The Road Warrior

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and that we all enjoy a prosperous 2009.

Scott A Bell

The Road Warrior

I flew into Sacramento form Denver Sunday night. Due to weather my flight was delayed about 2.5 hours. Dollar rental closes at midnight. So before I left Denver I called the 800 number to request that someone wait for me so I could get my rental car. Well I got to the Dollar counter at about 1:10 AM and the manager was there to handle my rental. He was very pleasant and accommodating. I will remember this experience when i am looking for a rental car in the future.

Scott A Bell

The Road Warrior

This is an interesting cultural observation. If you are about to go through security at an airport in the United State and you have more than one line to choose from, go left. People in the USA tend to choose the right hand lines by a very healthy margin. If you are in Europe I am told it tends to be the opposite.

Scott Bell

The Road Warrior

With airlines charging fees for nearly everything, most charge a fee to book a flight via the phone. But you can call in get all the assistance  you need to find the flight and price you want, then go online and book your flight with out the fee. I actually have been on the internet and the phone at the same time and booked my flight while getting my free advice over the phone.

Scott Bell

The Road Warrior

With airlines charging for everything under the sun and Some of them eliminating in flight entertainment, it is probably a good idea to bring your own entertainment. I see more MP3 players and DVD players and laptops used to watch video on planes all the time. Personally I use the time to read or sleep. But there are times when I like to listen to music (it blocks out noise and is relaxing, which often leads to sleep), and that is when I use my MP3 player. And if you bring your own video source you can be sure to see something you want to see instead of what the airline chooses.

Scott Bell

The Road Warrior

Just a quick tip.  I am sure everyone has a tag on the luggage they check that has their home address and phone number on it, It may be a good idea to out a second tag on the bag that has your destination information on it. Also it is not a bad idea to put that information inside the luggage where it can be found easily should your luggage get separated from the tag. One more thing. Don't forget to tag your carry-on. As overhead space gets more difficult to find, you could have to put your carry on far from your seat and have someone accidentally grab the wrong bag.

Scott A Bell

The Road Warrior

I just read an article that says Youtube is going to restrict sexually provocative videos to people who are 18 and over. And any suggestive videos will not be include in the most popular lists. I think it is a good idea, but it really does not prevent kids from viewing, it just makes it a little more difficult, And there are plenty of other places they can find explicit material on the web. What do you think?

Scott A Bell

The Road Warrior

Sit in a plane on the tarmac. Which is what happened yesterday in Ontario, CA. Hard to believe that it could happen. It was an international flight so the passengers would need to be cleared by customs. 9 hours on a plane full of people, what a nightmare. Click on the link below to read more.

9 Hours going nowhere 

Scott A Bell

The Road Warrior

This morning as I drove through fog that was quite thick in spots I thought fog driving tips might be a good idea,

• Drive with your headlights lights on low beam. High beams will only be reflected back off the fog and actually reduce visibility even more.
• Slow down -- and watch your speedometer. Fog can create an illusion of slow motion when you may actually be speeding.
• Listen for traffic you can't see. Crack open your window, to hear better.
• Use your wipers and the defroster as necessary for maximum visibility.
• Use the white line on the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
• Be patient. Do not attempt to pass.

Scott

The Road Warrior

If you need a hotel room at the last minute you are more likely to get a bargain by calling the hotel directly (not the 800 number) and speaking with the sales manager. Tell them you are shopping for a room in the area and want to know what is the best price you can get. If the hotel has vacancies you can get 50%+ discounts or get a suite for the price of a basic room.

Scott A Bell

The Road Warrior