The vast Starbuck’s conspiracy

I used to think that Starbuck’s was everywhere … in the United States … and they are everywhere.  They’re in Phoenix, AZ, San Antonio, TX, Portsmouth, NH, Lexington, KY, Salt Lake City, UT, and so many more places that I’m too lazy to name.  But that’s okay for the U.S.

But they seem to be everywhere everywhere.  One of the things I like about Europe is coffee shops, where the coffee is both strong and tasty.  So, I don’t really understand the Starbuck’s export.  And, these shops are usually busy.  I have to admit that when I am home I frequent Starbuck’s even though we have coffee shop, but in Europe … no way.

So far, no sightings in Africa or South America.

Paying to use the W.C. (okay, this is a toilet post)

If you have ever traveled to Europe, you know that sometimes there is a fee for using the facilities.  When I first traveled to Europe and discovered that there was a small fee for using the toilet, I thought it was … well, weird.  But now I have had a change of heart.  In fact, I think that we should import this practice to the U.S.

I believe that these fees are used to support keeping the toilets clean … not always successful, but often these toilets are cleaner than ours.  Even their rest area toilets are generally clean.  One restroom was so clean that I could have drank my coffee in there.

Join me on the “Clean W.C. Campaign!”

My funky boutique hotel experience

One of the most interesting experiences that we have had during our international travels has been to stay at family and boutique hotels.  Admittedly, staying at family or boutique hotels is a gamble, because at chain or commercial hotels, you know what you are getting … most of the time.

In 2006, when we were in Portugal, we stayed at two different hotels:  a small boutique hotel, that I found on Frommer’s and a Portuguese chain, Dom Pedro.  The Portuguese chain was an accident, we needed a room and I relaxed my qualifications.  This hotel was wonderful.  The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.  They treated us as if we were special.  The attitude was definitely not “give us your money and leave us alone.”  The staff helped to arrange transportation and even exchanged American Express Traveler’s Cheques for Euros.  Service was great, the room was large [even by U.S. standards].  We even had a tub and a shower that didn’t get water all over the floor.  We are still learning this European art of taking a shower without getting water all over the floor. 

So, after Dom Pedro, we wondered what our experience would be in a boutique hotel.  Despite the excellence of our experience at the hotel, it did not have the quaint small atmosphere of a boutique hotel.  So off to our boutique hotel.  Our trip from the airport should have been a sign.  I asked our driver, in my bad Portuguese, to take us to our hotel.  He was very friendly and offered to help me with some phrases.  He also told us that our hotel was very nice and that it was in the diplomat district.  We thought good.  So, we arrive at our hotel and the driver wants 50 €!  He overcharged us about 3 times what it should have cost.  Instead of arguing, I pay him the money … no, he did not get a tip!  By the way, he took us to the wrong hotel.  Fortunately, our hotel was across the street and a block or two from where he left us.

Okay, to be fair to this boutique hotel, it was quaint and charming and the dining room and dinner was very good.  The courtyard was beautiful.  Now, the second sign was the bellhop, I think that he was probably alive for the burning of Lisboa … the first one.  I felt terrible about him carrying our three bags, which were loaded with wine and gifts, but he insisted and I acquiesced.  I soon learned what provincial and historic meant for this hotel … small room, smaller bathroom, cold and drab, moderately comfortable beds, and a slight mildew and musky odor.  Too bad I didn’t have my digital camera … I was still using my SLR film camera.

I know I sound harsh in my assessment of York House and I mean to sound harsh, because I would not pay money to stay there again.  But, the hotel did not ruin our trip. 

Did this experience deter me from making reservations at boutique hotel?  Absolutely not.  I consider these boutique hotels part of the travel experience … the local culture and practices.  Now, at home, in the United States, I tend to always stay in chain hotels … my preference is the Hilton.  Not that there are not regional differences in the U.S., but I tend not to think of my lodging as part of my travel experience in the U.S.

So far, this has been one of my funkiest experiences, but I’m sure there will be others … Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands are next … December 2007.

My path into the 21st century

In 2007, I decided to enter the 21st century in terms of cameras.  Up to 2007, I had been using a Nikon FG-20 SLR film camera that my parents bought me in 1985.  I must say that this camera has been reliable and sturdy.  The camera still take good pictures despite some of the automatic features no longer working.  In this 22 year period I had to get the camera repaired only once.  [My full disclosure -- I have no relationship with Nikon].

As digital cameras became more affordable and as quality improved, I swore that I would stick with my old reliable SLR film camera.  However, the pressure to purchase a digital camera began to mount:  

1. I was missing scenic shots [my reliable Nikon FG-20 takes a little time to set the settings in order to take a photograph].
2. The cost of digital SLR cameras have become affordable.
3. While developing film has decreased, it was becoming more difficult to find developers who use matte paper.
4. It was getting complicated and troublesome to digitize prints … why not just start with digital images.
5. Last and most importantly, digital photography does not result in any lost of image quality, even when printing.

So, after many years of consternation, I purchased a digital SLR camera … a Nikon D-80 with a 18-135mm lens.  Shame on me for not getting a digital SLR camera before now.  How many photographs have I missed?  My first trip using the camera, I took over 500 photographs over 4 days.

I still have my Nikon FG-20, but I have not used it since January 2007.  With my digital SLR, I have all the controls that I had with the FG-20 plus many more.

Airport security … doesn’t inspire confidence

I don’t know about you, but airport security does not really make me feel secure.  I am not hypersensitive about security, and think that some of our responses to September 11 was reasonable, while many were not.

Every time that I fly and see security make people throw away half empty 4oz tubes of toothpaste and 5oz bottles of antibacterial hand wash, I think what training and background do these people have in chemistry and explosive.  Could not a group of “co-conspirators” take the “legally” allowed limit of liquids aboard for some nefarious purpose?  Firearms and other weapons, okay.

My other issue with security is with “profiling” passengers and looking for strange behavior.  Okay, some behavior is easily identifiable as strange or suspicious, such as talking to an imginary person while boxing air.  What is security’s psychological and cultural training to identify the strange.  My normal may be strange and suspicious to you and your strange and suspicious may seem normal to me.

This is also not a U.S. issue either.  Security, here at home, as well as abroad, is woefully inconsistent on top of questionably competent security personnel.  On serveral international trips, I accidentally put my over 3oz bottle of contact solution in our carry-on bag.  Security in Europe and Africa missed the contact solution, but made us throw away a 6oz bottle of skin care lotion.  [Very irritating as well as expensive.  As an aside, one reason people don't like to check bags is because the airlines are always misplacing or losing them.  Post for another day.]

I also have accidentally forgot to remove a small pocket knife.  Believe me this knife could never be used as a weapon.  It’s a small filmsy knife that I picked up at a trade show.  Again, an example of the lack of throughness and inconsistency of airport security.

My largest issue is philosophical.  In our hypersensitive mood over security, I am critical of both political parties over the way that they have addressed this issue.  The Democrats, who first proposed the Department of Homeland Security — how easily we forget, want to protect and unionize airport employees.  I have no problem paying people better wages, because the more you pay people the more you can demand and expect.  You pay people poorly and you are almost assured to get poor quality work.  You pay people well and you may get high quality work.  My problem with the Democrats approach is that you end up with employees who are virtually tenured and difficult to fire.  It’s bad for academia and elsewhere.

The Republican approach is just as bad.  They are borderline paranoid about terrorism and see it everywhere.  Much of this push is piece of mind.  The focus on security measures, profiling, and risk levels does not make me feel particularly safer.  Where is the training of secuity personnel and investment in equipment?  What other measures should we be thinking about in terms of potential future attacks?  Should a parallel focus be softer targets?  Note, I said parallel, referring to maintain the focus on airline security.

I think that security is a real issue.  I don’t feel all that secure given our current efforts, which I think is often guided by politics.

My 5 least favorite U.S. airports

Picking my least favorite U.S. airports was about as hard as selecting airports that I like.  As I said in a previous post, I tend to like the smaller airport more than the larger ones, despite the diversity of shops and dining experiences that the larger airports offer.  While I think the availability of shops and dining can add to the travel experience, it is only critical if I am going to be stuck in an airport without WiFi and/or a lounge.  I, at least, want to be able to waste time shopping at outrageously priced stores.

Most of my least favorite airports are large airports that are difficult to navigate, have a long complicated check-in process, make security painful.  Seemingly, the larger the airport, the less customer friendly the airport is, which makes sense … I think.

1. Atlanta  — huge, crowded, unfriendly, incompetent
2. Philadelphia — don’t mix code-share carriers here, else you have to repeat security
3. LaGuardia (NYC) — take a map to find your way around and don’t ever spend the night at the airport
4. Los Angeles — see Philadelphia
5. Washington - Dulles — see Atlanta

I hope that you have a better experience at these airports than I have.

My top 5 favorite U.S. airports

Saying that I have a favorite airport may be an over statement, but there are some airports that provide a better travel experience than others, make it easier to check-in, seem to be less incompetent, make finding your way around easy or less confusing, and offer diversity in dining and shopping experiences.

1. Lexington — This is a small regional airport in my home city.  The airport has recently expanded to include a lounge that accepts all club members.  The check-in process is easy and the gates are easy to find.  There is not mush in terms of dining and shopping, but the staff is usually competent and seems to understand customer service.
2. Detroit — This is probably my all-time favorite airport, because it is clean and offers what I would call a mini-mall of shops and eateries, including a sushi restaurant.  Eating sushi at an airport is a little brave.  For a large airport, check-in is not too difficult and reaching your gate is not a major event.  The airport layout, one long corridor, is probably it’s best feature.
3. Las Vegas — I have bought into the frequent flier concept and belong to two.  Las Vegas McCarran is one of the few airports that actually honor and acknowledge the benefits of being a frequent flier.  The check-in typically effortless and security is not the anal probe that it is at other airports.  One thing, if you are anxious to leave the aura of Vegas, you’ll have to wait until you leave the airport.  You can play slots until you board.  There’s something for everyone.
4. Raleigh-Durham –  RDU is another small airport that is supposed to be an international airport … to where, I do not know.  There is not a lot to do at this airport and the staff does not inspire a lot of confidence, but check-in and security are typically low stress activities.  It is practically impossible to get lost at the airport, because the terminals are laid out along one corridor.
5. Salt Lake City — I just get a calm feeling traveling through this airport.  Nice clean check-in and security process and the staff seems competent and customer service focused.  There is not an abundance of interesting shops or places to eat, but the sanity and civility of the airport makes up for this shortcoming.

Overall, I am a fan of the smaller airports.  While they have less to offer in terms of interesting shops and fine dining, the airport also does not become a major part of the travel experience.

My least favorite U.S. airports tomorrow.