Sunday Travel Funnies— “Don’t Worry, It’s ONLY A Safety Problem.”

How would you like to hear that upon boarding your flight and seeing nearly half the seats on your plane roped off? It’s no joke. According to news sources, the pilot of a Spanish air carrier told “nervous passengers” on his flight not to worry when they asked why all but three of the 32 rows on one side of the plane were taped off. A Spanish newspaper reports that the captain addressed the situation on the plane’s intercom system by reportedly saying: “We will not be able to use that part of the plane because we have a safety … Continue reading →

Sunday Travel Funnies—-Not Everyone Is Smiling

This week’s installment of “Sunday Travel Funnies” was inspired by an unexpected trip that a young man took when his electric wheelchair got lodged in the grille of a semi. I saw the story broadcast on TV while at a graduation party attended by more than three-dozen people. Reaction to incident was mixed. While some found it hilarious, others were less than amused. Read what transpired and judge for yourself. Some may call what happened to 21-year-old Ben Carpenter “exciting.” He calls it “pretty scary.” I’ll take his word for it. According to police reports, a few days ago Carpenter … Continue reading →

More Road Trip Reminders

For all of you brave road warriors about to set off on a cross-country summer adventure—-all the best. Just kidding. If you are choosing to laugh in the face of record high gas prices in order to hit family-friendly hotspots from Seattle to Sarasota you aren’t alone. According to AAA, more than 65 million people will be traveling more than 50 miles from home this summer for what they hope will be an unforgettable family trip. To make sure your travel plans go as smoothly as possible consider employing these simple tips: KEEP YOUR CAR CLEAN Sounds easy enough, but … Continue reading →

Paying More At The Pump… And For Pizza?

How much are you paying for a gallon of gas these days? According to AAA, gas prices set a record high on Monday, averaging $3.07 for a gallon of self-serve regular in the United States. In Vail, Colorado the price of a gallon of regular unleaded is hovering around $4. The spike in gas has me clutching my pizza coupons very tightly. After all, the high price of gas is bound to create a domino effect that will soon mean we will all be paying more for the pizza we get delivered to our doors via gas guzzling pizza delivery … Continue reading →

Sunday Travel Funnies—When Life Gets Bad Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh

Happy Sunday… and welcome to this week’s installment of “Sunday Travel Funnies.” I decided to preface this week’s blog with a disclaimer: The following story is about a man who had the unthinkable happen—he had his car stolen twice in one day. Some of you who may not think that being the victim of a crime is a laughing matter, but wait until you read the entire blog before you rush to judgment. The victim’s reaction to an otherwise horrendous ordeal may surprise you. York Heiden lives in a north central Wisconsin city I called home the summer preceding my … Continue reading →

Female-Friendly Car Dealerships

Did you know some car dealerships are now sending their male employees to seminars to teach them how to deal with female buyers? How do I know this? A friend I went to college with is married to a car salesman and they are in the area this week while he attends one of these classes. Perhaps, it’s not as strange as I make it out to be. After all, as a woman, I certainly would never dream of venturing to a car lot without a male companion (be it a husband, father, brother or uncle). In fact, come to … Continue reading →

How I Became The Target Of Road Rage

Friday evening I made the mistake of driving to Wal-Mart to pick up a container of laundry detergent. The sun was just beginning to set as I rolled up to the traffic lights that lead out of our subdivision. It was an unusually warm night and shortly after I stopped for the red light I noticed a maroon convertible with its top down filled with what looked like either teens or a group in their early 20s pull up behind me. I remember looking at the car in my rear view mirror before proceeding to fish my wallet out of … Continue reading →

SUV Rollovers

Do you drive a sport utility vehicle? If you do then you likely are familiar with the report that found SUVs to be at higher risk of rolling over than conventional passenger cars. (Studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency that regulates automobile safety proved as much.) Prior to the dramatic rise in gas prices I was convinced our family’s next vehicle should be a SUV. My opinion has since changed and the NHTSA’s report was only one the reasons I decided to research other vehicles. Keep in mind this was a few years ago. Now, … Continue reading →

Help For Drivers With Traffic Tickets

You were late for an appointment, gunned it down the highway, Smokey clocked you going 30 miles over the posted speed limit and wouldn’t let you off with just a warning… now what do you do? You could opt to pay the ticket, have points assessed to your record and take the hit to your insurance policy…OR you could hire a traffic attorney. In a previous blog I reviewed other options you could consider to get out of a traffic ticket, but neglected to cover the services a traffic attorney can provide. I know what you’re thinking: Traffic attorney = … Continue reading →

Car Thieves Give Me A Break

I considered titling this blog: “My Spring Break Travel Woes,” but decided to save it for a future posting. We just returned from a spring break that was… well; let’s just say I learned many valuable travel lessons in last two weeks. For example, when borrowing a relative’s vehicle (that doesn’t have keyless entry) it’s a good idea to place the key in your purse or pocket before heading into the mall. Last week in a flurry of activity of getting kids unbuckled, out of the way of oncoming traffic, and into a mall I was unfamiliar with (during an … Continue reading →