Posted by: dylan555 | February 5, 2010

Twitter as a Travel Tool

I just downloaded Seesmic for Android in an attempt to get more and more use out of Twitter on the mobile platform. A lot of people complain about Twitter, but recently I’ve discovered that its a great tool for keeping up to date with the world while you’re on the road. In the past when I was traveling, I’d often be in airports all day, work in the evening, and then get back to my hotel room and want to go to bed. Do this for a week and all the sudden it’s easy to see how news and current events pass you by.

On my last few trips, I’ve used Twitter as a means of keeping in touch. It lets me do a lot of things, including:

  • Keep in touch with my family
  • Get trending news
  • Keep up on reading

Depending on who you follow, how you use lists, etc. Twitter can be a powerful tool for gathering and sorting information. With Seesmic’s support for lists, I may end up creating more lists because now I’ll have access to them at my fingertips.

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Posted in airport, business travel, commentary, technology, travel, websites | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: dylan555 | February 2, 2010

Quiet

I’ve been quiet on this blog, mostly because I haven’t been travelling too much lately.  In some ways it’s been great because I get to spend more time with my family and at home. Of course it means that business is down as well.  But we’re all going through that.

My last trip involved a week in Houston and Chicago. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Houston, but it hasn’t really improved. Flying into George Bush airport is no great joy.  The airport feels like its 100 miles from the city center and is old. At least in Chicago, I get the feeling that the city and the airlines are constantly trying to improve O’Hare to make flying a better experience.

The one thing I’ve noticed is that airports seem to be quieter and quieter. As a traveler, I like it. It’s easier to get some food, a seat, some time to reflect. The only problem is that many of the airports continue to play announcements at loud volumes over and over and over. This, combined with the fact that many airports are replacing their carpets with tile floors mean the sound waves bounce.

I’m continuing to keep my eyes open for products, websites, and experiences to review. I’ve got a trip planned in a few weeks and who knows what else might come along.  Stay tuned.

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Posted in airport, business travel, commentary, crappiest airports in america, travel | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: dylan555 | January 21, 2010

Travel Horror Stories

The stories shared in this New York Times article say all that needs to be said about the TSA and its security theater. If President Obama would like to accomplish something, how about starting a new with this agency?

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Posted by: dylan555 | December 27, 2009

TSA at it Again

After a failed terrorist attack on a recent flight, the TSA is at it again. They’ve apparently changed rules for travel without telling us. What does this mean? Who knows, but if you go to the TSA website or blog you’ll learn nothing.  Absolutely nothing. As a business traveler, I need to know a few things like how many carry ons I can bring on the plane and what I need to do in order to not miss connections. On time arrivals are extremely important for my line of work.

So far the New York Times is trying to make sense of it all on its various sites and blogs. Go check it out here and good luck if you have to travel in the next few days.

In the meantime, I have a few suggestions for the TSA:

  1. Offer some certainty for travel – spell out rules and enforce them consistently
  2. Focus more on screening and less on identity
  3. Put more focus on training the employees you have
  4. Let me read a damn book through the last hour of flight

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Posted by: dylan555 | November 25, 2009

What Happens to the Stuff the TSA Seizes?

A Big Box of Your Stuff

As many people get ready to travel today, I thought it would be fitting to share a site I tripped across. Ever wonder what happens when the TSA takes your knife, tool, scissors, etc? For some of it, the answer is:

They Sell It!


Yes, that’s correct. They sell it on EBay.  Sometimes they offer pretty good deals on individual knives or tools.  Sometimes they put it in a box and sell 27 pounds of it at once.  Personally, I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, it’s an opportunity for someone who has had a knife confiscated to potentially replace it at a low cost.  That’s pretty good.

On the other hand, I wonder if there are other items that have been confiscated or lost/left behind at the checkpoint that aren’t for sale. What if I forget an iPod or other piece of technology? Do they auction that, or does someone at the checkpoint keep it?

Also, considering the amount of confusion I typically see at checkpoints, I wonder if there is even more stuff that is out there? They’ve only got three pages of knives up. Isn’t there more?

Go check it out for yourself at their eBay seller site. And as the TSA says, remember 3-1-1…

  • Three conflicting ways they’ll tell you how to handle the same instruction
  • One sole agent paying attention in a meaningful way
  • One lane open while the others are closed

If you’re flying today… Good luck!

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