Heading to the Winter Olympics? Talking and driving could cost you $160!

by Scott Carmichael on

If you are heading to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, be sure to bring a hands-free headset.

Starting today, British Columbia police will be on the lookout for anyone using their phone without a headset of hands-free car kit. Their new hands-free law went into effect on January 1st, and the grace period for offenders ends today, just in time for thousands of visitors to visit their area.

Penalties are pricey – $167 CAD (about $160 USD). In addition to phone calls, British Columbia also bans text messaging, sending email or anything else that involves looking at the screen of your device.

Bottom line is put your phone down and pay attention to the road (good advice anywhere in the world).

Similar laws are already in place in the United States and a good overview of current states with hands-free laws can be found here.

Mobile headset maker Plantronics has put together some tips on safe driving with your phone, and later this week they’ll join Gadling in giving away some of the hottest Bluetooth headsets on the market.
Safety Tips for Hands-free Devices

Plantronics offers the following tips for keeping both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road when using your cell phone and hands-free device while driving:

  • Trial Run: Practice using your phone and headset together before you drive. Familiarize yourself with the headset controls. Adjust the fit and the microphone on your headset, check the headset settings on your cell phone and stow the phone so it’s out of your way but still accessible.
  • Be Prepared: Program all your frequently called numbers into your phone. This includes your boss, your kids’ babysitter and your favorite neighborhood pizza place. And don’t forget about speed and voice dialing; most phones have those options, so use them as much as possible.
  • Set Up for Success: Just as you check your rearview mirror and secure your seatbelt before driving, be sure to put your headset on and ensure its connected properly to your phone.
  • Driving Comes First: Remember: your first priority is driving. You should only place and receive calls when it’s absolutely necessary.

Ultimate Christmas gift: Flexjet to the Olympics

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Have you booked your ticket to Vancouver yet? The Winter Olympics are coming, and you can count on flights being packed. When that happens, even first class flying’s a drag. And, there’s no upscale treatment for every other part of the travel experience — from curb to gate and baggage claim to the door — which is were you’re bound to spend at least several hours on your journey. If you want to make your trip to the Games memorable, skip the airlines and go private. The Flexjet 25 Jet Card program offers the travel experience you deserve, and a partnership with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will get you access to behind the scenes action that the regular fans won’t even know is possible. Quantities are limited, and you’ll need to travel between February 26 and March 1, 2010.

Guests buying the Flexjet 25 Jet Card — 2010 Gold Edition will receive exclusive access to an award-winning athlete and a look behind the action in Vancouver. But, this is nothing compared to tickets to the events that everyone wants to see: the Closing Ceremony, Men’s Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game, Figure Skating Gala Exhibition and three Short-Track Speed Skating gold medal races. You’ll also receive three nights at Vancouver’s Sutton Place Hotel and access to the city’s top restaurants. And you’ll have your choice of jets, including the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60, Challenger 300 or Challenger 604 business jets.

This is far more than mere private jet travel: the latest from Flexjet 25 is an unparalleled experience in one of the world’s most memorable athletic traditions.

“We continually search for ways to create unique travel opportunities that provide unparalleled access for our owners, wherever their travels take them,” said Sylvain Levesque, Vice President, Marketing, Flexjet 25. “In a time when consumers are more discerning with their spending, we are excited to offer this once-in-a-lifetime experience that jet card owners will remember for years to come.”

Sead Dizdarevic, Chairman and CEO of Jet Set Sports, which is partnering with Flexjet, “Our partnership is a winning combination of the best in private aviation with the premier hospitality our customers have come to look forward to at the Games.”

This is the second jet card inspired by an expert offer. Last year’s involved exclusive access to private meeting experts, with packages offering inside looks at the art world with Barbara Guggenheim and learning to play Texas Hold ’em from World Poker Tour bracelet winner Antonio Esfandiari, among others.

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Score deals to site of 2010 Olympics now

by Katie Hammel on

As excitement for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver builds, most people who haven’t planned ahead are looking for last minute accommodations for the event and finding rates to be quite pricey. During the Games, costs will be as high as the demand, but it seems that in the weeks leading up the event, there are plenty of deals to be had.

Right now though December 17, Whistler-Blackcomb, the official Alpine Skiing venue for the Games, is offering the third night free at many of its best resorts and hotels. The average nightly rate with the promotion works out to just $66 (CAD) for many properties in Whistler Village. Package deals that include two nights of lodging and two days of lift tickets start at $103 per person per night through December 21.

Travelzoo has put together a comprehensive list of the other discounts available in the area and the deals don’t stop at accommodations and skiing. Flights, shuttles, and activities like snowmobiling are also on sale.

The games run February 12-28, and chances are they’ll be even more discounts announced between now and then. So if you’ve got your heart set on a winter wonderland vacation in Vancouver but don’t have a fortune to spend, plan your visit just before the Olympics to take advantage of these great deals.

Vancouver hookers get media training for Olympics

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A magnifying class will be held over Vancouver from February 12 to February 28 for the Winter Olympics, and Vancouver’s prostitutes want to put their best feet forward. To prepare for the influx of business and – media onslaught – Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education Society (PACE) is helping the city’s sex worker population understand what to expect.

The Canadian agency is putting together a brochure that will help the local working girls understand how to handle requests for photos and interviews – and a general sense of what their rights are when dealing with society’s true vermin (the press). In addition to the pamphlet, PACE will hold a discussion session to bolster the printed lessons.

Congratulations, reporters: even hookers aren’t comfortable around you.

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