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Several women who flew through Dallas/Fort Worth's airport have filed complaints against the TSA claiming that officials asked them to walk through the body scanners multiple times. Why would female agents do such a thing? So the male agents viewing the scans could get a better look at their bodies. Ew. More »
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Contrary to its depiction as a backward desert full of terrorists, Pakistan is home to beautiful scenery and a few free-spirited travelers who explore the country in 4x4 vehicles. Baber Khan, editor of the car website PakWheels.com, shares his story and amazing photos. — Ed. More »
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If you have it in your mind to steal a coach bus to make up for holiday expenditures, make sure it's not a Greyhound. Beyond the prospect of a beheading, the company can shut your joyride down from Greyhound HQ. More »
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When you're flying these days, you'll usually hear the flight crew instruct you during takeoff and landing to turn off "any device that has an off button"—not just activating airplane mode, but physically turning off the device. This makes very little sense to most tech-savvy types, but James Fallows at The Atlantic has a few theories on the seemingly arbitrary rule. One is that the pilot and crew need your attention, in case something goes wrong. The other theories revolve around the actual devices: their capabilities for interference, and their likelihood of annoying other passengers. More »
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In an email titled "Hilarious/Horrifying?," a tipster sent along this picture of a TSA luggage inspection notice that came with a sexxxtra-special bonus message: GET YOUR FREAK ON GIRL. "This happened to my friend on a flight on Saturday," the tipster writes. "Apparently TSA found a 'personal item' in her bag." Hmmm, so I guess free sex coaching services are part of TSA's mission now? Nice to know they're concerned about our well-being on all fronts. More »
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As part of their partnership with UNESCO to provide virtual tours of the designated World Heritage Sites, Google sent one of their Street View trikes to ride the Rhaetian Railway in Switzerland to capture its stunning views of the Swiss Alps. More »
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We've all been on some pretty bad flights. But a JetBlue flight from Oregon to JFK yesterday, well, ew. More »
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This cute film from Eric B. Shanks (the guy behind this) charts one 2,264 mile trip from the sunny West Coast to the chilly East Coast in as many modes of transportation as he could film, including a ferry and a BMW M3. The joy of motion, beautifully captured. More »
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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will update its pat-down methods at 450 U.S. airports on Friday to allow more aggressive touching, with inspectors instructed to touch travelers' personal do-not-fly zones if they refuse scanners. Who's ready for a road trip? More »
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Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Unless, of course, you happen to be flying, driving, watching the news or talking to anyone. Because then you'll know today's the worst travel day of the year — 1.4% more worst than last. More statistics below. More »
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Every holiday the AAA, which is a quasi-governmental agency more powerful than the FRC but slightly less powerful that the pentaverate, puts out the results of a nationwide survey that tells them how many people will be hitting the roads. According to their survey, this year slightly less people (about 0.3%) will by flying for Christmas and slightly more (about 0.7%) will be taking their cars for a trip of more than 50 miles from home. Though gas prices are up this year, so are airline tickets, and many people are reporting that it's important to them to see their family and find out if Cousin Wanda really did get that fat since Thanksgiving. Full press release below. More »
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With wintry weather a real possibility for those traveling tomorrow, we thought we'd share some safe winter driving tips. Those of you in the north are probably better prepared for snowy conditions, but the chance of snow and slush in Texas can only mean a lot more of this. Anybody have any special tricks? More »
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A lot of our readers will be hitting the highways in an effort to ignore their family for football and clog their arteries with gravy (I can't wait for gravy), so as a continuation of our earlier attempt at public service we've created this easy-to-read travel map based on the latest weather conditions forecast by the National Weather Service. This is what you can expect between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm EST on Thurdsay, though we're not meteorologists so please check with your local weather service before traveling. Safe trip everybody! [NWS] More »
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Despite gas prices that are sometimes a $1 more a gallon, more people are going to be driving to get their fill of turkey and awkward family silences. According to AAA, a record 38.7 million Americans will be traveling more than 50 miles or more from home during the break, approximately 1.6% up from last year. About 80% of those will be taking cars and will be paying an average of about $3.11 per gallon for the privilege. Typically, fuel prices are supposed to decrease over the winter months but, you know... someone at ExxonMobil wants a new Yacht for Christmas. [AP via MSNBC] More »
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An (non) independent adjudicating authority that exists in the form of only one of the guys that exists in the form of Jalopnik.com has declared that "King of the Road" by Roger Miller is the website's (Inter)national anthem. Yes, we will stop with the parentheses now. And while Airstream is the official trailer of the hipster elite, we're officially bucking that shit as of its appropriation by Ford at the Detroit Auto Show. Make no mistake, we love us some polished aluminum, but the recreational vehicle that truly captured our childhood heart was the Wilderness travel trailer. More »
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Ben Lovejoy is a man who is mightily obsessed with the N rburgring — so much so that he tromped about through the Eifel to find a way to get his car onto the now-disused S dschleife. He's also assembled a fan site filled to the rim with Brim, featuring facts, tips on travel, insurance, car hire et. al. and an engaging history of the course and the personalities that made it famous by Robert Blinkhorn. It kind of makes us wanna go drink and pogo. Total geil! – Davey G. Johnson More »
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Patron saint of San Pedro Mike Watt noted back in 1995, "The kids of today should defend themselves against the Seventies," which, as a 19-year-old, we took as gospel. A decade later, Watt said to us, "Peter Frampton sang 'Do you feel like I do?' No, I don't. You're wearing a kimono!" And while defending oneself against Peter Frampton and Mustang IIs seems like a very good idea, the '70s also gave us some great stuff like the Lamborghini Countach, the Ramones, the Ferrari 308, the Modern Lovers, the DAF/Volvo 66, the Escort RS1800, The Rockford Files, the Sex Pistols, the raddest Funny Cars ever, the Commodores and Smokey and the Bandit. However, the '70s have always been overshadowed by the '60s, what with its Beatles, cultural tumult, spaz-inducing-in-men-in-denim-shirts-and-polos musclecars and all. This nearly-30-year-old bit from Time debunks the "It was all better before you were born" myth while rather solidly reinforcing it. Is it reality? Or just someone else's sentimentality? – Davey G. Johnson More »
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There was nothing for Terence in Belfast. The Pound was so old it was a pity. Okay, there was the Trident in Bangor, and then he'd walk back to the city. So he left Ulster and came to New York, and now he's taking 80 days to drive around the US in a Mini, along the way visiting the smallest town in every state. Currently, is in Jalopnik's former Texas outpost, the great city of Austin. Kiss the Pedernales for us, Terence. Only 40 days to get back to New York! More »
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We've been fascinated by the Salton Sea ever since we first saw it on a map as a little kid. What was this odd lake out in the vast wastes of Southeastern California? But we've never been. When the Hot Snakes released Automatic Midnight in 1999, featuring the track "Salton City," with its haunting "Give us a kiss!" meme, throbbing organ bassline, and inscrutable but entirely evocative lyrics, we got hooked again. We also rather like that Val Kilmer film where Vincent D'Onofrio has no nose. But we've never been there. We're haunted by the place, however, and a pilgrimage must be made in appropriate vehicle. And this vehicle feels entirely appropriate. The problem is, it's so damn busted and rusted, we don't know what it is. So what is it? Give us a kiss! – Davey G. Johnson More »
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When Ray and Austin crashed the parade in Indy and ended up in a car with Karen Catchpole and her husband Eric Mohl, the masterminds behind Transamericas Journey, for some reason, it didn't click. And then in some sort of delayed reaction, we hear from the mighty Lew last night, saying "Karen Catchpole!" And it still didn't click. And then he added context clues and we were like, "Oh, duh. That Karen Catchpole!" More »
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Apropos to yesterday's post on hotels offering guests the use of a test car, there's an even sweeter deal for guests with more comprehensive trust funds. Those planning a stay at one of Ritz-Carlton's luxury hotels from Boston to Coconut Grove to Half Moon Bay can choose a package including the use of a complimentary Mercedes-Benz. It's dubbed The Mercedes-Benz Key to Luxury package, and includes a deluxe guest room on The Ritz-Carlton Club Level (i.e., no synthetic fibers permitted); the use of a new Mercedes-Benz with unlimited mileage; a full tank of gas each morning, and overnight valet parking. Among the cars available (varies by location) are the C230, CLK500, CLS500, E55 AMG, E500, G500, ML500, S500 and SLK350. [Thanks to Scott and Lam for the tip.] More »
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First it was Beverly Hills' Mosaic Hotel offering a Mini Cooper test drive (for a fee); now its the Crowne Plaza Parramatta in Sydney, providing an Audi TT or (Audi A-series) with the room rate (average price $262 American per night). As Hotel Chatter reports, test drives are consumers' favorite try-out activity, which means carmakers may be missing an opportunity to self-promote among the traveling classes. Why stop with specialty cars? How about an SUV in Orlando or an Impala at the Motel 6? Oh wait, car companies own car-rental agencies, on whom they pawn off their overstock. Never mind. More »
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Two Italian men have arrived in China, after a three-month trek in a Fiat the size of an Anoplophora glabripennis. The average Asian Longhorned beetle, however, would have had far fewer miles on it than the 1973 Fiat 500 R did before the two began their trip from Turin, Italy to Bejing. Along the way, the two were nearly done in by unrest in Kyrgyzstan, the harsh plains of Siberia and submarine-grade close-quarters insanity. But holy hell, they made it. More »
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