Are tourists safe in India?

by Abha Malpani on

The recent death of British Scarlett Keeling in Goa has had significant coverage in the international media over the last month. In fact, it has opened a new and dangerous chapter on tourism in Goa — one of India’s most visited states — is a tourist safe there?

For those who haven’t followed the story: 15-year old Keeling was drugged, raped and left to die in Goa. What’s worse is that the Indian police treated her death as an open and shut case of a tourist drowning, which has now been revealed as a conscious decision by local authorities to cover it up a) because they were involved b) to not hurt tourism in the state.

It saddens me to think that the case only reopened because of the noise made by Keeling’s mother, and its prolific reporting in international media that probably put pressure on Indian officials to come clean. Indian media criticizing the police for not being able to protect tourists efficiently was perhaps not enough. It gives grieving insight into the corruption festering in the Indian government.

According to a Reuters report: At least 126 foreign nationals have died in Goa in the past two years, 40 of them British. Of these, it is said that about 10-12 cases that were declared drowning cases are suspicious, and further to the Keeling story, they might be opened again for investigation.

All this makes me wonder: how long has the Indian police in Goa been getting away with crime? Why is a British woman (rather than an Indian) responsible for helping uncover local corruption? How many stories must be in the closet?

I regained some hope when I read this morning that the Indian police in Goa arrested 40 people in an overnight crackdown on suspected drug traffickers in Goa, and, that the Indian government would like to take action by employing ex-military personnel to protect tourists in beaches around the country.

Sigh.

No Wrong Turns: How to Drive and Survive in Mexico

by Kelsey Mulyk on

Traveling with a car has its advantages: we are free to roam all over, stop when we please and we don’t have to share a seat with any livestock. But, the car also becomes a bit of a burden — another thing we have to worry about; it’s like one gigantic backpack. Worries range from “Do we have enough gas?” and “Does this car look like it’s worth breaking into?” to “Is that semi going to slow down?”

After 6000km, a bit of wear on the tires, one missing bumper, and a new appreciation for four wheel drive, I offer up some initial advice on driving in Mexico:

  1. DON’T drive at night. Most of the car violence we have heard of occurs at night on the highways…even the Mexicans will tell you to ‘park it’ once the sun sets.

  2. Never, under any circumstances, hand over your passport to anyone. Some scams include people pretending to be police officers. They pull you over, demand your passport then expect you to cough up a huge sum of money in return for your passport.
  3. If you are pulled over by police, be calm and polite. Don’t speak Spanish. Someone mentioned this to us early on and being a ‘dumb’ tourist has proved to be advantageous for us. If the officer presses you, ask for information on the law you supposedly broke or ask to speak to a supervisor. If you do receive a fine, pay it at the police station and get a receipt.
  4. Mexicans drive fast and, though posted speed limits are usually 60 to 80km/hr, the locals usually drive around 120km/hr. Stick to the posted limits to avoid giving the police any reason to pull you over. Or, at the very least, follow the flow of traffic but make sure you aren’t leading the pack.
  5. Fill up your car every time you see a gas station (and there is only one to choose from in Mexico called Pemex). There are stretches of highway that run for over 400km without a gas station in sight. No signs are posted to warn you that you have just driven by the last station for the next 600 km.
  6. Carry a jerrycan with extra gas. (see above)
  7. Trucks will put on their left-hand signal light to let you know that it is safe to pass them on the highway.
  8. Keep small bills, both American and Mexican, for the toll roads. Change is often hard to come by in Mexico.
  9. Go for the filthy, hippy, garbage-y car vibe and leave your car dirty both inside and out. Tom and I splattered dirt on our license plate to make it less visible. I chucked empty water bottles and food wrappers on the floor and the backseat. If looks junky it might prevent any sort of curiosity about what is inside.
  10. And the piece de resistance: Hang a rosary off your rearview or better yet put a sticker of the Virgen de Guadalupe on you car.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

No more feral cats at JFK

by Grant Martin on

Look out, the next security threat at John F Kennedy airport in New York isn’t terrorists, no, its cats. Reuters reports that authorities at JFK have started rounding up the feral cats that have been calling the airport home (seventy of them!). Animal rights activists were naturally up in arms, and have been protesting the Port Authority headquarters.

Seems that the airport workers (and the rats) have been feeding the animals, who have in turn been running around baggage claim and attracting more animals, such as birds. And when you mix birds and flying jets, well, then you have a safety issue.

Don’t believe me? Check out this video on YouTube. Make sure you have the audio on so you can hear the pilot saying “MAYDAY”.

I have an idea. Let’s the put the activists on a flight with a compressor stall we’ll and see how bad they want to keep the kitties afterwards.

Why do Americans want to own guns?

by Abha Malpani on

I remain baffled by how it’s legal to own a gun in the United States. I think even the option of having one is like saying it’s OK to kill if you have a good reason.

According to a recent piece in Newsweek there are 215 million guns in America — i.e. more than half the households across the country own one.

This statistic triggered photographer and author of “Armed America” Kyle Cassidy to travel 15,000 miles across the country to ask people who own guns “why do own a gun?”, and take portraits of them in their homes.

Some of the reasons were just beyond my comprehension:

  • “My shotgun will take care of any intruder, and I know how to use it.”
  • “I own a shotgun for the same reason I own a fire extinguisher.”
  • “Gun ownership is a right and privilege, everyone should exercise it. I think everyone should have one, on the range, on the playing field, in the world.”
  • “It’s not the guns that kill, it’s the people.”
  • “I have nothing against guns, I think they are cool and I love that we have them in the house. My friends are very impressed by the collection we have.”
  • “It’s up to us as citizens to protect ourselves, our family and property. Our constitution provides us with the right and method by which to achieve that objective, and I simply choose to exercise that right.”
  • “I think the ownership of arms is not only a right, but the duty of a free people to themselves and future generation.”

Goodness gracious me.

[Full podcast here.]

GPS Platforms help Working Girls of the Night

by Neil Woodburn on

There’s a travel angle here, but I’m not quite sure what it is.

Perhaps some of our readers might be able to figure it out.

The concept is simple; an alarm for prostitutes. The technology, however, is rather cutting edge. It involves inserting a GPS unit into the quintessential streetwalker accoutrement: platform shoes.

If things start to turn bad during a trick, the sex worker merely pushes a button on her shoes and an audible alarm will sound. In addition a distress signal with the exact GPS coordinates will be sent over amateur radio frequencies to alert the police (thus combining the world’s oldest profession with the world’s most modern technology).

Fascinating. I’m sure pimps will love this; they could sign on to their laptops and know the exact location of all their girls. Or customers could plug into the grid as well.

As for travelers… a GPS system built into hiking boots or your summer Birkenstocks probably has some practical application, right?

(via Wired.com)