Two guys, two thumbs, one week and no money. Hitchhiking across the U.S.

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a line in the “The Hitchhiking Movie” that made me laugh. Ryan Jeanes, one of the two guys who decided one fine day to hitchhike across the U.S. from New York City to Berkeley, California in one week to test out the kindness of strangers says, after one car dropped them off at what looks like the middle of nowhere, “Three miles further and only 3,000 miles to go.”

There are the rides one takes when hitchhiking because at least a short ride means going further in the right direction, and who knows when there will be another chance to sit down again?

It took Ryan and Phillip Hullquist 23 rides to make it across the U.S., although, I don’t know if they made their deadline. If they didn’t make the deadline, they would have missed their flights back to NY. Ryan had purchased the tickets before hand to add some motivation.

After reading the text on the movie’s website and watching the trailer, I became intrigued about the unfolding of the journey. There are the people they talked with about their trip who thought they were nuts, and the stories of the people who gave them rides. All are woven into the narrative while the scenery adds the backdrop and also highlights the diveresity between the coasts.

Whether they made it from New York City to Berkeley, California within their self-imposed time period is almost beside the point. Having a goal did influence the outcome. People altered their own trips to help Ryan and Phillip out. Because these two vowed not to use any of their own money, their success depended upon others’ generosity.

Their success also depended upon their willingness to stick out their thumbs to see what would happen. Sticking out their thumb took effort. According to Ryan, they “piddled around for awhile” in New York before they actually hit the road. Starting seemed to be one of the hardest parts.

Last spring, there was a story about three friends who were driving through 48 states in less than a week. Some states meant a quick trip through one small section, and in one case, in and out on the same road. At Four Corners, they checked off Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, for example. “The Hitchhiking Movie” reminds me a bit of that story, except Ryan’s and Phillip’s success involved others’ efforts. In the case of driving through every state, it’s a matter of getting the geography, gas, and bathroom breaks just right.

The “The Hitchhiking Movie” was released on DVD this week. Watching it seems like it would be a great boost to fuel the traveling spirit. Here’s the trailer to get you in the mood. You can buy the film on the 11 Visions Website or pay to watch it online.

Photo of the Day (3.29.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

As luck would have it I’m currently tramping around New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park. All the majestic outdoor scenery and beautiful vistas have me in a particularly “natural” frame of mind. Exactly the reason I chose Flickr user Tina Hsu’s shot for today’s selection. Tina took this photo near Sedona, Arizona. I love the reddish rocky outcroppings and the perspective, framed nicely by a nearly cloudless blue sky.

Have any fantastic travel photos of some beautiful outdoor scenery? Or perhaps just the local botanic gardens? Why not share them with us by adding them to the Gadling pool on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Recession vacations: do more with less

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Vacation plans are changing. This isn’t exactly a surprise. With layoffs mounting and a careful eye trained on every expense, long vacations are becoming short, and short trips aren’t straying as far from home. For some destinations, this is actually paying off.

A handful of smaller cities are pulling in visitors that normally would set off for grander locales. Charleston, SC and Fort Meyers, FL, for example sustained double-digit growth rates in January 2009 (relative to January 2008), according to American Express Travel bookings. Tuscon, AZ, Palm Springs, CA, and Portland, OR have also seen surges – 12 percent, 13 percent and 38 percent respectively.

Even Philly is on the upswing, which makes sense when you think about all those New Yorkers who need a quick break from the city.

So, why do these numbers look so good? Well, it’s hard to say. Drops in airfare and room rates are obvious drivers. Or, it could be some sort of marketing savvy. When you look at the data, there’s no common thread.

What is universal, it seems, is that everything is getting smaller. Trips are shorter, people are spending less and the destinations aren’t as far from home as they used to be. With the many bargains that are available, we may be able to do more with less, but overall, we’re still doing a hell of a lot less.

Aside from places like Fort Meyers and Tuscon, there are a few silver linings. “Girlfriend getaways” are still going strong, but the ladies are stretching their dollars. Renting one car instead of several, chipping in for a vacation home and picking a day spa over a destination spa are popular cost-cutting measures.

Home port cruises are on the upswing, as well. Guests can drive to the port (instead of flying), cutting down on the total cost of the trip. Like everyone else, these folks are cutting some deals, too.

Pick your corner of the travel and hospitality business, and you’ll find more than a handful of bargains. The decisions we make come down to what travelers can afford – rather than what they want. But, we’re still getting out on the road.

[Via MSNBC]

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Pilot sues flight attendants over safety

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Three Phoenix-based flight attendants are in the unusual position of defending themselves from pilot-instigated litigation. Of course, they deserve it. I mean, what would you do when people responsible for passenger safety report safety concerns to federal regulators? Either you can fix a problem or you can sue. Since the pilot is obviously a proud American, he chose the latter course. And, he’s now proving his patriotism by messing with the media.

America West Flight 851 was about to leave Calgary, Alberta back in 2003. The flight attendants were worried about frost on the wings, but the pilots saw no need to de-ice before take-off. Eventually, the guys at the front of the plane gave in, but the flight attendants were worried enough by the incident to report it to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Looking back on the crash in Buffalo a little over a week ago, this looks like a decent idea.

First Officer Ed Gannon didn’t see it that way, even after he was cleared by the FAA (which offered to pick up the tab for some of his legal fees).

Now, I am somewhat sympathetic to Gannon (sorry, Heather). I’m not plane-savvy enough to know if the FAs had a good point or if they were intruding on the pilot’s turf. Even though the FAA cleared the guy, he still had his life at least inconvenienced by the flight attendants. And, let’s be realistic. Being sued is not something you can just brush off.

Assume you feel you’ve done nothing wrong, and you have to spend thousands of dollars to make that point. Yeah, you’d be pissed. You’d want a bit of payback.
If Gannon wanted to make a point, filing the suit was enough. The fact that the judge tossed out some of his arguments (including “infliction of emotional distress”) suggests that he shouldn’t push too hard (the defamation bit is still in play). Instead, however, he’s upping the ante.

The seemingly wronged pilot has subpoenaed reporters’ notes from the Phoenix New Times, not to mention any documents supplied by the flight attendants who are being sued. Gannon has also gone after the FAs’ blog, hunting for information about the people who have posted comments on the site.

Imagine getting a call from a lawyer because you posted a comment on this story … scary, isn’t it?

Gannon’s made his point. It’s time for him to put all this in the past (hell, it happened six years ago). If you feel strongly about this, consider a contribution to the FAs’ legal defense fund.

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Speed cameras and red light cameras: Good or bad?

by Jamie Rhein on

There are various thoughts about the effectiveness and fairness of speed trap or red light cameras. Some find them invasive. Some say, hey, if you don’t break the law, there’s nothing to worry about. The cameras aren’t something you can argue with easily, so perhaps that’s the beef with them. If you get caught, in general, you pay.

Here’s a case in point: About two years ago there was a photo of our car at a traffic light that arrived in the mail. Yep, either my husband or I were turning from 5th Street onto 4th Avenue in Columbus, Ohio and were snagged by the red-light camera. Neither of us are the type who speed through yellow lights, but on this day, either we turned into that person, or we had pulled into the intersection waiting to make the turn left once traffic passed. It was rush hour. While one of us was in the intersection, the light turned red.

Neither of us are claiming blame since we really can’t remember who was driving the car. Honest. Regardless, we sent in the money and I’m extra careful at that intersection. Not, that I’m not careful at any intersection, but I have it in my head to not take any chances at THAT intersection in particular.

Columbus installed these cameras to make certain intersections safer. Frankly, there are a couple that I think could use one. Some say that they are just revenue boosters for the city.

That’s what some are saying in Arizona, as well, according to this article. Although in Arizona, it’s the speed cameras that are causing a bit of an uproar. In Arizona, speed cameras are along certain sections of highway. Motorists aren’t happy because they say the camera makes people suddenly slow down too much when they see one. That makes it dangerous for everyone else.

In Ohio, that happens along I-71 whenever people see a police car in an emergency vehicle turn around lane. This is more of a scenario on the stretch from Mansfield to Cleveland, if you happen to be traveling on I-71. I see the police cars as friendly reminders. The speed trap in this photo was taken in Alaska.

If Arizona drivers are anything like those on the highways in Ohio, I can see why some might complain about speeders. It’s like being in the Indy 500 sometimes.

If the speed cameras give out tickets when a person is just going a few miles over the speed limit, I can see why that might make people a bit miffed. Who hasn’t gone over the speed limit when trying to pass a particularly slow car, or out of boredom on long stretches of road when the foot feels a bit heavy? Yes, I do know there’s a certain item called “cruise control.”

Also, there’s a difference between going a few miles over the speed limit and twenty. Perhaps that’s the trouble. In Arizona speeding costs a motorist $185. That is steep if you are only five miles above the limit. Because so many people are complaining, the cameras on state highways and state roads might be taken away, although maybe not for two years. The contractor who installed them needs to be paid.

If you’re in Arizona, keep your eye out for the cameras. They’re watching you. They’re also watching you along highways in other parts of the world. The complaints about them there are the same. This photo shows a speed camera in Brasilia.

By the way, the photo of our red light mishap didn’t show who was driving, and the video that I was directed to where I could see the incident didn’t show the traffic light. It also didn’t show if whoever was driving was stopped at the intersection before proceeding. Both of these are common complaints about what is wrong with some red light and speed camera systems.

Traffic Enforcement Camera at Wikipedia presents extensive details about the issues and statistics regarding accident reduction that are attributed to both camera types.

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