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E L L I O T T ' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

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November 9, 2004

Under the Hood With Big Brother
Someday it’ll happen, probably when you least expect it. Just as you countersteer while drifting out of a tight corner, or after you punch the brakes hard, you’ll hear the mechanically animated female voice emanating from your car’s audio system: “Collision detected. Calling OnStar.” You need not be anywhere close to a collision, really. For our road test team this summer, it was just a matter of running a routine slalom in a Chevy Malibu Maxx—without so much as hitting a rubber cone—when OnStar called to check up on our driver’s health. If you’re anything like us, it won’t be until after you’ve explained to the distant helper that you didn’t have an accident, the airbags did not deploy, and you don’t need assistance, that you’ll begin to experience an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. How’d they know that you were driving like that? What else do they know? And who else knows? Welcome to paranoia-ville—the driving equivalent of George Orwell’s 1984, brought to life here in the post-9/11 world of Homeland Security. Auto Week| Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Earlier: Thieves Steal GPS-Tracked Truck (Enquirer)
• Forget Car-Tracking; Try People-Tracking (IW)

This is a disturbing trend for anyone who is concerned about their privacy.

Bayonne Cruisers Sue Royal Caribbean
The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor became a cruise port this year and now the first legal actions from customers have been filed. Two New Jersey passengers who booked trips aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise line this summer have filed tort claim notices against the cruise line and the operator of a shuttle that transports passengers between the terminal and the ship. Both said they were hurt while trying to get their footing on the shuttle bus, which is contracted by the cruise line. A claim notice filed by Springfield attorney Wayne D. Greenfeder says that his client, Herbert Letterman, 68, of New Providence, was injured on Aug. 13 while attempting to get on a bus that was to take him from the ship to the terminal and customs. New Jersey Journal | Posted 6:45 a.m.

U.S. Airlines in a Death Spiral
US airlines are choking to death. The industry will have losses of more than $4 billion for 2004, bringing total losses since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to a staggering $25 billion. High oil prices are only partially to blame. Eleven of the 12 majors have junk-bond corporate ratings. The airlines have amassed more debt than some Third World countries: $100 billion. They can't pay it all back. Attempting to stay airborne, carriers have whacked $13 billion in costs by slashing pay, benefits, firing employees, dumping planes and cutting routes. All without much luck. Forbes | Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Looking For Answers - During the past year I've fielded many of your questions about air travel. But with the state of the airline industry as it is these days, I have a few questions for you. Your ticket price already includes surcharges for security, airport usage, and now for fuel. What's next, an "incompetent management" surcharge? Or is that just another word for employee concessions? Does Delta really stand for Divert Everyone's Luggage To Atlanta? I guess no more than UAL stands for U Are Late. And what, exactly, does KLM stand for? > All-new featured story from Travelcomment.com | Posted 7 a.m.

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Pittsburgh Loses US Airways Hub Status - The hub is gone. Pittsburgh International Airport officially lost its status as a US Airways hub on Sunday, prompting the closing of the airport's commuter terminal and a cutback in the hours of airport retailers and restaurants yesterday. Post-Gazette | Posted 7 a.m.

Excessive Force Probe in Atlanta Airport Arrest - The Atlanta Police Department is investigating whether an officer used unnecessary force when he arrested a Stockbridge woman parked at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport earlier this month. Police spokesman Sgt. John Quigley said the arresting officer, Terence Alexander, is on medical leave for injuries suffered as he was arresting Diana Dietrich-Barnes, who police say was improperly parked outside one of the airport's terminals Nov. 2. AJC | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Moose in for a Shock at Alaska Airport - Moose venturing into the Wasilla municipal airport this winter could be in for a shock. A Canadian company that sells flexible electric fencing will install a new device in the ground across the airport's two entrance gates. The 22-foot-long ElectroMAT is supposed to zap trespassing moose with the same kind of low-amp, high-voltage jolt delivered by livestock fences. But it won't shock people wearing shoes or riding in vehicles. AP | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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