wiggling around. Then everything starts looking like little snakes. Even on Sponge Bob-theres a little eel that looks like a snake. I start feeling like something is crawling on me, I can’t sleep so I go downstrairs and wait for them to wake-up. They come down around 8:00am and say that they can’t rest either. We speak to the new lady at the counter and explain that we would not be staying the 2nd night and she stated that the other lady told her what had happened and that she was sorry. Well, I was really expecting to be refunded(at least)for the 2nd night that we had pre-paid for and she said that she couldn’t do that and that we needed to speak to the manager that was out of town and he would get with us sometime next week. I kept calling and calling for a few weeks only to finally receive a letter from the hotel that stated that they were sorry for our “unwanted, un-invited guest” in our room,(never mentioned SNAKE) and offered us a free night stay. We NEVER took them up on the offer!
My wife and our son took a Disney Cruise, which was wonderful by the way, and booked the flights both ways with all transfers included. Everything was great until it was time to come home. Instead of the Orlando Airport, where we flew into, we were routed to I believe, Melbourne. We were the only people routed that way so we had our own special car and driver. After we finally found our own special car and driver, we took off for the wonderful airport in Melbourne, Florida. We arrived a bit over 3 hours before our flight left so we checked in and went through security, to the gate. The airport is not quite what we were used to in Atlanta, but then again, we would still be on Delta. After a short time of waiting, the other flight, (not flights), left the airport. Ironically, it was also for Atlanta. The wonderful people of the Delta crew finished up their work after the flight left and they took off for the terminal lobby. There was one guy who was working a small snack table and he left also. This left myself, my wife, and my son to occupy the whole concourse. Not another soul in sight. It didn;t take long to get thirsty so I went looking for some refreshment. Not one machine or water fountain in sight. I told my wife I would go back through the terminal and get us something to drink and a snack, to bide our time. I goth the snacks and started to go back to the concourse and take their snacks and was stopped at security and told I could not go back to the gate. The reason stated to me was that security was at lunch. It would be an hour or so until they returned. OK, can you go tell my wife to come out and wait with me. No I can’t. Is their anyone who can go tell them to come out? No I was told. I went to the Delta ticket counter and the same helpful people who were at the gate for the earlier flight were standing there doing absolutely nothing. I told them my dilema and asked for their help. There comment was, that they had no one who could go get my wife and son. OK, call back there and page them. No, can’t do that either. All these people were going to let my wife and six year old son wait there for the better part of two hours, not knowing where I was or what I was doing, in a strange airport on top of that. I went up the chain of command until I reached the airpot manager and he was able to convince the helpful Delta folks that they could go get my wife and son. They finally, rudely, went and asked her to come out and meet me. Had I been the type person to yell, they would have heard me calling them. It was that close, but all the helpful security workers couldn’t go back and get them. We finally were able to board and fly home, back to Atlanta. Here we go to pick up our luggage and, yep, you guessed it. It was not there. Without going into detail about that fiasco, it took me 5 more helpful security people, until one of them would look on their little handheld and tell me that my luggage was sent on the frst flight, that left as we were checking into the Melbourne Airport. It was already in the lost and found office, on a shelf. Moral of the story is; I think I will drive to the port for my next cruise.
My family and I just took a 7 day trip to Pigeon Forge, TN. My family included my 4 kids ages 15,17,and twins 13, my two dogs, myself and husband and our fish named Killer riding in a Expedition packed to the rim. Upon our arrival we decided to stop at the Dollar General to get some paper items. After shopping in the store I took my items to the car and proceeded to take the shopping cart back to be placed with others that were outside. I was almost there when I saw a SNAKE about 6 feet long and a little fatter than a 16 oz bottle. It’s head was in an attack mode. I took off, left the buggy there and started screaming snake and ran, ran, ran. I was ready to run back to Ga. After that major shock, I didn’t know if I wanted to stay but the family talked me into continuing the trip. From that point on it rained cats and dogs everyday and my children were acting out because we didn’t have any reception or WIFI in the cabin. We went to Dollywood and got rained out. Then the cabin was not the best. Imagine in a cabin with all the kids and animals with nothing to do and having to cook everyday. I went on a nightmare journey not a vacation.
What a shame the AJC is sponsoring a “travel horror stories” contest, when the nation’s tourism industry — and Americans who work in it, and those whose livelihoods are in a trickle down fashion also dependent upon it — have been so negatively impacted due to the economy.
Why not be “part of the solution” instead and sponsor a contest about the best vacation taken in the USA? Or where/why would you like to visit someplace in this great land of ours next vacation?
We were at Club Med Turks and Caicos for our Honeymoon in 1995. As part of our excursion, we were able to rent a deserted island. We met the boat at the appointed time and we were taken to our “island.” I asked the boat driver, “If it rains, do we move to another island?”. Ronnie Rastafarian responds, “Yeah mon. No Worries”. Well 15 minutes after drop off, the storm clouds closed in with a torrential downpour. With only a mesh umbrella lined with scuba flippers ,to keep our stuff dry. It didn’t really work out. We had a cooler with a baguette, a boiled egg and ham. Around lunch we were blessed by 16 minutes of sunshine, which was long enough for the reef sharks to close in on our position and keep us on the beach. The rains started up again, so severely we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us. Well, the boat arrived promptly at 6:00 pm, exactly 1 hour late. The new rasta driving the boat had gotten lost on his way to find us. He anchors the boat, trims the motor up and we load up. The trim won’t push the motor back down, and the boat is drifting with the tides. I finish the beer that was left in the cooler. I put on my snorkel mask and go overboard. I am looking around and notice the huge channel in the seabed. It’s the anchor, not holding, at all. We are being pulled into the serious channel. I bring this to the attention of our “Captain”. He immediately brings out the radio and calls for help. As I am watching this unfold, he doesn’t realize the radio is not even wired in, nor wireless! So our mayday calls go unheard. After one hour of trying, we finally got the motor started. As the “captain” takes off, I hear this enormous banging. I realize that the anchor has not been brought back up and is banging into the hull, repeatedly. We stop, I haul the anchor in and we get back. We find out when we return the storm was the outer bands of a hurricane. We have the vast majority of this whole day on tape.
Not to be outdone by the weather, we had the ability to use a trapeze at the resort. Two days later, we did the introductory class and went up on the trapeze. I am a large man. 6′2″ tall and 250 pounds. When i went off the platform and my shoulders had to hold my wait, needless to say it pulled both shoulders out of joint. Nothing has worked right since.
Perdido Key in Florida was one of the best vacations I ever took! We didn’t play “pull my finger”, but we did swim and play frisbee on the gorgeous beaches, and we even went camping for a few days! Perdido Key was an absolute blast.
Perdido Key in Florida was a great vacation! And the drive down wasn’t too horrific. The scenes of the coastline are absolutely gorgeous and keep you pretty entertained, instead of having to play “pull my finger!” we sat back and enjoyed the ride.
My Husband and I love to scuba dive. We try to take a trip once a year. We went with a group to Cozumel, Mexico. I did not feel the need to take my entire wallet so at the last minute, before leaving for the airport, I took my credit card wallet out of my purse and threw it on the bed taking only my one credit card and my Green card out of the wallet and sliding them both into the side flap of my purse…or so I thought….. (My green card was in an envelope to protect the magnetic strip) We had a great 5 day dive trip and on Sunday we headed back to Cancun to catch our flight to Atlanta. Standing in line at the check in counter I reached into my purse felt the envelope with my “green” card and pulled it out to present it with my passport, imagine my horror when I looked down and saw what I was holding was my work “Manager card”, the only other card I keep in an envelope!! I rummaged back into my purse and there was nothing else in the side pocket… I had a semi out of body experience as I realized that in my haste to discard my wallet back in Atlanta I had pulled out the only other card that I kept in an envelope, and being in a hurry had not actually looked at it as I stuffed it into my wallet… Yikes!! I tried to stay calm and not panic, hoping that delta check in might not ask for the green card. I know I was grasping at straws at this point, but thought that seeing as I have plenty of stamps in my passport showing back and forth travel and I have a USA driver’s license I might be OK! Well that was not the case. They refused to allow me on the plane. Our dive master tried to convince them that he would be responsible for me and that once we got to Atlanta I would not try to enter the USA until my husband went home and retrieved my green card, they still refused to let me board the flight… after much consternation it became clear I was not going anywhere without that green card… I convinced my husband he would have to leave me in Cancun and return to Atlanta to get my card and send it to me…. Easier said than done! Monday also happened to be a federal Holiday so we knew we would get no help till Tuesday if at all, so it made sense to leave me in Mexico and for the Husband to try to overnight my card. Hotel arrangements were made and I bid farewell to all our scuba friends.( all 19 of them!!) Of course looking stupid in front of all those people did not help with the way I was feeling right then either. So off I went into a taxi to take me to the hotel. I would spend the next three nights in Mexico, while my husband tried to get me my green card! I got ripped off in the taxi on the way to the hotel; over paying by 450 Pesos…I found this out on the way back to the Airport as I had an honest taxi driver for that occasion…. So I settled in and for two days had a migraine headache with no medication. Back in Atlanta my husband was hitting a few bumps of his own…Try telling someone you are mailing a green card to Mexico and see how unhelpful they become…after three attempts to get a carrier to overnight my green card, he found one that will remain unnamed, as they said they should not do it but they could see his growing distress. Being international it would not necessarily be overnight but it would get to me as fast as humanly possible. In the interim I was calling from the hotel using my credit card to find out when I should receive my green card, and then on the second day of my exile, my bank noticing the calls and charges coming out of Mexico put a block on my card! My first indication was at lunch when the waiter returned my card and said did I have another form of payment…luckily I had some pesos so I paid left and returned to the hotel, tried to call my bank to see what was going on as I knew I had plenty of $$ in the account. So now I cannot even make that call as the phone company is telling me my card is blocked. I am wondering how I am going to pay for the hotel stay. I have only 500 pesos. I am at this point still thinking I need the 500 pesos to get back to the Airport. I managed to have one of the telephone operators call my husband and have him call me so I could tell him my card is blocked and get my bank on the phone and unblock my card… Finally on Wednesday I received the envelope with my green card, I checked out and rushed to the Airport to try to get on the 4pm flight, I just made it and arrived back in Atlanta later that night…After that experience I decided it as time to apply for my USA Citizenship so that would never happen again and I am glad to say I am now a US citizen! The phone charges on my card, alone, were over $800 for those 4 days…That was 5 years ago, now finally, I can laugh about it, but at the time it was not at all amusing!
IN THE LATE SEVENTIES,AS TEENAGERS,ABOUT 6 OF US WENT TO FLORIDA.WE HAD USE OF A CONDO ON THE BEACH FOR A WEEK ,FREE!THE IST DAY WAS PERFECT.IT STARTED RAINING THE 2ND DAY.IT RAINED 17 INCHS THAT WEEK.AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF CABIN FEVER,A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS WERE OUT ON THE BALCONY HORSEPLAYING,WHEN ONE OF THEM SLIPPED AND FELL OVER THE RAILING.HE FELL 5 STORIES!!!HE LANDED ON THE HOOD OF A MERCEDES BENZ THAT WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT BELOW.WE THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD,BUT THE HOOD BROKE HIS FALL ENOUGH,THAT HE WAS JUST KNOCKED OUT.HE WAS OUT FOR 36 HRS!HE AWAKENED AND ,OTHER THAN BEING SORE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS ,HE WAS FINE.THE WORST PART WAS CALLING HIS PARENTS(WHO DID NOT LIKE US),TO COME AND PICK HIM UP AT THE HOSPITAL IN A STATION WAGON.WE LATER LAUGHED ABOUT THE WHOLE ORDEAL,BECAUSE MERCEDES HAD ALWAYS CLAIMED TO BUILD THE SAFEST CARS IN THE WORLD.MY FRIEND WAS LIVING PROOF OF THAT!!!!!
In 2001, my wife and I took our Honeymoon to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. We were staying at a nice all-inclusive resort and all was well for the first two days. However, on the third day, I awoke with a stomach ache that I subsequently ignored while drinking, snorkeling, just trying to make the most of our time. Later that day, I became violently ill, throwing up with severe pains and other digestion related complications. I went on like this for a while until I became sick to the point where I couldn’t walk. I somehow ended up on the phone with a doctor who told me I needed to go to a hospital. However, the hotel did not help us get there! There was no ambulance and we had to call a taxi to take me into Castries and to the hospital. I was carried into the hospital by my wife and a man from the hotel who had finally volunteered to come and help us. They took me through the lobby (dirty with little plastic public school chairs) and into the main room of the hospital where there were 6 beds (for a city of 60,000!). They took me to a bed that I noticed had blood stains on the sheets and laid me down. I remained there for a while, watching the bugs crawl on the wall next to me. Much time passed, and I didn’t know why my wife wasn’t with me and why no one was examining or treating me. I later found out that the hospital refused to treat me until my wife brought back a receipt from the lobby saying she had paid. The complication with this is that she was very stressed out and hadn’t eaten in a while and therefore had fainted in the lobby. All this time my eyes were rolling in to the back of my head and I was certain that bad things were coming. Anyway, there was a tall man in the bed next to me who woke up about this time. I heard him say “Boy”, “Hey Boy, I’m going to kill you boy”. He kept repeating this over and over and over for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, my wife arrived, handed the doctor a yellow paper, came over, slammed the curtain shut between me and the crazy man who wanted to kill me and sat down on the bed next to me. At this point, I needed to go to the bathroom (I still hadn’t been examined or treated). My wife walked me there. It turns out that the bathroom was a toilet with no seat and no toilet paper that sat exposed along a wall in a hallway. I sat there and then realized that something was off. There was no wall at the end of the hallway! There was a crumbling section of a wall with people milling about on the other side of it, all of them watching me half-consciously using the toilet in the hall. After that ordeal, my wife walked me back to the treatment room and to my bed. Finally, the doctor came over and pulled out a needle (which was not brand new and pulled from a sterile package ) and started the IV. I was there on the IV and sleeping for hours. Eventually, they told us to leave. We had to call a cab, I still had to be carried to it and got back to the hotel. The next day, my wife informed me that we had spent $125 of the $175 we had left on us and still had several days of the trip left to go. We then had to spend the other $50 on a prescription I was given and the taxi to go and get the prescription. Good thing it was an all-inclusive resort! That was it, we tried to enjoy the rest of the trip while I recovered. I’d love to win a trip so that I could give my wife the Honeymoon she never had!
WE WENT TO NEW YORK FOR SPRING BREAK.. MY HUSBAND AND 10 YEAR OLD TWINS.. OUR KIDS LOVE NEW YORK AND WE WERE GOING TO DO IT UP IN THE BIG CITY! ON DAY 2 OF OUR TRIP I STARTED TO FEEL KIND OF CRUMMY , BUT I DID NOT LET THAT INTERFERE WITH OUR FUN.. I HAD A REALLY BAD INTESTINAL BUG, BUT BEING STUBBORN.. I TRUDGED ON AND DID NOT LET ON THAT I FELT LIKE CRAP….ON OUR SECOND TO LAST DAY WE WENT TO A FABULOUS SHOW THAT I HAD WAITED 2 YEARS TO SEE.. BEFORE THE SHOW WE WENT TO DINNER AND MY DAUGHTER CLAIMED THAT SHE DID NOT FEEL TO WELL.. I TOLD HER TO SIP COKE AND SHE WOULD BE FINE.. WELL WE GOT TO THE SHOW .. AT THE INTERMISSION SHE SAID SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS GOING TO PUKE.. WELL SHE RAN TO THE BACK OF THE FANCY THEATER AND BARFED ALL OVER THE FLOOR AS PEOPLE WERE MILLING AROUND GETTING DRINKS AND PROGRAMS ETC… SHE KEPT BARFING.. THE USHERS RAN TO GET TOWELS ETC AND THE THEATER MANAGER CAME AND LOOKED UPSET.. BUT GOT SOMEONE TO HELP ME CLEAN UP THE MESS…. I TRIED HELPING AND PEOPLE KEPT WALKING THRU IT WITHOUT LOOKING!… THE 2ND HALF WAS ABOUT TO START AND EVERYONE GOT BACK TO THEIR SEATS.. ALL EXCEPT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN FRONT OF US… AND MY DAUGHTER SAID SHE FELT BETTER… WELL… THE CURTAIN WENT UP AND A FEW SECONDS LATER… SHE BARFED AGAIN.. THIS TIME ..ON ME… I RAN HER TO THE BACK OF THE THEATER AND SHE BARFED INTO THE TRASHCAN IN THE REAR OF THE THEATER!
WHAT A SHOW!
THE NEXT MORNING, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE OUR LAST DAY, WE HAD BOOKED A LATER FLIGHT SO WE COULD ENJOY THE DAY… WE ENDED UP IN BED IN THE HOTEL ROOM.. MY HUSBAND WAS WORKING ON HIS LAPTOP, DAUGHTER IN BED FEELING BAD AGAIN, ME FEELING A LITTLE BETTER, AND THEN MY SON SAID THAT HE FELT TERRIBLE AND HE BARFED ALL OVER THE FLOOR OF THE HOTEL BATHROOM..THEN CRAWLED BACK INTO BED… WE FELT MISERABLE BUT HAD FUN ANYWAYS! NEVER A DULL MOMENT!
How about this for a “vacation of a lifetime.” I’m a school teacher in Dekalb, so my husband and I were married last year after school ended. So this year (literally just 2 weeks ago), we were packed and getting ready to leave for the airport for our 1 year anniversary trip to Spain. Our plan was to travel the country for about 8 days, via trains, rental cars, etc.
On Monday, June 1 (our flight was to leave at 5:45 to Barcelona), I went outside to cover the grill on our back patio at 12:45PM…since we were leaving for the airport at 3:00. As I moved the grill to put it back in place, I felt a sharp pain on my right foot. At first, I thought it was a bee sting…but as I jumped away and looked down, I see a foot-long copperhead snake!!! It had bitten my 2nd toe on my right foot.
My husband rushed me to the paramedics, who took me to the hospital. The initial diagnosis was that I’d have to stay for 2 hours for observation….then it became 6 hours. Delta was AWESOME, and agreed to move our flights, at no charge, to Tuesday, June 2….then, they made me stay overnight…which then became 2 nights.
As I write this, I’ve just begun walking (limping–not near full use yet), and I drove for the first time on Saturday.
We had to cancel everything–hotels in 5 cities, Rail Europe train passes, rental cars, meeting with friends, and our flights. So rather than shopping in museums, sampling all kinds of Spanish culture, and seeing the great museums of Spain (I’m an art teacher), I spent the vaction on crutches and laid up, taking pain and poison medications. Call it the nightmare vacation that never got off the ground.
A lovely and expensive vacation to a St. Kitt’s resort. Upon arrival, no fruity drink with an umbrella, no one to haul our bags through the resort and up three flights of steps after an 11 hour trek to get there and that was just the beginning.
The next day, the afternoon tea sandwiches consisted of Velveeta cheese on stale white bread that I wouldn’t even feed to the cats hanging around the pool.
It was the drinks after dinner the first night that started all the trouble when some drunken teenagers from the UK picked a fight over a discussion about basketball with my (then) boyfriend. They broke his foot, two ribs, and gave him a black eye. Security didn’t help and just let it continue. They threatened to stab me in my “liver”.
The following morning, I went to get some breakfast to take back to the room and the hotel manager called me over to the desk. He told me we had to leave the resort as the folks from UK always had “special treatment”. Was this guy kidding me? We paid a lot of money for a dream vacation – no way we were leaving. I told him to call the police – he wouldn’t. He told me we had to leave the resort in the morning and couldn’t return until evening and that was the only way he wouldn’t kick us out of our room.
I called our travel agent who could not do anything. I rented a Jeep and broken foot and I would go out all day. The shining spot of the entire vacation were the pristine beaches that we never would have found had we not been forced to leave the “compound”.
Some years ago, I took a vacation through Togo, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire. I was a peace corps volunteer living in Niger at the time, and was SO looking forward to seeing green things, water, and fruit (Niger is pretty much entirely Sahara desert). My traveling buddy and I were fairly broke, so we were traveling with just a little bit of cash and nothing else (we only earned $175 a month as volunteers – and had no credit cards or bank accounts as back-up).
We started in Togo, which was lovely and lush. A ‘butterfly walk’ through the forest revealed not a single butterfly, but that was ok – there were pineapples and fruit growing right out of the ground and that was awe-inspiring enough (did I mention that Niger is a desert?). We traveled by bush taxi to Ghana, still having a great time. We stayed at some pretty crappy hotels, but that was expected on our budget. We decided to be adventerous and cross the border into Cote D’Ivoire by a less-traveled route – by canoe. Unfortunately, the town where the boats take off from was tiny, empty, and had no banks. Almost all of our currency was in Ghanaian ceedees, which are worthless outside of Ghana. We forged ahead, thinking someone in Cote D’Ivoire would surely change our money for us.
We hit Cote D’Ivoire, and the little canoe dropped us off at a remote guard post in the middle of nowhere with only us 2 women and 3 male soldiers at the post – around us was just forest for seemingely forever. They seemed friendly, and served us tea just before the bus came. We got on the bus, and had the most bizarre experience of our lives trying to get to Abidjan. Turns out the tea was drugged – an apparently common trick to enable the soldiers to then steal everything from unsuspecting travelers before they are loaded on the bus to the city. Our bus was – fortunately – on time. So we had nothing stolen, but were completely dazed and nearly incoherent for the trip. The trip took around 4 hours; in my memory it was at least 23 hours and went round and round past the same odd patch of forest. I have a vague memory of being dropped off in a huge bus port station, and of stepping off the bus and thinking I might fall straight over. I remember following my traveling companion blindly to the next bus for us to get on, my brain wasn’t working and I couldn’t quite connect where we were or where on earth we were walking to. Frighteningly enough, she remembers it as *me* being the one to find the correct bus, and swears that she followed me in an exhausted stupor and has no idea how *I* got us to the bus. How we actually got on that bus will forever be a mystery.
We made it to the Abidjan airport early the next morning, and decided to wait all day for our evening flight back home as we still had no money in acceptable currencies. When the time for the flight came, there was no mention of it on the board. We asked at the counter, and were told the flight didn’t exist. ??? That was it – no other explanation. Your flight doesn’t exist, go home. There will be a flight that *does* exist tomorrow.
Well, we had no money, so along with some other folks we tried to sleep in the airport. They kicked us out at nightfall and locked the doors. So we decided to sleep on the lawn with the other Africans that had been kicked out with us. Around an hour later security came and chased us off the lawn. Having no idea what to do, and still being fairly woozy even a full day later (hunger might have played a part in that), we spent some of our pathetic amount of CFAs (local currency) to take a taxi to a horrible little hotel near the airport. We begged begged begged the hotel guy to accept our $4 or so for a room. He finally gave us a room (for nearly the rest of our cash) that appeared to be some sort of utility room, but that had 2 tiny, dirty little beds in it. We shoved furniture up against the door (this was really not a good area of town we were in) and tried to sleep. The next day, hungry and exhausted, we made it back to the airport where the flight really did exist.
The flight, operated by Air Ivoire, was horrifying. The carpet on the floor was ripped and showing plywood planks, there was water dripping on our heads, roaches ran by as the stewardess came through and sprayed us all with pesticide. The take-off was shaky and the landing in Mali for our layover was terrifying. It was so bad an African passenger (we were the only non-Africans on the plane) stood up and tried to rally us all to leave the plane in protest and demand a new plane for the next leg to Niger. Not a one of us budged. Much like the rest of the passengers, there was no way we could afford to buy another plane ticket – or even a bus ticket (Mali also uses CFA as currency – same as Cote D’Ivoire and Niger – and we had none). We also knew full well that Air Ivoire would have no qualms at all about leaving an entire group of passengers standing on the tarmac rather than capitulate to any demands. In the decision of whether to risk falling out of the sky on a broken plane, or being stranded in Mali with no credit card, no money, no phone, and no idea how to make it home – we chose the plane.
The plane of course made it to Niger, and all of the passengers cheered in joy when we landed and were still alive. We were able to find tourists heading to Ghana to buy our ceedees in exhcange for CFA, so we could make it from the airport back to our villages. I still have lovely memories of Togo and Ghana, though my memories of the last few harrying days of the trip exist in my mind as a hazy, drug-induced dreamlike nightmare. I still travel in ways that are probably inadviseable, but now I *ALWAYS* have back-up funds in US dollars, always have a credit card, and never accept offers of free drinks!
Well, My story isn’t just about a normal vacation my horror story is about my HONEYMOON!! . Of course you all know weddings are stressful in themselves but it all started on our wedding night we get to the hotel close to the interstate so we can continue to Myrtle Beach for our week long honeymoon and also the first time either of us had been. We get to the hotel and they have given out our nice big king size room with jazzcuzzi and were completely booked up so we settled for a regular room but still had a jazzcuzzi we got o get outta the car and my new husband has hurt his back playing with the ringbearers so he can’t move ( that made for an interesting wedding night) so I was ready to just cancel the honeymoon thinking wewouldnt have much fun if he was in so much pain but he said no way so I ran to Wal-Mart and got a back brace and pain killers and we were on our way Well we get to our beach front hotel and guess what they are doing construction of half of it so it is loud and dirty and right under or room! Well the hotel was nice enough to move us but the view wasn’t near as good. So my new husband is in pain and crabby so we stay in the hotel that night well the next morning we wake up and he can’t get out of bed!! I am thinking”oh lord great we are going to be rugged from now on if I have to get help getting my husband outta bed because his back was hurt on our honeymoon” Well we finally got him out of bed and half way dressed and went of search for a cure Well we finally spot a chriopractor’s office and pull in and since we were across state lines they wouldn’t take his insurance so I had to go find atm to cash and come back well that was pretty much the end of that day because he was so sore from his disc being put back in we just laid in the pool at the hotel. Day 3 we wake up he is feeling ok so we decide to go exploring (for fun not a doctor this time) and end up across town. Well we have a pretty good time and deicde to go back to the hotel and get changed and go to dinner Now the main strip in Myrtle beach is a divided highway with three lanes going one way and 3 lanes going the other way. Well we were in the far right lane ( also known as the slow lane) so we could just kinda cruise and sight see well there was alot of little roads to the right of us you could turn off into to go down side streets . We were enjoying cruising and talking when all of a sudden this Park Ave car goes from the far left lane ( fast lane ) and turns all the way across in fron of us to turn down a side road and we hit and his car slides us down the curb Well we stop and make sure everybody is ok and lucky ended up in a diner’s parking lot so we were outta of the way of other traffic and we get out and the 1st thing this guy says was did you not see my blinker! My husband trying to keep his cool was liek you turned acorss two lanes to turn down a side road! and then another car pulls in and my husband and I are liek great he has a friend with him and he’s going to say it was our fault too but it turned out to be a ex police officer who said he saw the whole thing and would stay and be our witness and then we looked at the car…. the front bumper was gone , the headlight gone and ran over by other traffic and the two tires that had been pushed up against the curb were blown , one completley gone the other leaking air badly and the rims turned inside out. So while we waited on the police to get there this guy who just hit us won’t shut up! Keeps saying I am going to be late for my “T time” I always T off at 10am sharp and I going to miss it because you didn’t see my blinker well suprisely enough my husband was keeping his cool but I was very tempted to slug the guy I mean Honeymoons are non-stressful adn this guy is just being a jerk making a bad thing worse and the cops get there and talk to us 1st and then talk to witness meanwhile my husband with the very sore back Is trying to put a donut on the tire of the worse of the two while this guy is still complaing about his golf as well as standing there saying well maybe he won’t give you too high of a ticket. Well after what seemed forever the officer hands the guy a ticket and the guy stands there and fussing about it but pulls off with little damage to a car that wasn’t even his was his friend’s and then the officer hands my husband one and we look at it and he says did you know your licence had been susupended and my heart fell Im thinking great we are 5 hours from home on our honeymoon with a messed up not sure even driveble car and my husband is fixing to go to jail. But the officer was like it says suspended due to failure to appear on a speeding ticket ( which he had paid 4 days after he gotten) and at this point I am starting to feel lightheaded due to hypervenlation. So they make me sit down and he is like ” Well I can take you in for this but seeing as you are on your honeymoon and you have just been a viticm of a wreck I’ am going to give you this ticket but if you come back on the court date with proof the ticket was paid the ticket will be dropped” So he says bye good luck and we set out to find a way to fix the car well enough to be able to drive home. So my hunny being such a smart cookie goes and buys clear car duct tape at Autozone and make shifts our bumper and whats left of our headlight together but then….the rims they are so warpped that they are eating into whats left of our tire and the donut meanwhile we are havign to stop every few miles to put air back in the tire. So we grab a phone book and start searching for Junk yards in the area which we don’t know ( my car was old enough that was the only place we had hopes of find rims that would fit) So after many many hours and more phones calls then we could count we find one that has the rims and they will put it on for us ( AWESOME) but…then we find out its 1 hour away so with lots or praying and holding our breaths we set out on our hour trip to get new rims well because of the stopping to fill the tire up the 1hours turned into about 2 and then we were praying we would make it there before they closed. Well we did and got the rims and headed back to hotel where we vowed to stay until we left and we did ! So needless to say we just celebrated our 1st Anniversay and someone asked if we were going to go back to the place we spent our honeymoon and we both said real loud real fast NO! NO! never neither of us care to go back there because of the memories but someday it will be a good story to tell our grandkids how we survived our 1st days as husband and wife in a true horror honeymoon story!
This was truly a vacation that we had anticipated all year – my husband had spent a month in Emory Hospital nine months before, and we definitely needed some rest and relaxation! So, along with another family of good friends, off to Daytona Beach we headed – my husband, myself, our two daughters, and two of their friends – for a week of sun and fun! Well, from the day we arrived, one aspect of the sun and fun was definitely missing – the sun! Every day dawned cloudy, with just a few peeks of sun here and there – and by 2 p.m., the downpours started daily! On Friday morning, we awoke to some very bright yellow substance streaming through the bedroom curtains – sure enough, when I looked outside, the sun was shining brightly and the beach was already packed! We couldn’t get our bathing suits on and get out the door fast enough!
We had spent a couple of hours soaking in the sun and playing in the surf – I was dozing in my beach chair, and my husband and friend were playing Frisbee. The next sound I heard was a very loud “whomp”, and when I looked up, found my husband laying on the beach on his right arm – as he had gone up to catch the Frisbee, a toddler riding a small three-wheeled beach bicycle had literally driven right under his feet, taking them right out from underneath him! He jumped up, with blood streaming from both knees, holding his elbow – and took off running, bleeding, into the ocean – literal shark bait! He had just stopped his Coumadin treatment, so he was bleeding quite profusely – so off we headed to the condo to get cleaned up. We hadn’t made it across the beach before he decided that we had better take a trip to the emergency room – his arm was really throbbing, and he thought it might be broken! I yelled over to my crew to tell them what was going on, and they all came running across the beach – we had made it up the steps to poolside by that time, and waited on them at the top. After we had explained that we were going to the hospital, and for them to stay and enjoy the day, we headed up to the room to get the car keys – only to hear an extremely loud clanking and banging noise – and when I turned around, saw my youngest daughter laying on the floor by the gate, looking like she was having convulsions – she had passed out! A friend picked her up, and we ran into the inside bar area, dripping wet, and lay her down on the couch – I ran to the front desk to ask them to call 911, which some nice person had already done. By the time I got back, the paramedics were coming in – by daughter was already coming to, but they ran straight over to her – a beautiful young teenager in a bikini – completely bypassing my tall, slender, balding husband, who was still bleeding profusely all over the beautiful carpet, holding his arm pitifully, and turning a bright green color! As I explained to the paramedics what had happened, I heard my oldest daughter’s boyfriend saying “mama, she’s going down” – and I turned around to see her hitting her head on the table as she passed out!! There were only two paramedics, and three of my sick family – they didn’t seem to know who to turn to first! The condo employees were running around trying to help also, getting wet rags for everyone and asking if we needed anything to drink! (I figured the condo manager was trying to decide how he was going to get the blood out of the carpet!) I asked the paramedics if we could put them all in the ambulance, and they told me that they would have to call 2 more ambulances – only one patient per vehicle! But, we have some VERY good friends – they had just purchased a brand new Excursion, with leather seats – into which we proceeded to climb to go to the hospital, bleeding, and covered in suntan oil! I’m sure glad that oil is good for the leather! Off we went to the emergency room, dressed only in our bathing suits, to find ourselves waiting in the small waiting area – my youngest daughter, who was feeling much better by this time, said “well, we sure look like a bunch of hicks sitting here barefoot in our bathing suits!”
After a three hour wait (like I said, we have some really great friends!), the consensus was that my two daughters had passed out from the hot sun and dehydration, my husband’s bleeding had clotted on it’s own, and that he had broken his arm!! He got a bright pink cast, and off we headed back to the beach – what a trooper he is! But the sun? Gone, hidden behind some really high haze, just waiting on the next rain shower! And those friends? Well, they haven’t gone back to the beach with us since then!
My wife High school class was meeting in Miami, FL so we decide to spend several days there. Once I got there I felt slightly sick and told her to go on her own while I rested.
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Pamela
March 4th, 2009
10:00 am
It’s not safe at all! If the Mexican Authorities are warning Americans NOT to come to Mexico for Spring Break due to their very high crime rate in murder…then what do you think? I wouldn’t go period!
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Politically Correct
March 4th, 2009
10:15 am
Probably safer than spring break in certain parts of Gwinnett County.
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Mike
March 4th, 2009
10:31 am
My wife and recently changed our plans to celebrate our 5 year anniversary in Cancun due to the violence in Mexico. We even had a free place to stay at a very nice condo. We are instead booking a cruise to the Caribbean. Safety is my biggest concern.
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lovelyliz
March 4th, 2009
10:58 am
If you don’t plan on getting drunk and stupid, Mexico might be safe enough, but then that’s exactly why they go, RIGHT?
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Erin
March 4th, 2009
11:09 am
I am probably one of many that has booked a vacation in Mexico and can not get out of the reservation due to costly cancelation fees. I am going to try and keep my activities with groups and tour guides as aposed to freely traveling the area I will visit this month.
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Peggy
March 4th, 2009
11:17 am
I was going to cancel my reservations on JetBlue.
When I called them, they didn’t know what I was talking about. Said they didn’t know about a State Dept. Alert. I am not going until May so I am in a wait and see mode…..Thanks for this story though and help us find out the airlines policies….
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John T
March 4th, 2009
11:48 am
No worries here…just use a little common sense. Been three years in a row to Mexico on spring break with the family with no problems or concerns. I have also been on personal business in areas of Mexico where no gringos are probably within a hundred miles, often seeing armed military checkpoints along the way. Never felt truly unsafe, even though I was aware of some kidnappings. To insure your safety it’s simple… don’t wander around late at night in unfamiliar areas, don’t wear a lot of jewelry or flash a lot of cash and always be aware of your surroundings. Not much different than here in Atlanta. The Mexican people are by and large very friendly and gracious to tourists. Much more so in my opinion than some of the Carribean destinations I’ve been to before. Also, hard to believe but right now it is cheaper for us to go there than Florida… and guaranteed warm temperatures!
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jabster
March 4th, 2009
11:57 am
You know, if it wasn’t for the 21 National Minimum Drinking Age, college students wouldn’t even be going to Mexico for Spring Break. Put the drinking age back to 18, like it was for the baby boomers.
http://www.chooseresponsibility.org
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Linda
March 4th, 2009
12:07 pm
People should not be scared to go to Mexico for vacation or spring break if they travel to safer places, other than Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana for example, where drug cartel problems exist. Other areas of Mexico are not experiencing these problems and just because an advisory is put out for certain areas doesn’t mean you should avoid all of Mexico. I have lived north of Puerto Vallarta for 3 years and people are vacationing here and in Puerto Vallarta and enjoying Mexico. Mexico depends on tourism for its economy and the Mexican people and businesses who depend on tourists for their living will suffer when the the media puts out blanket statements about avoiding
Mexico.
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MarShele
March 4th, 2009
12:17 pm
My son and friends have reservations for a resort in Puerto Vallarta. Anyone know anything about the safety in this area? I am very nervous about him traveling in Mexico, but he says he isn’t able to get the $ back for the resort which was paid in advance. He has travel insurance so his flight would be covered but not the resort fees.
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DavidS
March 4th, 2009
12:47 pm
The sad part is that the most recent problems in Mexico are a DIRECT result of the US government’s failed War On Drugs. No, Mexico is a country rife with corruption, violent police, and financial and social problems caused by government monetary policy and a complete disrespect for property rights. That being said, if drugs were relegalized in this country (as they were before 1915), the drug crime problem in Mexico and the United States would disappear virtually overnight.
Don’t believe me? Just look at crime statistics during and after the end of alcohol Prohibition. The same organized crime activities of drive by shootings, killings over territory, police corruption, etc. were rampant and a direct result of the illegality of alcohol. Those same problems are present now because of the illegality of drugs. Millions in this country routinely use frugs without harming anyone but themselves (and even personal harm could be debated). It is the dealers and distributors that are involved in most of the violent crime, as well as users stealing to afford the black market inflated prices that would surely drop to affordable levels were they legal.
You don’t ever worry about a Budweiser and a Miller beer truck driver shooting it out on the street over territory. That competition is handled by salesmen in a non-violent manner. Likewise, CVS and Rite-Aid pharmacists would not be killing people in the street were they allowed to peacefully sell a defined, well-labelled, regulated substance that many peacefully wish to use. More violent crime is associated with people under the influence of alcohol than drugs, yet with one we learned our lesson of failure and the other, the failure continues.
Utopia, no. Still a medical problem? Yes. But considering the billions spent every year just on the judicial system costs let alone the other societal costs of the violence and the destroyed families, legalization is clearly the only workable, constitutional, and wise solution to the drug problem the government should be considering.
For the unfortunate victims in Mexico and our inner cities, it would certainly be a welcome blessing for their situations. Spring break would be just the beginning of safer times in Mexico and the US.
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traveller
March 4th, 2009
12:48 pm
There are drug related murders in Miami, Detroit, and Atlanta regularly. Doesn’t mean the US is an overly dangerious country and the whole place should be avoided. The people in Mexico are mostly honest hardworking people. Don’t do drugs and criminal acts in Mexico and stay in the populated resort areas and there shouldn’t be a problem. I think it is a knee jerk reaction.
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micah
March 4th, 2009
12:57 pm
Im going to cancun mexico in about 2 weeks. my parents are going with me and my friends. But they are freakin out about all the drug cartel stuff.. is it safe to go? or should we try to relocate. I do not want to be some where that is very unsafe. go or not??
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Shanel
March 4th, 2009
1:07 pm
I just watched a special on this the other night. Two reporters went to Tijuana to investigate. They obtained a police radio scanner so that they could hear the murder calls come across the scanner.
They started out the day as the sun was coming up. The reporters followed murder call after murder call ALL day. The sun was going down when one reporter said: We’ve seen enough! (something like 6k murders last year?)
These were assignations not shootings! Machine guns, severed heads, etc. The reporters had to be escorted by armed guards every where they went.
They interviewed the chief of police who said the day before his election, 30 men rushed his home and tore it to shreds with machine guns. He got away. He was eventually fired from his position as chief and within one month, the next chief was assassinated.
It’s a VERY serious situation and I would not advise ANYONE to choose this as a resort destination at this time. An ounce of prevention…..
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DavidS
March 4th, 2009
1:23 pm
Notice that the alcohol supporters recognize the economic value of freedom too. States like Arizona and Wyoming and others used to also see positive economic benefit from the lower drinking age when other states around them were at 21. Restrictive Blue Laws and high taxation continue to benefit adjoining freedom loving states still. Big surprise. Personal responsibility is imperative, but freedom does work. Just look at the tourism business in Holland and more specifically Amsterdam. A wonderful city where both marijuana and prostitution coexist with everyone in charming neighborhoods filled with families, children and the elderly. No big deal.
Personally I never felt safe at all in Mexico as far back as the early 80’s. Shakedowns by corrupt police, unhealty water, abject poverty, poor roads. Maybe at some of the big tourist resorts like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and other places on the Mexican Riviera, but any of the smaller border towns like Juarez, Tiajuana, or even more south like Ensenada are just powder kegs waiting to explode. The Drug War will be just one of the many sparks that lights the fuse.
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Lynn
March 4th, 2009
1:25 pm
About as safe as a train wreck!!!!!!!!
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John T
March 4th, 2009
1:34 pm
MarShele…PV is very safe. I’ve been there the last two years for spring break and had no issues and I’ve seen about all there is to see there. Read my post above about using common sense. Although I went with my family and did not venture into the big off-resort drinking spots like Senior Frogs, PV has a good rep…more so than its neighbor to the south, Alcapulco. Cab drivers are a little crazy though.
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StevenCee
March 4th, 2009
1:38 pm
Mexico, or for that matter, most of our cities right here in America, wouldn’t be dangerous if we once and for all ended the nearly half-century failure of the “war on drugs”!
Just as in the first Prohibition, where the consequences became far worse than the “cure”, drive-by shootings, gangsters & their violence & corruption of officials running rampant, and even increasing numbers of fatalities due to people drinking unregulated booze, we see the same, and worse today!
Oddly, it took this nation only a little more than 10 years to right this huge mistake, and it took a constitutional amendment to do so, yet we see decade after decade go by, with conditions only getting worse, until now we see more murders in Mexico, in one year, than our forces have suffered in six years of fighting a real war in Iraq!
Decriminalizing, regulating, and taxing drugs would not only be a boon to our economy, & allow law enforcement & the prison system to focus on violent criminals, but it would yank the rug out from under the drug cartels, & homeland gangs, by instantly removing the huge profits from their trafficking!
When will we finally wake up?
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Kim
March 4th, 2009
1:43 pm
Me and my husband just returned from a resort in Cancun, Mexico on Feb 28th and we did not experience any problems. We stayed for 7 days, we walked to Downtown Cancun and took the bus to various locations. I am not sure what people are talking about when they are saying it is not safe.
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Worried Mom
March 4th, 2009
1:47 pm
Great, just great. Yet another thing for us parents to worry about! Thank goodness that won’t be an issue in my house. My 17 year old daughter will be in college next year & she knows such a thing is out of the question. I’m very strict with her. She’s not allowed out at night unless it’s with her dad & me; & on weekends she’s allowed to go to the library or shopping with the one friend my husband & I approve of. Boys/dating? OUT OF THE QUESTION! We insist she dress modestly in long loose dresses or blouse & skirt, her hair is kept plain & short & absolutely no make-up. We monitor everythig she reads, views & listens to. Of course she complains about being unpopular & being treated like a freak at school but what else can I do? Better unpopular than a victim of rape or murder.
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Janie
March 4th, 2009
1:59 pm
Well, there’s some pretty violent parts right here in America, and it doesn’t stop people from visiting.
I say don’t be scared, and live you life, and go where you want. But just pay attention to your surroundings. Common sense people.
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Val
March 4th, 2009
2:28 pm
Dear Worried Mom,
I understand your concern about your daughter. But, you should know that once your daughter is off to college and turns 18, you will have no control over what she does or wears unless she lives at home. You have a higher chance of causing her to rebel (even if secretly) rather than keeping her “under control”. I would suggest teaching her how to be streetsmart and make smart decisions wherever she goes and no matter what she does. You cannot be at her side forever.
As for Cancun: I am waiting for more people living in the area to respond. That would be more helpful. Lots of murders and drive-bys happen just 30 miles from me in places like Compton/Lynwood. Where I live, its not dangerous at all. I hoping this is the case with Cancun since it is about 1400 miles away from all the serious fighting. More input from Mexican locals please!
Thanks!
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Donna
March 4th, 2009
2:31 pm
The BORDER towns are the problem, not the rest of the country. Do you know how big Mexico is??? This hysteria is getting out of control. I just got back from Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (that’s in Mexico). I was there for a month. NO PROBLEMS. If people take simple precautions anywhere when they travel, they will not run into problems.
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Camille
March 4th, 2009
2:31 pm
If a college-aged child wants to go to Mexico (given that the child is not still living at home), there is nothing the parent can really do, no matter how “strict” the parents would like to be. Sometimes being overly strict backfires in that once the child goes off to college and learns how much fun he/she can have, they do things that would have been “out of the question” when at home. And, there’s nothing that the parent can do about it unless they plan on moving on-campus themselves to monitor the poor child. I’ve been there, so I do know what I’m talking about.
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Quinn
March 4th, 2009
2:43 pm
Everyone here is extremely overreacting. Violence along the border of Mexico is bad, but places like Acapulco and Cancun are safe enough for drunken spring break debauchery. Think of it like this: If the bloods and the crips were having an all out war in Chicago, a blood might shoot a crip in Miami Beach, but that doesn’t mean that Miami isn’t safe. There may be isolated incidents in resort towns, just as there is isolated violence in all major U.S. Cities. Bottom line: the reosrts are 1,000 miles away from the violent border cities. They are packed with people. You are fine to go.
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JJ
March 4th, 2009
3:08 pm
Worried Mom, you are joking, right?
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Karen
March 4th, 2009
3:15 pm
I was in Cancun last weekend with a colleague and we had no problems, except for the return flight on Sunday being cancelled because of snow in Atlanta. The beach was beautiful and we did not feel unsafe at any time. Due to the downturn in the US economy, we saw more Canadians and wealthy Mexicans at our resort. Live your life and see the world for yourself! Do not give in to the fear mongering perpetuated by the American media.
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Ceci Wong
March 4th, 2009
3:53 pm
Tijuana has more than 2 milion habitants and has many issues in the Eastern zones, (I DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET THERE) but why blame Rosarito Beach? With the new road you don’t even touch base in Tijuana to get there.
Spring Break will be safe and fun as always. Is like not going to Anaheim because of East LA killings!!! Come on guys…
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Donna
March 4th, 2009
5:49 pm
For the record, in 2007 there were 16,929 murders,90,427 forcible rapes, with 1,408,337 violent crimes. Where??? The United States of America. I think things should be kept in perspective.
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ccunningham
March 4th, 2009
8:39 pm
The State Dept didn’t say “don’t go to Mexico”, it said to use the same common sense precautions you’d use in the US—stay outa dark alleys & away from drug & prostitution areas. They have wisely advised to avoid Tijuana, Juarez, Matamoros, & other border towns….even including Rosarita Beach, tho we have friends who just returned from there, but they were a middle-aged couple, not college kids on break.
We just returned from Puerto Escondido, Zipolite, & Huatulco, & I’d assure you it’s a lot safer there than in a lot of places in the US. Don’t be deceived by the media furor, or government propaganda! Statistics say that if you’re 3 times more likely to be a victim of violence in the US than in Mexico, as long as you use the same precautions you’d use at home.
Mexico is an incredibly beautiful country, filled with friendly, helpful, & welcoming people. And many of them depend on tourism to pay their bills & feed their families. Go to any resort area, & you’ll have a great time, while helping out the people of Mexico.
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MarShele
March 4th, 2009
10:42 pm
Thanks John T. That makes me feel a little better. He has reserved a shuttle ride from the airport to the resort so may not have to deal with cab, however, maybe the shuttle is the same situation! Thanks again.
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Besafe
March 4th, 2009
11:30 pm
Mexico is not a safe vacation destinatio period. 30% of all non-natural deaths of U.S. citizens outside this country occur in Mexico. To read tragic Mexico vacation DEATH stories, many written by heartbroken family members visit:WWW.MEXICOVACATIONAWARENESS.COM
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Chris Broe
March 5th, 2009
1:56 am
Mexico is not safe. The girls gone wild video crews will be there.
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SonKilledinMexico
March 5th, 2009
12:50 pm
My 18 year old son was killed in a border town last march and he was using common sense not doing anything illegal and only barely had one beer in his system. Sometimes just being in a dangerous environment and looking like a duck out of water he was blonde green eyed muscular young man with a big smile and when he was found he was beaten to death. Guns didnt kill him, knives didnt kill him people did and they were young gang members that took him with no motive and beat him to death with sticks. I dont recommend any parent or person going near the border unless you want to go to a third world country and identify your child or relative in a morgue because that s always a possibility which is something I would never wish even on the parents of the people who murdered my son. Not good memories and there was nothing I could do to keep my son from going to mexico. He had his own money bought his own tickets and went no matter how much I told him “I don’t think it’s safe and to please stay away from the border.” When kids are young and think they are invincible they will do what they want. I still feel like if only I could have done something and feel if I could have handcuffed him to his door knob to keep him from going.. but, it happened.. and he was in the wrong place and met the wrong people and the only thing I believe he was trying to do was help someone else out that he saw that was being beaten. In America I believe most people adhere to good samaritan morals or rules and would put their self out there to help someone else and that was how my son was. I feel people do not practice that same thing in mexico if they see something they will turn their head and let you bleed to death in the street. They do not want to be involved. To me my son will always be a hero but, I just want to let other parents know that yes it can happen and sometimes you cant do anything to stop it no matter how much you warn your kids. I m glad that the warnings are getting out there because I saw nothing of the warnings last year and it was still really bad at that time it was just not being talked about. Also alot of deaths in mexico of american citizens are being reported in reports by our state department as “accidents”not ” homicides ” so I don’t feel that would give us correct numbers or correct information do you?
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Scott
March 5th, 2009
2:37 pm
Being a regular traveller to Mexico I can tell you as long as you stick to the main tourist spots you will be fine.We have travelled to area’s such as Puerto Vallarta and Cancun on some occasions multiple times in a year with no sense of trouble or none of the tension or ”corruption” people speak of.We have always had a really good time and continue to travel to the region.With that being said the border towns such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and other towns well known for the drug trade should be avoided at all costs particularly now with the drug cartels battling it out.We have never been and will never go to the border towns, just far to corrupt and with the U.S. being where the drugs are going (or trying to get), the border towns are where the trouble lurks…Use your common sense when travelling anywhere in the world.Mexico has it’s problems but then again so does Canada, and right in your own backyard.You wouldnt walk into a drug dealing neighborhood in the U.S so why would you do it anywhere else?
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Worriedsick
March 5th, 2009
10:33 pm
Thank-you for writing about Son killed in Mexico. I sent my son your story and hopes he listens to your warning. He is going on a Mission trip Spring Break with his chruch and the minster has him and everyone else who is going convinced that it’s safe. Does anyone know or have been to Piedras Negras? Its on the board across from Eagle Pass.
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Scott
March 5th, 2009
11:08 pm
worriedsick, the border towns are to be avoided at this time.As per warnings from the goverment.
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T.L. Brink
March 6th, 2009
2:02 am
I have had a house in Acapulco since 1992, and I have been to DF, TJ, and CJ many times in the last few years. I read the police blotter of El Sol and Novedades newspapers everyday. Almost all the big crimes occur outside of town or else in bad neighborhoods (e.g., Zapata, Renacimiento) that tourists have no reason to go to in the first place. Every year, three or four American tourists die in Acapulco, but I cannot think of any due to political or drug violence. The major factor in 90% of the cases is traffic accidents.
So, don’t drive here and be super careful crossing the street.
This is a great place for spring break, and you don’t need a high priced package, because there are many cheap hotels, restaurants, stores, night clubs, etc. (as well as the pricey places).
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jimmy
March 6th, 2009
12:15 pm
i was in tijuana mon and tues mar. 2 & 3 for a dentist appointment..i went with a friend and we stayed in a hotel there..lots of police on the street which made me feel very safe..we had no problems…as for acapulco, i was there three times last year and i am on my way back the week of march 16th…i was in cancun in jan. 09 and had a wonderful time..no problems..i drink alcohol with friends at the clubs but i do not get stupid drunk…do not use drugs so there are no problems… anywhere you go you can be a victim of crime. the only crime i saw was people trying to sell you junk on the beach..lol.enjoy your vacations in mexico…
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Laura
March 6th, 2009
3:52 pm
there is problems like in every other country. Some times I’m scared to be in the US just thinking everyone has a gun!!! We are just victims of a panic campaing. If you travel, of course you have to be careful and follow the rules. If you just want to get drunk and do whatever, then you will probalby get in trouble. We need some criteria instead of believing everything we say…The bottom line is: we are the ones buying drugs and we are the ones selling arms to Mexico mafias.
Mexico is a beautiful country with some much to offer beyond the beaches… and this drug war is in specific areas, not every where you go.
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Royce Penstinger
March 7th, 2009
5:45 pm
2008 saw more people killed in Mexico than were killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan…would you go do Spring Break in Iraq? Seriously, why risk losing your head traveling to Mexico…besides, KEEP AMERICAN DOLLARS IN AMERICA.
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Scared of Worried Mom
March 9th, 2009
7:15 pm
Worried Mom: What you should be woried about is the problems your daughter will have as a result of your sheltering her from a normal, human experience. Wearing makeup and making new friends does not invite rape and murder. Keeping your child locked in the basement throughout her adolesence, however, will leave her completely unable to cope with the real world. That poor girl is going to snap one day and act out in a way that WILL invite problems into her life.
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Robby
March 10th, 2009
3:56 pm
i am going to Puerto Vallarta and i plan to get wasted 16 to 20 hours per day! dont buy drugs or wander around along if your a girl. (if you are a girl thinking of wandering around along look me up)
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Mexico Drug Violence Is a Major Party Foul
March 10th, 2009
7:46 pm
[...] college kids prepare for Spring Break, many are receiving warnings from their schools and parents about a favorite destination: Mexico. Escalating violence between [...]
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aash
March 11th, 2009
5:22 pm
fuk u mate sdait pats is the best u ass
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Chiatt
March 11th, 2009
10:32 pm
Still time to order a St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt. http://www.stpattys.com. 1 day shipping to Atlanta.
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Rob
March 12th, 2009
12:20 am
If you were not born in Ireland, your not Irish! Idiot
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cheMicAL aNgEL
March 12th, 2009
11:47 am
It’s on Tuesday . . . In Ireland. We miss school, hah.
And Rob, you’re the idiot>.<
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Alan
March 13th, 2009
3:55 pm
What the hell is there to blog about? How about a topic on all the crime caused by the thugs in Atlanta?
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Rene J.
March 13th, 2009
5:29 pm
I just returned from Cancun last week and it was as fantastic as always. The fact that some crimes happened in downtown Cancun doesn’t have anything to do with the safety in the Hotel Zone. It is rare for tourists to go downtown anyway, nor would you go to an area in your own town that may possibly be dangerous. The media loves to put a one sided twist on everything because that is what draws attention, but even if you were to stay at home all day something could happen. So, please use normal common sense and enjoy all the beauty that Mexico and Cancun has to offer.
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Brandi
March 13th, 2009
5:42 pm
Alan, you’re ignorant. I think you need a vacation. Can you sing?
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phil
March 13th, 2009
8:03 pm
Throw out your hands!!
Stick out your tush!!
Hands on your hips
Give them a push!!
You’ll be surprised
You’re doing the French Mistake!!
VOILA!!
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Jerome
March 14th, 2009
10:19 am
Alan, this article deals with TRAVEL so it was placed in the TRAVEL section. If you want to talk CRIME then look in the Metro/ State section you dumba**.
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mom of 3 teenagers
March 14th, 2009
11:15 am
I think the “Worried Mom” response was made up, it sounded bogus to me. If not, then it’s very sad. Part of your job as parent is not only to keep your kids safe but also prepare them to live on their own in the world. Sheltering them from everything isn’t the answer. You give them bits of responsibility as they grow while they are still in your home so you are their safety net. Wearing makeup doesn’t make you a prostitute. Haven’t you heard of moderation? A young lady can dress modestly, wear natural looking makeup and go on a date without being “ruined”. Just set some ground rules that have to be followed.
I think that the economy is going to cause more college kids to stay home than the fear of violence. My college aged nephew has been on spring break this past week and he and his friends didn’t go on a trip to Mexico or even Florida.
I think if these kids use common sense and caution they should be ok if they stay in the resort areas and don’t go off the beaten path. However, common sense and caution doesn’t come naturally to college kids so it might be best if they stayed closer to home.
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Barely Speakin'
March 14th, 2009
11:21 am
I think this’d be one of the greatest jobs ever! On Millennium (Celebrity), the domestic staff was elevated to ombudsman status; Caribbeans. But on the down side they can exact showcase talent. Any qualifier could likely find more durable entertaining work. RCCL count so heavily on the shows to carry the reputation.
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Dawn
March 14th, 2009
8:40 pm
I’m with Alan, let’s talk crime and Thug’s. Who hires Thug’s? Atlanta Police Department and Piedmont Hospital.
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Lulu
March 14th, 2009
8:41 pm
Dawn – if you don’t want to be around them, then go back to where you came from…under a rock.
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Melissa
March 15th, 2009
4:09 pm
Dawn, you’re sickening. I hope you don’t think you’re doing the world a favor by being in it.
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cindy
March 15th, 2009
4:48 pm
dang! and I thought it was bad as hell in Detroit!!!!
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tweety
March 15th, 2009
7:24 pm
Dawn you are one stupid and ignorant female version of trash…and I bet you didnt say that when your azz chomped down on those chicken nuggets!!!!
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John
March 17th, 2009
1:28 pm
Actually, it’s Sichuan Province, not Chengdu; Chengdu is the provincial capital.
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Ugh
March 18th, 2009
12:15 pm
If your family is anything like my in-laws, DON’T DO IT. Even though we all are fortunate to have enough money to vacation separately, we go on a family vacation every year. It is HORRIBLE. Every year all the “kids” (grown adults) dread the vacation but somehow feel forced to go anyway. It is agony. I literally start dreading the next year’s vacation on the last day of the current year’s vacation. It causes me and my sister-in-laws SO much stress because my mother-in-law is evil and no one likes her. I am very grateful to have a family and a place to stay, but I can honestly say that I would prefer to stay home and go to work. One year I did not go and it caused ALL kinds of drama. Good grief, no vacation is better than this vacation!
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vee
March 18th, 2009
2:10 pm
I’ve always spent a lot of time visiting with family and friends. I’m fortunate to have several weeks a year off work and I love to travel. My budget doesn’t allow for as much as I’d like. Staying with family and friends makes it possible. When I go to my little sister’s house I feel like I’m at a spa. I’m always treated like royalty. I’ve even visited with my best friend’s family and with my father’s Navy buddies. Being shown around by the locals makes it special. No tourist traps for me. I always try to make myself useful and not be a burden. It also helps to prepare a meal or two for my hosts or take them out.
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Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
March 18th, 2009
4:01 pm
Hey Keith — Love the phrase “friends and family” tour — very cute!! We are having a family of 5 come to stay with us this summer from Washington DC. We visited with them last spring break and the kids all got along so well we thought it would be big fun to have them come and stay with us. The mom has never been to Atlanta so she’s excited to see the South. Each family will have two bedrooms and a bath. We’ve got a big backyard so I think in between sigh seeing with them the kids will just run and play out back. I think it’s going to be so much to have them here and other than gas and some tourism costs basically a free vacation for them. I think it’s such a nice old-fashioned concept to see new places and stay with family and friends — plus it does save money.
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Dee
March 18th, 2009
7:01 pm
Were plannin a family vacation over the spring break next month, we’ll be staying in a cabin in Pigeon Forge TN. Along with our parents, there will be 7 siblings and our families for a total of ~23 people. 4 of the 7 siblings have been laid off, so the 3 working siblings will be picking up most of the cost. Fortunately, we all get along great, in-laws and all and we love getting the kids (ages 4-14) together. We’re all looking forward to it!
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ktdid
March 18th, 2009
11:39 pm
We are getting ready to leave on a cruise for spring break. We are going to Catalina and Ensenada. We have been following the news and researching on the internet, but still don’t feel like we’re getting the answers we are looking for. At this point we have decided to stay on the boat when we get to Ensenada. We just don’t want to take the chance. There are eight of us going including my mom and dad and my two sisters and their husbands. Some of us have been to Mexico many times before and now we just don’t feel safe. Does anyone know if the boat actually docks at Ensenada or are we to take smaller boats in? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Ben Castelli
March 20th, 2009
3:19 pm
I work with the Travel Channel online team and the Switzerland episode mentioned in the post is actually the upcoming episode on Monday March 23rd. In addition to snowboarding, he also competes in Schwingen (Swiss wrestling). There is a preview on his YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/dhanijones.
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kristin
March 23rd, 2009
12:09 pm
Yup – and I review the sites before I book a hotel room. It’s a way to help make an informed decision about where to stay. You can usually tell the nit picky complaints from a reoccurring theme (as in one REALLY bad hotel (super smokey and RUDE) that I stayed in Chicago)
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David Lee
March 23rd, 2009
12:58 pm
I think it’s all about intent: What do you want to get out of this? If you just want to vent to make yourself feel superior, then it’s a waste of time. And it should be constructive feedback, not just whining. And I do feel people have become just plain rude and demanding. But yes, ultimately, they’re trying to get my money for their service, so it’s worth it to keep them accountable and hopefully make things better for the next person, and your visit.
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Oh yes
March 23rd, 2009
3:59 pm
Tripadvisor.com & Yahoo travel are the best travel sites on the web for reviews. I check it for hotels reviews and locale info. I also tell the hotel desk that I post reviews, good and bad, and they will be reviewed. It’s amazing how well you are often treated when you mention Tripadvisor, even when I have a Hotwire or Priceline res. The info should be out there so the public can make good purchasing decisions.
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Mike
March 23rd, 2009
5:53 pm
I frequently check Trip Advisor for hotel and activity ratings. I frequently post reviews but try not to be too negative. I generally have middle of the road expectations so I don’t get too diappointed unless its really bad… One such negative review related to a multi day hotel stay with NO hot water. Management kept saying it was going to be fixed. I unded up speaking with one of the repairmen on the day I was leaving and he said the part had just arrived and mgmt knew when to expect it.
when reading reviews, I generally toss out the most extreme on both the negative and positive ends of the spectrum.
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tony from california
March 24th, 2009
12:47 am
i think it was cool that someone like yourslf would even think of doing something like swiss wrestling. I know because i use to swiss wrestle here in california, good job Dhani, p.s. you have a new fan.
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Owen
March 26th, 2009
4:31 pm
hi there if you are an actor or singer looking to create an online portfolio go to
http://www.owenmailer.com
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nypeach
April 8th, 2009
2:54 pm
My boyfriend and I are talking about a beach wedding this fall. He loves Tybee Island. We both agree it has to be very small, informal, just us, his daughter and mine. Do we need witnesses, or can the justice of the peace bring his wife or something?
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K
April 8th, 2009
4:43 pm
The chldren are your witnesses.
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Kaye
April 9th, 2009
9:01 am
My husband I got married at Helton Creek Falls and the whole wedding party (and what a paerty it was!) took over Amicalola State Park just north of Dawsonville Ga. We rented out all the cabins and most of the lodge for a three day wedding party, had the ceramony IN the falls at Helton Creek and the reception at The Smith House in Dalonaga. Our friends have been back several times and still rave about the wonderful non pompous wedding…by the way…we live all the way in Tampa FL and had people come in from 5 states and as far away as Utah. It didn’t break the budget, heck, hardly touched the budget and was so very perfect and we couldn’t have asked for a better “destination” wedding!
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Often Disappointed/Never Surprised!
April 9th, 2009
11:18 am
It pains me to think about and relive my experience with clothing optional beaches. My experience in Cancun was quite alarming to say the least. Ironically, my particular resort was not clothing optional, however, the beach was not closed off. The nudies tended to wander down toward our end of the beach. Truly I believe that the body is a beautiful design, and when taken care of it is a pleasure to behold. Now back to reality. Ideal bodies are not always the case. But, to each his own. I just believe retirement communities and clothing optional beaches should not combine. At least that appeared to be the case. Or maybe they just offered discounts to seniors. (I know that not all seniors have given in to gravity, but largely it is the case!) I blame the magazines. Dammit Plaboy! You ruined it with your perfect bodies. Thanks a lot Hugh! (Smile)
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Mike
April 9th, 2009
11:23 am
No, but I painted the outside of my house in the nude once.
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owlafaye
April 9th, 2009
11:25 am
Nude people are rather a Ho Hum affair. Being nude with a large crowd is forgettable in about 20 minutes. We are increasingly getting over our Victorian prudishness and starting to get a grip on reality…this is good. Maybe the sin shouters will be over whelmed by large nude demonstrations and protests…this is VERY good. They control you through sex remember? Everybody does it, over and over so make it a sin…I am for reducing the clown quotient in America.
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Declan
April 9th, 2009
11:56 am
I have often wondered what it would be like. I have to agree with the above person who posted the fist comment. The human body is beautiful by design. I’m writing a story about a nude beach. Perhaps I should go, for information puposes.
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Steve
April 9th, 2009
12:12 pm
Delores – NO we dont want to know
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huckleberry
April 9th, 2009
12:18 pm
Lol, why is that here, is CEO of Delta is a nudist? Wouldn’t there be a risk of one of his employees spot him from the air, haha. Was the landing gear down or raised, lol. That is one of the most retarded letters I’ve ever seen. Well, in the last 48 hours, anyway. What is it with old people and the CAPS key, anyway? Maybe she should go to a nudist beach and chill out, she will feel better.
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Richard Anderson
April 9th, 2009
12:41 pm
Well Delores. I don’t know how you knew I would read this nudist article but you did. I guess that is what they mean by anticipating where the puck will go. Anyway, got your message and I will talk to the Delta website guys, all of my representatives and all of my customer service people and tell them to function properly. Sorry. Rich
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hollie
April 9th, 2009
12:54 pm
WE went to Hawaii for a wedding a few years ago…of course the couple was from the West Coast, and so was 90% of the guests. Surprisingly there were over 150 people there…it really was awesome and it was a great excuse to go visit the other side of the US!
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David S
April 9th, 2009
12:54 pm
Nude is the way god made us. Could it be that our problems with nudity, etc. are the source of so many of our sexual, interpersonal, and body image problems? No, must be something else.
Funny how we claim to be the freeest nation on earth (so far off at this point that even the claim should bring a smirk to your face) yet what you don’t, what you put into your body, what you do with your body, etc. are the least free things in our society.
Besides, if you run accross a guy hiking nude in the cold Alps, how much will there be visible to offend your sensibilities anyway.
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Storm
April 9th, 2009
12:55 pm
Why do people have a problem with the naked body. We all have one. People shield their kids from nudity, GASP, that person has a body, just like everyone else. Stupid. I walk around my house nekkid all the time. Freedom. I hate wearing clothes.
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David S
April 9th, 2009
1:00 pm
I think the reason Delta is included is because the TSA is so paranoid and so ineffective, we will all likely be forced to fly naked soon just to make sure we aren’t smuggling anything like a toothpick that could be used to blow up a plane.
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Steve
April 9th, 2009
1:33 pm
Delores is an idiot . . .
.
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Hugh Johnson
April 9th, 2009
1:40 pm
I love doing the whirly bird naked.
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Eric
April 9th, 2009
1:46 pm
I only take nude vacations. If I can’t go nude, I don’t go at all. And lucky for me, there are lots of available options. My favorites are Cape d Agde in France and Club Orient on St Maartin.
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Michael
April 9th, 2009
2:42 pm
I have no problem with nudity at all. In fact, I’m frequently nude inside and outside my home. People should get over their insecurities and accept that everyone had a body.
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ryan
April 9th, 2009
2:57 pm
Nudity is Ok (inside your home) in my book. Not because I’m prudish but as people have mentioned you have to take the good with the bad and you see a lot more bad then good.
I have to think the Dalores post is either a joke or a mean-spirited action because who really posts their personal information to the web?? I reported the comment simply because of the personal information (not to mention it had nothing to do with the article.) Hopefully it will be removed.
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JM
April 9th, 2009
3:03 pm
It’s the same old story — always, the ones that should cover up the most are the ones that think they’re the sexiest/most attractive. Jeff Foxworthy did a relevant routine about this subject. Most people aren’t that great-looking with their clothes ON; I sure don’t want to pay to see them jiggle and sag!
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Mary
April 9th, 2009
3:18 pm
Michael, what’s your last name?
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cj
April 9th, 2009
3:25 pm
Nude sexual deviants/perverts walking around flashing your children: this is why Handguns can never be outlawed.
I see this is another “I hate Christians” site…have fun, and enjoy your freedom exposing yourself…
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Storm
April 9th, 2009
3:29 pm
So cj, I guess every time you undress and shower, you are a Nude sexual deviant/pervert flashing your children. GASP!!! What will they think?
And what the hell does that have to do with handguns????? Should we shoot all the nekkid people?
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cj
April 9th, 2009
3:34 pm
storm…I don’t walk around naked around any children, do you? I so, you need to be arrested
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mattie
April 9th, 2009
3:54 pm
My husband and I have gone to Orient Beach in St. Martin for the past two years. We don’t stay at Club Orient, but we walk down to the nude beach to sun bathe. I like it, he loves it, and it’s great to keep the fires burning. The people who frequent the nude beaches and resorts are respectful of others, and there is no staring. That comes from the US tourists off the cruise ships. I’ve seen a father and his young teen sons repeatedly walk the nude beach, just to get an eyeful.
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Goober
April 9th, 2009
4:02 pm
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail have a week in the summer when they hike in the buff. I don’t remember which week, but my son hiked the Trail and honored the undress code along with most of the rest of them.
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ranjef
April 9th, 2009
4:05 pm
Those of you that prefer all your nudes to be in pristine shape evidently don’t “get it”. the Victorian attitude towards nudity that we have all been subjected to are only as archaic as the the idea that everybody needs to match a certain standard before they can take their clothes off. No, I am not 5′5″ and 5 feet tall. In fact, I am 6′ 3″ and an athletic build. But many of my friends at the clothing optional resort in which I reside full time are far from perfect in regards to their bodies – but if the body is all you care about, I doubt you can be more shallow without getting out of the pool completely.
Our community enjoys a vibrant and healthy social life. The friendships that I have formed here are as close as any I have ever had. The idea is not to compare bodies, but hearts.
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Goober
April 9th, 2009
4:18 pm
A lot of noses, ears, toes and men’s units aren’t all that great to look at. At least one of those is pretty much hidden most of the time.
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campnbare
April 9th, 2009
4:31 pm
Happy Happy Joey Joey Happy Happy Joey…. The season is upon us – let’s get in the mude (sic) to camp in the nude!
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Justmy2cents
April 9th, 2009
4:34 pm
I don’t take nude vacations, but one of the resorts I go to has a nude beach. It is completely separate from the clothing side as to not “offend” anyone and protects the nudies from gawkers. It is completely non-sexual and there is no swinging or swapping. It is relaxing to lay out in the sun and don’t have to worry about damp swimsuits, tan lines, etc. Everyone should try it at least once.
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Faith Dawson
April 9th, 2009
4:39 pm
I tried to find some info on Hike Naked Day 2009, and instead found this Web site: http://www.hikingnaked.com/. The regional page is broken down by state, and there are several naked hikers in Georgia.
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The Soldier
April 9th, 2009
4:49 pm
My favorite battlefield in Ga. is Chicamauga. Its the only one where you can actually get a feel for the battle. The rest are really in bad shape. Its a travesty…
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MOT
April 9th, 2009
5:06 pm
As noted, we were born nude. I imagine that we did run around nude for a time back “in the beginning, and I imagine that the daily scrapes, bruising,etc, as well as things dangling and jiggling called for an invention to cover things up. Back then folks probably saw it as perverted to cover up and use the “new fangled invention” called clothes, just as folks see nudity as perverted. It is all a cycle. Who knows, maybe one day we will be back to total nudity only to realize/remember how much more comfortable it was to keep from getting scraped, caught, pinched, burned, frostbit, etc.
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Nature Boy
April 9th, 2009
6:07 pm
Its NUDE, not LEWD ! Few people have perfect bodies. Thats what you will encounter at a nudist resort, any of the 3 or 4 in North Georgia. Nudity breaks down social barriers. You can’t tell a banker from a bus driver. You won’t find staring when everyone is nude! Nothing better than jumping in the pool or hot tub, and having the sun’s rays dry you off. Its the least sexually charged place you will experience.
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Zedd
April 9th, 2009
6:18 pm
cj is obviously off his/her meds. Handguns???
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cj
April 9th, 2009
6:35 pm
zedd,
yes, handguns to protect you from sexual deviants who get off on exposing themselves to your children.
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kwazzi
April 9th, 2009
7:47 pm
i am reading this article in the nude
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J-Tex
April 9th, 2009
7:58 pm
I always enjoy it when the slightest hint of criticism causes someone to accuse someone else of being a “Christian hater”, yet when some fundamentalist ultra-conservative type Christian stands up and demands that books they don’t like be removed from all libraries, they are just “defending their faith”.
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cj
April 9th, 2009
8:01 pm
JTEX—get used to it…it’s called freedom of speech, which you obviously believe that you and your nudy left-wing buddies hold the monopoly on…I’ll gladly take the hit as a “fundamentalist ultra-conservative type” on behalf of the rest of those who are clothed and in their right mind…
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Rob
April 9th, 2009
10:12 pm
Americans are so Prudish!
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Cool Hand Luke
April 9th, 2009
11:53 pm
I remember when I first joined the Army & saw my first uncircumcised man. I remember it looked like an anteater with goiters. I was deeply saddened because I knew then that he would never know love. I don’t wish to see this on the beach anymore than I would wish to see a dead catfish.
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Steve
April 10th, 2009
12:30 am
cj is an idiot . . .
.
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paula
April 10th, 2009
4:48 am
My husband I got married at Helton Creek Falls and the whole wedding party (and what a paerty it was!) took over Amicalola State Park just north of Dawsonville Ga.This is really a wonderful place.Log on kissBBW.c o m.and you ;ll know more about it.There are many big beautiful women ,hot and sexy,waiting for you.
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Nude Not Prude
April 10th, 2009
6:46 am
Going nude is wonderful. I do it at home and at nudist camps and beaches. The freedom is wonderful. And when you’re surrounded by others who are nude, you get that feeling that we truly are all the same. The class “barriers” are broken. Frankly, those who’ve never gone to nude beaches or camps should try it at least once before they criticize anyone. Sure there are jerks who will come to stare or do something stupid, but that’s when you alert management or police. Oh-many beaches have lifeguard/police patrols and camps and other resorts often have their own security. We do need to get over our negative attitudes about nudity.
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Storm
April 10th, 2009
8:38 am
cj – I walk around naked in front of my kids……got a problem with that? Too bad……my house, my rules. sorry you are such a prude. you probably shower with clothes on……
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Conservative nudists
April 10th, 2009
10:22 am
CJ, I am part owner of a small nudist property in central Florida, I am as conservative as most people you know.
The majority of members at my club are conservatives!
I have a family, and yes my children are nudists too, I go to church, I believe in GOD, I tithe, I pay my taxes and probably a large portion of yours… On my more liberal side, I believe abortions are bad, but I don’t think they should be outlawed, that is between a woman and her maker, I don’t care if a gay couple gets married or has a civil union, whatever you call it… and, I am a nudist!
There are no sex shows going on at a nudist resort, there are no public stripper poles, there are no lap dances, it is NOT about perversion, it is about freedom and enjoying yourself.
Loosen up.
Nudity by itself should not be offensive. However, overt sexual behavior in a public place is not a good idea!
It is also hard to understand the tone of the original article, the writer seems surprised that there are actually nudist resorts in GA “and some EVEN allow the entire family.”
Children who are raised to not be offended by the human body make great physicians and scientists, they have not been taught shame. Shame is not a productive trait, go back and watch “Oh God” with George Burns.
Nudist resorts and nudist activities are everywhere! Seek and you shall find one near you. If you run across naked hikers in the future, and it bothers you, look them in the eye, not below the belt, it may be your son or daughter!
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Faith Dawson
April 10th, 2009
10:36 am
Conservative nudists: You’re right, my statement on camps/parks that allow entire families is not objective. Thanks for taking the time to write.
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lakewoodlouie
April 10th, 2009
10:56 am
I’ve been a nudist and have been going to Paradise Valley (formally Hidden Valley)for 16 years. Anyone that hasn’t been there (or to any nudist resort) can’t possibly know enough to even make a comment. Before I went , I could count the close friendships I had on one hand. The close friendships I have now are more than I could have ever imagined. Visiting a nudist resort is nothing like a lot of the post here seem to think it is. It is definitely not about sex, it’s about freedom.You meet people as they really are without all of the preconcieved judgements clothing creates. When you are nude you don’t know if the person next to you is the CEO of a national company,a doctor (I’ve met several)a Lawyer (we do forgive them for that)a celebrity (yes met some too) or just an average person like myself.
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Carol
April 10th, 2009
12:00 pm
I’ve attended a couple beach weddings in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Beautiful location! The whitesand beaches make it an ideal setting for a wedding.
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Maude
April 10th, 2009
2:48 pm
My husband and I are both members of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), and we take at least one Nakation (nude vacation) per year. Our five children always go with us. All of the resorts we have visited have been family-friendly and wonderful. Before you knock the nudists, visit http://www.aanr.com and read more about it. You will wish you had become a nudist sooner.
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Willy Jack
April 10th, 2009
3:19 pm
Nude vacations are the most inexpensive way to travel. I recommend it to everyone. My favorite resorts are Abbott’s Glen in Vermont and Cypress Cove in Florida.
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campnbare
April 10th, 2009
3:32 pm
Being German and being familiar with the German lifestyle, I have no problems with nudity. For instance, in Germany whole families go to the bath houses where one would enjoy the bath right next to grandma and uncle and cousins and siblings. American people definitely would have a problem with that, but, as for not throwing the baby out with the bath water…. at least one can enjoy the accommodations available to them to be “in” with nature, among other like-minded adults, free of all societies stigmas. But it sure would be nice to not have these resorts overrun by a slew of people with naked body complex or to bring with them their puritan attitudes. Maybe all newbies should start out on the “beginner slope” !!
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campnbare
April 10th, 2009
3:50 pm
Cool Hand Luke…. lol ! Catfish are not likely to show up on the beach unless your “beach” might be a swampy lake down a dirt road and if that’s the case watch out for those campgrounds with low hanging fruit they are everywhere!!! As far as the natural male appendage, being skinned is not the beauty God designed men with. All men that are natural in that way would rarely want to be cut, but, alot of men that have been peeled would give anything to undo the damage. Granted there are a few oddities of nature but for the most part most uncut men have tools that are, well, run of the mill. If you went campin’ with me you would likely get over your penis envy! But as for the type of beaches, you may see a dead catfish or even a carp or a beer can.
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David
April 10th, 2009
5:09 pm
I have done it many times and have enjoyed it thoroughly. Consider the phrase it is hard to be a snob when you are naked. You get to know people based on who they are not whether they are waiting the latest thing from Anne Kelin or Armani. Besides, after awhile, you don’t think about people are naked or not. It would be like going to a party where everybody is wearing red and you alone are wearing green. It also is about as comfortable as you can get. Just remember one thing-remember if you desire to be weird sexually nude places really are not where you want to be. People don’t put up with crap like that.
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Dana
April 13th, 2009
3:19 pm
Absolutely. I have no family there, but would love to go!
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Ross
April 13th, 2009
3:22 pm
Yes, I would love visit Cuab and I am thrilled that The Obama Administration is easing restrictions.
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SCOTT
April 13th, 2009
3:26 pm
Yes, I would love to visit Cuban
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Shannon
April 13th, 2009
3:27 pm
Are you serious?!? Let’s just invite all of the communists and socialists to come into our country in take over … oh wait … we just did by electing Obama into office!
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Julie
April 13th, 2009
3:33 pm
Serious! I would go! How many people travel to communist China?
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Tomhere
April 13th, 2009
3:34 pm
Yes, my wife and I would love to go there. It’s probably one of the few places in the world that hasn’t been infected by McDonalds, Disney, and the other “garbage” that passes for American “culture”.
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PMC
April 13th, 2009
3:39 pm
absolutely, I’ve always wanted to go to Cuba.
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PMC
April 13th, 2009
3:39 pm
great food, cigars, and rum.
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Judith
April 13th, 2009
3:39 pm
Absolutely, I would be fascinated to be able to go to Cuba and see for myself what conditions there are. It has always seems odd to me that I can travel to Korea or China or Iran or Afghanistan, none notable democracies, but I cannot go to Cuba. Especially because one of our complaints about Castro is he will not let his citizens travel freely.
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Robertomiguelpatriciosalvadorpena
April 13th, 2009
3:43 pm
Would love to go. But, I am curious about a comparison in the article that says the city of Detroit has as many hotel rooms as the entire country of Cuba. I can’t believe it! You mean to tell me that people actually go to Detroit?
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Robertomiguelpatricio
April 13th, 2009
3:48 pm
Si.
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Faith Dawson
April 13th, 2009
3:52 pm
I myself would like to hear Son music firsthand. And the architecture looks beautiful, too.
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Wanda
April 13th, 2009
3:55 pm
Shannon…The Question is…Are YOU Serious? This is just the outdated thinking that has gotten this Country into the state it is in Now. Thanks to the decision making of a Conservative, outdated, ill-informed, C-Student President (Bush). Wow!! Have you had your head Stuck in the Sand? We now have an informed, ultra Modern, Intelligent and Academic President, who makes hard decisions by being fully informed. Hey…Don’t knock Socialism just yet…at lease in a socialist State you don’t have to pay for education and medical coverage….from where I’m sitting, that just keeps looking better and better by the Day.
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Charles Michael
April 13th, 2009
3:57 pm
Parents went to Cuba on their honeymoon in 1947. I have a lot fo souveneirs from their trip and would love to visit!
As for that jackass “Shannon”….who the heck is inviting anyone to take over our country? What a jerk!
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Kermit
April 13th, 2009
3:58 pm
Shut up, Wanda – the short bus is waiting to take you back to the home.
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Wanda
April 13th, 2009
4:01 pm
Kermit…. I bet you’re married to Shannon…What’s the Saying? Bird of a Feather….You finish the rest.
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Jose
April 13th, 2009
4:05 pm
NO, US representatives that have visited Cuba recently have not visited any of the thousands of the political prisoners on the island. They are ignoring the fact that the current government has no intentions of allowing any form of free speech or free communication. We will only be injecting US cash into the pockets of a 50 year old dictatorship that has no vested interest on the human rights of it’s population.
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Kevin
April 13th, 2009
4:20 pm
Wanda, you say: “at lease (sic) in a socialist State you don’t have to pay for education and medical coverage.”
Are you kidding me? Do you think education and healthcare just fall out of the sky? Taxpayers pay for those services through significantly higher. It’s your kind of “government = no price” thinking that will bankrupt this country. Your ignorance is insulting.
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Mytilda
April 13th, 2009
4:22 pm
Great comment, Kevin.
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JustHappy
April 13th, 2009
4:40 pm
YES, I would love to visit Cuba. I understand they have excellent Doctors.
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Dem Dems!
April 13th, 2009
8:30 pm
Democrats never met a Communist they didn’t like. Nevermind this country is guilty of human rights violations and oppression of its people. Who cares? Certainly not the Democratic Black Caucus who recently visited, hobnobbing with Castro himself while demeaning their home country, the United States. Disgusting. Do us a favor, next time make it a ONE-WAY ticket.
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Edward A. Lipsett
April 13th, 2009
9:24 pm
Having lived and worked there (I am Canadian) I find the place endlessly interesting and not at all as the American press propagandises.
yes the economy is inefficent in many areas but for a Latin country pretty good.
And I hate to drag this up, but if one is poor and sick, best to be a Cuban than an American.
I learned many lessons there and on was to note that the American press can uniformly trash a country with out regard to the facts. And yes there are lots of Americans there defying there own Govts. wishes.
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AANR-Northwest » AANR Weekly Report 3-10-2009
April 14th, 2009
12:04 am
[...] <http://blogs.ajc.com/still-traveling-blog/2009/04/09/whoa-is-that-dude-naked/?cxntfid=blogs_still_tr…> [...]
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Mickey
April 14th, 2009
8:49 am
I can’t wait to go. I’ve been wanting to visit for years. I hope that all restrictions are lifted. If we can visit and trade with the Soviet Union and China, why not Cuba? Oh, I forgot. Black people live in Cuba!
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KJ
April 14th, 2009
9:16 pm
Hasn’t anyone heard the old saying about keeping your friends close and enemies closer? What people fail to realize is that after time almost all communist regimes have fallen once the western influences have traveled through and discovered what was really going on inside those countries, socially, emotionally and politically. I think that U.S. travelers being allowed inside Cuba will help way more than allowing Cuba to fester without exposure to the mainstream U.S.
I’ll go. I’d like to be as educated as I can be about the country, and see people’s reactions, listen to stories, and try to understand what is really going on within Cuba, as opposed to relying on what our government (or anyone else’s) wants me to think about it.
Don’t you think that the people of Cuba would have things a little easier over time, since their government will have to be a little more careful in how they treat their citizens when plenty of U.S. eyes and ears are there?
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al
April 15th, 2009
5:05 pm
We’ve been saving by staying in state for our vacations. Using sites like the ajc and exploregeorgia.org to find travel deals and look for those “undiscovered gems” that make for great weekend getaways.
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Justmy2cents
April 15th, 2009
6:24 pm
We’re lucky that our lifestyle has not been affected by the economy. It has actually helped us! Thanks to slow sales, the resort we are going to in September offered a deal and we were able to upgrade to the penthouse suite for only 100 bucks more for the week! We are also already booked for spring break 2010- and the kids travel free!! Good times!
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just me
April 16th, 2009
8:49 am
We are renting a condo at the beach but we are eating in instead of out while we are there. Also, we will not spend money on any shopping trips while we are there.
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clyde
April 16th, 2009
10:01 am
There will be no traveling this year.Vacations will be soent at home.
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Gunter Sharp
April 16th, 2009
10:18 am
Yes, it’s only fair. If an overweight passenger prevents the person in the adjacent seat from being able to comfortably use that seat, then the overweight person is taking away from what the other passenger paid for.
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Drew
April 16th, 2009
10:22 am
I think it’s fair, yes. I agree that if I could help the obese passenger by moving MY seat, I would but frankly I haven’t been on many flights where there were numerous seats available where I could exercise that option. We pay to have a seat on a plane. We basically rent the seat and the space for the duration of the flight. If the fat rolls on a particular person are so large that they interfere with my comfort and safety, then they should absolutely be required to buy a bigger seat.
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Willie G
April 16th, 2009
10:30 am
YES charge the MORE.
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Paige
April 16th, 2009
10:38 am
I don’t mind being squished against the window or shoved into the aisle a bit by an overweight passenger. To be fair, that’s happened to me only three times in many, many flights. It’s the screaming kids (on almost every flight) that drive me up the wall.
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Stephen J
April 16th, 2009
10:40 am
As it should be! I only hope Delta follows suit. As a frequent Delta flyer I have endured too many uncomforatable flights when the person sitting beside me spilled over in to my seat (sweat and all). If you require the space of two seats, you should pay for two seats.
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wannabe
April 16th, 2009
10:47 am
I agree, they should pay more. We all pay for/rent a seat and expect reasonable comfort. I don’t expect not to rub shoulders/arms occasionaly, but no way should anyone be subjected to someone elses gurth literally laying on you for a flight. It is also unsafe if anything were to happen on the flight and it just isn’t right. It should be handled in a way to preserve there dignity as much as possible but it is what it is. You have to pay extra for oversized luggage that sits next to luggage for pete’s sake, absolutely a person that ways considerably more, takes up the space of two or more people should be expected to pay up.
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YANCYVB
April 16th, 2009
10:56 am
wannabe
It’s their and weighs.
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TC
April 16th, 2009
10:59 am
So you going to ask the NFL players to pay twice as much when they travel?
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Holy Macaroni
April 16th, 2009
11:07 am
Yes – without a question. If you take up 2 seats, you pay for 2 seats.
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RealityKing
April 16th, 2009
11:21 am
You people have it all wrong! Do as the government does..
Borrow money for your vacation! Twice as much as you need!! Have a blast and let your children worry about paying it back. That is the progressive thing to do. And after all…, the same thing Congress is doing to America.
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iamKathi
April 16th, 2009
11:27 am
As a frequent flyer and a larger person I was on the side of I pay for my ticket and I fit in the seat so leave me alone. But, on a recent flight from LAX I had an empty seat next to me and hoped it remained so. But… I saw him coming down the aisle, the biggest man I have ever seen on a plane and I just knew he was coming to sit on/by me. I fit in my seat and I can fasten the seat belt but he couldn’t. He was by the window and took up his seat and half of mine. He had his own seat belt extender. the arm rest wouldn’t go down. He should have paid for 2 seats.
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wannabe
April 16th, 2009
11:28 am
YANCYVB – I know, there just isn’t a way to edit your post after submission. Don’t you have anything better to do? lol
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Peadawg
April 16th, 2009
11:29 am
We went to Disney and stayed at a Holiday Inn by Universal Studios, instead of one of the expensive Disney hotels in the parks.
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Steve
April 16th, 2009
11:32 am
What bothers more is women being able to carry a fairly large infant on board and sit with the child on “her lap”. Couple that with a fat woman and it is miserable. Fat and with child should equal purchasing an extra seat.
Chatty old smelly people bother me too.
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YANCYVB
April 16th, 2009
11:33 am
No, I am bored to death today. LOL!!!
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Tom Davis
April 16th, 2009
11:46 am
Go to Mexico where it is Cheap. The added benefit is that you may be beheaded so you won’t have to worry about money.
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Shaye
April 16th, 2009
12:15 pm
Absolutely–if you don’t fit in one seat, you should pay for two. That said, perhaps airlines should start installing a couple of seats that are a bit wider (maybe 1.5 times normal size). I’m not a very large person, but I flew internationally with my ex who’s 6′4″ and about 260. He fit in his seat just fine (though his poor legs were cramped). besides, if you really weigh *that* much, you’re sucking up more gas. Fair’s fair.
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GOFORIT
April 16th, 2009
12:19 pm
I think this is the best rule the airline came up with and I think all airlines should follow. I went to LA this past summer from Atlanta and had a large man sitting in the middle. I was at the window and another flyer was in the aisle seat. The flight attendent didn’t give him 1 extended seat belt but 3 total. I cant sit here with my knees bent towards window. I told her I will get off the plane and take another flight before I sit here this long. Me and her went back and forth with the problem until I told her if I need you to give me 1/2 of my ticket price back because I paid for a seat ,but yet I am sitting in half of my seat and the other half is being shared by this man next to me. Finally they found me another seat and I couldn’t been happier.
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AL G
April 16th, 2009
12:22 pm
Airlines are not buffets, but rather more akin to traditional restaurants where you pay for what you eat. You should absolutely pay for the space you occupy. Either pay for 2 seats or buy a 1st class ticket. It isn’t my responsibility to accommodate your irresponsibility at the dinner table by tolerating your amorphic, gelatinous rolls in my lap, on my leg, etc. Consider this: If we are neighbors, both paying rent or owning our homes, would you tolerate my piling up my belongings in your living room because I can’t fit them in my house?
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Mel
April 16th, 2009
12:40 pm
Here’s a concept: stop shoving people in like cattle, and give them 2″ extra inches of seat space in coach. Make *everybody* more comfortable, and save overweight people embarassment.
If you aren’t fat, then you do not know how embarassing it is, nor how incredibly uncomfortable, to do all you can to squish into a seat and not impinge on your neighbor’s space. And what about people who can’t afford business seats? Callously tell them not to fly?
Not all fat people are the same size nor dimensions. I carry my weight in my thighs/hips, which means I need an extender and I can fit into a single seat, although painfully so. (I do buy upgrades when I can afford them.) There are also plenty of fat people who have skinny legs, have no problem fitting in their seats from the waist down, but are huge up top, and spill into your seat from that direction.
The fact is that at least 60% of the American population is overweight. But public transportation doesn’t reflect that nor give sway for changes in pysiology over the past 50 years. I have more room on my bus ride home than I do on an airplane!
I want a refund for every skinny person who has sat next to me stinking to high heaven because they apparently have no clue how to shower; or has drowned themselves in cologne; or has a baby that screams and cries half the flight; or yacks my ear off; or snores like a truck.
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JESS
April 16th, 2009
12:43 pm
AIRLINES SHOULD REVERT TO THE WIDER SEATS OF THE ’50s AND STOP SCREWING THE FLYING PUBLIC. SQUEEZING PASSENGERS INTO SEATS ONLY LARGE ENOUGH FOR A 3 YEAR OLD TO SIT IN COMFORTABLY IS NOT ONLY CRUEL , IT’S DOWNRIGHT GREEDY.
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Nee
April 16th, 2009
12:52 pm
why draw the line at the size of a person? I had to spend 75% of a 9 hour flight next to a thin person who snored like a buzz saw and drooled on top of that. A breath mint might have been nice as well. It was so loud I couldn’t rest comfortably. I was also afraid something was going to fly out his mouth and hit me. Did I have a pleasant flight? NO! I would have rather had someone with good oral hygiene who spilled over a little in to my seat.
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Jack P
April 16th, 2009
12:54 pm
It’s really quite simple and elementary: the bigger the load the more you pay. Even the fatties ought to understand that.
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Grace DeVita
April 16th, 2009
1:06 pm
Yes, I not only think it’s fair, but it’s about time. I’m not overweight, but I’m not small, and I have had to sit next to too many people that take up what little space I’ve paid for.
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Storm
April 16th, 2009
1:13 pm
Quit flying!!!! Problem solved.
Man you people are some whiners!!!! Want some cheese with that whine???
It’s not fair…….I had to sit next to blah blah blah….
Should you charge fat people extra at a buffet? Should there be a scale at the door? If you weigh over 250, you pay twice as much. But if you weight under 250, you get regular pricing? I’m a light eater, but a friend of mine can eat two pizzas in one sitting, but he only weights 210, and is over 6 feet tall. Should he be charged more at the buffet cuz he eats more than I do?
When does it end? How do you make EVERYONE happy?????
Should grocery stores charge for fat people in the aisles that you can’t get around. They are occupying space……
Should playgrounds be made larger for fat kids? Wider slides?
Should auto makers charge more for a larger vehicle for fat people?
I mean come on? Can’t we all just get along?
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LaCinda
April 16th, 2009
1:20 pm
Airlines should widen the seats or remove a few rows of seats to give passengers extra room. Obesity has been proven to be a disease. This disease should not prevent a paying passenger from traveling without added fees.
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AL G
April 16th, 2009
1:20 pm
Just because you can’t push away from the buffet doesn’t mean you deserve to be accommodated!
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darryl
April 16th, 2009
1:33 pm
Paige, i agree, control the kids…..
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ajcReader
April 16th, 2009
1:48 pm
If airline seat designers can design First-Class seats that fold into complete beds, then they should be able to design a seat that could adjustably accommodate multiple sizes.
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Greg
April 16th, 2009
2:00 pm
My dislike is when a large person raises the armrest without asking so that they can have half of my seat. My preference would be to require for the passenger to be required to pay for first class with the larger seats or to pay for two seats in coach.
By the way what happens on ASA where the seats are really small and the bathrooms are probably inaccessible for some of the passengers described in earler posts.
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Melissa
April 16th, 2009
2:03 pm
Yes and No, Yes because it is uncomfortable for the person sitting next to them, and No because it is discrimination. Make planes with larger seats to accommodate overweight passengers. Should the movie theater charge an overweight person for two seats at the theater because the same thing happens there. Also if obesity is on the rise, then maybe these places should make changes to coincide with the rise in obesity.
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wannabe
April 16th, 2009
2:07 pm
All obesity is not caused by a disease/medication. Some need to except that they just like to overeat period. Storm, your analogies are all over the place and don’t negate the arguments presented here.
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Melissa
April 16th, 2009
2:09 pm
Wannabe you are right not all obesity is caused by disease or meds.
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Melissa
April 16th, 2009
2:10 pm
Basically if you have to lose another person to get to your target weight for your height, then you should pay for two seats.
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LA
April 16th, 2009
2:15 pm
It is certainly a problem with the overall amount of space given to begin with, I am a size XS to S with womanly hips and some airline seats are snug for me in the hip area. BUT, there is a BIG problem with obesity in this country and most of it is not a disease (although maybe psychological) so somethings need to be done. Paige and Darryl, I couldn’t agree more… on a flight there is NOTHING worse to me than screaming children which seems to happen on almost every single flight now and that is much more disruptive than a large person taking some of your space. Make parents pay extra whose kids disrupt the ENTIRE plane and not just the person sitting next to them!
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stevie
April 16th, 2009
2:25 pm
Whether or not they are required to purchase two seats you should just do what I do. Just refust to raise the armrest. If they can fit on thier side then no problem…if not they have a problem because that armrest is not going anywhere tubby.
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Mark H.
April 16th, 2009
2:42 pm
If there aren’t two adjacent seats available and the “large” person pays extra because they don’t fit in their seat, should the person in the seat where the “fat” hangs over be given compensation? Why do I pay full price when part of my seat is occuppied by a “wide body”? Yes, charge them more, but be fair to the person who is not given an option to give up part of their seat.
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Amelia
April 16th, 2009
2:47 pm
60% of Americans are fat. Does that mean the other 40% has to suffer??? Should I be punished because I exercise and follow a low carbohydrate diet?
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OAL
April 16th, 2009
2:53 pm
Absolutely obese people should be charged for additional space. Airlines DO offer wider seats and that’s in FIRST CLASS!! If you don’t want to pay for the wider seat, then buy TWO in coach so that you don’t infringe upon other paying customers. I’ve actually had to remove someone from a flight because they took up two seats. And NO you don’t get compensation for being removed either because you KNOW you should have paid for two seats. Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell-Douglas, etc… aren’t making the coach any wider. Just make your butt SMALLER!
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Greg
April 16th, 2009
2:53 pm
Stevie, its even better when you have the seats usually bulkhead or exit aisles that have fixed armrests. I saw an instance where the passenger would not fit in to one of those seats and he was moved next to a very unhappy new seat mate. Full planes on Friday are a pain
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Amelia
April 16th, 2009
3:05 pm
Furthermore, when I buy a ticket I am paying for my whole seat, not just 50% of it.
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SayWhat
April 16th, 2009
3:06 pm
Wow. I’ve always been overweight, and thank God I’ve never met any of you self-centered fat people haters! I require a seat belt extender, but do not “spill over” into the next seat and keep the armrest down. So I should pay for an extra seat because I need a seat belt extender? P.S. If you’ve never had a weight problem you don’t have a clue. If I thought I could get rid of the weight by using a carving knife (with or without anesthesia) I’d start cutting. All of us don’t eat whole boxes of Twinkies and cartons of ice cream. Yes, I overeat – but I’ve seen plenty of skinny people eat more at the buffet than I do. It’s like the t-shirts say “I might be fat, but you’re ugly…and I can always lose weight.” Feel free to subsitute “rude,” “conceited,” “self-centered,” etc. for the word “ugly.”
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Jerry
April 16th, 2009
3:10 pm
Obese people should have to pay. Flying is a pain anyway, even when you aren’t sitting next to goliath. If I have to be inconvienced by a extra large person while flying, there is no reason they shouldn’t be inconvienced by paying more or upgrading to first class.
When the cost of being obese starts to burden the obese, they may start doing something about it. With our medicare, medicaid, and welfare; most obese people aren’t having to pay a thing in health coverage for being so fat. I think a “fat tax” on fatty’s on airplanes is a move in the right direction!
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Dewey
April 16th, 2009
3:17 pm
I was on a flight Minneapolis to Palm Springs on a single aisle plane and had the window seat. In the middle seat next to me was a wide passenger that made me lean against the window if I didn’t want to rub against him. But the real danger wasn’t him but the well dressed man on the aisle who was sooo obese that he forcibly wedged himself into the seat so that the armrest were so tight they acted as his seat belt. He did not ask for a seat belt extension and could not use a seatbelt any way during take off or landing. It was obvious that he always flew this way. Although I needed to go to the bathroom during the flight I had to contain myself because I was trapped. The worst was if there were an air emergency and we had to evacuate the plane, I could not get out quickly and would have died. This is not just a matter of an personal rights but the safty of other passengers. When a musician travels with his cello, he buys an extra seat and the cello always has the window seat and the muscian the middle seat. Obese passengers should not be given the aisle seat trapping his or her seatmates.
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Passenger
April 16th, 2009
3:17 pm
If I have to pay for more than 50 lbs of luggage then they should be made to pay for more person. More weight means more fuel.
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wannabe
April 16th, 2009
3:22 pm
SayWhat – Sure, some posted comments are rude and call names, but I sure hope you don’t believe that everyone who feels encroached upon by a large person and agrees with this airline policy is somehow a “fat people hater?” that’s just shortsighted and silly. It’s like having a neighbor that plays music as if he is at an outdoor concert at 2am, are you a jerk or a “hater” for calling the cops? for making an HOA rule about not making everyone have to listen to your music at 2am? Come on. You can agree with this policy and not be guilty of discrimination, its just physics, common courtesy, and common sense. IMHO
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Jerry
April 16th, 2009
3:22 pm
“I might be fat, but you’re ugly…and I can always lose weight.” Feel free to subsitute “rude,” “conceited,” “self-centered,” etc. for the word “ugly.”
SayWhat…then do like the t shirt says, and lose weight! This isn’t an issue of respect and decency, its one of comfort and saftey!
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LA
April 16th, 2009
3:30 pm
SayWhat, it does not seem to me that people on here are “fat people haters” I think this has just become a problem that isn’t quite fair. Also, the obesity rates in this country are so startling that foreigners can spot an American coming from a mile away b/c fat is associated with Americans. Being made to pay extra for a ticket is embarrassing and might actually be a motivator for some obese people to make a change.
I do know what it is like as I used to weigh 215 pounds at a height of 5 foot 4 inches and the embarrassment I felt was the motivator for me to do something about it. Was it easy…no! Was it possible and took determination and personal choice…yes! 7 years later and I was 128 pounds (by exercise and eating well) which is where I have been ever since. Most people have the choice, it is just whether or not you choose to act on it! If you choose not to, why should other people suffer?
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Passenger II
April 16th, 2009
3:33 pm
I say yes to larger passengers paying extra only if “FUNKY” passengers are not allowed on until they shower. I will take a fat arm in my space over holding my breath for four plus hours any day.
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Lou H
April 16th, 2009
4:02 pm
Yes!
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Braves#1
April 16th, 2009
4:05 pm
Why dont the airlines put a few wider seats in the plane? Everyone deserves to fly and be treated the same. This discrimination bull is really getting on my last nerve. Black, white, mexican (legals that is) fat, skinny, young, old, babies, toddlers. Lighten up people. We all have feelings and we all all created equal. Just some of you think your better then others. By the way im white, 5′6″ and weight 135 so im not fat and sticking up for fat people. Im a christian sticking up for GODS people.
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Stan
April 16th, 2009
4:18 pm
I have a t-shirt that says “I beat anorexia!” and yes people too large to fit in one seat should have to pay either for an upgrade or for 2 or more seats.
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Mr Tall
April 16th, 2009
4:22 pm
I’m 6′7″, and am what the industry calls Large and Tall, not big and tall, as I was told by a very robust man in a big and tall store once. If I pay a little more can I have the seat in front of me moved a couple of inches forward? How about charging Mr Five Foot tall more for sitting in the emergency row, just because they like to stretch out more?
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momtoAlex&Max
April 16th, 2009
4:34 pm
Say What: just because I don’t want to give up half my seat THAT I PAID FOR, doesn’t make me a fat hater.
Obesity MIGHT be a disease, but I really doubt that 60% of Americans are truly sick.
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Hmm
April 16th, 2009
4:35 pm
Thank you Braves #1. I think people with screaming babies should have to pay extra. If they start charging over-weight people more, then I sense a lawsuit coming. That is just like making a black person or mexican or whatever color you are pay more because or their color. Are we really going to revert back to major disrespect and discrimination? I am 5′2 and 140 NOT overweight, but I have friends that are overweight and know how embarrasing it can be to not be able to buckle your seatbelt or ride rides at an amusement park. Overweight people don’t enjoy it….I say we extend the seatbelts to accomodate the overweight and when the obnoxiously skinny people go flying out the window Oh well they should have paid extra for a smaller seat belt to hold them in.
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Steve from Norcross
April 16th, 2009
5:47 pm
YES!!!!!! Oversize people should pay for the space they consume and not infringe on the space paid for by fellow travelers!
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Slim Pickens
April 16th, 2009
5:50 pm
Fatty fat fat fat fat
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john
April 16th, 2009
6:01 pm
Have people walk through a corridor the width of a seat, similar to the size gauge that is used for carry on luggage. If the person does not fit then tell them they are going to have to “super size” their seating accommodations at the ticket counter.
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Eric
April 16th, 2009
6:41 pm
Public transportation (which airlines are NOT) should not be forced to change to a new American “Physiology”, rather, the 60% of America that is fat or obese, should get back down to a normal, healthy weight. No thyroids, no emotional eating, no stress, no genes, no excuses. You’re born with blue eyes or red hair, not 80lbs overweight. This would have so many benefits! Reduced health care costs. Reduced energy consumption. Um, reduced food consumption leading to lower costs!
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yve
April 16th, 2009
7:36 pm
Regardless to whether you’re obese from overeating or from a disease the results are the same. If you require the extra space you should pay the extra cost. Maybe it’s not twice the fare because that may become cost prohibitive for many. If this is implemented, I hope it’s done in a way that does not humiilate or embarass the traveler. I would rather suffer a little discomfort rather than cause someone to feel that emotional pain.
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Redd
April 16th, 2009
7:40 pm
It is bothersome to have your seat invaded on a plane by someone else but I think charging double is unfair and the airlines should make provisions for special passengers; accommodations for larger beings and mothers with babies. These seats could be placed throughout the aircraft. It’s the most respectable way to handle this issue.
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catlady
April 16th, 2009
7:53 pm
I am large but can fit. I am also in favor of charging for additional space. The passenger should have the option to upgrade for a special seat with more room, or buy an extra seat. There needs to be an option available other than first class. I have seen a few people who cannot get down the aisle and I think, “How on earth are they going to fit?”
I have literally been choked for hours (due to allergy/asthma) from folks bathing in scent. Something should also be done about that. Subtle, folks, goes a long way.
And I know virtually no one who would not agree that a noisy child/baby area should be available to protect the other passengers from too much noise. If an airline advertised itself as small child free, I am SURE many travelers would pay the premium to sign on. I am not a child hater, but you have to realize that not everyone enjoys your child and sympathizes with your child’s travel adjustment problems. I have traveled near many parents who had the traveling with a kid thing figured out, and many more who were oblivious or overwhelmed.
I guess we should keep dreaming.
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Peg
April 16th, 2009
8:37 pm
If you have ever tried to fly with the overlapping folds of a weight-impaired passenger overlapping onto the arm rest, your leg, your arm, shoulder, torso, you would not have to ask. I pay to use my entire seat space – from floor to overhead. If a passenger cannot fit in a coach seat, require them to pay for a seat they CAN fit into. The last time I was squished between an enormous passenger and the side of the plane, I made up my mind to always reserve an aisle seat when booking my flight.
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Gator Actual
April 16th, 2009
9:03 pm
For all of the people who think that fat people (sorry for not being politically correct) should pay extra, they have never had to sit next to one. I think what they should do is make the fat people sit next to the squirming, crying, screaming babies!
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Redd
April 16th, 2009
9:19 pm
People of the world are so mean . . . some of your comments are horrific and uncalled for –you can express yourselves just as well without out being so obnoxious. Let’s face it, most plane flights are usually a big hassle, unless you fly on a private vessel but to constantly put down larger people as I’ve seen done on this blog is just mean. I bet many of you have children that are bullies.
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Just wondering
April 16th, 2009
9:44 pm
Just wondering what would happen if you substituted the words “black” or “Jewish” for the words “fat” or “obese” in any of these blogs. Prejudice against overweight people is the only bigotry that remains acceptable in our society.
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Charlie
April 16th, 2009
10:20 pm
First, add to the base price of a ticket the combined weight of pax and luggage, and that is a collectible surcharge at boarding, billed automatically to the method of payment for the original ticket.
Second, if the collectible surcharge is over a certain amount, the pax is assessed and given 2 seats if it is not the luggage that passed the threshold, with no additional payment other than the surcharge that everyone of us would pay.
However, don’t hold your breath waiting for the airlines to do anything until forced by congress. They don’t think like that.
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David
April 16th, 2009
10:36 pm
The base ticket is for everyone to “rent” an equal amount of square inches. If someone need more than they rent, they need to pay more for another “plot”
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Rob
April 16th, 2009
10:39 pm
Americans are just fat. So American airlines should have bigger seats. Or fly 747s everywhere!
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Suefchuhcruff
April 16th, 2009
10:42 pm
nice, really nice!
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David
April 16th, 2009
10:44 pm
*** Prejudice against overweight people is the only bigotry that remains acceptable in our society. ***
This is not about prejudice, it is actually about equality … everyone pays the same for the amout of area that they use. If a fat person uses an extra seat for free when available, it is everyone one else subsidizing that second seat.
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DB
April 16th, 2009
10:55 pm
The worst flight of my life was next to an overweight guy who simply did not fit into the seat AT ALL. Seats are claustrophobic enough, but sitting next to a guy whose arm is firmly planted in your boob for two hours was misery. I asked him, politely, to please move his arm, and he ignored me (he spoke English, he asked for doubles from the snack cart). I asked the flight attendant to move, but the flight was full. I would have gladly sat next to a screaming baby for two hours rather than have to put up with that guy again.
If a person can pull a armrest up, I sure can pull it right back down. If s/he doesn’t like it, oh well. Guess what, I don’t like being mauled, either. And my likes count at least as much as theirs.
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Wendy
April 16th, 2009
11:27 pm
I travel frequently, and just recently I have had 2 situations that almost caused me to ask for a refund. There are various reasons to have a less than enjoyable flight. I am overweight myself, but fit in the seat and use the regular seatbelt. The lady next to me on a 3.5 hour flight probably weighed less than me, but was shorter and had very wide hips. Part of her left thigh infringed on me and I had to lean to the left the entire flight. Then last week I had a lady next to me who was carrying her 14 mo. old little girl. She really was well-behaved for the 4.5 hour flight, but she kept flinging her little arms so that they hit me on the arm or in the stomach. Her mom was very apologetic. There was not a seat to spare on the plane, so that was not an option. Personally, I think the best and least expensive rule for everyone is partial or full reimbursement for a flight if your neighbor makes your flight unbearable.
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addy
April 16th, 2009
11:39 pm
uhhh…yes. I pay for my space too.
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Jody
April 17th, 2009
12:14 am
Kid-free airlines? Sign me up! I think the some of the screaming kids are just as tortured as the other passengers. On the other hand, ear plugs do wonderful things to mitigate the screaming kids AND help if you have ear problems like I do.
As a frequent traveler who is neither small nor obese, I have to say that there should be a surcharge. I try very hard to respectful to everyone I fly with, but I can’t stand to be elbowed in the breast or turn myself into a pretzel just to avoid having some stranger lean up against me. Lemme tell ya, in the summer, this really sucks big time!
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Alissa
April 17th, 2009
1:49 am
I think this policy is discriminatory. But if they’re going to start charging people for making other passengers uncomfortable, why not charge people who have long legs and their knees stick you in the back or butt for the whole flight? I hate that, so so much… and it happens much more often to me than a fat person taking up extra space in my seat.
Maybe the better idea is for the airlines to stop packing people in so tightly it’s like a sardine can.
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Evan
April 17th, 2009
3:30 am
Airlines have become so greedy, and money hungry! They cram too many seats on plane and make them small to boot! They should give people more leg room and make seats a bit wider, comfortable, and not discriminate. Should you have to pay more because you were born ugly?
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Big Juicy
April 17th, 2009
6:56 am
Now, hold on a minute passengers! Airlines are already charging too many fees. Look at the big picture. One, just because plus size passengers pay more doesn’t mean they won’t still be sitting next to you and adding to your discomfort and two, 61% of the population is overweight so airlines need to make the necessary adjustments to accomodate heavier/wider passengers (ex. bigger seats/added legroom). Let’s not just give them another cash cow. Heck, I’m 6′5″ so what’s next, a fee because my long legs stick out in the aisle a few inches? Gimme’ a break —
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Sarah H
April 17th, 2009
7:53 am
People who are large enough to take up more than their seat should pay extra. I have friends who buy 3 tickets (they are a couple) when they have a long flight. I also find the screaming children and those allowed to do as they please very offensive.
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Rodney
April 17th, 2009
7:57 am
Go United. Now can we do the same for subways, buses and the roads? If you weigh more you are putting more wear and tear on the roads and you need to pay up.
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Michael
April 17th, 2009
8:00 am
60% of the US is overweight. Remember that counts people who are 1 pound or 500 pounds over the ideal. More importantly I don’t care how fat you are. If you are using more that your seat…pay. If you are embarassed by your weight, DIET! Don’t give me that I have a Thyroid problem. The vast majority of the grossly overweight (more than 50 pounds over) in this country have a fast food, donut, and lack of exercise problem. Embarass you? Good I hope it does to the point of causing you to get off your butt. The airline is a private company and doesn’t need to change it’s airplane, or it’s policy to fit you. You need to pay the required fee’s or find another mode of transport.
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Hayley
April 17th, 2009
8:05 am
Have everyone pay by the pound….embarrassing but fair to all…just step on the scales just like baggage. (And I’m not a tiny person so this does not benefit me,,but it’s fair)
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Michael
April 17th, 2009
8:10 am
Now there’s an idea Hayley!
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CJKatl
April 17th, 2009
8:12 am
Last year I flew over 200 segments, mostly on DL and FL, but hit just about every airline at least once. Mostly domestic, all over the country, with a dozen or so international flights in the mix.
I’m sure I’ve sat next to very large people on some of those flights. I’m sure there have been screaming kids on some of those flight. But every single one of those flights got me from where I was to where I needed to be reasonably close to on-time. Isn’t that the point of flying?
I board the plane, read the paper, do some work, listen to my I-Pod, and generally don’t pay attention to what’s going on around me. Maybe I’m lucky that I get to sit in the section of the plane reserved for frequent fliers – those who fly once a month or less might not realize the front of the cabin is held for frequent fliers – so I avoid the people that look as the airplane ride as part of the vacation as opposed to transportation.
The plane ride is meant to get you and everyone else on the flight from Point A to Point B. Those snobs who think it’s better than riding the bus should figure out the price of the ticket per mile. MARTA is more expensive a ride per mile! Concentrate on what you paid for – cheap transportation – rather than looking for private jet amenities and the unimportant things – a child whose going to visit grandparents but doesn’t understand what air pressure does on ears, a person who isn’t happy about being heavy but may be going to his mother’s funeral and feels bad enough about the situation. Frankly, give me a sweaty obese man in the middle seat over a chatty, holier-than-thou complainer who thinks because we are next to each other on a plane that somehow means we should chat and that the fact that turbulence meant the flight attendant didn’t get a chance to give you a few sips of Fresca somehow means you should get your money back for the ticket.
Control yourselves and you can be happy in any situation. Look for something to complain about and be miserable. It’s your choice.
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Buzz G
April 17th, 2009
8:14 am
I can’t believe there is any controversy over this. Has our culture really descended so far that Political Correctness allows fat people to think they are somehow entitled for a free seat or to encroach on the seat of the people next to them? It’s time we stood up to this nonsense.
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brandon
April 17th, 2009
8:15 am
Remember when flying was fun? Young, pretty attentive stewardesses without attitudes…free drinks…fun-loving and considerate fellow travelers…
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Zeus
April 17th, 2009
8:16 am
I don’t think that paying a extra fee is right. I agree with Big Juicy. I am a formal football player and I am big, I am 6′4 and 285 pounds and it is all muscles, and I don’t always fit so i have to buy two seats come on give me a break. The airlines need to make bigger seats and people need to stop crying and suck it up or drive your own damn car. With everything going on in the world right now and people are crying about plane seats, what about the people that have lost their homes and jobs and other things, that is something to cry about!!!!!!!!!
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Sarah H
April 17th, 2009
8:17 am
I like the by the pound idea. I am over 200 lbs and rarely fly but not being able to buckle my seatbelt took me from over 300 lbs to where I am today and I am still losing.
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gus
April 17th, 2009
8:19 am
Fat people should pay more. Its not fair for them to squeeze regular folks out of their seats.
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June
April 17th, 2009
8:26 am
I flew an international flight…14 hrs with one of the largest men I have ever seen in my row. The elderly lady in the middle seat moved to another seat and we had the middle seat open. He did not spill over to the sides of the middle seat. His belly was just so rotund that he could not literally put his tray table down without it being at an incline. I kindly suggested that he use the empty middle seat for his beverage but smiled and struggled throughout the trip. Now, I don’t think that it is fair that he should pay more for comfort. There is a reasonable expectation for that. I don’t think it is fair either for the passenger in front of him having to deal with him pushing the seat forward to maneuver..nor is it fair for the person behind him that had their knees compressed when he would get up from his seat or lean back to attempt to put down the tray table. I think airlines should offer reserved larger seating for maybe an add on price, not necessarily a full fare. I think he already larger human beings know their weight restrictions and don’t need to be glared at with fear. Airlines are capable to adjust for the demand of the public.
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Dennis
April 17th, 2009
8:26 am
Have you ever seen a truck on the road with a “wide load” banner. That wide load permit cost extra, just like a wide load airline passenger should pay.
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Sallysue
April 17th, 2009
8:27 am
No, Many people are obese for medical reasons that are beyond their control. No one wants to be obese. Why punish them more?
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Sally
April 17th, 2009
8:27 am
Absolutely
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Julie
April 17th, 2009
8:28 am
Well, I’m sure this is going to do wonders for the economy and the airline’s profits. I refuse to fly already because it is too expensive and quite frankly I cannot stand to be around other fliers who complain and complain and complain. I remember the very last time I flew over 8 years ago. I had my son who was 10 months at the time. I had paid for an extra seat and he was in a carseat. They made the announcement that people with infants could board early. This woman bagan shouting that “That’s not fair!” When I got closer she actually blocked my way and refused to move! I mean, do you want me carrying a diaper bag, a purse, and a carseat over your head after you’ve taken your seat. There is a good chance that I’ll knock in the head with one thing or another! Well, guess who was my seat mate. I paid for two seats and the skinny whiner didn’t understand why she couldn’t put this next to my son in his seat and why she couldn’t use his tray and “Couldn’t I take him out of the carseat and put it on the floor so she could?” Give me a break! Fat people are not the problem. It is the people who think they are “entitled” and it should be “their” way or no way. Or the frequent fliers who think they own the plane because they fly more often.No thanks, I will save my money and my sanity! Just a reminder: An airplane is not your personal flying car!
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obvious
April 17th, 2009
8:28 am
What if its a taller person? i’m 7 feet and I weigh near 300 lbs. Should I be charged more?
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Joey F
April 17th, 2009
8:28 am
Lets say that you weight 150 lbs. You try to check a bag that weighs 55 lbs. They charge you more for checking that bag. However, the 250 lb person in front of you pays no additional charge. Where is the logic?
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DJ
April 17th, 2009
8:29 am
Great comment Big Juicy (crazy mental image) LOL and Zeus also… One question to the posters… The airline will get more money from raising the price, but what will you get? People are complaining and I can relate, but it’s not like the fare heist (I meant hike) is going to change your situation. By the way, I’m sure everyone commenting on this blog was an uncontrollable crying baby at some point who couldn’t be stopped. Ask your parent if they ever wanted you to shut up.
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Mr. Obese
April 17th, 2009
8:38 am
If all the small people say they want to charge obese fees, how bout we charge a “smelly person” fee, “infant in arms” fee, “noisy child” fee, “listens to ipod too loud” fee, “legs too long to let person in front of you recline seat” fee, or even a “gets up to go to bathroom too much” fee.
If every obese person decided to stop flying because of the fee then the price of tickets would go up to make up for the losses so is that what you want. DEAL WITH IT for the 2hrs or so that ur on the plane. The purpose of a flight is to get from A to B.
Why dont the airlines have a few “comfy” seats in the back of the plane that they could charge a slight increase for obese ppl to gladly choose those seats.
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Jeff
April 17th, 2009
8:44 am
It’s a safety issue as well. If that fat person wedged in their seat next to you or nearby is between you & the emergency exits, you’re at increased risk in the event an evacuation is required. Personally, I’d demand a seat swap, another flight or reimbursement.
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Deb Simmons
April 17th, 2009
8:47 am
My husband and son have to pay more for first class seats if they are to have room for their legs because they are both almost 6′ 5″. Is there a difference?
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DeltaBlows
April 17th, 2009
8:49 am
Yes they should. And all flights should have 5 to 10 seats that accomodate tall people (those over 6′4″). Why can’t tall people be comfortable?
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Flyer
April 17th, 2009
8:51 am
There is a difference between a taller person, a person of a different religion/ethnicity, and an overweight person with regard to this discussion. The issue is whether or not the overweight person is taking up space paid for by another passenger. If this is the case, then absolutely, the person should either pay for two seats or pay for a first class seat. I don’t see this as an issue of prejudice. I see it as an issue of fairness to BOTH the people who have paid good money for an entire seat and to those who are larger and need more space to accommodate their size.
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CJ in Atlanta
April 17th, 2009
8:55 am
Airlines should stop cramming people into coach seats. Surely it cannot be as safe as having a 1/3 or more less people in such a confined space.
I am 6′2 and 175 (not fat), and I am very uncomfortable in coach due to a lack of leg room that cannot be resolved by purchasing an adjacent seat. It’s especially bad when the person in front reclines their chair.
I empathize with the fat people.
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Kitt
April 17th, 2009
8:57 am
I think that until we all get more reasonably sized seats, charging the obese for 2 seats is the only solution. I took a flight to Hawaii (6 hours) and was sitting in between a man who was so large that the armrest couldn’t even come down, and another large person. It was a miserable flight for all of us. I felt sorry for the obese man because he was clearly trying to be as polite as possible, but the situation was horrible.
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JohnJohn
April 17th, 2009
8:58 am
Shame Shame on all of you . I know you all hate me because we are overweight but where is your humanity. I’m big but its your fault, all of you. Even when I purchase a a first class seat those are uncomforatble as well but I only do that because of those dirty looks from people in coach even before I’m seated. I’m always early for a flight so that I’m out of the way of the slim people but I still see the stares, it’s just so cruel. You all should just try to understand it from my view and you will see how I am a victim of a society that discriminates agianst those who have a weight problem….shame on all of you for not having any human compasion and sympathy.
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ye-royalbutler
April 17th, 2009
8:58 am
This is a bad idea. If a person who is too big has to purchase a extra ticket, wouldn’t that push the flight time back? They can’t purchase the ticket on the plane right? They’ve got to get up, go back to the ticket counter in the terminal while everyone on the plane waits. That could take another 30-40 minutes while everyone else on the plane waits. Planes take too long to take off as it is.
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Josh
April 17th, 2009
8:59 am
YES!!! Why should I be uncomfortable,because someone doesn’t know how to control their eating habits. It happens to me all the time and I demand that I get another seat. Lose weight or buy two seats! Plain and simple.
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Bug
April 17th, 2009
9:01 am
People, this is ez. If you need more than 1 seat, you pay for more than one seat. Lose weight, save money. Just because the US has become a country of “entitlement” does not mean I have to put up with your obeseness spilling into my lap.
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Californication
April 17th, 2009
9:02 am
They should weigh each person and luggage then you pay a per pound price to travel. LOL
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A dad
April 17th, 2009
9:02 am
people ARe overweight for a variety of reasons, but when it comes to flying, everyone is paying for a service, i.e., a seat to get from Point A to Point B. I pay the same as everyone else (usually) for my seat, and I want 100% of it. I have flown extensively, and there were times when the individual next to me was so large they spilled over into my seat several inches, not even mentioning the arm rest. If you are that big, then yes, you should pay extra. Whether in the form of larger seats (someone would probably sue for discrimination) or 2 seats, but everyone is entitled to get what they paid for.
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Jaye
April 17th, 2009
9:03 am
Yes. But I also agree with the comment about screaming, ill-behaved children. They are much more disruptive and nerve-jangling than obese passengers.
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Mariah
April 17th, 2009
9:08 am
I am not overweight but I am 6 feet tall and do not fit into air plane seats. Should I have buy an extra seat because they dont make them large enough for someone who is taller? Honestly, the seats just need to be a bit larger.
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Debra
April 17th, 2009
9:08 am
I am tearing up after reading some of the rude comments posted here. As an overweight person, It is embarrassing enough to ask for a belt extension and yes, I use it and stay in my own seat and try not to infringe on the passenger sitting next to me but to think that another passenger thinks I am less than human really hurts. I have sat next to people with the worst body odor ever, the baby who kept crying and the child behind me kicking my seat and you know what I realized I am going to be on the flight for a couple of hours and I can deal with it. Why don’t the airlines make the seat bigger? This is just one more embarrassement for those of us who are larger. We might as well be lined up against the wall so everyone can point and stare before we get on the flight, that way everyone get to take their pot shot at us before the plane takes off.
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Amanda
April 17th, 2009
9:12 am
If obese people are charged more for a seat then short skinny people should be charged less then tall average weight passengers. If you have to buy a second seat for your 3 year child that only weighs 30+ lbs then they should pay less then an adult. Make everyone step on a scale and charge the tickets based on height and weight. Install some seats that are better for obese, tall and also short people. My feet dangle above the ground and it’s very uncomfortable on long flights.
Be consistent in the policy- it’s discrimination otherwise.
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kyfs
April 17th, 2009
9:12 am
IF I PAY FOR 2 SEATS CAN I HAVE 2 DRINKS AND BAGS OF PEANUTS
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Ross
April 17th, 2009
9:17 am
I am obese. Even if there was nobody beside me, I couldn’t sit in the seat with the armrest down. I always purchase two seats when I fly. Yes, it bothers me that it costs me so much to fly, but the comfort is worth it, and it saves me the embarrassment of causing problems for my neighbors.
On a flight from LA, I had the crew try to put someone extra in my other seat. I had to argue for 5 minutes about how I paid full price for the seat, and they couldn’t give it away.
It would be nice if planes had a few seats on each plane strictly for the obese to purchase, like stadiums do, but it isn’t very practical, and is not likely to happen. Until something changes, I accept my responsibility to buy two seats. My biggest concern is the size of the restrooms.I have no idea how the handicapped use them, because to be honest, if I have to #2 on a plane, there is going to be a serious problem, because there simply isn’t enough room in there for that to happen properly.
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SP
April 17th, 2009
9:17 am
Yes. I think the industry should adopt standards like they do for luggage. Charge by weight. Create a base fare and then add on the weight charge. Kids and tiny adults (who weigh less and therefore will require less fuel for transportation as well as space) would be charged less than a heavy set adult. It would also motivate our obese society and is probably the fairest solution. And if you’re embarrassed about your weight, do something about it.
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Doogsga
April 17th, 2009
9:18 am
I’m a bigger man, 6′3″ & 240 lbs but no fat. I pretty much max out the coach seats because of my build. I have broad shoulders that span the width of the coach seats. Because of my dimensions I am hypersensative to those sitting next to me. The airlines simply don’t make coach seats for people my size.
Last summer, I had the disgusting experience of sharing the coach section with the Iranian national basketball team. You just haven’t experienced life until you’ve flown from Salt Lake to the ATL beside a seven footer with no manners who smells like a herd of goats. I would have paid the air marshall a hundred bucks to shoot me half way here if he could’ve been found.
Parents must bring entertainment and food for their children on any flight. If they can’t handle that, they shouldn’t be allowed to fly, or have kids for that matter. My kids are 7 and 5 and have never pitched a fit on a plane. They have flown many times from Seattle to Atlanta and back without mishap. Parents must be held accountable for a child that misbehaves due to the parents lack of foresight.
Although I feel for the obese/overweight people of this world because I test the limits of my own seat, I also believe that if you can’t fit in your assigned seat, you should pay for and be given two seats.
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SuperSexy
April 17th, 2009
9:18 am
America is Obese… I went to my High school reunion and could not really identify everyone because we had all gotten so BIG…..but I think that with a little respect and wisdom a standard should be set for the airline industry so that those that are a little more frumpy can pay the price while they work on dropping those extra pounds by any means necessary….we big-Uns pay more for clothes (not 2x as much) and thats just all part of the price that you pay when you dont take authority over your health…but at the same time if someone takes up two seats then yes charge them for 2 seats but if its just a little bit more of a seat then add a surcharge on to cover …but prescreen us for our weight so that the special accomodations can be made beforehand w/out causing so much embarassment on the plane….there is a way to work it out
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rlm
April 17th, 2009
9:22 am
Fat people or large people whether they are NFL players (probably in first class) should have to pay more if they take more space. If you have extra luggage you pay so should they. I am 5′2″ those seats are crowded anyway. It is not fair if I have to sit next to one of them.
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dawgonegaboy
April 17th, 2009
9:25 am
Just a quick medical update for all you lay persons … there are almost no medical conditions which “cause” you to be overweight. Drugs, genes and diseases can make it easy to gain weight BUT if you don’t put the calories in your mouth you won’t gain or keep weight on … it is strictly a voluntary condition. Just like smoking it is hard to give up but completely up to the individual. An obese, and therefore sweaty, person encroaching on your space certainly should not be tolerated when the answer is so easy … buy another seat! The airlines just need to figure out a way to enforce this BEFORE boarding the plane!!
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Dee
April 17th, 2009
9:27 am
Airlines are so money hungry that they will pack passengers like cattle. If they would design all seats like the ones in business/first class, everyone will be able to sit comfortably rather than paying extra fees due to weight.
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Zeus
April 17th, 2009
9:30 am
Sorry rlm hope we never have the same flight and have to sit by each other, my 6′4 frame might be to much for your 5′2 frame lol…..
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S
April 17th, 2009
9:31 am
Plain discrimination pure and simple.. Call a spade a spade…
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Jim
April 17th, 2009
9:31 am
ONLY if they charge more for children who are FAR FAR FAR more annoying with their screaming and crying that is an overweight person taking more than one seat.
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obvious
April 17th, 2009
9:35 am
Just because I have a 42 inch waist doesn’t mean im fat. i’m 7 feet tall and I fly coach for the same reason you fly coach, I CAN’T AFFORD THE PRICE OF FIRST CLASS!!!!!
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Huh?
April 17th, 2009
9:38 am
Discrimination? Bwahahahahahahaha…Thanks for the laugh. Nobody can change their race, sex, or national origin, but fatties can lose weight if they really wanted to. That’s what’s wrong with most fat people. They don’t want to take responsibility for their situation. They are victims. “Wawawawawawawawa…why am I so fat? Oh, and pass the cheese dip.” Absolutely laughable.
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Neighbor Jeff
April 17th, 2009
9:39 am
RE: “If you aren’t fat, then you do not know how embarassing it is” – I disagree; I’m not fat because I know how embarrassing it might be; I eat well and exercise. Try it.
RE: “REVERT TO THE WIDER SEATS OF THE ’50s” – I agree; the older policies are better policies. In the 30’s, airlines would charge passengers for any weight over 185 lbs. Let’s hear it for the 30’s!
RE: “would you tolerate my piling up my belongings in your living room because I can’t fit them in my house?” – I agree; excellent analogy! How can anyone possibly rationalize that they should occupy part of my seat?
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Jennifer
April 17th, 2009
9:39 am
This is difficult, because as bad as I feel for those who are overweight, I also don’t enjoy having someone take up half of my seat. I feel for those who have medical issues and are obese because of them. If the airlines charged extra for every person who is obese, I would find it troubling because there are those who cannot help it. Unfortunately those of us who aren’t obese pay the price if someone spills not only into our seats but also onto us because it’s gross. Maybe they could be denied the fingernail-sized pretzels the airlines now hand out. Seriously, though. If folks are that embarrassed about their weight and they do not have a thyroid issue or another issue that has caused them to gain weight, maybe it would be a good idea to charge extra for the seats and maybe they would decide to lose weight either out of embarrassment or because they don’t want to pay the extra money. I know it sounds cruel and I have no idea how you could separate those who have medical issues and those who are just fat. This is just my opinion.
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Paragrad
April 17th, 2009
9:39 am
Look, enough with having to be Politically correct and worry about hurting someone’s feelings. Our country is long-overdue to correct our ways. If you can’t take care of yourself and you require more space then you pay for it. Btw- I am a Paraplegic and don’t expect people to give me a special seat on the plane and still manage to stay fit even though I can’t use half of my body. Probably 90% of the fatties blame this or that but in truth you are just plain lazy. Take care of yourself and magically seating will not be a problem!
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Rufus
April 17th, 2009
9:40 am
Yes!
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Matt
April 17th, 2009
9:41 am
You know, there is a difference between being overweight and being a giant lard butt who can’t have their body fit into one seat. Are airline seats comfortable and roomy? Heck no, but if your blubber is spilling over on to my seat you need to be paying for your seat and MY seat that you are using.
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thegreg
April 17th, 2009
9:44 am
if it cost more to ship a heavy package then you should pay more the ship you fat arse…
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Dino
April 17th, 2009
9:44 am
Yes—fat people should pay for 2 seats. Yesterday, on a flight to San Diego, the plane was packed and of course some big fat guy got the middle seat next to me. He was so fat, that his arm rest couldn’t go down, then he copped an attitude and wanted me to move over so his fat could take up some of my seat. Plus, this loser reeked of cigarette smoke. It was 4 hours plus, but seemed like 20 hours.
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Lela
April 17th, 2009
9:47 am
To be totally fair, the airlines should charge passengers by weight like they do luggage, the smaller you are, the less you pay, so the screaming horrific brat that lay in the aisle kicking and yelling at the top of her lungs while being held down by her mother for 3 hours on the last flight I was on would be practically free. Oh Joy! 20 bucks a pound for every one, that would be fair. So if you’re anoxeric, you get a deal and since you only eat every Tuesday, you won’t even have to worry about the lack of any food on the flight. The fat guy can sit next to you. If he gets hungry, maybe he’ll eat you.
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Melinda
April 17th, 2009
9:50 am
Say What,
If you are overweight, you are eating too much FOR YOU. Just because a skinny person eats more than you does not mean YOU are not still eating too much. Weight can be controlled with EFFORT. That means lots of excercise and diet. Combine these two and you will overcome any weight issues you have. The real issue is that most of the overweight people I know are lazy – period. They eat way too much and will NOT excercise. I work out 6 days a week and watch my calories. I don’t reward my self with eating everything I want. I work very hard to maintain my weight. Anyone can do it…you just have to want to do it. It is all about the effort and lifestyle changes.
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Ms. Writer
April 17th, 2009
9:55 am
I rather have a fat person next to me than the kids like the whiny, bratty, obnoxious brat hell children that sat next to me for the long ass flight to Hawaii.
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cj
April 17th, 2009
9:57 am
YES the should pay for an extra seat… OR Seat them all in the same row/next to each other. Lets see how they like their personal space getting infringed upon.
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jerry
April 17th, 2009
9:57 am
the airlines is like all big companies thier GREDDY why dont they just make the seats bigger instead of making the seats so small.the seats are bigger in 1st class 1st class can still be 1st class cause they still have the best of everything else.
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Ross
April 17th, 2009
9:58 am
As some have said here – just push away from the buffet! It is true, most Americans are overweight because they over-eat. Yet, there are those people who have disease (thyroid issues) or take medication (steroids) and are obese because of that. How do you regulate how fat is too fat? And, if it is a medical condition, do the airlines give them a break?
I don’t have children. So, it is an inconvenience and aggravation to me when children are hitting the back of my seat or peering over the seat in front of me, drooling all over my tray table. The screams and crying of toddlers is another affront to my sensibilities. Can we make flights that are for adults only? Or, would that be discrimination?
How about the disabled? It takes time and effort by the airline to have employees push wheelchairs from the arrival area to the gate. Also, it takes extra time for the crew to wheel them onboard. Can you charge extra for that? And, we don’t know how they became disabled. Maybe they were born that way. Or, maybe they were a drunk driver and brought it on themselves.
I guess we don’t really know the reason behind most of the ailments and afflictions that other people deal with in life. Maybe obesity, as it is an epidemic, should qualify people as a protected class. Isn’t everyone part of some protected class anyway?
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Tim Taylor
April 17th, 2009
10:02 am
Fat people choose to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many people do you see in Africa? NONE! Fat people get off the couch….stop feeding your face. By allmeans call me if you want to loose weight….but it aint going to be pretty…..you have to looooooose the fork
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GaGrl
April 17th, 2009
10:08 am
Absolutely!! I hold my breath whenever I see large people waiting to board with me. Isn’t there a weight limit for passenger planes? If so, how is it taken into consideration? When numerous obese people are on the same plane it doesn’t it affect the fuel, flight of the plane, etc.?
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T
April 17th, 2009
10:15 am
Maybe if we didn’t have a culture that makes excuses for people to be overweight (actually encourages them to be so for profit), 60% of us wouldn’t BE fat. Fat people, you do NOT have my permission to overeat and simply say you “have a problem”. How is that behaviour different from me saying I “have a problem” working for a living so everyone else should please pay all my expenses. Take responsibility for yourself, choose not to be fat – DO THE WORK!
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Fat person
April 17th, 2009
10:16 am
I am fat; therefore, I do not fly. I can’t subject myself to the rude and hurtful comments and looks any longer. I think that being rude and mean to fat people is considered ok by too many poeple in our society. It is discrimination, and it is ok. If I had to fly, I would definitely purchase two seats, but I do not intend to subject myself (or anyone else after reading these comments) to that. Some of you who comment about fat people are obviously those kids in school who called kids names. Those kinds of comments just make fat people go home to eat to comfort themselves. It’s not fat that makes a person sweat! Some fat people probably eat less at a buffet than many of you who are thin and and so judgmental. I find many of these comments to be rude, childish and just plain mean. Bottom line: airlines give passengers as little space as they can to make as much money as they can. I think most people would like more space.
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AMB
April 17th, 2009
10:17 am
Okay so all of you people with problems with FAT people who gets to define what FAT is? Is it 160 pounds (that’s what the airline seat capacity is designed for)? How will it be enforced? If the airlines enforce it like they do carryon luggage then good luck! What are you going to do when the maintenance guy fixes a seat belt by shorting it 5 or 6 inches? Believe it or not that happens all the time. How is this not discrimination! Obesity is classified as a disease so how is this any different than bringing in a person in a wheel chair. Do they have to pay extra? How about tall people who, because of the long legs, prohibit the passenger in front of them from reclining in their seat. Are they going to charge extra for Black people or Asians? This is a load of crap. For the record I am a FAT white guy but I can fit into a seat without an extension and I am 5 feet 8 inches tall and weigh 260 pounds. I travel 40 weeks a year for business. With all that I’ve seen on planes this is just BS!
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Steph
April 17th, 2009
10:19 am
Heck no – that’s how I got a free ticket out of Delta. The man next to me was SO BIG that he spilled over into my seat – I had to sit sideways from Newark to Atlanta. I complained to Delta – free round trip ticket! The attendants knew I was aggrevated and even suggested I call Delta to complain.
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matt
April 17th, 2009
10:22 am
I can take it a step further. I am a petite young fellow, at 150lbs. What boggles me is that I am forced to pay extra fares for bringing a bag along with me. However, me and my one bag together probably weigh roughly 175 lbs total. However, there will be someone checking in for my flight, who weighs 250lbs and their bag weighs just under the 50. So effectively 300lbs of weight compared to my 175lbs. Why do we pay the same price? It makes absolutely no sense if the airlines argument is always weight related. I suggest charging per pound to fly. Makes it easier and more fair for everyone.
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RT
April 17th, 2009
10:22 am
Interesting to hear people say, “it’s uncomfortable for me so I don’t fly…”. Some of us normal-sized people that fly for business purposes have no choice. And if you are embarassed at having to ask for a seatbelt extension, rest assured the person next to you dreads every minute of your presence there. To the person who likens “prejudice toward overweight people to racism” I call B.S.! Black people are black and can’t change that. Fat people do not have to be fat!!!
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WTF
April 17th, 2009
10:23 am
If fat people are charged more, then I should be charged less. I am 6′ and 155, I don’t workout and eat whatever I want.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
10:24 am
I am 6′3″ and played college football and am not close to 260 now… I fly every week too… there are lots of issues to deal with…fat people blobbing into my seat is top on my list… I hope they make all 5′8″ 260lb people pay double…
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I.V. Boyd
April 17th, 2009
10:26 am
Yes.!! Maybe it will be an incentive for them to make efforts to lose some weight. If a person physically requires 2 seats to sit on an airplane, then they should pay for 2 seats. What is the alternative? Redesign airplane seats to have a special obese section and charge everybody more for that crap? I don’t think so. Then people would be protesting the airlines. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
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Fair
April 17th, 2009
10:27 am
The American way, scream “discrimination” and blame someone or something else on our weaknesses. You pay more for your “larger” size clothes, replacing furniture you wear out, and on and on. This has been needed for some time.
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v2twin
April 17th, 2009
10:27 am
Simple solution. Learn to fly, get your own airplane, have your own seat with all the comfort you want.
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ROSEMARY OTOOLE
April 17th, 2009
10:29 am
In my opinion, you’ve asked the wrong question. Life is not FAIR, therefore, the quandry. Is it reasonable to ask people who take up 2 spaces to pay for 2 spaces……yes, it is.
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KK
April 17th, 2009
10:35 am
If you want to have a comfortable flight pay for first class or business class seats!
It is not fair that the average weight of Americans is increasing, but the airlines are making the seats and leg room smaller.
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Nick
April 17th, 2009
10:37 am
Have any of you geniuses stopped to think……this overweight person you are so repulsed by might just be a huge air marshall that could save your life in needed to combat a skinny terrorist…..or perhaps a doctor that could help in a medical emergency.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
10:37 am
I would be happy to be charged a net price based on weight as would most Delta PM’s even though I am taller and bigger than most people… I travel every week and have one carry on that fits nicely in the overhead and my breif case. I also always put my breifcase under my seat unless I am in the bulkhead, so I do not take up overhead room… that is because I am considerate of others… I tolerate children and always try to help the parents when I can… still, how can a fat blobby person who flobbles and pours into my seat forcing me to touch them the entire flight be fair to me?
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Tea
April 17th, 2009
10:39 am
KK Are you saying that obesity is so common we should all just accept it and start adjusting to it!? If the average weight of Americans is increasing, our nation has a serious problem. It’s not a condition we should be adjusting to.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
10:39 am
How many fat doctors do you know? not many, as they know piling food into your gullet is bad for you…
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Nick
April 17th, 2009
10:44 am
wow “Cracker”…what cave did you climb out of? If you use the American definition of being overweight….There are several doctors that would be deemed as overweight. Unfortunately this thread will probably go on forever due to the fact that many people like yourself have not gotten over simple prejudice towards others. Lets just hope and pray that you don’t need a “fatty” to save your life or do anything for you if your lifetime. And if that be the case….enjoy your time on your own personal “FANTASY ISLAND”….tell Mr. Rourke and Tattoo I said hello.
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J
April 17th, 2009
10:54 am
All you fat people darn sure dont mind paying extra for your “super size at the drive through” so you dang sure shouldn’t mind paying extra for all the space you consume on an airplane!
Get the fork out of your fat mouth or just don’t fly. Leave the flying to all us pretty people without kids!
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DeltaBlows
April 17th, 2009
11:06 am
Then overweight pays more and tall pays less. Overweight subsidizes tall. We’ll use a brightline of 6′4″ and a BMI of 28.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
11:23 am
Nick, I wish I had a cave, I understand some are rather nice.
1) We are not talking about overweight here…we are talking about giant fat people who pour into your seat because they can not fit in their own. Sorry you can not understand the difference. My wife is a Doctor, and I have yet to meet a Doctor at her hospital, practice, med school, or CE events that would not fit in a seat on an airplane. Some may be considered overwight, but not giant blobs of people who can not fit in a seat on a plane. Can you understand this? I know I am just a simple caveman confused by your modern ways…I hope I am clear on this with my simple mind, however…
2)Now, let’s discuss your use of the word prejudice. You clearly do not understand the active definition of prejudice. We all have prejudice. You are prejudice as you think my IQ is below your 90 IQ because I think fatty fat fatties should pay more for flying because i do not like it when they pour into my seat. I am certanly prejudice. When I see a great big giant fat person, I pre judge them. I fully think that they stuff their gullets full of food and do not exercise. I validate this prejudice by knowing that everyone I know who eats right and exercises is not a giant tubby flabby flabonist… I certainly do not know the relevant facts as to how the people got so giantly fat, so I rely on prejudice. I am not mean to people who are giantly fat. In fact, I try to be polite. I help them put their bags in the overhead becuase they usually can not reach them. I also help them put their bags under the seat and help them get their bags back out as they physically can not do this becuase they have giant midsections and limited mobility due to being grossly out of shape.
So, I guess we are both prejudice. However, I do not wet the bed and I am smarter than you. Sorry if that stings….
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Steve
April 17th, 2009
11:33 am
This would be impossible to regulate. Are you going to require someone who purchases a ticket thru e-ticket to then step on a scale, or more appropriately – sit in a standard airline seat, when they arrive at the airport. I’m seeing a carnival sign above the seat saying “You must be this size or less to take your flight”.
You’ll have to give full refunds to passengers who can’t fit. This will cost the airline revenue for a seat they thought was filled.
Larger seats seem to be the way to go, but it will take millions of $’s to retro-fit all the airliners with larger seats. This will also decrease the number of passengers the plane can carry, thereby raising the cost of tickets to everyone (unless the airlines expected to eat the cost).
I’ve had to sit next to a few obese people in my years of traveling. Seating arrangements were not the best as I’m 6′3″ & weigh 230lbs. But if we’re going to start culling people at the gate from taking flights, my vote goes to all the sick travelers. I’m sure you are a nice person, but I don’t want or need your virus.
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Nick
April 17th, 2009
11:35 am
“Cracker”….lol……. I must say….you are a big joke. I won’t belittle myself by going back and forth with you in this forum. I must say it was kind of your wife…being a mental therapist, to marry one of her patients. I simply want all of you to stop to think about the fact that some people are situationaly overweight. “Cracker”, I do understand that you were once an athlete. Think of the consequences if you were to become disabled or were to have limited use of your total physical being. At that point exercise would become difficult. People we are in the 21st century. As opposed to persecuting thoses that are different from us, or outcasting those that don’t fit into what we deem to be the “norm”….lets reach out in concern and try to help. Not by degrading a person, but by embracing them as a fellow human being.
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ugacpa02
April 17th, 2009
11:41 am
To the comment about supersizing, you do realize that what a supersize is at McDonalds or wherever is the same amount of fries that were a regular size a few years ago right? Airline seats have gotten smaller over the years so no matter your size, an adult is likely to be uncomfortable in that seat before even considering if they or a seat mate are obese.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
11:47 am
Now you are prejudice against the mentally ill… but wait, since you wet the bed and do not use logic, it is OK for you to say it…
I am disabled. I have had many, many, many surgeries on my knees, back and shoulders. I walk with a limp and it is very, very painful for me to exercise. I could easily be a flob of blobbyness right now if I did not have discipline and pride in myself. I could have a handicap sticker for my car and have someone tote me through the airport on a wheelchair as well. I choose to not. I understand that there are exceptions. I also understand that there are also many who choose to stuff their gullets with food and take no responsibility for their actions and are empowered by people like you to continue.
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Nick
April 17th, 2009
11:52 am
with each response…..your intellect shows more….keep talking pal.
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LA
April 17th, 2009
11:57 am
Wow, some of you really are cruel…Cracker & J….this is a question about fairness not insult hour at the improv theatre. As mentioned by many, there are bigger inconveniences on planes than someone is large taking up some of your space. So, do we charge more for all of that (stinky people, loud children, long legs poking)? None of it is pleasant but it is unfortunately part of air travel now.
I have been big in my past and am now in shape due to personal choice…which weight loss is for most people. It took embarrassing moments and insults for me to do something about it and I am glad I did. However, what gives you rude people the right in blatantly insult people because they are different than you? No one is perfect and people who insult others are usually the ones who truly have problems with themselves and make fun of others to feel better about themselves.
Debate like an educated individual but do not insult others for your own sick amusement….
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
11:59 am
Hey Nick, those of us North of 100 IQ call that Ad Hominem…
but that is ok, because it is bad to be prejudice unless it is you…
it is bad to make fun of mentally ill people unless you do it…
and why are you persecuting me “thoses” because I am different than you? Why not embrace me as a fellow human being?
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Nick
April 17th, 2009
11:59 am
amen “LA”………I 2nd that emotion!!!!!!!!
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
12:05 pm
I’ll take Hypocrisy for 800 Alex…
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matt
April 17th, 2009
12:06 pm
why is this becoming an argument over fat people versus skinny people? Just charge by weight!!! Simple. If you are fat and happy, pay more. If you are skinny and happy, pay less. It takes less fuel to get my 150lb body 1500 miles than it does to take your 300lb body the same distance. It doesn’t matter at all if you want to be fat, or skinny, are happy with it, or not. You are who you are. So cough up the dough for your portion of the gas money and stop making me cough it up for you.
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Bobby
April 17th, 2009
12:11 pm
The problem is not the size of the people, it’s the size of the seats. The seats are too small for even the average person. Also the overheads are too small for the huge bags that people continue to bring on board. When will the airlines realize they need to quit squeezing. I applaud the present administration’s effort to bring back railroads. There is plenty of room on the train!!
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Nick
April 17th, 2009
12:12 pm
yes this does display “ad hominem”, but those of us that truly know just a little bit also know that ad hominem is primarily used to skirt the actual issue in order to be rude or insulting. Which you have more than done. By the way, I have said nothing insulting against the mentally disabled or challenged. You see being mentaly ill and mentally disabled is two totally seperate entities. To be ill is to be sick….and you my friend……are a real “sicko”. ie: dahmer, gacy, manson, bundy, etc etc……THAT IS MENTALLY ILL. And that is why I commended your wife the good doctor on marrying such a special “nut job”. Perhaps she can instill some humanity in you.
SEACREST OUT!!!!!!!!!!
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Soulfinger
April 17th, 2009
12:20 pm
This is disgusting. Only in America.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
12:31 pm
But Niiiiick, we are in the 21st century. As opposed to persecuting thoses that are different from us, or outcasting those that don’t fit into what we deem to be the “norm”….lets reach out in concern and try to help. Not by degrading a person, but by embracing them as a fellow human being.
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Cracker
April 17th, 2009
12:45 pm
Hey Bobby, having lived in Europe for a few years, I can tell you that there is not plenty of room on trains. Try taking the train from Gatwick or Heathrow to London…there are people all piled in there standing up with their bags in the isles… take a train from London to Dover in the morning with the commuters and the school kids… you are lucky to get a seat unless you get 1st class…there is no way to put an even average sized bag in the overheads… Eurorail is a little better, but the seats are not any bigger than a coach seat on a MD-88… and as soon as someone blows one of them up, there will be long security lines to get on them too…. but why let the facts get in the way of a good story…
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spider
April 17th, 2009
1:07 pm
WOW all these comments about overweight people flying, I wonder what will happen if the airlines let people use their cell phones
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cj
April 19th, 2009
1:50 pm
The airlines have two options:
1. Charge over sized passenger for two 2 if the occupy two seats.
2. Sit the oversized passengers in the same row… so they can squish eachother!
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Vietnam vacations, Vietnam tours
April 20th, 2009
7:30 am
Find your favorite Vietnam vacations and Vietnam tours with our tour operator. We’re simply the best travel agent in Hanoi Vietnam.
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Justmy2cents
April 20th, 2009
5:09 pm
Wow…having once been over 250 lbs at 5′6″, and yes I squished into my own seat, next to my 6′3″ 200 lb hubby who needed more leg room, I am appalled at the way some of your folks raised you. Fat is truly the last acceptable prejudice. Call a Mexican a “wetback” or a black person the N word, expect to get your butt kicked. However, on this blog and world wide, it is ok to call them big fat fattie, lardo, fat butt, fat a$$, etc without fear of reprisal. I understand nobody wanting to sit next to someone obese or morbidly obese, but us fat folks don’t want to sit next to your stinky, marinated in cologne selves, or not bathed selves, or bratty kids screaming either.
Oh, and I’m not fat anymore (140 lbs), but I still can’t stand the way people treat overweight and obese people. I did have a medical condition; hello, I was in the US Army and still gained weight regardless of PT 7-10 times a week. I didn’t drink soda, eat fast food, or over eat at all. If it was you, your spouse, your mom/dad, or child….you would certainly expect the world to behave differently.
I agree the airlines should institute a few rows of larger seats. They make enough money stuffing us in like sardines with crappy service as is. Even if I was still 250 a per lb rate would suit me fine. I can pack a week’s worth of clothes, shoes, accessories, and toiletries into a carry on bag vs. the “super vain” types with 3 outfits a day and shoes to match!
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LK
April 20th, 2009
10:24 pm
Yes, they should pay more! Lose weight America! We already pay for health care issues why are we smashed into a airline seat?
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AC
April 21st, 2009
4:07 am
Weight is not the problem here; size is. Why should airlines charge by weight? I doubt that a few hundred pounds extra would greatly affect the cost of flying the plane. Also, weighing people before they board seems crude and could be greatly humiliating to everyone, not just overweight passengers.
I think that the fact that 60% of Americans are overweight needs to be addressed by the airlines but I do not think that average-sized individuals should have to shoulder the cost of making the seats larger. Airline fair would increase significantly if airlines could fit fewer passengers on each flight.
Passengers who cannot fit into coach seats should pay for business class seats, as these seats have more room. If you can’t fit, get off the plane and make new travel arrangements. Other passengers shouldn’t be forced to wait while the airline accomodates you. If you know you won’t fit into a single coach seat, make alternate plans AHEAD of time to avoid embarrasment for you and everyone else. This is not discriminatory; it’s equitable and responsible.
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Airlines keep piling on the fees | Still Traveling
April 21st, 2009
11:11 am
[...] last week’s announcement that United Airlines would start charging more for overweight passengers who couldn’t fit into a single seat, now we learn that Delta Airlines will begin charging a [...]
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Sarah E
April 21st, 2009
1:03 pm
Speaking of small seats… Travel to an out of state SEC football stadium and look at the seating. We are always squished. It is the size of the seat space and not the size of the person that is the problem here.
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Bill
April 22nd, 2009
8:45 am
I take Amtrak every chance I get. I would be psyched to have additional trains. I have been on Amtrak for many vacations and visits.
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Arthur
April 22nd, 2009
9:01 am
Rail travel is the most civilized form of travel available. It is a crying shame that this country moved away from this mode. Everyone in the world and this country particularly is in such a hurry. We are all rushing toward our deaths anyway. We might as well slow down and enjoy the ride, the scenery and the civility.
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Jim p
April 22nd, 2009
9:15 am
It is not worth the 5 billion “or more” that is budgeted for the task. High speed trains work in Europe and Japan because the populations are much more consolidated and urbanized than in the US. The train system in the US hasn’t turned a profit in decades, I see no justification for the taxpayers supporting failing industries. Obama says he will make some hard choices and maybe find a way to cut 100 million from his 2010 budget (1/36,000th). When the deficit increase is 1.2 trillion dollars in a single year, we need a lot more cutting than that. I have a good start, how about you cut the 5+ billion from the train idea, then add the 6 billion for the “volunteer” program. Wow I just cut 1% of the budget, I must be a magician!
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Arthur
April 22nd, 2009
10:24 am
What makes you think the train system must turn a profit??? If the roadways and airports weren’t all paid for by the governement, those forms of travel wouldn’t be profitable either.
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Scott C
April 22nd, 2009
11:55 am
I’m pretty sure the interstate highway system hasn’t turned a profit in decades. Come to think of it, I don’t think we turn a profit from airport expansion. Should we not invest in those either? Although it would be nuts to build a HSR line clear across the country, there are regions of the US with similar density and distance between cities (this article mentions two of them). A great example is Spain, a country with a great HSR system, which is nearly identical to California in terms of density and area. Not surprisingly, California is planning to connect LA with SF and the voters just approved it.
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Lissa
April 22nd, 2009
12:05 pm
As someone with a disability and cannot drive, I would LOVE to have the rail option for travel!
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Cynthia
April 22nd, 2009
12:24 pm
I really hope this happens. I love traveling by plane. I don’t travel by amtrak because the service is both slow and overpriced. High speed trains however are a whole other story. I regularly travel from Atlanta to NY, a 2-hour flight that usually takes about 6 hours (door-to-door) without any delays.
If I had the option to travel by high speed train, I would choose it every time.
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Rafael
April 22nd, 2009
12:54 pm
Per H.R. 2095 [110th] and the Joint Explanatory Statement – Division A (p82 in PDF) for H.R. 1 [111th] a.k.a. the stimulus bill, the threshold for “high speed rail” has been raised from 90mph to 110mph, i.e. what is known as regular speed for intercity trains elsewhere in the developed world. Admittedly, not a huge jump but it’s still early days. California’s true bullet train system will reach top speeds of 220mph on an all-new, dedicated network of 800 miles of dual track – with a price tag to match.
Based on the experience of other railways, *average* train speeds need to be on the order of 1.5-2x car travel at the speed limit in order to attract sufficient ridership to turn an operating profit. In that context, it’s actually remarkable that Amtrak’s Acela Express manages to do so even though its average speed is just 80mph or so, especially north of NYC. For planning purposes, the focus needs to be on door-to-door travel time. Avoiding wait states, delays and slow sections is more important – and harder – than reaching top speed somewhere along the line.
On the legacy narrow-gauge network in Hokkaido, Japan Railways use extremely lightweight active tilt trains and up-to-date databases of track geometry to *anticipate* where they can afford to accelerate and where they need to slow down. This combination allows them to achieve respectable line haul times in spite of mandated top speeds of just 130km/h (80mph). In the US, such lightweight rolling stock is not allowed to share track with heavy freight trains.
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MB
April 22nd, 2009
6:42 pm
I’d love it, but the price would have to be far less than what Amtrak offers even now on its regular trains. For me to consider it worthwhile, I need to be able to travel by train for less than I can travel by air. That’s just not the case right now unless it’s a VERY short trip.
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Chris
April 22nd, 2009
7:10 pm
I love the idea. Train travel simply makes sense (economically [with the price of gas], ecologically [with ozone deterioration]). I hope the intermediate stop between Atlanta and Columbia is Augusta. The rapid trains would avoid the traffic jams in downtown Augusta I remember as a child. Additionally, it would bring back a bit of history….trains coming from Augusta stopped in a little town called Terminus..then Marthasville…now Atlanta.
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Ron
April 22nd, 2009
7:21 pm
What happened to the Georgia Rail passenger program? That would have made all of Georgia accessible from Atlanta to Savannah, Brunswick, Athens. Just think what a road trip that would be on football weekends. And to Jacksonville Florida for the Georgia Florida game. Day trips, night trips, a whole other alternate life style would blossom to invlove family bonding. Not just travel to get from point A to point B. I love the idea. Its bigger than just trying to find the best way to get where you want to go.
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Ron
April 22nd, 2009
7:23 pm
Anyone remember the Nancy Hanks?
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Sean
April 22nd, 2009
11:00 pm
The Obama plan is a nice start, but we need high speed trains to travel at least 200 mph and make stops in the major cities for it to work. Most of the corridors make sense, but the trains need to travel much faster than 110 mph for many large numbers of people to use them for intercity travel.
We need to think big and set high standards.
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John
April 23rd, 2009
9:33 am
The $8 billion for high-speed corridors is a very smart investment that will pay dividends for generations to come. Passenger rail is the safest, most environmentally friendly, and efficient means of transportation – this is why Europe has invested so heavily in its train systems. Another important reason we need passenger rail is that a comprehensive system of passenger trains would reduce our need to import oil from the unstable Mideast. In several surveys, 70% of respondents have said they want taxpayer investment in passenger rail. And in every corridor where state investments have been made, ridership has increased greatly (California, Washington state, the Midwest). What has been missing is Federal investment because certain politicians believe that passenger rail must make a profit – even though highways and airports don’t make a profit and are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.
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Lou
April 23rd, 2009
12:30 pm
“On the legacy narrow-gauge network in Hokkaido, Japan Railways use extremely lightweight active tilt trains and up-to-date databases of track geometry to *anticipate* where they can afford to accelerate and where they need to slow down. This combination allows them to achieve respectable line haul times in spite of mandated top speeds of just 130km/h (80mph). In the US, such lightweight rolling stock is not allowed to share track with heavy freight trains.”
Quoted from Rafael.
Exactly…In Oregon and California the freight trains and Amtrak share the same lines. I can’t imagine the amounts of money it would take to either replace the lines or lay down another set of tracks. Then you will have all the tree huggers protesting about it. This is another one of Obama’s stupid hair brained ideas and it will never work.
As for the Highway system it is paid for by the tax payers not subsidized by the tax payers that is the distinct difference. The airports are subsidized by the Government and the Airlines pay for the use of the airport. When we get on the highway, freeway, beltway, whatever, it is free or there may be a small toll charge. When you use Amtrak it is NOT free. That is the difference. Why not make it free? like the highway system? Amtrak’s board of directors is appointed by the President, and the DOT holds the majority of STOCK. I personally find that interesting. That is why they need to make money…because it is a business.
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David
April 23rd, 2009
1:02 pm
The concept of ‘profit’ and passenger rail is largely a red herring. No passenger railway is the world truly covers all expenses from revenue (Acela certainly doesn’t). However, many other very worthwhile government services do not directly turn a profit, yet it would be ludicrous to condemn roads, airports, public schools, or even police or fire services because they don’t make money. All such services do, though, ultimately make a positive contribution to society; The money spent on education gets repaid many times over in a better educated, more affluent workforce, while infrastructure development – road, rail, air, and waterways – promotes economic development (clearly important right now) and job creation. Mobility – often provided most efficiently by rail (every mode of transport has its place) – of freight and passengers is vital for a vibrant, growing economy, yet due to lack on infrastructure investment in general – and passenger rail in particular – we are a nation headed for gridlock.
Atlanta is a good example. You want it to be easy for people to move about, going to work or school, or out shopping or dining and spending money. It is harder to do that when your highways resemble parking lots,. Rail can be a big part of the solution – be it high speed trains, commuter rail, or light-rail such as Marta. Consider for a moment the promise of high sped raill linking Georgia. Any point on the system is then a couple hours from Atlanta, making it completely practical – and even a pleasant trip – for someone from Valdosta or Dalton (for instance) to come into the city to go shopping, attend classes, or even work here. None of those options are practical with air travel, and would take too long by automobile (even without the resulting traffic congestion). Passenger rail holds enormous promise – integrated with a network serving other states and across the country – but it will never make money. That is, again however, utterly not the point.
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David
April 23rd, 2009
2:40 pm
The real problem here is not so much the person’s size, but rather the size of the seat. If the airline seats were not intentionally made as narrow as possible (to cram more of them on the plane) this wouldn’t be such a pervasive problem. With a seat made a reasonable width, far fewer people would ’spill over’ or not fit; Indeed, if the width really is a reasonable dimension, this problem would become sufficiently rare that it wouldn’t be worth mentioning, let alone develop a policy.
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Isaac Osorio Padilla
April 23rd, 2009
3:26 pm
Well,well,well, spring break is over and all that commotion of not going to Mexico due to drug violence was way,let me repeat WAY over exagerated. Beleive me if there would have been any US causalties to students due to drug related violence it would have made it to front page news. I have lost trust in US journalism,and the electronic media does not report facts anymore but hearsay.
There seems to be a deliberate disinformation campaign within the US against Mexico. The so called failed state is not so,when is it gonna fail? The economic disaster forecasted in Mexico did not ocurr either. That mexico has problems,YES. What is not reported is the huge effort to combat corruption and the effects of this fight against corruption is why Mexico’s considered a failed state. If nothing was done then that would be critized. I don’t understand why some groups in the US are using the media to give a blow to Mexico. everything falls under it’s own weight and that there are no casualties from drug related violence is proof of this disinformation campaign. The 3 points that I have mentioned have all been false reports in American Media.
The spring break warning was to hurt Mexico economically not to protect US citizens. It was exagerated.
The mexican state is stronger today than it ever was as it weeds out corruption. The imminent failed state was a wrong prediction just as the weapons of mass destruction in Irak. I hope the US is not paying for their intel, if they are they should get their money back.
The economic downfall did not happen becuase Mexicos finances are in better order than In the US.
Mexico has almost 80 billion US in reserve and an aproved credit line which will probably never use of 40 billion which gives confidence to investors.
It has spent 7 billion US in the drug war which has shaken the entire fiber of Mexican society because it is for real, everyone knows that if they don’t shape up they will ship out. This is Mexicos main problem along with the disinformation campaign from US media equal to second world war propaganda.
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B
April 23rd, 2009
3:41 pm
I agree with the author. While I love trains and try to take them as much as possible for a whole host of reasons, environmental ones among them, in order for trains to have mass appeal they are going to have to be competitive with planes on routes where flying is an option in price and perhaps even time. 90 mile per hour trains are nothing to be excited about. New York Central ran trains above that speed in the 1940s. Even steam engines could move over 100 mph more than 100 years ago. The northeast corridor owned by Amtrak runs their trains (most designed in the 1970s) at 125 mph in the open stretches. Acela approaches 150 mph in the same stretches. The stops as well as rail congestion are problematic factors, dropping the overall speed on a line very dramatically. Most importantly, the fact that 70% of rail lines that Amtrak runs on currently are owned by freight carriers, means dramatic slow downs and delays. This is going to mean building new, restricted access, lines for high speed rail, not sharing tracks under unfavorable terms with freight.
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Jerry H. Sullivan
April 23rd, 2009
6:01 pm
I am opposed to the expenditure of any money for HSR. First of all, the $8B will only pay for some consultants, who will take and write a report. In addition, HSR will take a many year commitment, something we are not good at. Obama will be office 4 or 8 years, and then the next regime will shoot it down.
I would rather see the money spent on rehabilitating the current system, equipment, and routes. We, in Florida can only get to Atlanta by way of Washington DC, or NewOrleans the same way. There needs to be a viable network that connects all major population centers. If I am in a hurry, I choose to fly, but 90% of my travel, prior to August 2005 was by rail. Katrina shutdown the only Amtrak train that was of use to me, so I am forced to either say home or fly – SouthWest Airlines has a seat reserved for me on 4 flights in June, none of which I am looking forward to, but grandchildren are grandchildren.
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AlanB
April 23rd, 2009
10:16 pm
Lou wrote: “As for the Highway system it is paid for by the tax payers not subsidized by the tax payers that is the distinct difference.”
Sorry Lou, but last year the Fed dropped $8 Billion of our Federal Income Tax dollars into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to keep it from going bankrupt, that’s a subsidy since even those who don’t own cars saw their money go into the HTF. The HTF, which is funded via the Federal fuel tax, pays for the bulk of our Interstate Highway System’s (IHS) repairs and expansions.
It was estimated early last year, before the high gas prices last summer drove the fuel tax revenues down even futher, that the HTF will need a $9 Billion subsidy this year and next. Comes 2011 & 2012, that number jumps to $12 Billion, unless Congress raises the fuel taxes and soon.
Even worse is the fact that the current 5 year plan authorized by Congress that we’re operating under, was $79 Billion less than the DOT estimated it actually needed to maintain a state of good repair to the IHS. And that was before a bridge on I-35 in Minneapolis-St Paul fell into a river over a year ago, which set of a flurry of bridge inspections that found Billions more work that is needed.
Then we come to the Stimulus package which also has funding for highways, in addition to high speed rail, yet another subsidy. And many also consider the bailout to the Detroit automakers yet another subsidy.
Lou wrote: “The airports are subsidized by the Government and the Airlines pay for the use of the airport.”
If the airlines paid for the full value of their use of the airports, then the airports would not need a government subsidy. Of course if the airlines did that, they’d be bankrupt too. By the way, We The People also watched as just shy of $1 Billion of our Federal income tax dollars was dumped into the FAA to support airline operations. Heck, we even pay companies to fly almost empty airplanes into small airports around the country. The program is called EAS, Essential Air Service.
Lou wrote: “When we get on the highway, freeway, beltway, whatever, it is free or there may be a small toll charge. When you use Amtrak it is NOT free. That is the difference. Why not make it free? like the highway system?”
The highways aren’t free, you’re paying via the fuel tax, even though you, I, and the rest of America aren’t paying enough via the fuel tax.
Lou wrote: “Amtrak’s board of directors is appointed by the President, and the DOT holds the majority of STOCK. I personally find that interesting. That is why they need to make money…because it is a business.”
What other company sees it’s board appointed by only one person? What other company can basically ignore State laws? What other company pays no property taxes, state income taxes, state sales taxes?
Amtrak is a company in name only, and the only reason for that is to allow our politicians to be able to point at it’s company status to avoid blame for any problems or failures.
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The Daily Dig - High Speed Rail Edition » INFRASTRUCTURIST
April 24th, 2009
11:49 am
[...] writer: Would I use high speed trains? “I’m thinking the answer would be no.” Not unless they were cheap and “seriously fast.” (Atlanta Journal [...]
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anonymousella
April 25th, 2009
9:09 am
high speed rail is *IDEAL* for regional travel. the DC-BOS route is incredibly well traveled. A high-speed train from ATL to Charlotte, Birmingham, Savannah or Chattanooga is almost a no-brainer. A high speed rail would make New Orleans a 2.5 – 5 hour trip (depending on train speed) rather than a 7-8 hour interstate trip. i’d take rail in a heartbeat if pricing was competitive and the schedules made sense (atl to charlotte that arrives at 1am? what?). i’d take the train more often if it wasn’t so inconvenient.
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JE
April 26th, 2009
10:08 pm
Enter your comments here
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Kyle
April 26th, 2009
10:09 pm
My sister and I have booked a trip to an all inclusive resort on the hotel strip in Cancun for the second week of May. We are keeping an eye on the developments, but are uneasy about the trip because of the swine flu outbreak and the NY spring breakers who got the virus from Cancun. We are going to buy traveler’s insurance for an extra $30 each that will cover medical expenses if we get sick, and guarantee at least a 75% reimbursement if we cancel prior to a 48 hour deadline after deciding not to go. Hopefully it won’t get worse.
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RW
April 26th, 2009
10:17 pm
I still would like to go….but i may get myself a flu shot first if possible. I’ve heard it can help.
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Taylor
April 26th, 2009
10:19 pm
Looking at a map from one of Mexico City’s major newspapers, it’s quite apparent that the epicenter of the outbreak is Mexico City, “zona metropolitana” immediately surrounding the city, and the state of San Luis Potosi. Look a little farther out and states such as Guanajauto, Veracruz, and Gurrerro (home of Acapulco) have few, if any, cases. If you are planning on going to Mexico, go! The exchange rate is fantastic, the tourist resorts are uncrowded, and the number one security priority (both in terms of Swine Flu and Narco-violence) of the Mexican government is places where tourists frequent. If you are smart and proactive, you will have a great trip! Go and enjoy!
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AllAmerican
April 26th, 2009
10:23 pm
From the looks of the map, I would most definitely avoid Texas and California.
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bulle
April 26th, 2009
10:24 pm
no way, 187 people sick??? 6 Canadians was the latest stat, you know how many Canadians have visited Mexico in the last month, thousands and only 6 reported flu like symptoms, no data on how many of the six cases where travelers, and in all 6 cases the symptoms were mild.
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bre
April 26th, 2009
10:34 pm
We booked a trip to a resort in the Yucatan May 22-25. If it were just my husband and I we would still go. We have young children at home so we have decided to talk to our travel agent about making different arrangements. It is always better to be safe than sorry when you have little ones
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Belinda
April 26th, 2009
11:20 pm
So here’s the deal all, my boyfriend and i just booked all inclusive to Cancun Mexico on Thursday, we are leaving this Tuesday lol with Airfare and resort and a few activities for 7 days it cost us 3500.00 bucks, we where unable to get the travel insurance due to the fact that we booked last minute. I’m hoping that we are still able to go, but because im Navy my command may say the risks is to high due to the fact that we will be leaving soon on deployment. I also hope i am able to get a refund or change my destination to Hawaii but it’s not looking good. This sucks.
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Maria Harbert
April 27th, 2009
12:20 am
We’ve also heard about Tybee Island and and its beautiful beaches.
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Name the best spots in the south for a wedding getaway « Professional Scrapbooking Artist for Brides
April 27th, 2009
12:45 am
[...] Posted in Uncategorized at 1:44 PM by April Noyce Name the best spots in the south for a wedding getaway [...]
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Goyo
April 27th, 2009
1:26 am
Don’t succumb to the hype! The chances of getting swine flu if you travel to Mexico — even to the danger spots — are small! Mexico is a WONDERFUL country. Cancun and Veracruz are wonderful destinations. Mexico City is splendid! The post by Taylor regarding the dangers of the cartels is SPOT on: Mexican security is highest (and best) in the tourist spots. GO AND ENJOY!! (Just be sensible and not stupid.)
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TybeeIslandWedding.com
April 27th, 2009
9:06 am
You don’t need witnesses ~ must get your marriage license @ probate court and there’s no waiting period or expiration date. VERY easy to get married in Georgia!
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RH
April 27th, 2009
10:02 am
Obama says “don’t be alarmed”. That statement alone scares me.
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luckydog
April 27th, 2009
10:04 am
Now if we can get the Mexicans to avoid comminh to the US!
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Subject
April 27th, 2009
10:30 am
Well I have a cruise planned from June 1st- 5th. It goes to Key West and Cozumel. We will only be in Cozumel from 1-10 on one of the days. I guess the biggest threat would be someone getting off of the boat and being exposed to the flu and possibly bringing it back on board. I didn’t get the insurance but I think it will be okay. I’m not that big of a worrying person. I especially don’t base all my actions on a media that can’t even admit when things are getting better because that would not make a good story. It is a real cause for concern but so is the drug cartel violence and people have been going and having fun every week. So I hope everyone like myself that is still going has a great time!! Does anyone know what Carnival’s policy would be if it was still a state of emergency by the time of my cruise. Would they just go to another location or allow me to transfer to a different destination?
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Mama Cass
April 27th, 2009
10:33 am
To Everyone with travel plans to Mexico,
DHS is about to issue a travel advisory for Mexico. If you can change your plans to travel to Mexico, do yourself a big favor and reschedule.
The current thinking for the reason that Mexico has had 80+ deaths while the US has seen none so far is that there are probably somewhere around 50,000 to 100,000 cases in Mexico, and that these official deaths are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how many people are really infected.
This outbreak has been growing in Meico for the last month – it is not controlled – I am not telling you what to do but I can tell you, as a public health person, what I am telling my friends and loved ones: DON’T GO TO MEXICO UNTIL THEY’VE FIGURED THINGS OUT AND GOTTEN THE EPIDEMIC UNDER CONTROL. Things are still at a very early stage and will contiue to change, but right now it looks like delaying travel to Mexico is a good idea, personally speaking (although not for “business”, which is why they are holding back on a total travel ban.)
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Roberto
April 27th, 2009
10:35 am
Wear a mask on the plane and just drink tequilla to kill the bug while in Mexico.
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darryl
April 27th, 2009
11:03 am
I’m going to cancun on Thursday for a week, a little worried, but i think everything will be fine.
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kisha
April 27th, 2009
11:05 am
Well here’s the comment that I have. i will be traveling on a cruise line that leaves from california and will stop in cabo st lucas, and cozumel. My family and I are very concerned about this but the insurance that we were trying to purchase woould not cover us because we tried getting it so late. This is a very scar situation bc of the way that you can contract the virus. Because we have spent thousands of dollars planning this trip we will be going unless a travel warning has been issued, otherwise we will have to chalk it up and wear our mask. Someone needs to send some stronger medicine over to mexico to stop this. This is where the U.S is needed!!!! Not in Iraq
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STJ
April 27th, 2009
11:07 am
Let’s see: 100,000 drug gang members running loose (and their government adamantly opposing US protecting/sealing OUR side of the border), now the swine-bird flu outbreak. Nope, not going to Mexico, this year or any other year.
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Tom Veil
April 27th, 2009
3:41 pm
The budget estimates I’ve seen for rail are pretty cheap compared to, say, a new highway lane. If they’re taking my tax money anyway, I’d rather pony up for the 120mph trains instead of the 90 mph trains. Think about the difference between 90 and 120 like this:
Atlanta to Charlotte in 2 hours & 40 minutes? Not bad.
Atlanta to Charlotte in 2 hours flat? I would never buy a plane ticket again!
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Margaret
April 27th, 2009
4:59 pm
I have a honeymoon planned in Riviera Maya from June 10-17th…. I am a little worried about how the flu develops .. Advice? I also have the trip paid in full with no insurance so the chances of changing plans and getting the money back are slim im sure. Im a little ify! and i dont want to ruin my honeymoon
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mexihellno
April 28th, 2009
9:56 am
why would anybody want to go to Mexico. If they are all jumping the fence to get over here then something must be wrong. all of the drugs dealers and murderers, and pig flus. you have got to be kidding me.i am with you STJ i will never in my life time want to step foot in that nasty, gressy, dirty, dieseased riddden place.
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Jeremy
April 28th, 2009
1:20 pm
Like Margaret, I will be traveling to Riviera Maya late June for my honeymoon. I am also a bit nervous. I am hoping within the next few weeks, there will be a breakthrough…do you think this is reality? If the US and/or airlines put a Federal ban on traveling to Mexico, will I see a refund from the airline…regardless of trip insurance?
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Nick
April 28th, 2009
1:56 pm
I am also going to Mexico on my honeymoon June 22nd. I didn’t purchase insurance either but I spent the day talking to the airlines and resorts and most airlines are allowing members to change flights with no fee, but are only doing that from week to week. They did say that if you want to change you flight now you only have to pay about $100 per ticket. Most resorts are understanding but you can’t get back any money for shuttle services and other excursions. My best advice for Jeremy and Margaret is just sit tight for a few weeks and see how things shake out.
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Natto
April 28th, 2009
7:28 pm
I don’t understand why people use this swine-flu epidemy to show how negative, ignorant and racist this people can be, wake up MEXIHELLNO! in what era are you living in, look around you, who do you see! stop the ignorance and try to be a little more human! get out of your couch and get yourself enroll back in high schol to get some education. Patetic!
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Janet Jeffries
April 29th, 2009
9:14 pm
Love it! Cannot wait to hear the tales of your Twilight journey ;o)
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leba
April 30th, 2009
1:02 pm
I´m Mexican, and i´m sad because the way theworld is acting, treating us like were radioactive, and the worst isthat all is pure ignorance, and specially from the “first world”. But do what you need to, life is amazing and we will defeat this situation as a nation unitet. I hope that neither of your countryes find in this situation, because then you know what is feels like. Ah, and by the way, do you know how the virus is transmited? … gess not… Fearfull humans.
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forex lessons
April 30th, 2009
7:31 pm
I learned something here. Thanks for posting.
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Dazzle
May 1st, 2009
10:17 am
I’m from UK and my tickets have arrived today (For 26th May) so far no insurance but would still like to go, my tour operator will not change my holiday at the moment, only for trip up to 22nd of may so i will lose my money if i decide to chane myself, i’m willing to risk it!
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Jesisca
May 1st, 2009
12:11 pm
Im traveling to mexico next week May 8th….cancun actually. Im not too worried, its just the damn flu!
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Karla
May 1st, 2009
2:14 pm
Going to Mexico 5/06/09, a little worrried but like Jessica said “it’s just the damn flu”…
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Karla
May 1st, 2009
3:36 pm
Mexihellno your comment is so ignorant it’s disgusting..think about what you say….
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Dave
May 1st, 2009
8:11 pm
I live with my wife in Puerto Vallarta, and have done so for five and a half years. I am a retired medical professional from British Columbia. When this all broke out we were at first concerned and seriously considered leaving. But after a few days we witnessed the incredible response of the Mexican government, which has been praised world wide, and as there has been no confirmed cases anywhere near us, and that this flu is treatable AND we have incredible medical services here, we decided to stay.
We love it here. It is our home. We love the Mexican people, incredible, open, caring, and tons of laughs.
And we feel much safer walking the streets here than in any major city in Canada or the US. Much safer. My grandkids age 10-16 all run around here like it is their own.
The other day I was speaking with two Federales who were having a coffee outside a local store. Young guys, 25 or so. I asked them what it was like working as a Federal police officer in Vallarta (I asked in english, my spanish isn’t so hot…). One of them told me his mother was so happy when he was posted here because it is so beautiful and safe here.
The resorts are quiet, mostly die hard Puerto Vallarta visitors it seems. The quiet is kinda nice actually, manana in the extreme. Buckets of ice cold beer for 5 bucks, beautiful beaches, sundown at 9 pm, nice life.
If you are worried about coming here for your vacation, don’t be. All of us here are going about life as usual, at a little slower pace.
See you soon.
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Carol Weaver
May 2nd, 2009
1:11 am
Lots of my friends come down to visit me in Gulf Shores during the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival. We enjoy going to the different venues to see the musicians. And November is a great time to be at the beach.
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Christine Camley
May 2nd, 2009
4:17 am
You bet – “The Vancouver International Folk Music Festival”!!
It’s a beloved yearly tradition in gorgeous Vancouver, B.C. Many people attend from the U.S.
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coachk
May 2nd, 2009
4:49 am
It’s a bit out of the SE, but Summerfest in Milwaukee is perhaps, the best annual music festival…11 days, on dedicated grounds right along Lake Michigan, 30+ stages including an amphitheater….last Thurs in June to the Sun after the 4th of July
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Gregg
May 2nd, 2009
7:35 am
The Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak Fl. in early June is the BEST in the Southeast! Just a few hours drive South of ATL on I-75 http://www.waneemusicfestival.com
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sd
May 2nd, 2009
9:09 am
I went to the first Bonnaroo years ago. It was fun, but the unbelievable heat took away from the good times.
I’ve been to Jazz Fest in New Orleans a couple times.
I go to blue grass festivals regionally as well.
There really is nothing better than sitting in the grass with friends listening to live music.
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Tony C
May 2nd, 2009
9:37 am
The Savannah Music Festival (March 18 – April 6) is a great festival and withing 4 hours driving time from Atlanta. I have attended the last 3 years. The have something for everyone from kids show (during the weekdays) and Grammy award wining acts such as Dianne Reeves, Mariza, Marcus Roberts and Chick Corea. Savannah is a cool town for food and romance. Just be prepared for gnats
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Lisa
May 2nd, 2009
10:00 am
AtlantaFest, right here in Stone Mountain, June 17-20. People do travel from near and far, but we are fortunate that it is local. Many award winning groups, family friendly (no drunks, no profanity), and admission also gets you in to all the attractions at Stone Moutain. They have been around for many years, there is a reason why, check it out!
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Patrick
May 2nd, 2009
12:10 pm
Well, if those of you with plans to go are anything like my wife and I who are scheduled to leave on the 13th of May, you are probably obsessing over this flu and watching every news report to get the up to the minute updates. The problem is that I think watching the news is not the best way to prepare. Lets face it, the media organizations are part of a BUSINESS and they make their living on the number of people watching. So what do they do? They HYPE every story and DRAMATIZE every interview. So my wife and I have decided to make our decision with our brains rather than our emotions and are going. We are just going to take common sense precautions. The one thing that will keep us from going is if either of us are suffering from any flu like symptoms. My understanding is that the Mexican authorities are on high alert and may deny anyone access into the country it they exhibit signs of illness. Keep this in mind if you are sick because you don’t want to spend your time in Mexico in quarantine.
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andy
May 4th, 2009
2:59 pm
im planning to go to mexico on june the 10th 4 2 weeks,i live in england are starting to get a bit worried,im well up for going though just want to know wheather everything will still be happening like clubs etc any help would be mnt
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Mark Vaught
May 5th, 2009
11:55 am
While customer care is percieved to be relative priority, money is # 1. Airlines are a public accomidation! Why have they not adjusted seating for such issues? How many years have they had oportunity to expand seating for portions of an airplane? They have the $1,000 oversized seat with customer care that serves 15 high society, while the remaining 150 passengers are patient for service in a cramped seating arrangement. Airlines make a point of larger seats for us less fortunate, but cant seem to find a layout of seating that allows 8 or so heavy set customers per flight to fly. What of pregnant woman or extremely large athletes? Are the 6-9 month pregant woman to pay per pound? Or the 6′8″ 275lbs customer that is all muscle pay per poound? I imgine there body to weight ratio is far better then half the 150 lbs 5″9 customer but still make that “elbo space” a bit tight for there neighbor.
AIRLINES SHOULD NOT CHARGE MORE. They should maake a portion of the seating per aircraft feasible for ALL of society….heavyset, pregnant woman, and disabled.
Like the auto industry….airlines should RESTRUCTURE!
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rich
May 6th, 2009
7:09 am
i too have a holiday booked for the 10th of june just hoping and praying that things blow over cos me and my fiancee have really looked forward to this holiday, if we have to cancel or change our destination hell knows where we will end up
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Carol
May 6th, 2009
9:10 am
There are some pretty cool music festivals in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I love that area anyway, so I definitely make my way down for music festivals, as well as other events.
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Rachel
May 6th, 2009
5:05 pm
Traveling for music is one of the best parts of the experience. I used to live in CO and traveled to the first and second Bonnaroo (24hr drive). Wanee Music Fest/ MagFest in Live Oak are great and close to ATL. Before Roger Waters announced tour dates in SE, I had bought tickets to the Indianapolis show. If you can’t travel for music…where’s your true sense of adventure?
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nate
May 7th, 2009
3:03 am
there must be a special in cancun june 10th cuz thats when me and my friends are going im not worried about the flu i jus dont wanna go down there and it be dead do u think that would be a possibility?
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leba
May 7th, 2009
3:16 pm
Why won´t you read mexican newspappers!!!!! don´t you see the nwes arround the world! God!!!
if you are so scared don´t come, we receive only wider criteria.
all dead, no clubs?, yeah rigth.
don´t come, stay at youre bubble world?
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nate
May 7th, 2009
6:27 pm
yea meanings i have never seen a mexico newspaper in my life im 19 i dont watch the news like i said im not scared of the flu jus wanna make sure cancun is still happening when i get there
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netdragon
May 10th, 2009
1:27 am
I think we’ll see a lot of city-hopping on high-speed rail as opposed to people taking the whole route (aside to save money). I think it is very viable compared to an airport for Atlanta to Charlotte routes, etc. A lot less sitting around waiting for the flight.
Tom: Seriously, do you get into the airport with 5 minutes to spare? Think about all the time you waste in the airport. It turns a 1 hour flight into 3 hours if you include sitting around at the airport.
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sara
May 11th, 2009
5:32 am
im supposed to be flying out with 3 kids on the 5 th of june and im so upset that the travel agent wont let me change destinations free of charge…. £250 is alot of money when you have saved for a year for this holiday…first choice have just continually fobbed me off. i understand they dont probably know anything but they should let familys have pririty to change free,we are having sleepless nites, the kids are upset and worried we still have to go to mexico.travel agents should look out for there customers and not try and make more money out of a sad situation… i have travelled with this company for 14 yrs never again… has anyone had the same problems
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Gartrell Bibberts
May 11th, 2009
10:30 am
European HSR exists because they have eliminated level grade crossings. When we – a nation of auto lovers – are willing to give up easy crossing of rail lines then we can have rapid rail.
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Patrick
May 12th, 2009
12:45 am
No. Here’s why; I will only take my pets with me when they and I can share the flight together, it’s a very easy design, giving human and companions their own compartments to share. Until then, I use car when I travel to places that I’m taking my pets.
I never let anyone who I don’t know watch my pets, this isn’t about to change.
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ANNE
May 12th, 2009
6:18 am
My husband my son and myself are due to go to Mexico on the 26th June and I am so looking forward to going on holiday I do not think people should be that worried as lets face it you can catch the flu in Britain every year in winter. Please lets get our priorities right on the scale of things there is not many people infected so get over it.
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Donna
May 12th, 2009
11:14 am
My fiancee and i are goin to Mexico inJune for 2 weeks. I’ve been readin the internet like insane-o. Im pretty positve we’re goin. Swine flu, drug cartell. What are you gonna do? Im just gonna keep myself up to date on all the news goin around.
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Barbara
May 12th, 2009
6:41 pm
Of course I would. I don’t want my babies being in cargo. And driving is too long for them to be in the car.
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Danielle
May 13th, 2009
4:29 pm
I would prefer to have my dog sitting with me, but he’s slightly too big. I would definately use it to ensure his safety.
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Sarah Maristeph
May 13th, 2009
8:01 pm
I completely agree! Not having to rush into a job after graduation can be an extremely rewarding experience. Most of all new graduates don’t need to feel guilty about taking time off to travel before settling down as the current state of the economy almost encourages students to take advantage of the opportunity. Myself and two of my friends decided to teach overseas and we went through Footprints Recruiting and they were wonderful. They helped us secure teaching jobs in Asia and their services were free. I had the chance to travel to Vietnam on my break from teaching and I will never forget all the warm people I met while teaching in South Korea. I strongly encourage others to do the same.
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matthew fytche
May 15th, 2009
12:55 pm
iam ment to be going to riviera maya on the 4th june with first choice and to say they have been useless is a understatement ive spent a fortune on my mobile and still dont know if iam going and its less than 3wks away. also ive noticed on the first choice website that they keep putting hols up to jamiaca dom rep as i check the prices most days incase we have change destinations and i think this is disgusting has anyone else noticed this?
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Keith
May 15th, 2009
3:07 pm
Hi Sarah — Thanks for your input! Did you have to get a teaching certification before you left for Asia? When did you start your international job search? Was it weeks or months before you departed?
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Jon
May 16th, 2009
1:32 pm
We just got back to California from five days in Mexico, we had an amazing time, no tourists, no problems, no flu.. I cannot think of a BETTER time to go. Just think, Chichen Itza to yourself! And the risk of getting swine flu here in SoCal is much greater than the risk in SE Mexico.
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Ms. Lovely
May 17th, 2009
7:17 pm
NNOOO!!! what is wrong with you people!! Don’t think big people already have low esteem and have emotion problems. I am sure they all of you people have a friend or a family memeber overweight. I am not overweight i am only 110 pounds but i feel for these people. are you gona charge a mother with a cry baby more because they made passengers uncomfortable. Come on make sense. God made people all shapes and sizes and i am sure he doesnt want you to discrimnated against these people. I have believe that people should be more considerate and think of others! peace and love xoxo
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Chris
May 20th, 2009
12:53 pm
I am suppose to go to Cancun from 6/26-7/3 with my husband and son. I am very nervous if the resort/town will be empty. Like nate asked, i would like to know. I want to enjoy Cancuna nd all it has to offer in it’s prime. I don’t want the crowds of spring break, but the natural vibe of the town is what i’m looking for. I am nervous about the flu and the drugs and the killing. Please let me know what you think, any advise or suggestion are greatly appreciated.
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Stacey
May 21st, 2009
10:43 am
Maybe! Under special circumstances like a sudden trip that may resort in a long stay away from home or relocation. I personally would like to be with my furry baby during a flight however if the circumstances called for a separate flight, I would consider this service.
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forex proffessor
May 21st, 2009
9:38 pm
Interesting points! I was actually thinking about this topic last night and this morning (particularly how to incorporate it into my own blog). Thanks for the tips, bro!
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Chris
May 25th, 2009
11:40 am
Yes, I am. I am not convinced that the machines are worth their cost and cost of man power to operate them.
I am concerned that the TSA takes a knee-jerk approach to preventing terrorist attacks rather than a pro-active approach. All security procedures should be taken outside the airport before ANYONE and ANY BAGGAGE / PACKAGE enter the airport.
I am even more worried about millions of citizens (not just travelers) who are blase and lack the foresight to be alert about potential dangers in plain view AND reporting them immediately such as unattended bags and unusual behavior. Americans are far more naive than our European neighbors.
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taxiguy
May 25th, 2009
6:05 pm
Fantastic and interesting forum will look through more a little later, i drive a taxi in Portugal so if anyone from this forum comes on holiday to the Algarve Portugal, come and have a coffee with me, and i can also let you know lots of history from the area…
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taximan
May 26th, 2009
11:21 am
Just like to say hi will come and chat a little later just finishing off some homework, and believe me it is not easy writing in the heat here at the moment.
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Sarah H
May 27th, 2009
9:34 am
At least someone will get a look. It has been a long time. lol
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Liz Smith
May 28th, 2009
5:43 pm
If your looking for the best beach… checkout the last minute vacation rental deals at http://www.nextweekvacations.com
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Carol
May 29th, 2009
3:41 pm
Well, I’m always up for trying new beaches. But my absolute favorite beaches are in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on the Alabama Gulf Coast. We go there every year (sometimes a couple times!). There is so much for my family to do, everything from fishing and golf to hiking and observing nature at its best. And of course the sugar-white beaches are fabulous! You can find a lot of info on the area at http://www.thebeachiscalling.org.
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faye
May 29th, 2009
7:45 pm
The Sunday after the 2004 Derby I went to the Maker’s Mark Brewery for a tour – it was wonderful!! Very interesting to see the whole process from start to finish. My favorite part was the aroma in the aging room – they call it “the angel’s share” – I thought that was really cool. My only warning to fellow travelers is to not go on a Sunday. Maker’s Mark isn’t exactly in a dry county, but it is in one that won’t allow you to “sample the wares” on a Sunday. We had to settle for some delicious bourbon candy instead – and we took home Maker’s Mark barbecue sauce – hand-dipped lid and all, but no bourbon
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Katherine Conlon
June 1st, 2009
5:15 pm
When I was in 4th grade, my family rented a motor home and drove out to a dude ranch in Wyoming to meet some friends for a two week vacation. The drive was only supposed to take three days, but it ended up taking about eight because the motor home broke down four times. We stayed in more Holidomes than RV parks. The highlight of the trip was watching my dad get into someone’s car we had flagged down because the motor home had broken down half way up a giant hill and about 40 miles from the nearest town. We tried to write down every detail about that person and their car and hoped that my dad would actually come back unharmed in those pre-cell phone days! He did return, and we did eventually make it to Wyoming and back, but, needless to say, our RVing days were over.
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Glovesave29
June 1st, 2009
5:27 pm
I went on a cruise to Alaska with my 4 siblings and their significant others and my parents. After a long flight with spirited trivia games and adult beverages, we spent 2 days exploring Vancouver. The cruise goes up the inward passage so it is always smooth sailing. The sun is up about 20 hours a day, and when it is down it’s just barely over the horizon so its never really that dark. Some of the best photos I took were at 3 in the morning where the mist is red from the rising sun. We did the adventure junkets off of the ship…we rode zip lines through the trees in Ketchican – riding along 150 feet off the ground. Took a seaplane ride over the glaciers and landed on a lake in northern BC. Rode a small dinghy up a fjord to the base of a glacier while dodging icebergs, sealions, whales and seals to watch the ice calve into the sea. In Juneau we took a helicoper ride up onto the Mendenhall Glacier and drank the pure run off rivers that run across it. In Skagway a train ride up the very canyons the gold rush had run up 150 years earlier dropped us off at the Chilkoot Trail in the Yukon where we hiked a few miles along a prisine glacier lake. One morning was spent sea kayaking in a little bay that was shared by hundreds of otters and a few bears and bald eagles. The afternoon was spent whale watching, where we also saw eagle nests and the salmon spawning. The final day was spent driving up the Kenai peninsula (near the site of the notorious bridge to nowhere) and exploring Anchorage. We were fortunate that our flight home was delayed by 4 hours, so we took the bonus time to make a small plane excursion off to explore McKinley and were able to see not only a group of hikers scaling the mountain, but witnessed an avalanche on the other slope. Back in Anchorage we enjoyed some of the many microbreweries…then boarded the plane and headed home. A remarkable vacation!
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MIchelle
June 2nd, 2009
7:58 pm
Vacation Horror…Ok..my family and I went with my parents on vacation to the DR..my mom wanted to save money and booked us on a no name brand airline with retired planes that are no longer used in the USA..just great..on the way back I felt something was wrong when we arrived at the tiki airport to a airline terminal where when you checked in there were two sticks in the ground to hang your AIRLINE sign in for check in! We boarded the plane and was 1/2 way back home..when the pilot came on and told everyone to turn off their electronic devices..my son who was playing gameboy continued playing..suddenly we looked over and heard a pop pop..outside the window the engine had caught on fire. My son said, “Mom looked what I did to the plane take my gameboy!” Behind us a lady yelled, “Media..the plane is on fire and preceded to faint in the isles! Panic hits like the wave at a football game! The flight attendent jumped over her and head to the front of the plane..my mother starts screaming she has killed the whole family, my father whose English isn’t so great asks for a drink!!..the plane is then ordered to turn around and go back to Punta Cana..we arrive to rescue vehicles on the runway and the slide gig!..we finally get off the plane to a spokesperson who states we can go back on the 3 am flight or the 9 am flight. I ask him, how many planes do you have with your airline..he says two including the one we were on and that they are sending over the part to fix the plane that just came back for the 9 am flight! I took the 3 am..THANK YOU!..well with no place to go we stayed in the open airport with 3 young kids and the rest of the people wanting to go back at 3. Well the mosquitos realized it was a buffet and proceeded to eat us alive! Nice! We are standing for 3 hours smacking ourselves! Finally the plane arrives..we cheer and rush forward to get home..ONLY to find that one of the passengers, had a immigration issue! NICE..45 min later..finally…The spokesperson announces that those that had previous assigned seat numbers could go first and the rest would board after. As soon as he said that my sleeping son proceeded to PEE ON ME!! Nice! I grabbed the spokesperson and said, “My son just pee on me..I want to go first!” I guess after looking into my eyes, he grabbed the speaker and said, “Women and children first.. and this lady is first!” I was never so happy to get home, take a shower and put on itch creme!
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Howell Sanders
June 2nd, 2009
11:26 pm
Family Vacation each year is always special as we spend a week on the beach with our two children and three grandchildren. This year was ever more special as my wife during her 30 years as supervisor for the Department of Family and Children Services dreamed of spending a month on the beach after she retired. She was able to get away from the abused Children situation three years ago and this year we were able to fullfill her dream. We spent a month on the beach with our children and grandchildren able to be there for a week and the last week her sister and brother in law was able to come down for for 5 days. This was great as she and her sister are very close and to us everything is about family. As of this July 4th, we have had 39 vacations together. P.S. the reason we were married on Independance Day is it was the only week of vacation I had in my old job, (I WOULD GIVE UP MY INDEPENDANCE ALL OVER AGAIN)
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Amy
June 3rd, 2009
2:37 pm
We are a family of four and we love to travel. We were going on a trip to Ireland and my brother, who has a friend from Ireland, decided to join us. His friend offered to let us stay in their cottage while we were there. This was an extremely gracious offer and considering the positive impact on our travel budget, we accepted.
We visited Cork for a few days and did some sightseeing prior to heading north to the cottage. First, I would like to note that it was winter, and I’ll leave it at that. Second, the cottage was located exactly in the middle of nowhere. We stopped twice for directions while driving in sleet. The second stop was one of my favorite experiences of the whole vacation because of the authenticity of it. It was late at night and we were on a country road looking for our turn. We pulled into a pub and walked in to a room that looked very much like someone’s living room with a fire place and a bar in the middle of the room. The bar was lined with little old men who were only able to give us directions once they figured out the family tree of the person who owned the cottage. They pointed us in the right direction and when we pulled into the driveway of the cottage, it looked like something out of a fairy tale (from the outside).
My husband and brother went in to get a fire started and to turn some lights on. We got inside and found a lot of bugs, a single wood burning stove that had not been used in quite some time, and no way to wash/dry our bedsheets in order to go to bed. We were tired, hungry, and a little scared to turn the lights out. We made some macaroni and cheese and played UNO in the kitchen/living room while we waited for the stove to heat up the room. Since this was the only room that was warm, we pulled the chairs together and decided to sleep as best we could. I drew the short straw and slept straight up in a chair with my 7 year old daughter draped across me.
About an hour after we had all fallen asleep, we noticed the room started to smell smokey and the pipe coming out of the top of the wood burning stove was glowing bright orange. I quickly gathered the kids and our bags and headed to the car. On the way to the car, I noticed dozens of blinking eyes reflecting at me from the dark. Apparently, we were surrounded by a field of sheep, which I wish I could have seen in the daylight. My brother and husband put the fire out and returned everything to the way we found it.
We got in the car and drove to Galway to find a hotel room. There was a sporting event going on in the city, so after stopping at several hotels, we started to get a little discouraged. Finally, I remembered the hotel we had originally booked, which was just outside of town. We showed up at 2 am, bedraggled and wreaking of smoke. The gentleman at the desk, who obviously felt sorry for me, told us that he did not have a room to sleep 5, but we could take a double room and drag the cushions in from the couch in the hallway for one of the kids to sleep on the floor. We gladly took it and enjoyed the rest of our trip.
To this day, if you ask my kids about their trip to Ireland, they will first tell you about the night we ‘burned down’ the cottage!
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Julie Heinisch
June 4th, 2009
6:52 am
My story happened when I was about 13.. My mom, stepdad, sister, brother and myself decided to go camping. We bought a tent, supplies, etc.. We had absolutly no experience with tents, camping, etc whatsoever.. We brought out dog camping with us, in a tent, to Lake Lanier campgrounds.. It was absolutly awful.. It rained the WHOLE time, the dog had diarrhea and we spend the whole time fighting since we were all so stressed out… I think we got rid of that tent as soon as we got back! LOL And I have not been anywhere near a tent since!
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TnT's Mom
June 4th, 2009
2:13 pm
I too, have camping memories. One trip to Florida we were evacuated from the State park due to the impending arrival of a hurricane. They told us on the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. We weren’t due to go home until Tuesday. So, rather than drive back to Atlanta that afternoon, we looked at the map, picked an inland Florida State park and headed there. Got there and it turned out to be in the middle of swampland. High humidity, hot, gator warning signs, very large mosquitoes. We spend most of the time inside the camper, it was too miserable to be outside for more than 20 or 30 minutes. The bright spot that in the park was an underground cavern. We took the tour and were sad when it was over. It was very cool underground compared to the heat above.
We went to Amicalola Falls last February. Rainy, cloudy and foggy the whole weekend. But then again the campground is on top of the mountain. The Falls were beautiful and my two boys did manage to get some hiking in. We had extreme trouble starting and keeping a campfire. That made it difficult to get out food cooked. In the middle of the night on Saturday, we ran out of propane and the heater shut off. My husband drove for an hour, thanks to the GPS, to find propane. Finally Sunday just before we left, the sky cleared and the sun came out, so we were able to get some great pictures.
Memorial Day this year we went camping with 2 other families at a campground near Hiwassee, Georgia. Great time despite the rain. But thankfully our friends brought tarps and we strung them up between the trees and stayed dry. We had 10 kids and 6 adults and had a wonderful time. That is until we went to pack up and leave. We could not find the keys to our pickup truck. We looked for over an hour, turning everything inside out. We never did find them, but finally found the spare key, so we did manage to get home.
So our motto is, every trip must contain memories. Some funny and some not, but we will always be able to recall the trip.
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LT
June 4th, 2009
2:36 pm
I love my family and last year I decided to make my normal family of 6 (two adults four kids) an extended family vacation. I invited my aunts and cousins to go along. They all agreed and thought it was a great idea and I was excited! We were all headed to the beach. The trip started out smooth enough a little complaining here and there about the 6 hour drive but I just ignored it and kept moving since were were in three cars I really didn’t have to hear that crap anyway. We got to the beach and to our designated rooms and just relaxed the first day. On the second day it was one of my cousins birthday so we had a little gathering in one of the rooms with all 15 of us. We left my neice in charge of the children and all the adults took a stroll on the beach. We all needed to get out anyway because we were all feeling rather grand from the party beverages. After strolling for about an hour hoping to come down a little we headed back into the hotel but not before I took a cool dip in the pool – fully dressed shoes and all. The problem with that was I can’t swim. I guess that told me that the walk did me no justice. I did have a designated driver that goodness. We left the hotel and headed back to our hotel. As soon as I walked in the door one of my other cousins was calling me telling me I was not going to believe what she had just seen. It seems that my aunt and cousin decided to have their own WWF show in the room that they were sharing. It must have started with some words but I know it ended in a cage match. The kids were horrified my cousin was horrified and my husband and I were tickled. He said only your family. He was in awe. The rest of the trip was pretty much ruined because there were too many attitudes from that point on. Later on I heard that the match was over a twinkie. My cousin was made someone ate the last twinkie. LOL. I said never again…well I lied we are headed out in two weeks. I can’t wait but I did send out a memo – NO WRESTLING, FIGHTING, OR BOXING MATCHES ALLOWED.
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Nicholas Porzio
June 5th, 2009
7:19 am
When I was a kid, we used to take a lot of road trips in the family station wagon. It was great for building the bonds with my two brothers and 2 sisters. We played ‘I spy’ and other roadtrip games. We sang ‘Puff the Majic Dragon’ and other popular songs. Of course every now and then, Dad would have to use the Daddy voice when we started getting on each other’s nerves . Something that happened on just about every trip that stood out: Dad would ask Mom, “did you get the …?” I remember she would say ‘Oh no…” It would be something different each time and we would already be a couple of hours out-of-town so we couldn’t turn around. It’s so funny…it happens to us now…but I always try to go over the list while we are still in the driveway.
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Deana
June 5th, 2009
8:01 am
The best family vacation me and my kids ever had was when they were 11 and 13 years old. My parents live in Tampa, Florida, but they were here in Atlanta that weekend so we stayed in their apartment while they were up here. It was the first time that I was able to provide a vacation that money within reason was not option. My dad had got us discounted tickets to Busch Garden. Saturday we got to the park a little early because we had to wait for the parking lot to open. We enjoyed the park so much. My youngest son didn’t like to ride roller coasters so he had to hold all our things. While me and oldest so rode every rollercoaster at Busch Garden that summer. You know how high the food is in the park, but we were able to eat and drink what and when we wanted without having to think about the cost. After we left the park they wanted to go back to the apartment and get in the pool where they spent another two hours in the water. We later went to CiCi’s where they ate until their stomachs were full and slept that night like babies. The next day we started out on our journey early again. We beached hopped that day. We went to every beach from Clearwater/St. Pete to De Soto Park. I am not a big fan of bridges over a lot of water and my kid knew this. So on the way back home I miss my turn to get on the Gandy bridge which I could handle and I look up I was headed for the interstate 275 bridge. I pull over to the side of the rode and started to panic slightly. There was nowhere for me to turn around so I had to hold my breath, grip the stirring wheel, and ride the middle of the road. My oldest son was sitting up front he turned off the radio, told my youngest son to be quiet and we crossed that bridge in silence. When I got off the bridge my heart was racing but we made it and of course you know they turn the radio back on. When we got back to the apartment they head back to the pool again for another two hours. THIS WAS OUR BEST VACATION EVER.
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Vicki Chalker
June 5th, 2009
10:22 am
My family, and I go on vacation each year to the beach for 9 days. We have been going, and staying at the same place for 30 years. This is a very fun time for all of us. We are now 5 generations going. The things that I remember doing as a child I now see my nieces and nephew doing. It’s so great to watch. We enjoy our time on the beach, and the kids getting excited when they hear the bell of the ice cream truck coming closer is awesome. They get their ice cream, and before they can even take the first bite it’s already melting. By the time they get done with it they literally have ice cream from head to toe. They love it though. We also enjoy our time at the pool of the hotel that has a 60 foot waterslide. They kids go up the stairs and down the slide over and over again for hours, and when you tell them it’s time to go you always get the famous 1 more time. We are getting ready to go on this trip, and I’m counting down the days……13 days left.
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Debbie
June 5th, 2009
10:26 am
My husband works for a commercial airline and we have enjoyed and cursed the benefit of travel by way of Non Reservation throughout his career. Back in the “old days” this meant, that you dressed your self in your Sunday best, (suits, ties, dresses, stockings and heels) you checked your bags and you waited at a prescribed terminal gate to see if someone had failed to wake up and get to the plane on time, so you might have the chance of sitting in their seat. I use the word “chance” loosely as you always ran into other “Non Revs” at the same gate hoping to get in that same seat before you did. While you waited to see if you would even get to start your vacation, it gave you the opportunity to size up other non revs lurking about and try to guess if they had more seniority with the Company than we did. Were the other non revs graying in the temples, were their children teenagers or ankle biters? After being “bumped” from two or three flights that we had watched load and depart, we finally got on a plane headed for Calgary, Canada. Given the nature of this kind of travel and the dicey way the trips tend to start out, we often would not make a reservation for a car or hotel, since we were never sure if we would reach our destination. Well we make it as far as the Airport at Calgary; our goal is Banff National Park. Unbeknownst to us, it was the same weekend as several other non publicized events that managed to scarf up almost every available rental car, save one lone compact which we stuffed our luggage and two kids into. Ahhh! By now it is starting to get dark and we hope to put a few miles between us and the airport. We didn’t get very far before we pass several motels with neon “No Vacancy” signs, we keep traveling…more “No Vacancy” signs. Finally, we stop and inquire at one motel and the guy looks at us and says “there’s nothing available for miles.” I think the owner of that motel saw how beat down we were looking, the desperation in my voice, the whiny kids, and he starts to make a couple calls in an effort to keep us from wandering around aimlessly or forced to spend the night in our car. After a few calls he reports good news, there is a vacancy in the town of Canmore. We head for Canmore; we arrive at what appeared to be a Saloon/Brothel, not the first choice for a vacationing family, rather the last resort. We signed in and was handed a couple of dingy towels and a small bar of soap. That should have been our first clue. We found our room on the second floor. Two twin size, dirty looking beds, light bulb hanging from the ceiling and bath sink stuck on the side of the wall. No toilet, no shower, both were down the hall on the right. Needless to say, we were disappointed, but exhausted as we prepared for a long night, opting to sleep on top of the spread and not in the sheets, and a long night it was. Right outside our window was an alley, about 2:30 in the morning a brawl breaks out with several guys cursing and motorcycles gunning up and down the alley. At that point, I sat perched in a chair for the rest of the night waiting for the crack of dawn. The rest of the trip was enjoyable, but that was certainly a memorable night to forget.
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Mom and me
June 5th, 2009
12:36 pm
Last summer for my mom’s 80th bday, I took her to Austria and the Czech Republic. We were riding a train between Vienna and Prague when the train stopped and an elderly man and about a 6yr old boy joined us in our compartment. Neither spoke a lick of english and were clearly “czech country folks”. (maybe a farmer and his grandson we thought). While we were riding along the boy had a water bottle in his hand and was in my opinion being very good. He was smiling and giggling (as opposed to the american kids down a ways on the train running up and down the halls and screaming) The elderly man, clearly unhappy about something scolded the boy repeatedly. We had no idea why. Then, without warning the elderly man reached across and smacked that boy across the face! A smack that clearly would have someone here thrown in jail. The boy never cried, never whined. He sat very still and had a frown on his face. My mom and I looked at each other in horror but remembered we were in their country now, not ours. When we finally reached Prague and our hotel, my poor mom came down with a bad case of hemorhoides. I went out, not knowing any Czech, looking for a pharmacy where hopefully I could find someone who spoke english. I had visions of trying to describe hemorhoides to someone who didn’t speak english and the thought wasn’t pretty. Luckily I found someone who knew enough English to understand as I stood there pretending to scratch my a** what I was looking for. I kept the Preparation-H box as a souvenir (all the text is in Czech)
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Ferguch
June 5th, 2009
3:55 pm
About 20 years ago, my family and I planned a vacation to Epcot Center in Orlando. A couple days before leaving for vacation, our pet cat had caught a baby squirrel. We were able to rescue the hairless squirrel, whose eyes had not opened yet, and care for it. The day we drove to Orlando, my father mentioned we could not leave the squirrel in the hotel as there was a chance the hotel staff could find the pet and kick us out. So, we checked into the hotel, freshened up, grabbed the squirrel, which was residing in a Girl Scout Cookie Box, and went to Epcot. Worried about the family budget at the time and the price of admission to the park, an executive decision was made to save the $5 pet boarding fee at Epcot and leave the squirrel in the car. Yes, Precious, the squirrel, was left in the car, in Florida, in the middle of the summer. My family enjoyed the park and, feeling we had just had the best vacation ever, headed back to the car. Getting into the car my mom looked at my father and said, “we have a problem.” Precious was not moving. My mother, who thought Precious had a heart attack, started CPR. As we drove back to the hotel, my sister and I watched in horror as my mother performed mouth to snout. After a few minutes of the life saving technique, my mother told us the squirrel was gone. She put the squirrel back in the Girl Scout Cookie Box and let my sister and me say good bye. When I looked at Precious, she had the look of a hot dog whose eyes had popped open like two fried eggs. Our vacation ended with my mother performing a burial service in the parking lot of the hotel. My father was not in attendance as he was in the dog house. 20 years later my family still reminds my father of the incident with Precious.
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Edith
June 5th, 2009
9:38 pm
One of the best Disney “secrets” is how to ride in the driver’s cabin of the Monorail. You don’t have to be royalty, or even pay extra. You just have to know WHERE to stand. When you approach the monorail entrance go as far forward as you can. You will see a turnstile. There is usually a castmember there so you can ask if you are in the right line. You may have to wait for the second (or third) train, but this is especially helpful after fireworks or parades when the regular cars are slammed full of guests and their strollers. The only downside… a maximum of 4 passengers at any time, so if you have a big family you may have to split up.
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Amber Davis Collins
June 5th, 2009
11:04 pm
I’ve always wanted to see Patagonia in the southern tip of South America, so last fall my dad, his sister Alice, and I made our way down to the Chilean part of the region. The three of us had vacationed together before, and from that, I knew that Alice would keep things lively. After four flights, a taxi, and a bus over the course of four days, we arrived just outside the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia. We quickly settled into our hotel and made arrangements to go to the park the next day.
That morning, a bus picked us up and took us to the park, stopping by a convenience store so that we could pick up last-minute necessities. I realized just how differently Alice and I reasoned when I compared our purchases. For our hiking trip, I chose graham crackers and water while she bought chocolate and beer. (My dad, the smartest of the three, didn’t buy anything. He knew that Alice and I would tote our own goods, and then share with him when it was time.)
After a few days of intense trekking through landscapes chock full of snow capped mountains and dotted with guanaco (a relative of the llama), we headed back to civilization. Once we arrived, we sought out a masseuse to work the kinks out of our shoulders and backs that we had acquired from toting around all that water and beer. We promptly spotted a sign in the window of one of the better hotels in town. We went in and made individual appointments for that afternoon. Because I speak Spanish, I was chosen as to go first. I was supposed to scope the place out and report back to the others before they went in.
I entered the tiny room and was greeted by a professional looking middle aged woman. “So far, so good,” I thought. After the usual small talk, she told me to get on the table.
“Should I take my boots off?” I asked in the tone of voice that clearly meant, “Huh? I haven’t even taken my shoes off yet!”
She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Whatever.”
I quickly pulled my boots off and hopped on the table, wondering why I hadn’t been told to remove anything else.
“What areas do you want me to focus on?” the lady asked.
“My shoulders and back,” I replied.
For the next hour, she focused almost exclusively on my scalp and face. I was hesitant to say anything because every time that I looked at her, she had her eyes closed and was silently chanting to herself. So I just kept my mouth shut and hoped that she would move to my shoulders and back. Eventually she did, but only for about five minutes. When the hour was up, she informed me that her tip was not included in the price. I nodded, left some money on the table, and went downstairs to pay the rest. Once downstairs, I closed out my bill and looked for Alice, who was supposed to go next. She was nowhere in sight, so I proceeded to the hotel where the three of us were staying and found my dad.
“Where’s Alice?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I guess she’s on her way to get a massage.” He answered.
At that point, I told tell him about my experience. I summed it up with, “Just be ready because it’s not what you’re used to.”
“Okay,” he replied.
Shortly after my dad left for his turn, Alice returned to the room with a bewildered look on her face.
“What did you think of the massage?” she asked.
“It was the lousiest one I’ve ever gotten,” I answered. “What about you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead she asked, “Did you take your clothes off?”
“No,” I responded. “I don’t know how on earth that lady thought she could give me a good rub down when I’m all bundled up in these winter clothes.”
“WHAT?!?!?!” Alice nearly screamed. “YOU DIDN’T TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF?!?!?!?”
“No.” I gave her a funny look. “Did you?”
“Yes! She told me to! She told me to take everything off. EVERYTHING!!!! I removed my shirt and pants, and she just looked at me and told me to take the rest off!” Alice exclaimed.
“Are you sure?” I laughed. “I mean, are you sure that’s what she meant?” I asked.
“YES!!! She told me IN ENGLISH,” Alice said.
“She didn’t speak in English to me at all,” I responded, a little skeptical.
“I swear! She told me in English to take everything off!” Alice protested. “So I did, and got on the table and tried to cover myself with a towel, and she just pulled away. I kept telling myself, ‘Amber did this, Amber did this.’ It was the only thing that got me through.”
By that time I tears were rolling down my face I was laughing so hard.
Alice, however, did not find it funny. “She gave me a nipple massage!”
I nearly wet my pants.
“I just kept repeating to myself, ‘Amber did this. Amber did this.’ I can’t BELIEVE you didn’t take your clothes off! Whatever you do, don’t tell Joe,” Alice pleaded. I howled with laughter, knowing that there was no way on earth I was going to keep this story from my dad.
“How much did you pay?” Alice asked me.
“Thirty dollars, plus a five dollar tip,” I told her. “And you?”
“She charged me FORTY dollars, and that didn’t include a tip!” Alice exclaimed.
“I bet you had to pay extra for the nipple massage,” I gasped hysterically.
When my dad returned, we immediately quizzed him about his experience. “It was okay, but I’ve had better,” he told us. “She talked a lot and didn’t use enough pressure on my back and shoulders.”
I was still reeling from Alice’s story, and could not contain my laughter.
“Well, I guess I’ll tell you before Amber does,” Alice began. And she proceeded to repeat her story again, with more embellishments than before.
My dad and I spent the rest of the trip teasing Alice, asking her if she was ready for another “Patagonian style” massage. To this day, we still double over with laughter when we talk about it.
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Tonya
June 7th, 2009
12:53 pm
Every year we take a road trip to Pensacola Beach. Its breathtaking with its sugar white sand and blue clear water. Its a must see & experience. http://www.visitpensacolabeach.com/
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dan
June 8th, 2009
2:35 pm
More han once went to Wheeliefest ihe Pocohnos even camping once. Cool people, music and free beer!!!!
warren
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CONTEST Finalists for family vacation stories! | Still Traveling
June 8th, 2009
2:41 pm
[...] Read the previous entry: We want your family vacation stories! [...]
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Smack
June 8th, 2009
5:19 pm
Just got back from Riverbend in Chattanooga! Good times!
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CONTEST Finalists for family vacation stories! | Still Traveling | Ireland today
June 8th, 2009
6:51 pm
[...] the rest here: CONTEST Finalists for family vacation stories! | Still Traveling Tags: brother, cottage, join-us-, their-cottage, were-going, were-there- [...]
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Dale
June 8th, 2009
10:50 pm
There will be a Twi/Tour Salute to Twilight Convention in Atlanta July 10-12 with many of the stars. Did you know? If you’re interested kindly join http://www.myspace.com/twilightconventions
For more information about Twilight Conventions coming to other cities please visit http://www.twilightconvention.com
Thank you.
Anita
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sanz smith
June 9th, 2009
8:01 am
I recall playing that game with my family members also. Great way to travel.
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Cris
June 9th, 2009
10:51 am
Funni stuff that “pull my finger” game.
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Are you a movie location “set jetter”? | Still Traveling
June 9th, 2009
2:13 pm
[...] You’ve sent in your tales of memorable family trips. We’ve narrowed them to three finalists. Vote for your favorite story and qualify to win a grand prize. [...]
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Do you plan on taking the Twilight Cruise? | Still Traveling
June 9th, 2009
2:15 pm
[...] You’ve sent in your tales of memorable family trips. We’ve narrowed them to three finalists. Vote for your favorite story and qualify to win a grand prize. [...]
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Wabbit
June 9th, 2009
2:42 pm
I guess you can consider this a family vacation. My father had recently married a bimbo and he wanted me to meet my new “grandparents”. (My dad got along with them because they were the same age.)
On one hot July day, Dad, the bimbo, my boyfriend and I started up the interstate in Dad’s brand new motor home. The bimbo had picked it out so of course, it had all of the bells and whistles. After many miles, my boyfriend told me that he was not feeling well and went into the bathroom. That is when we discovered that there was something horribly wrong with the plumbing.
The smell that filled vehicle was deadly. The bimbo and I kept looking at each other, and finally broke into hysterical laughter. We started opening every window as quickly as possible which resulted in everything not tied down to start blowing around like we were stuck in the middle of a tornado. Soon thereafter, we discovered that opening the windows and letting in hot air only exacerbated the smell.
My father reacted to the smell and the flying debris by trying to outrun it. The worse the smell got, the faster he drove. Pretty soon, we were flying. He passed everyone and everything. You know how they tell you to vary your speed when breaking in a new vehicle, well that went out the window (while the smell did not). He had the pedal to the metal and was not letting up.
My boyfriend finally came out of the bathroom, looking sort of green. When he realized what he had caused, he played the “I am sick” card (which was really the “I am embarrassed” card) and went to the back to lie down.
Shortly afterward, he called me to the back. There, he took my hand and asked me to marry him. That was almost 15 years ago and we have been happily married for over 14 years now. Dad and the bimbo did not fare as well. She has gone back to bimbo-land which made everyone happy.
So, while most women can paint a pretty picture of the story of how they got engaged, the one I can relate has mini-tornados, noxious odors and my dad driving up the interstate like a bat out of hell.
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Angela
June 10th, 2009
9:32 am
I often frequent National and State parks any chance I get. I absolutely love the outdoors that is when it’s not a code orange smog alert day. I feel that parks are treasures and are great for getting and staying in touch with nature. They are places to unwind and remove you from the daily bump and grind. I do not know whether or not the free weekend deals will encourage or entice anyone to visit a park, but what else can a park offer? Most already have free admission, free walking/hiking trails, free educational classes and tours, and so on. If the free weekend deals help bring a couch potato or serious gamer outside, then I think that’s a good thing. If it brings a family closer together, I feel that’s wonderful. If this helps anyone appreciate the beauty of Nature, I think this is fantastic!
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Carol
June 10th, 2009
9:33 am
I’m sending my husband to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a long weekend of golf…but he has to bring me and the kids with him! Can’t pass up a family vacation at the Alabama Gulf Coast. And it’s a great place for golf, so he’ll get plenty of time on the green that weekend!
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Rob
June 10th, 2009
10:40 am
The squirrel story is hilarious! The poor dad, stuck in the doghouse. Haha
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Laurie Goldsmith
June 10th, 2009
12:40 pm
Georgia folks in NYC
When we were in college, my husband (boyfriend then) and I decided to go to New York City with my sister and a friend of hers. My parents were living in New Jersey so it was an easy hour bus ride. We arrived at Port Authority bus station in New York not knowing what to expect. The first thing we saw when getting off the bus was a crash right in front of us. Two cars collided into each other. The drivers got out, started cursing and yelling at each other. Then they proceeded to get back in their cars and drive off. What a welcome to the Big Apple! Well now we are in NY, what should we do? Going to see a Broadway play sounded like a great idea! We went to Times Square to buy tickets and were amazed at the mobs of people waiting in line. We proceeding to get in a random line and after about 45 minutes of not moving anywhere, we realized the futility of this venture. Someone told us we could go to the Winter Garden theatre and get tickets there to see Cats. We found our way there and hopped in another long line. We were getting tired and hungry so while we waited, my husband went across the street to get Arby’s. He had to take out a loan at the bank next door for the unbelievable New York prices for a measly greasy meal. After another hour, we made it to the ticket window only to be told the only seats left were balcony seats with a partial view for $45! We decided it wasn’t worth it. Now we have wasted a couple of hours in New York City and haven’t seen anything! We headed to the Empire State Building. At this point, I really needed to use the bathroom. I asked the guard where to find a bathroom and he rudely says “Upstairs! Move along!” Upstairs??! We got our tickets and proceeding to the line. I think all people do in New York City is wait in line! We go up the elevator a few flights and got off again looking for a bathroom. Once again we were told the bathroom was Upstairs…Yes, I had to go to the top of the Empire State Building to find a bathroom! Next we planned to go to the Statue of Liberty. However, when we got there, the last ferry of the day had left. We braved ourselves on the subway with a lot of rude and pushy people. Getting directions was nearly impossible and the maps were confusing and not very helpful. We finally made it to Little Italy for a delicious Italian dinner (the highlight of the trip!) Then we realized that we had to find our way back to Port Authority to get home. We were on the subway discussing how to get back when another man told us he was going there so follow him. He got off and we set out to follow him. Being from the South, we were not used to the pace of the New Yorkers. He took off running and we boogied after him. It was quite the site, the four of us chasing the strange man down the street. A couple of times we thought we’d lost him, but one of us would shout “There he goes around that corner! Hurry!”. Breathless and tired, we finally made it to the bus station. My husband decided that New York City was too faced-paced and unfriendly for his taste. He was ready to go home to the southern hospitality of Atlanta.
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Bruce
June 10th, 2009
12:51 pm
I like the Atek OnBoard Travel Keyboard.
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JS
June 10th, 2009
1:42 pm
Squirrel!
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Send Dad away for Father’s Day | Still Traveling
June 10th, 2009
4:35 pm
[...] You’ve sent in your tales of memorable family trips. We’ve narrowed them to three finalists. Vote for your favorite story and qualify to win a grand prize. [...]
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cp
June 10th, 2009
9:16 pm
The “pull my finger” guy writes really well.
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AW
June 11th, 2009
8:22 am
It’s amazing that most men still have their fingers!!
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Donna
June 11th, 2009
1:00 pm
We’re leaving in a week to Cancun mexico. I’ve been reading alot, and it obviuos its not a ghost town, things are open.(malls and clubs) Hope everything will be fine. I will for sure comment on this site when i get back.
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jt
June 11th, 2009
9:30 pm
Squirrel!!!!!
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Mike
June 11th, 2009
10:55 pm
So my wife and I are on a company trip to Amelia Island and staying at the Ritz Carlton. I’m scheduled to play golf with a colleague but I have to rush to take a shower and in my haste to get in and get out, I hang my shirt from the emergency fire sprinkler on the ceiling just inside the bathroom door. As I’m showering my wife rushes in, the door brushes the shirt and sets off the emergency fire sprinkler in the room and I mean it was like Niagara Falls in the bathroom. A flood begins in the bathroom with water running into the bedroom and out into the hallway. My wife is screaming, not knowing what has happened–only that she is being sprayed with gray water. I’m in a panic running out of the room with just a towel setting off other alarms trying to find a housekeeping person. I made the tee time but we’ve never been invited back!
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sbrequa
June 12th, 2009
12:07 am
I can just picture all those long family trips squished much too close for much too long…very humorously portrayed!
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wdammons
June 12th, 2009
9:46 am
I laughed right out loud on the ‘Pull My Finger’ story.
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Tommy
June 12th, 2009
10:50 am
How about everyone just pays by the pound? You would be charged a flat rate for your seat and then a premium based on your weight. So the 120 lb woman pays one price and the 300 lb man pays another. This should cover the airline’s expense of occasionally needing to allot an extra seat for a large person and rewards people for being lighter. That could be positive public health intervention as well as good business practice.
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CONTEST The grand prize for vacation stories | Still Traveling
June 12th, 2009
12:27 pm
[...] Vote for the finalists of family vacation stories! [...]
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CT
June 12th, 2009
6:20 pm
I didn’t think pull my finger was that funny.
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Mary
June 13th, 2009
12:22 pm
Wow. What an ugly issue, huh? In 2 weeks I am going to Ireland & I have been in tears since I purchased the tickets. Why? Im fat. LOL! If you think it’s uncomfortable to sit NEXT to me? Try BEING me!! I am already anticipating the narrow ailes, the seats, the struggle with the seatbelt – and oh no… the bathrooms! I don’t know if I require a belt extension. I Can put my armrest down, but not sure about the tray! AND I am able to squeeze my “girth” into the seat. But It still sucks. For me, the person next to me, and for the poor flight attendants who have to “watch me” board to see if Im gonna cause the plane to lean to one side.
This is my question. From reading people’s cruel & humiliating respnses re: fluffy folks having the NERVE to leave our houses & force the perfect to look at us – what is the issue? Is the issue #1 – charge us more as a form of punishment for letting ourselves “go” & wanting to fly somewhere? Why should we have to buy another seat?? WHY can’t the airlines accomodate us? which, in turn, accomodates you perfect skinny people?? OR #2 – Is the issue that there is an actual SAFETY concern regarding our weighing more than average, thus creating a risk to the mechanics of the aircraft?? Many of you mention that we should have to weigh-in & pay a “fat tax” if we exceed the set requirement. That IS reason enough to charge us more & I would have no problem with that. I want a safe flight too!!
Many of you – and RIGHTLY SO – commented that you paid for a full seat on a flight and deserve to enjoy your trip. Absolutely. Totally agree. BUT – I did too. I paid for a seat on a plane & like it or not – I deserve to be comfortable as well & not subjected to nasty remarks, insults, stares & humiliation. Why am I “lesser” of a customer, deserving of nothing, but expected to pay the same as, if not twice as much as the skinny? If airlines are going to charge us more, humiliate us in front of everyone, threat “bumping” us off the flight… why should I have to pay to be treated that way?? Would any of you skinny folks pay more for that treatment? Do you really think that makes me feel good? Do you really think Im not aware of my weight issue? Do you really think I’m luggin’ this extra crap around with me for giggles??
Make the reason for the discrimination clear at least. I’m a kind person. I’m a reasonable person. I am a respectful person. I am a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a sister & a friend. I am a 911 dispatcher who may save your life someday. Would it really be such a hardship on you all to be as kind to me as I am to you?
Yes, YOU… the one who’s been up drinking all night & smells like stale booze. YOU, the chain smoker. YOU, the one who refuses to wear deodorant. YOU, the one who bathes in perfume/cologne. YOU, who ate a pound of garlic before boarding & didn’t brush their teeth. YOU, with the crying baby, sick baby, hyper-active toddler, or kid that stares at me through the crack between the seats in front of mine. YOU, who won’t stop talking to me. YOU, who WON’T talk to me. You with the spider legs longer than the aisle who has no choice but to stretch them over near me…(and go right ahead! BUT,only after you purchase an extra “floor” space).
I appreciate EVERYONE’s right to get what they paid for & expect a comfortable flight where they can move & breath & not feel “smooshed”… I really do. I want that as well.
How about instead of attacking us poor, lazy, smelly, oozers of fat into others paid for personal space – we ask the airline’s to stop packing us in like sardines & for THEM to address the issue. Don’t any of you get that?? The airlines are struggling & instead of providing REAL answers & resolutions – they are pointing to the fat & yelling “blame them!! it’s all their fault!! We don’t like them on our planes EITHER!!” and ask them to grow the hell up & make seats/sections available to accomodate ALL customers who are paying the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY & deserve the SAME treatment.
Thanks for allowing me to vent – and if any of you are forced to sit next to me in 2 weeks to Ireland, I promise to lean out into the aisle the entire 10hours & make sure NONE of our body parts even slightly touch….
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Melissa Eubanks
June 13th, 2009
1:03 pm
Spring Break 2007. My family and I were on a short get-a-way to Helen, Ga and my kids wanted to swim so we hunted a hotel that had a indoor pool because it was kinda chilly. So we wound-up at the Super 8, checked in for a 2 night stay, paid cash(upfront), went to our room and changed to go to the pool. We had a great time in the pool and went back to our room to shower and get ready for bed. Thats when the trouble started….(I am the practical joker in the family and I am always trying to scare everyone.)So my kids got out of the shower and the floor in the bathroom was wet, I had my pj’s on and I had to use the bathroom, so I grabbed a towel, wiped up the floor and tossed it in front of the sink in the other room. Well, when I tossed it there was something brown that looked like a shoe string. Well, being funny, I screamed SNAKE. My husband and kids jumped on top of the beds sreaming and yelling “Get it, Get it” I’m laughing at them, bent over the towel to actually see what was in it and dang if it wasn’t a snake. It looks up at me and hisses and a fork-it tounge come out and shakes at me! Then I really start screaming snake, snake! I WET MYSELF!(I do not like snakes at all)and they knew that I was for real this time. My husand, not coming to my rescue, yells at me to get the garbage can and put it over it. I say a few bad words at him and try to get him to understand that “he” is “the man” and he should be the one to trap the snake. My kids were screaming, My oldest daughter was yelling she wanted to take a picture of it and all I was thinking was this snake is between me and the door, and if the flash goes off will it scare the snake more and it come after me like the deer did in “Are we there yet”. Well,”I” trap the snake in the garbage can, with my husband still standing on the bed and my kids run to get the front desk attendant. The lady come in and takes the snake, kills it and returns to informs us that it was a baby copperhead. She asks us if we wanted to change rooms, my husband tells her that it was late(by this time it was 1:00am)and he did not want to move everything so “he” was ok. SHe leaves our room. I explain to him(in a nice, sweet, calm voice)that if there is a baby cooperhead, there is a BIG MAMA Copperhead somewhere near and me and the kids would not be staying in that room, we would be sleeping in the truck! He then decides that we should change rooms. The lady at the front desk changes our room to a room on the upper floor, kinda laughing about our situation. We get to the other room and we try to settle-in, it is now about 3:00am. We try to watch happy cartoons to forget about the snake. That works for my husband and kids, they fall asleep(for a little while)I keep watching cartoons and a dang GEICO commerical comes on, that stupid lizards tail looks like a snake wiggling around. Then everything starts looking like little snakes. Even on Sponge Bob-theres a little eel that looks like a snake. I start feeling like something is crawling on me, I can’t sleep so I go downstrairs and wait for them to wake-up. They come down around 8:00am and say that they can’t rest either. We speak to the new lady at the counter and explain that we would not be staying the 2nd night and she stated that the other lady told her what had happened and that she was sorry. Well, I was really expecting to be refunded(at least)for the 2nd night that we had pre-paid for and she said that she couldn’t do that and that we needed to speak to the manager that was out of town and he would get with us sometime next week. I kept calling and calling for a few weeks only to finally receive a letter from the hotel that stated that they were sorry for our “unwanted, un-invited guest” in our room,(never mentioned SNAKE) and offered us a free night stay. We NEVER took them up on the offer!
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CONTEST The winner of family trip tales - ‘Pull my finger’ | Still Traveling
June 15th, 2009
10:15 am
[...] What is the grand prize! [...]
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CONTEST We want your vacation horror stories | Still Traveling
June 15th, 2009
10:28 am
[...] The winner for Family trip tales: “Pull my finger” [...]
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CONTEST We want your vacation horror stories | Still Traveling
June 15th, 2009
10:35 am
[...] What is the grand prize! [...]
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Browncoat
June 15th, 2009
12:44 pm
Took a trip to Florida once …… and was attacked by zombies from a retirement home. Kinda like “Dawn of the Not Quite Dead”.
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Dennis
June 16th, 2009
12:18 am
My wife and our son took a Disney Cruise, which was wonderful by the way, and booked the flights both ways with all transfers included. Everything was great until it was time to come home. Instead of the Orlando Airport, where we flew into, we were routed to I believe, Melbourne. We were the only people routed that way so we had our own special car and driver. After we finally found our own special car and driver, we took off for the wonderful airport in Melbourne, Florida. We arrived a bit over 3 hours before our flight left so we checked in and went through security, to the gate. The airport is not quite what we were used to in Atlanta, but then again, we would still be on Delta. After a short time of waiting, the other flight, (not flights), left the airport. Ironically, it was also for Atlanta. The wonderful people of the Delta crew finished up their work after the flight left and they took off for the terminal lobby. There was one guy who was working a small snack table and he left also. This left myself, my wife, and my son to occupy the whole concourse. Not another soul in sight. It didn;t take long to get thirsty so I went looking for some refreshment. Not one machine or water fountain in sight. I told my wife I would go back through the terminal and get us something to drink and a snack, to bide our time. I goth the snacks and started to go back to the concourse and take their snacks and was stopped at security and told I could not go back to the gate. The reason stated to me was that security was at lunch. It would be an hour or so until they returned. OK, can you go tell my wife to come out and wait with me. No I can’t. Is their anyone who can go tell them to come out? No I was told. I went to the Delta ticket counter and the same helpful people who were at the gate for the earlier flight were standing there doing absolutely nothing. I told them my dilema and asked for their help. There comment was, that they had no one who could go get my wife and son. OK, call back there and page them. No, can’t do that either. All these people were going to let my wife and six year old son wait there for the better part of two hours, not knowing where I was or what I was doing, in a strange airport on top of that. I went up the chain of command until I reached the airpot manager and he was able to convince the helpful Delta folks that they could go get my wife and son. They finally, rudely, went and asked her to come out and meet me. Had I been the type person to yell, they would have heard me calling them. It was that close, but all the helpful security workers couldn’t go back and get them. We finally were able to board and fly home, back to Atlanta. Here we go to pick up our luggage and, yep, you guessed it. It was not there. Without going into detail about that fiasco, it took me 5 more helpful security people, until one of them would look on their little handheld and tell me that my luggage was sent on the frst flight, that left as we were checking into the Melbourne Airport. It was already in the lost and found office, on a shelf. Moral of the story is; I think I will drive to the port for my next cruise.
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mama D
June 16th, 2009
12:31 am
My family and I just took a 7 day trip to Pigeon Forge, TN. My family included my 4 kids ages 15,17,and twins 13, my two dogs, myself and husband and our fish named Killer riding in a Expedition packed to the rim. Upon our arrival we decided to stop at the Dollar General to get some paper items. After shopping in the store I took my items to the car and proceeded to take the shopping cart back to be placed with others that were outside. I was almost there when I saw a SNAKE about 6 feet long and a little fatter than a 16 oz bottle. It’s head was in an attack mode. I took off, left the buggy there and started screaming snake and ran, ran, ran. I was ready to run back to Ga. After that major shock, I didn’t know if I wanted to stay but the family talked me into continuing the trip. From that point on it rained cats and dogs everyday and my children were acting out because we didn’t have any reception or WIFI in the cabin. We went to Dollywood and got rained out. Then the cabin was not the best. Imagine in a cabin with all the kids and animals with nothing to do and having to cook everyday. I went on a nightmare journey not a vacation.
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Mary Jane Kolassa
June 16th, 2009
8:27 am
What a shame the AJC is sponsoring a “travel horror stories” contest, when the nation’s tourism industry — and Americans who work in it, and those whose livelihoods are in a trickle down fashion also dependent upon it — have been so negatively impacted due to the economy.
Why not be “part of the solution” instead and sponsor a contest about the best vacation taken in the USA? Or where/why would you like to visit someplace in this great land of ours next vacation?
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Bruce Strum
June 16th, 2009
9:38 am
We were at Club Med Turks and Caicos for our Honeymoon in 1995. As part of our excursion, we were able to rent a deserted island. We met the boat at the appointed time and we were taken to our “island.” I asked the boat driver, “If it rains, do we move to another island?”. Ronnie Rastafarian responds, “Yeah mon. No Worries”. Well 15 minutes after drop off, the storm clouds closed in with a torrential downpour. With only a mesh umbrella lined with scuba flippers ,to keep our stuff dry. It didn’t really work out. We had a cooler with a baguette, a boiled egg and ham. Around lunch we were blessed by 16 minutes of sunshine, which was long enough for the reef sharks to close in on our position and keep us on the beach. The rains started up again, so severely we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us. Well, the boat arrived promptly at 6:00 pm, exactly 1 hour late. The new rasta driving the boat had gotten lost on his way to find us. He anchors the boat, trims the motor up and we load up. The trim won’t push the motor back down, and the boat is drifting with the tides. I finish the beer that was left in the cooler. I put on my snorkel mask and go overboard. I am looking around and notice the huge channel in the seabed. It’s the anchor, not holding, at all. We are being pulled into the serious channel. I bring this to the attention of our “Captain”. He immediately brings out the radio and calls for help. As I am watching this unfold, he doesn’t realize the radio is not even wired in, nor wireless! So our mayday calls go unheard. After one hour of trying, we finally got the motor started. As the “captain” takes off, I hear this enormous banging. I realize that the anchor has not been brought back up and is banging into the hull, repeatedly. We stop, I haul the anchor in and we get back. We find out when we return the storm was the outer bands of a hurricane. We have the vast majority of this whole day on tape.
Not to be outdone by the weather, we had the ability to use a trapeze at the resort. Two days later, we did the introductory class and went up on the trapeze. I am a large man. 6′2″ tall and 250 pounds. When i went off the platform and my shoulders had to hold my wait, needless to say it pulled both shoulders out of joint. Nothing has worked right since.
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Hannah
June 16th, 2009
10:28 am
Perdido Key in Florida was one of the best vacations I ever took! We didn’t play “pull my finger”, but we did swim and play frisbee on the gorgeous beaches, and we even went camping for a few days! Perdido Key was an absolute blast.
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Hannah
June 16th, 2009
10:30 am
Perdido Key in Florida was a great vacation! And the drive down wasn’t too horrific. The scenes of the coastline are absolutely gorgeous and keep you pretty entertained, instead of having to play “pull my finger!” we sat back and enjoyed the ride.
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JMS
June 16th, 2009
11:12 am
My Husband and I love to scuba dive. We try to take a trip once a year. We went with a group to Cozumel, Mexico. I did not feel the need to take my entire wallet so at the last minute, before leaving for the airport, I took my credit card wallet out of my purse and threw it on the bed taking only my one credit card and my Green card out of the wallet and sliding them both into the side flap of my purse…or so I thought….. (My green card was in an envelope to protect the magnetic strip) We had a great 5 day dive trip and on Sunday we headed back to Cancun to catch our flight to Atlanta. Standing in line at the check in counter I reached into my purse felt the envelope with my “green” card and pulled it out to present it with my passport, imagine my horror when I looked down and saw what I was holding was my work “Manager card”, the only other card I keep in an envelope!! I rummaged back into my purse and there was nothing else in the side pocket… I had a semi out of body experience as I realized that in my haste to discard my wallet back in Atlanta I had pulled out the only other card that I kept in an envelope, and being in a hurry had not actually looked at it as I stuffed it into my wallet… Yikes!! I tried to stay calm and not panic, hoping that delta check in might not ask for the green card. I know I was grasping at straws at this point, but thought that seeing as I have plenty of stamps in my passport showing back and forth travel and I have a USA driver’s license I might be OK! Well that was not the case. They refused to allow me on the plane. Our dive master tried to convince them that he would be responsible for me and that once we got to Atlanta I would not try to enter the USA until my husband went home and retrieved my green card, they still refused to let me board the flight… after much consternation it became clear I was not going anywhere without that green card… I convinced my husband he would have to leave me in Cancun and return to Atlanta to get my card and send it to me…. Easier said than done! Monday also happened to be a federal Holiday so we knew we would get no help till Tuesday if at all, so it made sense to leave me in Mexico and for the Husband to try to overnight my card. Hotel arrangements were made and I bid farewell to all our scuba friends.( all 19 of them!!) Of course looking stupid in front of all those people did not help with the way I was feeling right then either. So off I went into a taxi to take me to the hotel. I would spend the next three nights in Mexico, while my husband tried to get me my green card! I got ripped off in the taxi on the way to the hotel; over paying by 450 Pesos…I found this out on the way back to the Airport as I had an honest taxi driver for that occasion…. So I settled in and for two days had a migraine headache with no medication. Back in Atlanta my husband was hitting a few bumps of his own…Try telling someone you are mailing a green card to Mexico and see how unhelpful they become…after three attempts to get a carrier to overnight my green card, he found one that will remain unnamed, as they said they should not do it but they could see his growing distress. Being international it would not necessarily be overnight but it would get to me as fast as humanly possible. In the interim I was calling from the hotel using my credit card to find out when I should receive my green card, and then on the second day of my exile, my bank noticing the calls and charges coming out of Mexico put a block on my card! My first indication was at lunch when the waiter returned my card and said did I have another form of payment…luckily I had some pesos so I paid left and returned to the hotel, tried to call my bank to see what was going on as I knew I had plenty of $$ in the account. So now I cannot even make that call as the phone company is telling me my card is blocked. I am wondering how I am going to pay for the hotel stay. I have only 500 pesos. I am at this point still thinking I need the 500 pesos to get back to the Airport. I managed to have one of the telephone operators call my husband and have him call me so I could tell him my card is blocked and get my bank on the phone and unblock my card… Finally on Wednesday I received the envelope with my green card, I checked out and rushed to the Airport to try to get on the 4pm flight, I just made it and arrived back in Atlanta later that night…After that experience I decided it as time to apply for my USA Citizenship so that would never happen again and I am glad to say I am now a US citizen! The phone charges on my card, alone, were over $800 for those 4 days…That was 5 years ago, now finally, I can laugh about it, but at the time it was not at all amusing!
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JOHN
June 16th, 2009
11:23 am
IN THE LATE SEVENTIES,AS TEENAGERS,ABOUT 6 OF US WENT TO FLORIDA.WE HAD USE OF A CONDO ON THE BEACH FOR A WEEK ,FREE!THE IST DAY WAS PERFECT.IT STARTED RAINING THE 2ND DAY.IT RAINED 17 INCHS THAT WEEK.AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF CABIN FEVER,A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS WERE OUT ON THE BALCONY HORSEPLAYING,WHEN ONE OF THEM SLIPPED AND FELL OVER THE RAILING.HE FELL 5 STORIES!!!HE LANDED ON THE HOOD OF A MERCEDES BENZ THAT WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT BELOW.WE THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD,BUT THE HOOD BROKE HIS FALL ENOUGH,THAT HE WAS JUST KNOCKED OUT.HE WAS OUT FOR 36 HRS!HE AWAKENED AND ,OTHER THAN BEING SORE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS ,HE WAS FINE.THE WORST PART WAS CALLING HIS PARENTS(WHO DID NOT LIKE US),TO COME AND PICK HIM UP AT THE HOSPITAL IN A STATION WAGON.WE LATER LAUGHED ABOUT THE WHOLE ORDEAL,BECAUSE MERCEDES HAD ALWAYS CLAIMED TO BUILD THE SAFEST CARS IN THE WORLD.MY FRIEND WAS LIVING PROOF OF THAT!!!!!
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Chris
June 16th, 2009
12:02 pm
In 2001, my wife and I took our Honeymoon to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. We were staying at a nice all-inclusive resort and all was well for the first two days. However, on the third day, I awoke with a stomach ache that I subsequently ignored while drinking, snorkeling, just trying to make the most of our time. Later that day, I became violently ill, throwing up with severe pains and other digestion related complications. I went on like this for a while until I became sick to the point where I couldn’t walk. I somehow ended up on the phone with a doctor who told me I needed to go to a hospital. However, the hotel did not help us get there! There was no ambulance and we had to call a taxi to take me into Castries and to the hospital. I was carried into the hospital by my wife and a man from the hotel who had finally volunteered to come and help us. They took me through the lobby (dirty with little plastic public school chairs) and into the main room of the hospital where there were 6 beds (for a city of 60,000!). They took me to a bed that I noticed had blood stains on the sheets and laid me down. I remained there for a while, watching the bugs crawl on the wall next to me. Much time passed, and I didn’t know why my wife wasn’t with me and why no one was examining or treating me. I later found out that the hospital refused to treat me until my wife brought back a receipt from the lobby saying she had paid. The complication with this is that she was very stressed out and hadn’t eaten in a while and therefore had fainted in the lobby. All this time my eyes were rolling in to the back of my head and I was certain that bad things were coming. Anyway, there was a tall man in the bed next to me who woke up about this time. I heard him say “Boy”, “Hey Boy, I’m going to kill you boy”. He kept repeating this over and over and over for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, my wife arrived, handed the doctor a yellow paper, came over, slammed the curtain shut between me and the crazy man who wanted to kill me and sat down on the bed next to me. At this point, I needed to go to the bathroom (I still hadn’t been examined or treated). My wife walked me there. It turns out that the bathroom was a toilet with no seat and no toilet paper that sat exposed along a wall in a hallway. I sat there and then realized that something was off. There was no wall at the end of the hallway! There was a crumbling section of a wall with people milling about on the other side of it, all of them watching me half-consciously using the toilet in the hall. After that ordeal, my wife walked me back to the treatment room and to my bed. Finally, the doctor came over and pulled out a needle (which was not brand new and pulled from a sterile package
) and started the IV. I was there on the IV and sleeping for hours. Eventually, they told us to leave. We had to call a cab, I still had to be carried to it and got back to the hotel. The next day, my wife informed me that we had spent $125 of the $175 we had left on us and still had several days of the trip left to go. We then had to spend the other $50 on a prescription I was given and the taxi to go and get the prescription. Good thing it was an all-inclusive resort! That was it, we tried to enjoy the rest of the trip while I recovered. I’d love to win a trip so that I could give my wife the Honeymoon she never had!
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KIM
June 16th, 2009
12:25 pm
WE WENT TO NEW YORK FOR SPRING BREAK.. MY HUSBAND AND 10 YEAR OLD TWINS.. OUR KIDS LOVE NEW YORK AND WE WERE GOING TO DO IT UP IN THE BIG CITY! ON DAY 2 OF OUR TRIP I STARTED TO FEEL KIND OF CRUMMY , BUT I DID NOT LET THAT INTERFERE WITH OUR FUN.. I HAD A REALLY BAD INTESTINAL BUG, BUT BEING STUBBORN.. I TRUDGED ON AND DID NOT LET ON THAT I FELT LIKE CRAP….ON OUR SECOND TO LAST DAY WE WENT TO A FABULOUS SHOW THAT I HAD WAITED 2 YEARS TO SEE.. BEFORE THE SHOW WE WENT TO DINNER AND MY DAUGHTER CLAIMED THAT SHE DID NOT FEEL TO WELL.. I TOLD HER TO SIP COKE AND SHE WOULD BE FINE.. WELL WE GOT TO THE SHOW .. AT THE INTERMISSION SHE SAID SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS GOING TO PUKE.. WELL SHE RAN TO THE BACK OF THE FANCY THEATER AND BARFED ALL OVER THE FLOOR AS PEOPLE WERE MILLING AROUND GETTING DRINKS AND PROGRAMS ETC… SHE KEPT BARFING.. THE USHERS RAN TO GET TOWELS ETC AND THE THEATER MANAGER CAME AND LOOKED UPSET.. BUT GOT SOMEONE TO HELP ME CLEAN UP THE MESS…. I TRIED HELPING AND PEOPLE KEPT WALKING THRU IT WITHOUT LOOKING!… THE 2ND HALF WAS ABOUT TO START AND EVERYONE GOT BACK TO THEIR SEATS.. ALL EXCEPT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN FRONT OF US… AND MY DAUGHTER SAID SHE FELT BETTER… WELL… THE CURTAIN WENT UP AND A FEW SECONDS LATER… SHE BARFED AGAIN.. THIS TIME ..ON ME… I RAN HER TO THE BACK OF THE THEATER AND SHE BARFED INTO THE TRASHCAN IN THE REAR OF THE THEATER!
WHAT A SHOW!
THE NEXT MORNING, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE OUR LAST DAY, WE HAD BOOKED A LATER FLIGHT SO WE COULD ENJOY THE DAY… WE ENDED UP IN BED IN THE HOTEL ROOM.. MY HUSBAND WAS WORKING ON HIS LAPTOP, DAUGHTER IN BED FEELING BAD AGAIN, ME FEELING A LITTLE BETTER, AND THEN MY SON SAID THAT HE FELT TERRIBLE AND HE BARFED ALL OVER THE FLOOR OF THE HOTEL BATHROOM..THEN CRAWLED BACK INTO BED… WE FELT MISERABLE BUT HAD FUN ANYWAYS! NEVER A DULL MOMENT!
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Lisa
June 16th, 2009
12:28 pm
How about this for a “vacation of a lifetime.” I’m a school teacher in Dekalb, so my husband and I were married last year after school ended. So this year (literally just 2 weeks ago), we were packed and getting ready to leave for the airport for our 1 year anniversary trip to Spain. Our plan was to travel the country for about 8 days, via trains, rental cars, etc.
On Monday, June 1 (our flight was to leave at 5:45 to Barcelona), I went outside to cover the grill on our back patio at 12:45PM…since we were leaving for the airport at 3:00. As I moved the grill to put it back in place, I felt a sharp pain on my right foot. At first, I thought it was a bee sting…but as I jumped away and looked down, I see a foot-long copperhead snake!!! It had bitten my 2nd toe on my right foot.
My husband rushed me to the paramedics, who took me to the hospital. The initial diagnosis was that I’d have to stay for 2 hours for observation….then it became 6 hours. Delta was AWESOME, and agreed to move our flights, at no charge, to Tuesday, June 2….then, they made me stay overnight…which then became 2 nights.
As I write this, I’ve just begun walking (limping–not near full use yet), and I drove for the first time on Saturday.
We had to cancel everything–hotels in 5 cities, Rail Europe train passes, rental cars, meeting with friends, and our flights. So rather than shopping in museums, sampling all kinds of Spanish culture, and seeing the great museums of Spain (I’m an art teacher), I spent the vaction on crutches and laid up, taking pain and poison medications. Call it the nightmare vacation that never got off the ground.
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Melinda Chestnut
June 16th, 2009
12:29 pm
A lovely and expensive vacation to a St. Kitt’s resort. Upon arrival, no fruity drink with an umbrella, no one to haul our bags through the resort and up three flights of steps after an 11 hour trek to get there and that was just the beginning.
The next day, the afternoon tea sandwiches consisted of Velveeta cheese on stale white bread that I wouldn’t even feed to the cats hanging around the pool.
It was the drinks after dinner the first night that started all the trouble when some drunken teenagers from the UK picked a fight over a discussion about basketball with my (then) boyfriend. They broke his foot, two ribs, and gave him a black eye. Security didn’t help and just let it continue. They threatened to stab me in my “liver”.
The following morning, I went to get some breakfast to take back to the room and the hotel manager called me over to the desk. He told me we had to leave the resort as the folks from UK always had “special treatment”. Was this guy kidding me? We paid a lot of money for a dream vacation – no way we were leaving. I told him to call the police – he wouldn’t. He told me we had to leave the resort in the morning and couldn’t return until evening and that was the only way he wouldn’t kick us out of our room.
I called our travel agent who could not do anything. I rented a Jeep and broken foot and I would go out all day. The shining spot of the entire vacation were the pristine beaches that we never would have found had we not been forced to leave the “compound”.
Thanks, but I’ll return to the USVI from now on!
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hedtil
June 16th, 2009
12:37 pm
Some years ago, I took a vacation through Togo, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire. I was a peace corps volunteer living in Niger at the time, and was SO looking forward to seeing green things, water, and fruit (Niger is pretty much entirely Sahara desert). My traveling buddy and I were fairly broke, so we were traveling with just a little bit of cash and nothing else (we only earned $175 a month as volunteers – and had no credit cards or bank accounts as back-up).
We started in Togo, which was lovely and lush. A ‘butterfly walk’ through the forest revealed not a single butterfly, but that was ok – there were pineapples and fruit growing right out of the ground and that was awe-inspiring enough (did I mention that Niger is a desert?). We traveled by bush taxi to Ghana, still having a great time. We stayed at some pretty crappy hotels, but that was expected on our budget. We decided to be adventerous and cross the border into Cote D’Ivoire by a less-traveled route – by canoe. Unfortunately, the town where the boats take off from was tiny, empty, and had no banks. Almost all of our currency was in Ghanaian ceedees, which are worthless outside of Ghana. We forged ahead, thinking someone in Cote D’Ivoire would surely change our money for us.
We hit Cote D’Ivoire, and the little canoe dropped us off at a remote guard post in the middle of nowhere with only us 2 women and 3 male soldiers at the post – around us was just forest for seemingely forever. They seemed friendly, and served us tea just before the bus came. We got on the bus, and had the most bizarre experience of our lives trying to get to Abidjan. Turns out the tea was drugged – an apparently common trick to enable the soldiers to then steal everything from unsuspecting travelers before they are loaded on the bus to the city. Our bus was – fortunately – on time. So we had nothing stolen, but were completely dazed and nearly incoherent for the trip. The trip took around 4 hours; in my memory it was at least 23 hours and went round and round past the same odd patch of forest. I have a vague memory of being dropped off in a huge bus port station, and of stepping off the bus and thinking I might fall straight over. I remember following my traveling companion blindly to the next bus for us to get on, my brain wasn’t working and I couldn’t quite connect where we were or where on earth we were walking to. Frighteningly enough, she remembers it as *me* being the one to find the correct bus, and swears that she followed me in an exhausted stupor and has no idea how *I* got us to the bus. How we actually got on that bus will forever be a mystery.
We made it to the Abidjan airport early the next morning, and decided to wait all day for our evening flight back home as we still had no money in acceptable currencies. When the time for the flight came, there was no mention of it on the board. We asked at the counter, and were told the flight didn’t exist. ??? That was it – no other explanation. Your flight doesn’t exist, go home. There will be a flight that *does* exist tomorrow.
Well, we had no money, so along with some other folks we tried to sleep in the airport. They kicked us out at nightfall and locked the doors. So we decided to sleep on the lawn with the other Africans that had been kicked out with us. Around an hour later security came and chased us off the lawn. Having no idea what to do, and still being fairly woozy even a full day later (hunger might have played a part in that), we spent some of our pathetic amount of CFAs (local currency) to take a taxi to a horrible little hotel near the airport. We begged begged begged the hotel guy to accept our $4 or so for a room. He finally gave us a room (for nearly the rest of our cash) that appeared to be some sort of utility room, but that had 2 tiny, dirty little beds in it. We shoved furniture up against the door (this was really not a good area of town we were in) and tried to sleep. The next day, hungry and exhausted, we made it back to the airport where the flight really did exist.
The flight, operated by Air Ivoire, was horrifying. The carpet on the floor was ripped and showing plywood planks, there was water dripping on our heads, roaches ran by as the stewardess came through and sprayed us all with pesticide. The take-off was shaky and the landing in Mali for our layover was terrifying. It was so bad an African passenger (we were the only non-Africans on the plane) stood up and tried to rally us all to leave the plane in protest and demand a new plane for the next leg to Niger. Not a one of us budged. Much like the rest of the passengers, there was no way we could afford to buy another plane ticket – or even a bus ticket (Mali also uses CFA as currency – same as Cote D’Ivoire and Niger – and we had none). We also knew full well that Air Ivoire would have no qualms at all about leaving an entire group of passengers standing on the tarmac rather than capitulate to any demands. In the decision of whether to risk falling out of the sky on a broken plane, or being stranded in Mali with no credit card, no money, no phone, and no idea how to make it home – we chose the plane.
The plane of course made it to Niger, and all of the passengers cheered in joy when we landed and were still alive. We were able to find tourists heading to Ghana to buy our ceedees in exhcange for CFA, so we could make it from the airport back to our villages. I still have lovely memories of Togo and Ghana, though my memories of the last few harrying days of the trip exist in my mind as a hazy, drug-induced dreamlike nightmare. I still travel in ways that are probably inadviseable, but now I *ALWAYS* have back-up funds in US dollars, always have a credit card, and never accept offers of free drinks!
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Shanna A.
June 16th, 2009
1:28 pm
Well, My story isn’t just about a normal vacation my horror story is about my HONEYMOON!! . Of course you all know weddings are stressful in themselves but it all started on our wedding night we get to the hotel close to the interstate so we can continue to Myrtle Beach for our week long honeymoon and also the first time either of us had been. We get to the hotel and they have given out our nice big king size room with jazzcuzzi and were completely booked up so we settled for a regular room but still had a jazzcuzzi we got o get outta the car and my new husband has hurt his back playing with the ringbearers so he can’t move ( that made for an interesting wedding night) so I was ready to just cancel the honeymoon thinking wewouldnt have much fun if he was in so much pain but he said no way so I ran to Wal-Mart and got a back brace and pain killers and we were on our way Well we get to our beach front hotel and guess what they are doing construction of half of it so it is loud and dirty and right under or room! Well the hotel was nice enough to move us but the view wasn’t near as good. So my new husband is in pain and crabby so we stay in the hotel that night well the next morning we wake up and he can’t get out of bed!! I am thinking”oh lord great we are going to be rugged from now on if I have to get help getting my husband outta bed because his back was hurt on our honeymoon” Well we finally got him out of bed and half way dressed and went of search for a cure Well we finally spot a chriopractor’s office and pull in and since we were across state lines they wouldn’t take his insurance so I had to go find atm to cash and come back well that was pretty much the end of that day because he was so sore from his disc being put back in we just laid in the pool at the hotel. Day 3 we wake up he is feeling ok so we decide to go exploring (for fun not a doctor this time) and end up across town. Well we have a pretty good time and deicde to go back to the hotel and get changed and go to dinner Now the main strip in Myrtle beach is a divided highway with three lanes going one way and 3 lanes going the other way. Well we were in the far right lane ( also known as the slow lane) so we could just kinda cruise and sight see well there was alot of little roads to the right of us you could turn off into to go down side streets . We were enjoying cruising and talking when all of a sudden this Park Ave car goes from the far left lane ( fast lane ) and turns all the way across in fron of us to turn down a side road and we hit and his car slides us down the curb Well we stop and make sure everybody is ok and lucky ended up in a diner’s parking lot so we were outta of the way of other traffic and we get out and the 1st thing this guy says was did you not see my blinker! My husband trying to keep his cool was liek you turned acorss two lanes to turn down a side road! and then another car pulls in and my husband and I are liek great he has a friend with him and he’s going to say it was our fault too but it turned out to be a ex police officer who said he saw the whole thing and would stay and be our witness and then we looked at the car…. the front bumper was gone , the headlight gone and ran over by other traffic and the two tires that had been pushed up against the curb were blown , one completley gone the other leaking air badly and the rims turned inside out. So while we waited on the police to get there this guy who just hit us won’t shut up! Keeps saying I am going to be late for my “T time” I always T off at 10am sharp and I going to miss it because you didn’t see my blinker well suprisely enough my husband was keeping his cool but I was very tempted to slug the guy I mean Honeymoons are non-stressful adn this guy is just being a jerk making a bad thing worse and the cops get there and talk to us 1st and then talk to witness meanwhile my husband with the very sore back Is trying to put a donut on the tire of the worse of the two while this guy is still complaing about his golf as well as standing there saying well maybe he won’t give you too high of a ticket. Well after what seemed forever the officer hands the guy a ticket and the guy stands there and fussing about it but pulls off with little damage to a car that wasn’t even his was his friend’s and then the officer hands my husband one and we look at it and he says did you know your licence had been susupended and my heart fell Im thinking great we are 5 hours from home on our honeymoon with a messed up not sure even driveble car and my husband is fixing to go to jail. But the officer was like it says suspended due to failure to appear on a speeding ticket ( which he had paid 4 days after he gotten) and at this point I am starting to feel lightheaded due to hypervenlation. So they make me sit down and he is like ” Well I can take you in for this but seeing as you are on your honeymoon and you have just been a viticm of a wreck I’ am going to give you this ticket but if you come back on the court date with proof the ticket was paid the ticket will be dropped” So he says bye good luck and we set out to find a way to fix the car well enough to be able to drive home. So my hunny being such a smart cookie goes and buys clear car duct tape at Autozone and make shifts our bumper and whats left of our headlight together but then….the rims they are so warpped that they are eating into whats left of our tire and the donut meanwhile we are havign to stop every few miles to put air back in the tire. So we grab a phone book and start searching for Junk yards in the area which we don’t know ( my car was old enough that was the only place we had hopes of find rims that would fit) So after many many hours and more phones calls then we could count we find one that has the rims and they will put it on for us ( AWESOME) but…then we find out its 1 hour away so with lots or praying and holding our breaths we set out on our hour trip to get new rims well because of the stopping to fill the tire up the 1hours turned into about 2 and then we were praying we would make it there before they closed. Well we did and got the rims and headed back to hotel where we vowed to stay until we left and we did ! So needless to say we just celebrated our 1st Anniversay and someone asked if we were going to go back to the place we spent our honeymoon and we both said real loud real fast NO! NO! never neither of us care to go back there because of the memories but someday it will be a good story to tell our grandkids how we survived our 1st days as husband and wife in a true horror honeymoon story!
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Ragen
June 16th, 2009
2:11 pm
This was truly a vacation that we had anticipated all year – my husband had spent a month in Emory Hospital nine months before, and we definitely needed some rest and relaxation! So, along with another family of good friends, off to Daytona Beach we headed – my husband, myself, our two daughters, and two of their friends – for a week of sun and fun! Well, from the day we arrived, one aspect of the sun and fun was definitely missing – the sun! Every day dawned cloudy, with just a few peeks of sun here and there – and by 2 p.m., the downpours started daily! On Friday morning, we awoke to some very bright yellow substance streaming through the bedroom curtains – sure enough, when I looked outside, the sun was shining brightly and the beach was already packed! We couldn’t get our bathing suits on and get out the door fast enough!
We had spent a couple of hours soaking in the sun and playing in the surf – I was dozing in my beach chair, and my husband and friend were playing Frisbee. The next sound I heard was a very loud “whomp”, and when I looked up, found my husband laying on the beach on his right arm – as he had gone up to catch the Frisbee, a toddler riding a small three-wheeled beach bicycle had literally driven right under his feet, taking them right out from underneath him! He jumped up, with blood streaming from both knees, holding his elbow – and took off running, bleeding, into the ocean – literal shark bait! He had just stopped his Coumadin treatment, so he was bleeding quite profusely – so off we headed to the condo to get cleaned up. We hadn’t made it across the beach before he decided that we had better take a trip to the emergency room – his arm was really throbbing, and he thought it might be broken! I yelled over to my crew to tell them what was going on, and they all came running across the beach – we had made it up the steps to poolside by that time, and waited on them at the top. After we had explained that we were going to the hospital, and for them to stay and enjoy the day, we headed up to the room to get the car keys – only to hear an extremely loud clanking and banging noise – and when I turned around, saw my youngest daughter laying on the floor by the gate, looking like she was having convulsions – she had passed out! A friend picked her up, and we ran into the inside bar area, dripping wet, and lay her down on the couch – I ran to the front desk to ask them to call 911, which some nice person had already done. By the time I got back, the paramedics were coming in – by daughter was already coming to, but they ran straight over to her – a beautiful young teenager in a bikini – completely bypassing my tall, slender, balding husband, who was still bleeding profusely all over the beautiful carpet, holding his arm pitifully, and turning a bright green color! As I explained to the paramedics what had happened, I heard my oldest daughter’s boyfriend saying “mama, she’s going down” – and I turned around to see her hitting her head on the table as she passed out!! There were only two paramedics, and three of my sick family – they didn’t seem to know who to turn to first! The condo employees were running around trying to help also, getting wet rags for everyone and asking if we needed anything to drink! (I figured the condo manager was trying to decide how he was going to get the blood out of the carpet!) I asked the paramedics if we could put them all in the ambulance, and they told me that they would have to call 2 more ambulances – only one patient per vehicle! But, we have some VERY good friends – they had just purchased a brand new Excursion, with leather seats – into which we proceeded to climb to go to the hospital, bleeding, and covered in suntan oil! I’m sure glad that oil is good for the leather! Off we went to the emergency room, dressed only in our bathing suits, to find ourselves waiting in the small waiting area – my youngest daughter, who was feeling much better by this time, said “well, we sure look like a bunch of hicks sitting here barefoot in our bathing suits!”
After a three hour wait (like I said, we have some really great friends!), the consensus was that my two daughters had passed out from the hot sun and dehydration, my husband’s bleeding had clotted on it’s own, and that he had broken his arm!! He got a bright pink cast, and off we headed back to the beach – what a trooper he is! But the sun? Gone, hidden behind some really high haze, just waiting on the next rain shower! And those friends? Well, they haven’t gone back to the beach with us since then!
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Carlos
June 16th, 2009
2:33 pm
My wife High school class was meeting in Miami, FL so we decide to spend several days there. Once I got there I felt slightly sick and told her to go on her own while I rested.