This past weekend was a travel disaster for folks trying to get outta Dodge in the Northeast. I even heard from friends pleading with me to help, as if I could get BWI airport to open. Yep, anyone headed anywhere by plane, train or automobile was stranded. Amtrak canceled service south of DC, airports from Philly southward were closed at least part of the weekend, and many governments closed roads to automobile travel to clean highways and streets, and to get a reprieve from the accidents caused by the brave and foolish who went out anyway.
And, as of Monday morning, this odyessy still hasn’t completely ended.
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Savvy travelers are supposed to know what to do, and what not to do, in order to avoid being ripped off. But even the most sophisticated ones have been victims of nefarious characters and acts that have turned their trips into ones from hell.
You’ve read the rules: Don’t carry a wallet that’s easy to snatch, separate your valuables, make photocopies of everything, never carry your passport once you reached your destination (a copy of key pages will do). Try not to like a tourist; often easier said than done. Don’t look at maps in public and whatever you do, don’t have that “where am I look” spread all over your face.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is having its share of problems. Their intricate systems failed to uncover the Christmas panty bomber. Passengers are rebelling against being virtually stripped naked in order to get through security. GAO note they have not even tested these new strip-search machines to see if they can identify PETN (the explosive used in the Christmas bomb). And now the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight finds uncontrolled spending.
It looks like Homeland Security needs more scrutiny. When both the Government Accountability Office and the financial auditors raise red flags, someone should notice.
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