I love to travel but ?

Pitfalls? All the usual ones about flying plus:
* The guy behind me pressing his knees against the back of my seat when the announcement about ok to take off seat belts and recline is given shortly after takeoff.
* When I can't get an aisle seat and the people between me and the aisle get snippy because of my frequent (in their minds) up and downs.
* Drunks

Taxis: Everything.

Hotels:
* Uncomfortable bed and / or pillow.
* Arguing ... I mean discussing politely with the desk clerk that I'm going to look at several rooms before deciding to stay in your dump ... I mean fine budget hotel.
* Arguing ... I mean discussing politely with the desk clerk that I will pay for the first night of a multi night stay and you will give me a receipt that has the per night room rate on it. Heard too many horror stories of people checking out of hotels in the third world and finding the rate bore no resemblance to the their reservation documents or verbal quotes, except that it was higher.

Any cashier at any business, in or out of the travel business, anywhere in the world, who says they don't have change and then makes a big production out of getting it while the foreigner who wants to bite someones head off has to cool his heels and make like it's nothing. Uh .. that's not me I was talking about. I actually learned how to deal with this in two countries (Philippines and Thailand). If, for example, the bill is 222 in a country that has 100, 500 and 1000 denomination notes, handing over 1022 almost always gets change without a problem.



From Merriam-Webster: Origin of TRAVEL

Middle English travailen, travelen to torment, labor, strive, journey, from Anglo-French travailler
 
Moemg said:
The most frightening drives in my life have been in taxis .
Click to expand...
Yeah, going through Houston in rush hour can be scary.

Oh..'taxis'.....I thought you said Texas.

Never mind.
 
Moemg said:
The most frightening drives in my life have been in taxis .
Click to expand...

Yes...Guadalajara, Mexico, December 1999, at midnight, 6 of us in a taxi returning from a dance club and screeching round corners on two wheels.....I thought I was going to die. :angel:
 
All this talk of taxis reminds me of the joke about the priest who was killed in a taxi on the way to the airport. At the Pearly Gates St. Peter asks the priest to take a seat alongside others waiting to be admitted. The taxi driver then presents himself, and St Peter greets him warmly and ushers him straight into heaven.

The priest is shocked and immediately goes up to protest. "I'm a faithful priest and have only ever strived to do good. That man is just a taxi driver, and a bad one at that. It was his bad driving that got me killed!!"

"I'm sorry", says St Peter, "But, you see, we go on results up here, and whenever you preached, people slept. Whenever he drove, people prayed".

Sorry for the hi-jack :D
 
I have a real problem with mothers who travels with toddlers. My experience is that children under the age of two years travel badly - they have problems in equalizing the pressure in their ears, they have special needs with regards to food, play and their bowels. Since most new mothers seem to be travelling alone (sometimes they have another little one in tow), it seems that they are on their way to their parents with the kids, and given the difficulties involved, I fail to understand why the grandparents do not go to visit their grandchildren - the traffic seems to be mostly one way.

What am I missing here? :confused:
 
Cato said:
I have a real problem with mothers who travels with toddlers.
Click to expand...

Same here - when our kids were toddlers I always made sure to book myself many rows away from DW and the kids.
 
Cato said:
I have a real problem with mothers who travels with toddlers.
Click to expand...
travelover said:
Benadryl
Click to expand...
Exactly!

When Christina was 2, I traveled with her to Hawaii to see my parents while my husband (now ex) was at sea. We had ZERO money and my parents paid for the tickets. I had not been home for about five years or so and was homesick, so I said "yes" to the tickets. Christina's pediatrician said the best way to keep her calm was to give her Benadryl.

So, I managed to get bulkhead seats which provided room for her to play without bothering or interacting with the other passengers. I brought a bag full of new toys for her to play with. We played with the new toys together until she got sleepy from the Benadryl, and then she snuggled up and I read her a bedtime story. She slept for most of the trip.

Seemed to work. She never made a sound and behaved herself. Makes me wish sometimes that others would consider Benadryl for their toddlers on planes too. I guess the idea of "drugging" their kids is kind of unappealing, but it didn't seem to have any lasting effect on Christina.
 
REWahoo said:
Compassion? :LOL:
Click to expand...

Mmmm, would that be compassion for the child or the mother? :D

I am equivocal about the use of Benadryl - I have no doubt that Benadryl does the trick - it is an antihistaminic with a sedative effect which tends to dry up the mucosa and thicken any mucus - it does sedate them and and would tend to keep their eustachian tubes open but personally, I would avoid it if possible in a child with a runny cold.

We have 4 kids, all grown up now, but I remember that travelling with them was a big deal, and believe that unless there are good reasons to the contrary, grandparents should do the travelling until all the little ones are 2+years old.
 
Cato said:
We have 4 kids, all grown up now, but I remember that travelling with them was a big deal, and believe that unless there are good reasons to the contrary, grandparents should do the travelling until all the little ones are 2+years old.
Click to expand...
How about if you are meeting family for a holiday or event, and you are the one who lives away? Either you travel, or your grandparents, siblings, and their kids travel. We traveled to go see the whole family, not just the grandparents. My kid was a good traveler though. Just hold off on the bottle until the ears needed to be popped.
 
Meadbh said:
Yes...Guadalajara, Mexico, December 1999, at midnight, 6 of us in a taxi returning from a dance club and screeching round corners on two wheels.....I thought I was going to die. :angel:
Click to expand...
Taxi to the airport in Guad. DW got down behind the driver's seat and shut her eyes. Got there is record time though so there was extra "cool down" time!
 
Either we had the same taxi driver, or it's a Guadalajara thing!
 
Meadbh said:
Either we had the same taxi driver, or it's a Guadalajara thing!
Click to expand...

It's not just a Guadalajara thing . I had the worst taxi ride of my life in Boston . I finally yelled for him to slow down or I was eliminating the tip .
 
Returning to Riyadh one night...exited the terminal just as the next cab in line drove up......and ran into the driver in front of him as the guy was putting another passenger's luggage in the open trunk.

In we get, and he has a hard time finding reverse.....in an automatic.

Mexico? Kid's stuff. :LOL:
 
Nemo2 said:
Mexico? Kid's stuff. :LOL:
Click to expand...
I got my Jalisco drivers license this month. There was a random-selection of 20 questions in Spanish with multiple choice answers. I passed and got my Chofurs License.

However there was no eye test and no driving test. Now I understand why the drivers are like they are!
 
kcowan said:
I got my Jalisco drivers license this month. There was a random-selection of 20 questions in Spanish with multiple choice answers. I passed and got my Chofurs License.

However there was no eye test and no driving test. Now I understand why the drivers are like they are!
Click to expand...
Saudi driver's 'test'.......an optician's (type) eye chart consisting of nothing but the letter E.....right way up, upside down, downside up & backwards......one had to point in the direction that the E's normally horizontal lines were facing.......I think. :LOL:
 
As a buddy of mine in Riyadh used to say, "The Saudis have no comprehension of cause-and-effect".:LOL:
 
Meadbh said:
And speaking of Saudi drivers....watch out for the passengers, too! :facepalm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iotqu88tqrM
Click to expand...
There's a reason they don't let people who wear dresses drive?
confused.gif
 
No kidding! Can you imagine what the total tab was for that moment of inconsiderate behavior followed by the inappropriate response?
 
BTravlin said:
No kidding! Can you imagine what the total tab was for that moment of inconsiderate behavior followed by the inappropriate response?
Click to expand...

Yea, they will have to start charging for toilet paper in flight to make up for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

sengsational
Dumbest Booking Error
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
sengsational
sengsational
S
Trusted travel agent
Replies
16
Views
1K
SecondAttempt
S
C
Great River Road Trip
Replies
17
Views
634
cathy63
C
M
Snowbird destinations
Replies
11
Views
807
MarcJoli
M
Zona
Dolomites in September
Replies
5
Views
542
explanade
E

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom