Travel
Papers, please.
“Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder John Gilmore was prevented from flying because he was wearing a button deemed to be in “poor taste” and refused to take it off. Seems he won’t be flying anywhere for a while, unless he wins his court case.” [from MetaFilter]
This makes me so freakin’ angry. The whole travel experience is beyond degrading. It is ridiculous. All it does is inconvience the honest. You mean terrorists can’t buy a ticket with a actual credit card and a fake ID? Please.
Here’s a FAQ about Gilmore vs. Ashcroft.
This is an article that I sent around right around 9/11 about security and airports. It is by Bruce Schneier of Counterpane Intenet Security.
No littering
Here’s a question, where are all the trash cans in Australia?
A little questioning of the locals reveals that everyone is responsible for carrying out whatever trash you carried in. The logic is that if you have a full trash can in a public place, people will just put their “rubbish” on top or next to the can where it might blow away, thereby dirtying the area.
Maybe. But I don’t buy it. It is a little… well, unsophisticated… to carry around your trash while vainly trying to find some place to dump it. Of course, Sydney is spotless, so it must be working.
Yawning in technocolor or double prints?
We flew Virgin Blue to Sydney. The flight itself was a disaster because of delays, but it was hard to get pissed because everyone was just so damn polite. Interestingly enough, Virgin Blue tries to bring back the feel of air travel in the 60’s with flight attdendants that are young, female, and attractive. Is this sexist or just designing the experience?
One detail that is apparently true on all airplanes in Australia, instead of your standard air sickness bag, Australian ones are dual purpose: you can throw up in it or you can drop in a roll of film and mail it for developing.
Australia is lying to you
I went to a animal sanctuary in Melbourne. I stubbornly insist that the hopping kangaroo is merely a marketing ploy by the Australian tourism board. Those things are the most sedentary, boring creatures I’ve ever seen.
The real prize today was the “Birds of Prey” exhibit. There was an eagle that could use tools. If the eagle (I forget which type) is presented with an emu egg (a fake one was used for the demonstration), it won’t peck at it with its beak. Instead it picks up a rock with its claws and strikes it repeatedly until it breaks. I need to remember that the next time I struggle opening a beer bottle.
The cigarette lobby is weak in Australia
I love how different countries do the warnings for cigarettes. Canada is somewhat gruesome by showing close-up photos of lung cancer that take up half of the pack.
Australia, instead, opts for a typographic solution. Bold type with some to-the-point messages like “Smoking causes lung cancer” or “Smoking kills”.
There is none of the weaselly crap of may or can. You can clearly see the strength of the U.S. cigarette lobby, our warnings are tiny and lack conviction.
Sydney police rocks
Here’s a timeline of events:
- Midnight last night, I lose my wallet.
- 4:30am, someone finds it in the gutter and turns it in to the police. The police actually expend the effort to try and find me. They call my work, cancel my credit cards, and call the American consulate.
- 9am, I notice it is gone and start calling the taxi companies.
- 9:15am I call the police.
- 10am I retrieve my wallet. Complete with all of my credit cards and all of the cash.
Amazing.
Hello Australia
We’ve arrived in Sydney!
20 hours in economy leaves a lot to be desired. Though exit row helps cushion the blow. Economy really is steerage.
I did the whole currency exchange thing. Jeni and I once again argue the merits of large demonomination coins ($1 or more). I, for the record, think the practice sucks. The line between coins and bills indicates the point when the money is worth something. Once it is in your wallet, you care about it. You track it. Coins, you give away.
My theory was always that if you buy something that costs $1.04 and you have four pennies, you have actually paid $1. If you give two dollar bills and get back 96 cents, you have actually paid $2.
Australian money is pretty cool as far as the plasticized notes of different colors. American money is pretty dull.
More to come…
