Lady Gaga’s attire not an immediate threat, says TSA

by Tom Johansmeyer on


When leaving Los Angeles after the MTV Video Music Awards, performer Lady Gaga was spotted with a handcuff hanging directly in front of her from a belt around her waist. The singer was leaving town after picking up eight awards and was dressed, well, as expected.

Always clad in shocking attire, Lady Gaga’s exploits looked like they were putting her on a collision course with the TSA, as handcuffs and chains were incorporated into the clothing. She had no problems, however. According to the Daily Mail: “A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said the prohibited items list is based on what experts assess and analyse as a threat to aviation security.”

Now, if they are paired with mile-high ambitions – that would be a much different story!

Photo of the Day (8.19.10)

by Meg Nesterov on

“Clang, clang, clang went the trolley,” sang Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis, giving the most charming mode of transportation its own theme song. Except this trolley isn’t in St. Louis or even San Francisco, it’s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, part of the oldest operating tram system in South America. Whether you call it a tram, a trolley, a streetcar, or a cable car, this Flickr photo by AlexSven captures the old-timey fun (also, suspenders are the most charming way to hold up pants). Nowadays, trolleys are making a comeback, with new or extended routes planned for many cities in the United States including St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, and Little Rock. Kennebunkport, Maine is even home to a trolley museum.

Find a fun way to get around on your travels? Upload your pix to the Gadling Flickr pool and it might be featured as a future Photo of the Day.

Dubious achievements in travel: the video

by Grant Martin on

The prince of travel fail is back, this time with a mashup of all of the best travel facepalms from the last few seasons. Doug Lansky, who’s built a good chunk of his recent career on the Titanic Awards and other associated travel fiascos brings the pain this time in the form of video, 151 seconds of pure, awkward hilarity. Check it out below.

NASA unveils design for personal aircraft

by Kraig Becker on

It’s 2010. Admit it, we all thought we’d be cruising around in flying cars and have personal jetpacks by now. Instead, we’re still stuck on the ground, tethered to the Earth by gravity, while dreaming about zipping through the clouds like George Jetson.

Earlier this week NASA has released a design for a small, one-man, personal aircraft that could be the answer to our prayers however. The vehicle, known as the Puffin, stands just 12-feet in height and has a wingspan of roughly 14-feet. It weight just 300 pounds, sans pilot of course, and has vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. Designer Mark D. Moore says that the Puffin is capable of sustained speeds of 150 mph, with bursts up to 300 mph when necessary. It could also potentially reach heights of 30,000 feet and is powered by a quiet, energy efficient, electrical engine.

What’s the catch? That electrical engine doesn’t really hold much of a charge right now, so the Puffin’s effective range is roughly 50 miles. That means it might be okay for a morning commute, but don’t plan on flying off to Europe for the weekend. At least not until battery technology improves.

Check out the concept video below for more on the Puffin.

Safe travels to Antarctica, Andrew Evans!

by Grant Martin on

Have you checked in with our colleague, friend and hero Andrew Evans lately? He’s on the Bus(es) to Antarctica right now, a long, slow journey from his home in Washington DC all of the way to the southern tip of the planet Earth. By bus. Or rather, a series of slow, crawling behemoths from which he’ll be blogging, tweeting and reflecting over the course of the next several weeks. Fox 5 in DC picked up the trail late this week, with Andrew in Central America and working on his sexy beard. Take some time to with him well on his Twitter feed at @bus2antarctica or over at National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel Blog.