Observations On Traveling

For the past 3 weeks I've been traveling more than usual. It's been enjoyable, for the most part, but it gets more difficult to travel with every passing year. With trips to Las Vegas, Chicago (twice) and Philadelphia, I got a pretty wide exposure to the traveling public. Here are a few observations on the good, the bad, and the ugly:

• I use a bluetooth headset when I'm working in the office or when I'm driving. I DO NOT use one in an airport or a rental car bus. I saw a number of people using a headset while holding the phone in their hand. So what's the point of this? Here's a thought...why don't you just move the phone up to your ear and lose the headset? That way you won't annoy everyone around you, plus you'll save yourself from public ridicule just for being a geek.


• Speaking of geeks, are we a little "over-teched" in this country? You can hardly walk through an airport without someone running into you while texting or emailing. As soon as the plane lands, 90% of the people grab their phones to check for messages. Some even make a phone call to declare to an interested party, "I just landed." This usually happens while the tires on the plane are still smoking from touching down. In most airports you still have another 5-15 minutes before you're actually off the plane. So I ask you, who is this information helping? If someone is waiting for them at the airport they now have at least a 15 minute warning, given that the passenger still has to exit the plane and walk out of the airport - maybe even claim a bag. The point is, why is this information so urgent?
  

And then we have the matter of fees and taxes. For proof I offer the hotel bill and the rental car bill.

• While in Vegas, I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. When I checked in, the girl at the desk took my credit card, looked up my reservation, gave me my key, and told me that I would be charged a $7 per day "resort fee" in addition to my room charges. What is a resort fee, you ask? Well, that's the fee you pay for the privilege of using the hotel's basic services. Things like elevators, ice, towels, etc. If you want to use the spa, fitness room, or other amenities, there's another charge for that. In short, a resort fee is a way to raise the daily room rate without raising the daily room rate. It's a scam.


• Before we leave hotels, let's also look at all the other fees and charges tacked onto your bill. Take a look sometime and you'll see that you're paying a hefty charge for the privilege of staying with them. City taxes, county taxes, etc. This is how many cities finance their convention centers and stadiums. The concept is a no-brainer. City governments are happy to vote these fees in because no one who can vote for them will ever have to pay the tax! It's all paid by unsuspecting tourists and visitors like me. So is this "taxation without representation"? Isn't this why we fought the Revolutionary War? Isn't this why the colonists got upset about The Stamp Act? I'll tell you, King George looks like an amateur compared to these city governments!


• And then there's the rental car. I asked the guy at the counter in Philadelphia why the charge on my credit card was so much higher than the quoted rate. He said it's because the taxes are 22%. Yes, I said 22%! The City of Philadelphia gets 11% and the Airport Authority gets another 11%. And if you don't like it, well, you can walk. Al Capone himself didn't get that kind of return on investment! I'd like to think Ben Franklin wouldn't have supported this kind of legislation. City of Brotherly Love, indeed!

Gets back to one of my earlier posts about who's looking out for me. Once again the answer is, well, ME. Travel safely.

Till next time.....