Friday, December 22, 2006

Politically Incorrect: 4 Rants

I am not sure where political correctness ends and stupidity begins anymore. I am not sure I ever knew. But what I do know is that everywhere I look, people are cowering in corners for fear of insulting or offending someone else. Recently Macy’s made the news for allowing its employees to say “Merry Christmas,” but I notice Best Buy is holding out for the more politically correct “Happy Holidays” and Target is still giving the Salvation Army the boot. Retailers may be leading the politically correct crowd, but the travel industry is right behind them. Here are four things that simply leave me reeling.

Imams in Minneapolis. A group of Muslim imams prayed publicly in the gate area at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport last month (declining to make use of a designated prayer room), engaged in several types of suspicious behavior (buying one-way tickets, paying cash, changing seats, requesting seat-belt extenders when their size didn’t require them), refused to obey the orders of a flight crew, and so were deplaned and held for questioning. I say good move on the part of US Airways, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and the FBI.

It now appears that the group posed no threat to public safety, and I am sorry the imams were inconvenienced, but come on! Had these gentlemen not seen any news broadcast in the last five years? Did they really think their behavior would cause no alarm? Which red flag did they not see?

Now comes an interesting development. After the imams were deplaned, they cried that their civil rights had been violated, threatened a lawsuit, and called for a boycott of US Airways. Ah, now it is becoming clearer: This is more about money than about freedom of expression. Now they have graciously offered to meet with the airline to discuss an out-of-court settlement. Where is our collective brain? Doesn’t anyone see that this is all about money? I say, let them have their boycott, and US Airways will have my business. Cave in and I just might call for a boycott! Check out the Tripso Forums for more on this topic.

Muslims cabbies in Minneapolis. What? Minneapolis again? A group of Muslim cabbies has said that it will not transport passengers from the airport if they are carrying alcohol. Neither will they take them to a liquor store or a bar. Such ordinary cabbie duties are apparently against their religion.

Come on! If I am a vegetarian, I do not go to work at the Outback Steakhouse. If I do not want to transport liquor, I do not become a cab driver. Man, if I had Bill Gates-type money, I would put a workforce in that airport handing out bottles of hooch that say “Welcome to Minneapolis/St. Paul.” I would do it for every arriving passenger and I would do it for six months. That might change those cabbies’ tune.

But nothing so drastic is needed. A taxi cab is a public conveyance, and cabbies are regulated in most cities. So the solution is simple: If a cabbie refuses a fare because of his own religious scruples, yank the license! There’s more on this topic in the Tripso Forums.

Breastfeeding on airplanes. Oh my! Imagine the gall of a woman attempting to nourish her child on an airplane. Such behavior should be dealt with severely and swiftly. And it was.

Thanks to a horribly wrong call on the part of a Freedom Airlines flight attendant (ironic, huh?) operating on a Delta Air Lines flight (I am not going on a code-share rant—yet), a woman was deplaned for breastfeeding her child on the airplane. Mind you, the “porno show” was covered with a blanket, the mother was in a window seat, the middle seat was empty, and the father was in the aisle seat. But this did not stop the flight attendant from giving mother and child the heave-ho. I’m sure that same flight attendant would have been the first to squawk if the child began to wail when the pressure built up in her ears. But since it seems anyone can now inflict their own ideas of morality on anyone else, this decision flew—without mom and the baby!

My solution: Send this overzealous flight attendant to sensitivity training, or hand her a pink slip. Agree? Disagree? Speak your piece in the Tripso Forum on this topic.

Resistance to airline safety measures. Hello, folks. Hello? Anyone home? Remember that sunny day in September 2001? We are indeed at war. Perhaps it’s not the most effective war, but there are people intent on hurting the U.S. out there, and the airline sector is a huge target. That is a fact. And while the TSA is one of the most inept law enforcement organizations I have ever witnessed, I must say they are doing better. We are marginally safer than we were on September 10, 2001. So why, when new safety measures are introduced, do they meet such resistance?

The Trusted Traveler Program — a great idea given adequate background checks. But, oh no, that would be an invasion of privacy. I say: Invade all you want if it makes me safer. The Body Scan X-Ray Program — another great idea. But no, someone might be able to see that you have a penis or a pair of breasts (or both, I guess). People, they are not filming this for YouTube! The screener is in another part of the building, and the novelty will wear off after the first hour, I assure you. Hey, if someone wants to take a peek and I am safer — go for it! We are talking about this topic in the Tripso Forums, as well.

OK, that’s enough for now. But these are just four of my recent rants. There are many more. Like, why are the cruise lines taking the heat on norovirus when it is present all over the place? Why isn’t it called the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Virus? And why are the airlines making it so hard to redeem my “loyalty” points? And why aren’t people supporting New Orleans like they should? I’ve got a million of them.

But how about you? What’s got you in a lather? I would love to know. Just send me an e-mail, and I might use it to launch a future column. Until the next time, and with many thanks to Larry the Cable Guy, I wish you all a Merry Nondenominational Winter Holiday and a Safe and Happy January 1st!

Friday, December 1, 2006

Cruising For A Recovery

I have always loved New Orleans, and after Hurricane Katrina took her out in August 2005, I became one of the city’s biggest cheerleaders for tourism recovery. Ditto for Cozumel, which took a hard hit from Hurricane Wilma just two months after Katrina. I’ve never been one to weep and wail from the sidelines, so earlier this year, I organized Tripso’s “Cruise for a Cause,” a five-day trip in late October. The idea was to get a firsthand look at how New Orleans and Cozumel are doing — and to raise some money to get these two great destinations back on their feet.

Cruise for a Cause had some fantastic support and great bookings. Carnival Cruise Lines kicked in some money, and we booked cabins on its recently refurbished ship Fantasy. We got a fantastic special from the hotel Maison Dupuy and from Dominique’s restaurant in New Orleans, along with a discounted “Disaster Tour” of the devastated areas from one of my favorite outfits, Tours by Isabelle. We also booked a “Ghost Tour” of New Orleans from Haunted History Tours — the perfect adventure for Halloween Week.

Thanks to all who made the trip possible. Herewith, my report.

The good news is that both destinations are open for business, and that business is picking up with the return of the cruise ships. Before we left, I spoke with Mary Beth Romig, director of communications and public relations for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“The return of the cruise industry signals another milestone in the city’s recovery as we continue to send the message across the nation and the world that we are open for business,” Romig said. “The strength of the Port of New Orleans is another success story in the city in terms of progress. With regard to tourism, what the cruise industry brings is those travelers who tend to combine the cruise experience with the port city experience. Hence we see the ripple effect of the economic impact on the hospitality industry, as these visitors extend their trip either pre-cruise or post-cruise to enjoy all New Orleans has to offer.”

Touring New Orleans

I have argued in earlier columns that tourists should offer vacation dollars to the cause of rebuilding New Orleans. I’ve said it more than once: “Just go.”

But what about the health hazards? The crime? The pestilence? (I have always wanted to use that word.) Don’t worry. You won’t find them. Unless you are very lost, you won’t even see much damage. Instead, you will find welcoming faces and folks thanking you for coming. In fact, I have never received more heartfelt thanks!

In New Orleans, a quick walk around the French Quarter and the Central Business District turned up a few shops and restaurants with limited hours, but in general the city was ready, willing and able to accommodate visitors. Jazz was playing, go-cups were going and most major attractions — everything from the zoo to the casinos — were doing a brisk business.

We got a rather different perspective on our “Disaster Tour,” ably led by our guide Stanley, who took us to some of the harder-hit outlying areas. Still, there was good news. I have been on this tour four times since Katrina struck, and I am happy to report that for the first time, I saw real progress being made outside the typical tourist centers. Sure, there were some desolate neighborhoods, but most were beginning to emerge from the ruins. I guess the insurance money is finally beginning to flow. Unfortunately, the Lower 9th Ward is still a mess; it will probably be years before it even begins to resemble anything close to “normal”. But people are working, people are partying and people are enjoying all that this city has offered for hundreds of years.

Cruising and Cozumel

The cruise portion of our getaway was notable because it was Carnival’s first sailing from New Orleans since Katrina. Fantasy is one of Carnival’s older ships, but a recent renovation spruced her up a bit. The embarkation had several glitches, but that’s not surprising when you consider that the port team had been out of practice for more than a year.

Once aboard, we found the ship a great place to celebrate the return of cruising to New Orleans. We certainly never had to go far to find a good time. From the Newlywed Game, to the Hairiest Chest Competition, to scavenger hunts for the kids — it was all there for the taking. And in true New Orleans style, this Halloween voyage had plenty of costumes to enjoy. I was surprised that besides our group, most of the passengers were locals. My minority status was confirmed on Sunday when, in a huge lapse of good judgment, I let out a cheer for the Baltimore Ravens only to be glared back into my cabin by 600 New Orleans eyeballs. These fans take their Saints very seriously!

After an unusually windy and rough day at sea, we arrived at Cozumel and docked at the Punta Langosta Pier in the center of town. As in New Orleans, we were greeted with huge smiles everywhere; I truly felt appreciated for being there. Construction on the International Pier (a few miles from town) is still ongoing and there were conflicting reports about when it would be completed. Throughout the town, building and rebuilding are in full swing. One of my fellow cruisers checked out the Intercontinental Hotel to see if it would be open for her trip in January — no problem!

Perhaps the most disheartening legacy of Wilma is the damage done to the offshore coral reefs, which have long been a paradise for divers. The sea life is slowly returning, but the reefs took a bad hit, and it will be years or even decades before they recover. One of my favorite pastimes in Cozumel on previous trips was to spend a day swimming and snorkeling in Chankanaab Park. The park is still open, but it will likely disappoint swimmers and divers for several more months. However, the park’s two dolphin encounter programs are up and running, and these can be a terrific alternative to snorkeling on your own.

Our five-day Cruise for a Cause seemed all too short, as all leisure trips tend to do. Although we are still tallying the numbers — and trying to make the difficult decision of which organizations to support — I am glad to report that the event was a success and the generosity of Carnival Corporation and our readers will go a long way toward helping some needy people.

If you’d like to take a look at the trip, check out my photo album or some of the other New Orleans trips. And if you are interested in meeting me in New Orleans for Mardi Gras in February, send me an e-mail!