When visiting a foreign country, especially one with an unfamiliar language, grab a book of matches from the hotel where you’re staying as soon as you arrive.
If you get lost in town during your stay, and you know just a little of the language, the book of matches will be a great way to show locals where you need to go, and have them direct you to the right place.
While we’ve undoubtedly helped to clear the air about odor on planes, maybe some of our readers have taken us too seriously. We reported on the passenger who sued the airline for removing him because of his odor; we’ve told you that most U.S. airlines have an odor policy. And we’ve warned you that your plane might be less than fresh. But after the Richard Reid incident, we’d have thought that everyone knows you can’t light matches on planes.
Not everyone has learned the lesson. The AP reported that a Dallas-bound American Airlines flight that was forced to land in Nashville yesterday after the crew smelled burning sulfur. Some matches had been lit by a female passenger in an attempt to conceal a “body odor,” according to the spokeswoman for Nashville’s airport. All 99 passengers and their bags were screened on the ground, and the flight took off once more, but without that passenger, who was detained and questioned by the FBI (but not charged).