Tourists Mistaken For Illegal Immigrants Beaten By Greek Police

by Reena Ganga on

Greek authorities have been cracking down on illegal immigrants to the country but a number of tourists have been detained as part of the sweep. Some of the travelers have even been beaten so badly by police that they ended up in the hospital, according to the BBC.

Greek police patrolling the streets are stopping anyone who looks foreign and asking to see their ID. However, many tourists claim to have been arrested and taken to a police station despite showing authorities their passport.

One tourist from Korea says a police officer punched him in the face after he handed over his passport when stopped in the street in Athens. He was then taken to the police station where he was attacked again in a stairwell.

Another man traveling with his family on a US passport says he was beaten so badly after being detained that he fell unconscious. He woke to find himself in a hospital.

“I went there to spend my money but they stopped me just because of my color. They are racist.” Christian Ukwuorji told the BBC.Greece has been clamping down on illegal immigration as the country’s economic woes make it increasingly difficult to support the growing numbers of immigrants. It’s believed that as much as 10 percent of the country’s population is living there illegally.

Greece is also under pressure from the European community because the country is viewed as a gateway to the EU – almost 95 percent of Europe’s illegal immigrants enter via Greece.

More than 60,000 people have been stopped in the streets since the operation began in August last year. The US State Department has updated its travel advisory to warn tourists of the potential harassment.

[Photo Credit: Flickr user George Laoutaris]

Costa Concordia, A Year Later

by Chris Owen on

Costa Concordia sailed aground off the coast of Italy one year ago this Sunday. Today, the ship sits off the coast of Italy where it ran aground on Friday, January 13, 2012, taking the lives of 32 passengers in the process. Ongoing work is underway to remove the grounded ship. Also ongoing is a renewed focus on safety that exceeds previous efforts, covers all major cruise lines and aims to convince many travelers that cruise travel is safe.

Those on board the Costa Concordia at the time initially said it was “like being on the Titanic.” The loss of life may not have been as great but parallels drawn between the Titanic and Concordia were undeniable.

Passengers in the wrong place at the wrong time were left without life jackets. Confusion about what to do and where to go reined over already-in-place safety procedures. Over-confident ship owners were forced to take another look at how they go about their business.

In the aftermath came rules requiring mandatory safety drills before ships leave port, including mandates that each ship carry extra life jackets and that crews practice loading lifeboats with people. New rules also call for cruise lines to file a voyage plan showing exactly where ships are going, much like a pilot’s flight plan.

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Still, questions remain about the role ship’s Captain Francesco Schettino had in the event. Also of concern: progress on the removal of Costa Concordia from the coast of Italy and enduring environmental risks to marine life.

Costa Cruises, along with its salvage company, has launched a website with detailed information, plans and images relating to the Costa Concordia wreck-removal project. See more on this extensive engineering task via this video:


A ceremony is set for the island of Giglio on Sunday where sirens will go off at 9:42 p.m, marking the one-year anniversary of the Costa Concordia grounding.

[Photo Credit- Flickr User EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection]

The TSA Tells You Not To Bring Bazookas On A Plane, Among Other Things

by McLean Robbins on

If you were making a list of things to take with you on a plane, chances are a World War II-era bazooka round would not be one of them. The TSA would like to keep it that way.

The security agency periodically issues memos to travelers via its blog about items found during routine luggage scans and searches. At times humorous, at times informative, and other times downright bizarre, this recent posting certainly caught our eye.

The inert bazooka ammunition was discovered inside checked luggage and although the article does not indicate if the item made it to its final destination, we assume that it did not.

“I know they are cool novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane,” blogger Bob Burns noted in the post.

Fortunately, this was one of the more harmless items reported in the past week. Other items confiscated include a knife sewn into a bag’s lining and 11 stun guns inside luggage at various airports.

We’d caution that the nervous flier should not read these postings, as many of the items confiscated are actually quite dangerous and not anything like the snow globe story we reported on last year.

[Image Credit: TSA]

Flying Is The Safest It Has Been In Years, Data Shows

by McLean Robbins on

New data show good news for panicky travelers: commercial flights in 2012 were safer than ever before. The Wall Street Journal published a large article detailing advances in flight safety and analyzing crash data, which shows that commercial flying is the safest it has been since the 1960s. In fact, there has not been a fatal crash in the United States since 2009.

The article stated that there have been 22 fatal crashes worldwide this year, with the majority occurring in Africa. In 2011, there were 28 fatal crashes. The ten-year average is 34 crashes, USA Today reported. The WSJ article came out just days before a crash near Moscow killed four, bringing the total for 2012 crashes to 23.

Still worried? The data also show that North American and North Asian carriers are the safest, with African and Caribbean carriers being the least safe.

We’d encourage all travelers to use basic safety precautions when traveling, choosing reputable airlines (i.e. not this one from North Korea) and following basic safety suggestions while in-flight, including wearing your seat belt when requested to do so. While a seat belt might not make the difference between life and death during a crash, it certainly can help prevent turbulence-related injuries.

Beyond that, we’d suggest that nervous travelers conduct simple in-seat meditation or deep breathing exercises while in flight, or perhaps enjoy a relaxing glass or wine or a sedative for something a bit stronger.

[Image Credit: Nick McKeta]

Cruise Ships Steer Clear Of Troubled Waters

by Chris Owen on
Travel via cruise ship has a number of advantages. For one example, you can unpack once but visit multiple destinations on a floating hotel. Doing so safely is another, causing cruise lines to constantly consider life as it is at ports of call around the world. What was once a safe place to visit may not be six months from now. That’s when cruise lines alter itineraries and steer cruise ships clear of troubled waters.

Argentina’s Ushuaia has been referred to as the southernmost city in the world with attractions that include the Tierra del Fuego National Park, Lapataia Bay and a host of wildlife viewing, fishing, skiing, hiking, biking, dining and shopping opportunities. Ushuala is also a South American cruise port. When the decades-old tension between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands heated up recently, cruise lines chose to go a different direction.

“Information had come to our attention that demonstrations may have occurred in Ushuaia that could have impacted the ability of Veendam to enter and leave the port in accordance with accepted maritime practices,” said Sally Andrews, Holland America spokesperson in a TravelPulse report.

But what happens when ports are not accessible?

Cruise lines commonly compensate passengers for missing a port deemed unsafe, substituting another port in its place or adding an extra day at sea.

“As a result of this change, guests onboard were refunded for any shore excursions booked in Ushuaia and the government taxes and fees for the canceled port,” added Andrews.

We saw the same moves made by cruise lines after political unrest in Egypt caused ships to skip a destination many passengers had on their bucket list. Yes, those booked got “a cruise” but it was not “the cruise” they had planned on.

So what to do if my port of call is canceled?

  • If port cancellation happens before sailing, check with the cruise line, they may be offering booked passengers the ability to transfer their booking to a future sailing.
  • Check the details of your travel insurance. While “political unrest” rates run about as high as “weather disruptions” on the easy refund list, some travel insurance policies take into account such matters and while the cruise line may not offer a complete refund for cancellation, insurance can help.
  • Carefully consider cruise line offers to cancel and rebook without penalty. While potentially missing one port of call does not a bad cruise make, if that missed port is the one you were looking the most forward to, the hassle of rebooking and planning different time away from home might be worth it.
  • Negotiate with the cruise line. There is no rule that says booked passengers cannot try to make a case in favor of consideration by the cruise line when a port is canceled. Legally, the cruise line has that covered in the Passenger Contract all travelers agree to before booking. Still, cruise lines know that a little good will goes a long way to smooth over what could be a deal breaker itinerary change to a passenger.

What did those planning on visiting Ushuaia miss? Check this video to see:


[Photo Credit- Flickr user Benjamin Dumas]