Breaking: Yet another plane crash. This time near Amsterdam

by Jamie Rhein on

I have to say, as much as flying does not bother me, it’s a bit unnerving to click on The New York Times to see if any thing new has happened in the past few hours to find out that the new thing that has happened is another plane crash. This time the crash was just outside Amsterdam, but in a soft field instead of on a house near Buffalo, New York, on snow near Nome, Alaska or on the Hudson River.

The Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800, en route from Istanbul, was almost to the airport when it suddenly lost speed and dropped. According to one person on board, the crash only took a few seconds. According to the article, most people did not suffer major injuries even though the plane broke into two pieces because there wasn’t much fuel left. If there had been more fuel, the outcome would have been worse. Still, the outcome wasn’t good.

Nine people died, including both the pilots. There were 25 with serious injuries, 24 with minor injuries and the rest walked away. In all there were 134 people on board. Considering that I was just in Amsterdam a couple months ago and flew into Schiphol Airport from the U.S., I’m thinking about how those fields looked when we were coming in for our landing. Yep, it’s a bit unnerving.

[This photo by PhillipC is of tulip fields when he was in route to Amsterdam from Gatwick.]

44 snakes and lizards almost smuggled on a plane

by Jamie Rhein on

Not that I’ve thought much about smuggling lizards and snakes on a plane, but reading about this Australian guy who was nabbed a couple days ago trying to smuggle 44 snakes and lizards from Australia to Bangkok got me thinking. Why 44?

Seems to me that’s overshooting one’s luck. Wouldn’t it have been better to stop at 10, perhaps? Not that I want to give anyone smuggling advice since I think animals and plants should be left where they’re found unless it’s legal to transport them and a person has a permit to do so, but I’m flummoxed that this guy thought he could get by with it.

Look at the X-ray. A snake looks like a snake in an X-ray, and a lizard looks like a lizard. Not long ago a woman was apprehended trying to smuggle three banana plants in her underwear. If that didn’t work, considering that plants are inanimate objects, it seems three black headed pythons might attract some attention.

Along with those three he had an Albino Carpet Python, 24 Shingleback Lizards and 16 Blue Tongue Lizards. He must not have seen Catherine’s post from 2007 when a snake smuggling culprit was caught in Cairo. Or maybe when he saw that the Cairo guy was trying to transport 700 snakes, 4 snakes and 44 reptiles didn’t seem like all that many.

For his efforts, he could spend 10 years in jail and be fined a hefty sum. [via Buzz Feed]

Budget Travel: Boston

by Brenda Yun on

Though it seems a world away from the paradise I live in now, Boston was my home for three great, memorable years, and continues to hold a special place in my heart. Often regarded as America’s true college city, “Beantown” (named because of the city’s influx of baked beans during the “triangular trade” when molasses was plentiful) is alive and kicking. Where else in the States is finance, literature, sports, and education so vibrant? No where. Kick it in Boston in the dead of winter or the height of summer – any time, freezing sleet or blazing sun, this city is packed with awesome history, sights, and sounds.
Getting in:
By bus/train – Boston is essentially the hub of New England, so that means nearly every bus or train line will at least make a pit stop in South Station. There are now cheap $20 one-way bus fares to and from New York City where the motor coach is complete with movies and wi-fi. Expect trains to take the same amount of time (if not more), but twice the price. (I found my last train journey to Boston six months ago to be quite miserable, so would advise taking the bus instead)

By plane – Hooray for Virgin America (my new favorite continental airline)! There are plenty of flights to Boston through this awesomely comfortable, low-cost carrier, or there are tons of flights to Boston on United.

Where to stay:
A most comfortable and surprisingly affordable option in the North End (or Little Italy), one of Boston’s gastronomy centers, is La Capella Suites. There are three nicely decorated suites available on the 4th and 5th floors of this 70 year-old chapel (thus, its name). Rooms start at just $100 in the winter or $140 in the summer. The city’s best Italian restaurants and nightclubs are just steps away.

The cool 19th century townhouse Encore is the other great option in Boston’s gay-friendly South End. There are four guest rooms that are comparably priced with La Capella.

Both of these accommodations are on T-lines, and close to the center of town.

What to see:
Faneuil Hall – Clam chowder, lobster bisque, Urban Outfitter, the Freedom Trail, Duck and historical tours… Also known as Quincy Market, Faneuil has it all. It’s just as popular among Bostonians as it is tourists.

The Freedom Trail & the Boston Common – There is no other place in the United States where you can learn about America’s Revolution. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure. Take a stroll along the Trail on your own using a handy online map, or have a native Bostonian guide you and tell you the dramatic story of America’s freedom from Britain.

Newbury Street – If you didn’t get your fill of shopping at Quincy Market, browse the hip boutiques along Newbury Street in the Back Bay, the quintessential Bostonian neighborhood. You can protect your pocket by sidling up to one of its many sidewalk cafés and people-watch your day way.

A BoSox game at Fenway Park – Don’t be daunted by the ridiculously steep ticket prices. If there’s one thing you must experience in Boston, it’s a Red Sox game. There is something totally electric about being in Fenway Park. Where else in the world is there so much baseball history in a single team and a single ballpark? Babe’s curse has been reversed, but the Green Monster and Pesky Pole live on. Even if you’re not a sports fan, you will be a Red Sox fan once you set foot on Yawkey Way.

Baggage thieves helped themselves to laptop computers and jewelry

by Scott Carmichael on

If you ever lost valuables from your luggage during a flight from Portland International airport, then you might be happy to hear that the cops arrested the possible suspects.

Jose Trejo Romero and Bridgette Bunnell were arrested after an investigation into a recent spike in luggage theft from the airport.

Both workers handled luggage for Northwest Airlines, and helped themselves to over 200 items from passenger bags. Included in their haul were laptop computers and jewelry.

Of course, this is a good time to remind you to never check a laptop in your luggage, and to keep all other valuables in your carry-on bag. Sadly there are just too many dishonest people out there, and apparently not enough oversight.

It always amazes me that someone is able to enter the sterile zone of an airport without a laptop, and go home at the end of the day with a laptop. I have better security at my local warehouse store.

While you and I are searched from head to toe for dangerous bottled water, scumbags like Romero and Bunnell are helping themselves to our belongings.

(Via: KREM.com)

Check out some of these other wacky laws, place names and signs from around the world!


TSA checkpoint fails to detect stun gun – airport ramp worker finds it

by Scott Carmichael on

Stories showing the incompetence of some of the agents in charge of screening our airports are getting a little boring – unfortunately the TSA keeps providing new examples of just how inefficient they can be.

An incident at Albany International Airport is just another where the TSA checkpoint missed a potentially hazardous item.

Amy Burns had passed through the checkpoint with her child and a stroller. Nobody at the checkpoint found anything, so she proceeded to the gate.

It wasn’t until a ramp worker prepared to load her stroller into the baggage hold when he discovered a stun gun stowed in the storage basket of the stroller.

Instead of admitting failure and apologizing for the mistake, a TSA spokesperson tried to spin things to make it appear that their “multiple levels of security” prevented the stun gun from getting on the plane. I was not aware that ramp workers were now part of the TSA.

In fact, had the passenger not left the item in her stroller, she would have been able to bring it on board. Of course, there is no evidence that she had intended to use it on the flight, but in a day and age where a nail file is considered a potential weapon, being able to sneak a stun gun past the trained security officers does not give me much faith in their screening skills.

(Via: Timesunion.com)