Stuck at the airport

Remember Robert Rauschenberg at Sea-Tac Airport

05/13/08
The art world is mourning the passing of Robert Rauschenberg, who died yesterday at age 82. He’s described in the New York Times as a “painter, photographer, printmaker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and, in later years, even a composer” who “defied the traditional idea that an artist stick to one medium or style” Travelers →

How not to travel with kids

05/12/08
People leave a lot of unusual things behind at airports. Lost and Found offices have logged in everything from ash-filled urns to prosthetic limbs and entire car engines. But kids? According to Canwest News Service report, today “a family forgot their 18-month-old toddler after clearing security and boarded a flight to Winnipeg without him.” An →

Read any good books on an airplane lately?

05/12/08
The folks at Coudal Partners are a curious, creative and crafty crew. They not only curate the marvelous MOOM– the Museum of On-Line Museums – they organize lots of other intriguing projects. Such as? The Field-Tested Books project, which is specially-designed for travelers. Recognizing that “reading a certain book in a certain place uniquely affects →

Proof the TSA has X-Ray Vision

05/10/08
On Friday, May 9th, the TSA posted full body images of millimeter wave full body scans on its Evolution of Security site. The images, provided by the manufacturer of the scanning machines, are supposed to show what TSA officers see when someone opts for a full body scan instead of a full-body pat down at →

Cell-phones on airplanes. Good or bad? Vote!

05/08/08
What does a World Bank economist flying to Morocco have in common with a young couple jetting home to Switzerland from Paris? A fear of seat mates with cell-phones. Air France is testing cell-phone service on one of its airplanes. I had a chance to fly on that plane last week and interviewed passengers about →

Politics at the airport?

05/07/08
A while back I wrote a column for USATODAY.com about airports that use celebrity voices to welcome visitors and remind them of security regulations. Now it seems that Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is considering pulling one of its celebrity announcements – at least until the presidential campaign is over. According to the Associated Press, someone →

The Duke would approve

05/07/08
Some welcome and useful improvements at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, California: Travelers with laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices will be pleased to find that power outlets have been conveniently placed between the seat backs at Gates 2 – 14. (Photo courtesy John Wayne Airport) The airport is also →
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