Travel Blog: News and Briefs
‘Why on Earth Would I, a Childless Adult, Visit Disney World by Myself?’
by Michael Yessis | 03.27.08 | 11:07 AM ET
The “I’ in question here is Seth Stevenson, so I’m pretty sure it’s so he could mine the Mouse for laughs and cultural insight. And, typically, he does so in an entertaining Well-Traveled series this week at Slate. In his own words, though, he says he decided to spend five days entirely within the Disney universe basically “to figure out what the hell’s going on in this place. Because America has clearly decided it’s hallowed ground.”
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Yahoo! Buzz‘Older Brits’ Are Going Wild, Too
by Michael Yessis | 03.27.08 | 10:53 AM ET
It’s not just the study-abroad crowd. From an AFP story: “The drink-fuelled antics of young Britons causing havoc on holiday are well-known—but Britain’s over-55s are now joining them in getting into trouble while abroad.”
Mongolian Hot Pot: ‘The Next Sushi’?
by Eva Holland | 03.26.08 | 11:49 AM ET
In the summer of 2007, when the New Seven Wonders of the World were announced, World Hum rolled out its own list of wonders: the Seven Wonders of the Shrinking Planet. My favorite pick was the California roll, which represented not only the rise of sushi from obscure “ethnic” cuisine to corner store standard but also, as Jim and Michael wrote, “the many ways that cuisines from every corner of the planet are mixing in new, inventive and surprisingly tasty ways.”
Court Rejects New York’s Airline Passenger Bill of Rights
by Michael Yessis | 03.26.08 | 11:09 AM ET
Sponsors of the bill say they’ll “consider crafting new legislation in Albany and pushing for a federal law protecting passengers,” according to the New York Times. Federal legislators have already advanced pieces of a national passenger bill of rights through the House of Representatives.
Report: Pilot’s Shot Pierced Plane’s Fuselage
by Michael Yessis | 03.26.08 | 10:03 AM ET
Authorities still aren’t releasing the name of the pilot whose Heckler & Koch USP .40-caliber pistol accidentally fired on a US Airways flight last weekend from Denver to Charlotte, but a report by Charlotte airport police and photos of the bullet hole are now available.
Travel Headline of the Day: ‘Koala Biscuits to Lure German Tourists’
by Michael Yessis | 03.25.08 | 3:37 PM ET
It tops a story in the Sydney Morning Herald, which begins: “German supermarket shelves have been stocked with koala-shaped biscuits in a bid to lure more big-spending German tourists to Queensland.” Guess this campaign didn’t grab enough big-spending German koala lovers.
Tourists Should be ‘Beat Up,’ Says Bali Bombing Conspirator
by Michael Yessis | 03.25.08 | 12:27 PM ET
Cleric Abu Bakar Bashir called Western tourists in Indonesia “maggots, snakes and worms,” and he urged his followers not to tolerate them in a sermon captured on video by Australian university student Nathan Franklin.
How To Dine Solo in Paris
by Eva Holland | 03.25.08 | 10:37 AM ET
Pilot’s Gun Fires on US Airways Flight
by Michael Yessis | 03.24.08 | 11:27 AM ET
Details are sketchy about the incident, which took place Saturday in the cockpit of a US Airways flight from Denver to Charlotte. The Charlotte Observer reports, however, that it was an accident and nobody was hurt.
R.I.P. Cachao
by Jim Benning | 03.24.08 | 10:25 AM ET
World Hum’s Most Read: March 15-21
by World Hum | 03.21.08 | 5:25 PM ET
Our five most popular features and blog posts this week:
1) How to: Use a Squat Toilet
2) Ask Rolf: I’m Worried About Food Safety Overseas. Any Tips for Staying Healthy?
3) Woman Sues American Airlines For Not Protecting Her From Masturbating Man
4) How to: Cross the Street in Rome
5) Violent Protests Prompt Travel Warnings for Tibet* (pictured)
Photo by apainog via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
About Those Southwest Planes: ‘Is it Really as Bad as it Sounds?’
by Michael Yessis | 03.21.08 | 11:27 AM ET
Patrick Smith offers some sober analysis of the recent Southwest scandal—and the safety of airline travel in general—in his Ask the Pilot column today.
Related on World Hum:
* Report: Southwest Airlines Flew at Least 117 ‘Unsafe’ Planes
Memo to Philly-Bound Foreign Travelers: At Geno’s it’s English Only, or no Cheesesteak For You
by Joanna Kakissis | 03.21.08 | 10:27 AM ET
Don’t bother asking for Philadelphia’s heart-attack sandwich in anything other than good ol’ English when you’re at Geno’s Steaks. The popular cheesesteak eatery can keep up a sign that reads: “This is America. When ordering, please speak English,” according to a ruling this week. In a case that lasted nearly two years, the Philadelphia Commission for Human Relations had tried to force owner Joey Vento to remove the sign because some commissioners found it discriminatory.
Burning, Burning, Burning, and Nothing Can Cool Me?
by Eva Holland | 03.19.08 | 10:17 AM ET
Photo of parking sign at Graceland RV Park by Eva Holland.
I spent the better part of last week literally at the end of Lonely Street, in an RV park across the street from Graceland. Competition was stiff, but my verdict is in: The most hilarious Elvis-related play on words came courtesy of the Heartbreak Hotel’s Jungle Room Restaurant, where the “Hunk a Burning Tenders” are on offer every day from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. The only downside? They really weren’t that spicy.
‘Space Plane’ Manufacturer Projects ‘Big Demand’
by Michael Yessis | 03.19.08 | 8:13 AM ET
Robert Laine, chief technical officer of EADS, says his company plans to build a production line for its space planes in order “to satisfy the space tourism market,” reports the BBC. From the story: “Its market assessment suggests there would be 15,000 people a year prepared to part with some 200,000 euros (£160,000) for the ride of a lifetime.”
