More bloggers
My good friend Peter is now blogging. He’s one of the last people I thought I’d see join this trend.
TSA and shoes
Some have called the TSA “Americas Gestapo”.
The shoe removal policy is certainly one area where they seem unaccountable, uncoordinated and when questioned undeniably rude.
Here is the word from the TSA – full policy here.
TSA Shoe Screening Policy
You are not required to remove your shoes before you enter the walk-through metal detector.
HOWEVER, TSA screeners may encourage you to remove them before entering the metal detector as many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector DOES NOT alarm.
Screeners will encourage you to remove the following footwear that is likely to require additional screening:
* Boots
* Platform shoes (including platform flip-flops)
* Footwear with a thick sole or heel (including athletic shoes)
* Footwear containing metal (including many dress shoes)
I travel with similar shoes on every trip – Doc Martens with almost zero metal in them. The heel and sole are less than one inch in height.
My experience is that there is no rhyme or reason on removing shoes. It seems that screening shoes is purely down to the whim of the individual TSA agent.
Just in the last month I have seen that it’s 50/50 whether shoe removal is required. My shoes have never been screened in Europe or Canada.
When you question the policy you get selected for ‘random screening’. That’s not random; that’s intimidation so that you always comply.
When I ask the TSA duty administrator for guidance on the shoe policy I get referred to the above information; this is patently being ignored. Most frequent travellers I talk to are getting screened and ‘invited’ to remove their shoes.
When I pressed further on this policy – I was told that although ‘shoe removal is not required, and that TSA agents cannot ask you to remove shoes’ – when you are ‘invited to remove shoes’ this clearly is an instruction. When invited and you decline you always get a full security search – 15 minutes of wasted time.
There are many, many frequent fliers questioning this mindless policy. Even as far back as 2003 this was noted as being inconsistent.
Rip off Britain – London Heathrow Marriott
Hotels are expensive; hotel room minibars are the worst of the lot.
However charging UKP2.50 for a standard can of Pepsi does seem excessive. Way over 400% markup. For US readers that’s a $5 can of Pepsi.
Most US Marriott hotels have 24 hour vending; I can go get a can of Pepsi for maybe $0.75.
The London Heathrow Marriott gets this trips award for the biggest ripoff.
WM 2006 (World Cup 2006)
Germany has gone football mad. (That’s soccer for those that don’t understand the subleties of the game).
I’ve been in half a dozen cities this week – and everywhere is wall to wall World Cup merchandise and memorabilia. I got a nice world cup shirt in Trier today.
I was listening to BFBS during my drive today – and heard a truly dreadful, yet stunningly simple England world cup song. The Tonedef Allstars are soon to release a single “Who do you think you are kidding Juergen Klinnsmann’. You have to be English to understand the genius at work here. Listen here.
So many people have already blogged on this, it’s also been written up in all manner of media from The Sun to The Telegraph – it must be the ‘unofficial hit’ – just wait until England v Germany in the quarter finals; you’ll hear this on the terraces.
For record – here are the World Cup songs – from this year and prior years. New Order’s ‘World in Motion’ is still the one to beat. I can’t believe that Stan Boardman has “the Germans bombed our Chippie” as a song.
“This tastes just like Miller Lite”
I am in a bar in the hotel in Duesseldorf.
Three American gents drinking at the next table. They look at their small glasses of pils – and “This tastes just like Miller Lite”.
Me and my big mouth, I got to use another legendary line: “Did they serve you a glass of chilled piss by mistake then?” We’re debating the merits of American “Beer” vs. German Beer.
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