The economy may be tanking, but right now a tank of gas costs way less than it did last year at this time. As I prep for my Thanksgiving trek, I’m thankful for that. Travel-wise, this year, I’m also grateful for:

City bus drivers who wait a few extra seconds before pulling away from the curb so that folks running for the bus can hop on;

States that have saved lives by passing laws requiring hands-free headsets for drivers using cell phones – and for the states that will soon do so;

TSA-approved laptop cases, airports with free wireless Internet access, and the blossoming of free power charging stations in the terminals and;

The United Airlines ticket counter agents at the Montreal Airport who went way out of their way this past summer to help me get a retiring guide-dog to her adopted family in Seattle.

This past year I was also delighted to find healthy dining options at airports; truly quiet “quiet cars” on commuter trains; and plenty of smoke-free hotel rooms that, once I was all settled in, didn’t turn out to smell like smoke after all.

I’m not the only thankful traveler. Here’s a link to my MSNBC.com Well Mannered Traveler column that’s full of travel gratitudes from others.

Free free to add your own.

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