The Bookstore, by petite corneille

Last days.  Going out of business.  Everything 20% off.

In the current economic climate, it isn’t hard to find a sign like this on stores all over the region.  It’s certainly hard to miss companies like Circuit City going out of business, but big-box stores leaving is just as impersonal and disconnected as their “sales” staff was when you walked in the door.  I can also try to avoid the obvious – and sappy – trap of saying how “sad” it is that a local business is leaving the DC area.

There is only one problem: it is sad.  A bookstore is a amazing thing.  It is a repository of knowledge, and living proof that our First Amendment is a powerful and empowering (and often frightening) statement of rights.  Local bookstores are the embodiment of our desire to constantly better ourselves.  And so we should miss them when they leave us.

Vertigo’s owners chose to close down with a sense of style.  They announced the closing on their blog, and used the opportunity to explain why local bookstores are in economic trouble.  The focal point, “your shopping dollars help create the community you want to live in“, is followed by a great economic discussion on why supporting local business is valuable.  The best part is they used their closing as a last opportunity to teach.  Bravo.

Goodbye, Vertigo.  You will be missed.

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McPherson Square Station, by arvidbr (Creative Commons)

Update: Metro reports that the blue and orange lines are back to normal.  Just in time for the best part of rush hour.  Perhaps today isn’t so unlucky after all!

Dr. Gridlock, from the Washington Post, reported a few minutes ago that McPherson Square Metro Station is closed.  It is reported that a Blue Line train hit someone on the tracks at that station.

This means that all Blue and Orange line trains are turning around at this station.  There is “bus service” between Farragut West and Federal Triangle, but it might just be faster to walk.  No word yet on when the station will be reopened.

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Airplane Skidding in a Snowstorm, by Anirudh Koul (Creative Commons)

There are supposed to be two guarantees in life: death, and taxes.  I think they missed one: airline delays and cancellations.

As our recent “snowstorm” – and our upcoming thunderstorm season – prove, airlines can cancel flights for just about any reason.  Snow that might appear?  Canceled.  Too much wind?  Canceled.  Plastic bag blew on to the runway?  Canceled.

Okay, so now what?  Here are a few ideas I’ve compiled to help you get through the fun of airline cancellations.

Get on the phone. At the first notice the flight is about to be cancelled, get on the phone.  If you are sitting on the plane, this counts double.   When it comes to rebooking, all computers are the same.  So don’t wait for the overworked gate agent to rebook you.  Call a reservation agent (with access to a computer) and get as close to the front of the line as you can.

Reserve your “last chance” flight. After your flight has been canceled, you first goal is to get a confirmed reservations on some flight in the future.  This flight is your “last chance”.  If nothing else works, this is the flight you are guaranteed to be on.  Get the best flight you can, but make sure you get a guaranteed seat on something.

Don’t argue with the reservation agent about this flight.  Ask for all the options, and pick the best one for you.  Remember, the reservation agent can’t see anything other than a computer screen.  Use this opportunity to make a good backup plan.

When making this change, stop to think about one thing.  If your flight was canceled due to a storm, dont fly to another nearby city during the same storm.  There is always the chance they will cancel that flight too, and that puts you even further in to trouble.  Try to get a flight that avoids the delay, either later or to somewhere not affected.  Of course, this doesn’t apply if your flight was canceled due to a mechanical problem with the plane.

Check with other airlines. Although most airlines won’t tell you this, it is possible to take another airline (known as a “carrier”) to your destination.  Call the other airlines, and see what they have available.  If you find something better, call your airlines reservations line and ask them to rebook you on the other carrier.  Make sure you have the flight numbers on the new carrier, so you are sure to get what you want.

Go standby. Now that you have your “last chance” option in place, it’s time to see if you can do better.  The best way to do this is to get on the “standby” list of every flight you can to your destination.  Passengers are always missing flights, changing times, or maybe the connection didn’t come in.  Each of those is a chance to get a seat on an earlier flight.  Take all the chances you can get.

Once you ask to be on the standby list, your name stays on the list for all the next flights.  You can check if you want, but be polite about it.  The airline will usually “carry” the standby list forward to each later flight, so start by saying “just wanted to check”.

If you are going standby, try to get the non-stop flight.  If you must take a connection, realize that you could get stuck in the connection city.  Be prepared for this – because the airline won’t give you a hotel room if you can’t make it the rest of the way home.

Also, if you must make a connection, try to head to a “hub” airport.  Philadelphia, Newark, JFK, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, and Minneapolis are all hubs for major airlines.  Hubs equal more flights, which means more options.  And options never hurt.  (But be careful of Chicago.  This airport is in extremely crowded airspace and has a bad track records for delays.)

Finally, the best advice I ever received on handling a cancellation is to “get a good book”.  Patience is the best way to get out of trouble.  Be prepared to spend some time in a seat, and just relax.  You’re likely to be in good company – lots of people are going to be waiting for the same thing.

I’m always looking for good alternatives, so if you have any good tips or tricks please share!

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Unagi Sushi (Eel) by Madman the Mighty (Creative Commons)

Have you ever been given someone something to eat, and been told “no, try it first, and then we will tell you what it is?”  Then you are a very brave soul, especially if you were in college.   I hope you survived the episode.

I’m guilty of this trick, especially when introducing my friends and co-workers to Sushi.  Eel, especially freshwater Eel (or Unagi) is one of my favorite pieces of sushi.  It has a much higher fat content than most fish, but it’s smooth flavor and texture make it a staple of most sushi trays and a lot of the better sushi rolls.

Unlike most sushi, Unagi (fresh water eel, the most common) is never served raw.  That’s not because it would kill you or anything – the sushi afficinados reserve blowfish for that – but because you would absolutely hate it.  Unagi has a fat layer in it that smells awful, and doesn’t taste all that great.  Properly prepared eel is cooked to remove this fat layer, then steamed (to give the Eel it’s lighter texture) and then cooked again.  During the second baking/broiling phase it is usually basted with Unagi sauce – a combination of soy sauce and other flavors that reduce and usually have a sweet and slightly syrupy taste.  This is the same sauce that is often served on top of the Unagi.

Although unagi is relatively common at all Japanese restaurants, the way it is made and how it is cooked really show a good place from a great place.  The best sushi restaurants in DC (you know who you are) use less sauce and have a cleaner taste.  I’ve also had Unagi with baked sesame seeds, which is a very flavorful “desert” after a sushi dinner.  And that is a recommended way to eat it, as eel sauce is stronger than most of the other things you are eating.

For those who are still finding their way through the sushi jungle, you will often find eel as part of more complex rolls.  The favorites – according to my favorite sushi chef – are the rolls with crab and eel on the outside.  My personal favorite is when the Unagi is combined with tuna and spice mayonnaise (spicy tuna rolls).  The stronger flavor of the eel sauce is better matched by the heat of the spicy mayonnaise, and doesn’t drown out (sorry, but I couldn’t resist) the more delicate flavors of other fish.

And for those of you who don’t like sushi, or just won’t touch anything called “eel”, just remember this:  it’s much tastier than chicken.

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Watch Your Step - Mr. Ducke (Creative Commons)

As I walked to the metro this morning, I realized that I saw a lot of sidewalks in my area that still had the awful combination of snow and ice all over them.  The first thing I thought is “why haven’t they shoveled”?  But I felt better when I realized that Arlington would quickly come down on those who didn’t shovel…

… I shouldn’t have been that hasty.  It turns out that Arlington, like many other counties and cities in the area, don’t require homeowners or businesses to shovel their sidewalks.  So although the streets are clear, the pedestrians are out of luck.

I don’t know about you – but I think that’s just ridiculous.  This isn’t a rural community with no sidewalks.  Plenty of people in the DC metro area have been convinced to give up commuting by car and walk to a bus stop, metro station, or to work.  So why don’t they require business and homeowners to clear their own sidewalks?

Here is a list of the rules I found by searching the web:

• Washington DC – Snow must be removed within 8 hours.  DC has the most pedestrian friendly rules of all the areas.

• Alexandria City – requires that snow be removed within 24 hours of the end of a snowfall.  Thanks Alexandria!
• Arlington County – encourages people to shovel, but does not require it by statute.
• Fairfax County - encourages people to shovel, but does not require it by statute.

• Montgomery County – Snow must be removed within 24 hours of the snow fall ending.  Thanks Montgomery!
• Prince Georges – Snow and ice must be removed within 48 hours.  (Just stay home that first day, I guess.)

What is your experience with snow and ice on sidewalks?  Seen anyone fall down recently?

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Dupont Circle Metro in Washington, D.C. by NDinDC

If you are going to be in the area for inauguration, and (gasp!) you might venture from your home that day, you might want to head over to Metro’s Inauguration website and sign up for Metro’s inauguration updates service.  They are planning on sending out messages regarding delays or other problems on Metro.

No idea if the information will be current (or if your phone will be able to receive messages) but it might help.

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Just because the inauguration is only a week away shouldn’t mean we avoid any other controversy. Like, for instance, a battle over jamming cell phone signals.

As Tom reported earlier, DC is going to test a system to jam cell phone signals coming from one of the DC prisons.

But, the prisoners have a new ally in the fight to keep those unlawful cell phones. CTIA - the cellular phone industry’s lobbying group – has filed suit today trying to stop the DC department of corrections from testing cell phone jamming equipment.

That’s right, you heard correctly. CTIA and their representative companies are looking out for all users, no matter their status. After all, once we jam the signals from prisoners, the next step might be jamming legal signals coming from other places.

If CTIA loses the fight to keep jammers off the air, I’m sure we can come up with other suggestions. Movie theaters, for example.  Anyone else have suggetsions that I should forward to them?

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Long Lines at Dulles, by cafemama (Creative Commons)

It’s that time of year again! Time to head to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving Food (and the required naps after eating all that food). Now there is only one thing standing in your way: Getting There.

In this Thanksgiving issue, I’m going to cover a few of the tips I’ve learned over the last several years on how to survive the holiday madness. I know everyone has their own way of getting home, so I’ll cover a few of the majors. Let me know if you have any other tips – I’m always looking for great ideas.

Avoiding the Airport Crush

The first thing I tell everyone traveling this week – especially on Wednesday, the insane day – is to be patient. Before you leave, realize that most of the people working at the airports were up at 4 or 5 am this morning. Holiday travel is an “all hands on deck” time of year, so all the desk people, TSA crews, and everyone else will be running on coffee and little sleep. Be patient with them – it’s a long hard slog for each and every one.

We all know there will be lines. They won’t be as bad this year as last year, according to AAA, but I would still expect to run in to a few. Here are a few ways to work around them:

• Parking – when heading to the airport by car, be sure to give yourself extra time to find a parking space and also to use the crowded shuttle buses. At Dulles, add at least 1 hour for parking. National is a bit better, but still give yourself 30-45 extra minutes.A few suggestions. If you are headed to BWI, try one of the independent parking lots. Their dedicated shuttles are GREAT, and they will remember where you parked your car. It’s worth the few extra dollars. At Dulles, I might suggest paying extra for the daily lots. And, if you decide to do that, choose Daily Lot B. There is an underground tunnel that runs directly to the airport from this lot, which is much warmer and has moving walkways to the terminal.
• Ticketing – First, check in on the web the night before. No kidding here, as you might get a chance at a better seat. Plus, you don’t need to get a boarding pass at the airport. A lot of the airports have baggage check only areas, separate from the ticketing lines. It is one less step in the process.The best bet? Just pack SMALL. One small bag with a few changes of clothes that you can put under the seat in front of you. Don’t count on overhead space, all flights will be FULL. And then don’t pack any liquids if you can help it. Don’t your relatives already have toothpaste, shaving cream, and shampoo? They don’t have a CVS where you are going? No liquids equals one less problem at security. And that stuff is so cheap, it’s not worth it. Finally, if you can do carry on, and you have your boarding pass, you can skip this line entirely.
• Security – Remember the basics, and you’ll get through this fine. First, the lines will be long, so just be patient with it. But smart packing can make things faster. First, wear smart clothing. All coats and outwear must come off, so limit yourself to shirts and sweaters with a coat. That zip-up fleece under your coat is another layer you have to take off, so keep it simple. Also, wear shoes you can get on and off quickly, and wear socks – those tiles are cold in the winter.Second, put all your keys, metal objects, and everything else in a zipper pocket in one of your bags. Check all your pockets before you go to the airport. Keep your ID and ticket out where you can get to them. Everything else in the bag. Then, once your ID is checked, get ready in the line. Take off your shoes, put them in the bin first, and coat over top of them. If you have liquids, get them out. And all laptops must come out, so find a second bin if you brought a laptop.Once you get past the detectors, GET OUT OF THE WAY. Grab your stuff, move to someplace calmer, and put it all back together. Take inventory before you leave, but do it from someplace where you aren’t rushed so you don’t miss anything.

Where is my plane?

One more thing can go wrong – what if your flight is delayed or cancelled? Well, there are several options available to you, but you need to be smart before you do anything.

DON’T PANIC. REMAIN CALM. Delays and cancellations are frustrating. First, know that the person across the desk didn’t cause this problem. Be really nice to them, as they are your best hope (and they don’t get a lot of “nice”, so you might get lucky here.)

If your flight is delayed, find out how long. If you are delayed past the next flight heading the same way, ask if you can go standby on that flight. Then grab a good book and just relax. And you can use your phone to check for status on a flight – just call the airline and use the automated systems to find out more. (If you think the desk person has any better information, you are kidding yourself. They might know less than you do.)

If your flight is cancelled, things are going to get interesting. First, find out if they can rebook you on another later flight. They will tell you the first flight you can be guaranteed to fly. That’s fine – this is your “last resort” flight. Once you know that, ask what the standby list looks like on all other flights heading the same place. Because sometimes you can go standby quickly, if the list is short. Again, ASK, don’t yell. Because they can’t move you higher up the list, but they CAN move you down the list. And if your flight is cancelled, you can try to get rebooked on another carrier. Most major carriers have common carry agreements (not SouthWest, though). So ask if they can rebook you on another carrier. If the line is long, call reservations. Any person with a computer can try to help you out. (If reservations can’t figure out how to do it, hang up and try again. Some newer telephone reps don’t always know all the procedures.) Also, ask if there are flights out of OTHER airports nearby.

If your flight is cancelled, you are due compensation. Make sure you get that before you leave the airport.

Driving the Distance

The roads over the hoidays will be full of people. Remember the crowds over summer heading to the beach? This is a lot like that, but the weather isn’t anywhere near as nice. Neither are the drivers – this is DC after all. So here are a few thoughts before you head out.

• Stop every 2-3 hours. A lot of my friends just want to “get there” and tell me all about how they push on through the 8 hour drive non-stop. I try to smile at them, but in the back of my head I just hope they make it in one piece. The estimate is that drivers are TWICE as likely to get in an accident after the 2.5 hour mark of driving non-stop. I like the new gas stations, like Sheetz or WaWa, where I can go inside for a soda or a bottle of water. Just stopping for a few minutes helps.
• Get out early – All the traffic web sites say that traffic is worse from about 1 pm to about 9 pm. That is because everyone finishes packing, and then heads out later than they thought. If you are going a long distance, try to put lunch as a guaranteed break during the travel.
• Walk around your car – Anything look wierd? Do all of your lights work? How about your tires? (If your tires have a little “dent” at the bottom where they meet the road, they are underinflated. Fix that before you leave.) Get gas the night before, and replace your windshield wipers while you are at the gas station. Fill up that washer fluid, too. (Airline pilots check thier enitre aircraft before every flight – and they are pretty smart people. Seems like a good idea here too.)

Good luck with your holiday travels. Let me know how they went – and if you had any problems. I’ll write about the good and the bad after everyone gets back.

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Sugar Plum SnowFlake, by CaptPiper (Creative Commons)

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  Snow showers were predicted for this afternoon, but weather is a finicky thing.  So imagine my surprise when I heard something clicking against my office window, and turned around to see snow flakes gusting against the glass.

Nothing welcomes the holiday season like seeing the first flakes coming down.

I don’t think and of the snow stuck to the ground.  Even so, if you are driving, we all know that the first snowflake coming from the sky sends traffic in to an unpredictable mess.  Drive home carefully!

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Mind the Gap, courtesy of Jonathtan

If you want perspective on the DC Metro system, sometimes it’s valuable to look at another light rail system somewhere else.   And nothing signifies subways more than the London Tube.  (All New York City fans can feel free to argue this in the comments section.)

The first thing to realize is that DC and the Tube are, in many ways, very much alike.  If you have ever used the Metro, you will be right at home with the Tube ticket vending machines and the entry gates.  And there are just as many escalators in a Tube station as there are in most Metro stations.  Even the platforms look a lot alike, with the textured area right next to the trains to warn the blind of the dangerous area ahead.

There are some great comparisons, and lessons that I think both sides could learn…

Metro Has it Better

A tourist in DC will find it cheaper to move around the city.  That is because the Tube is moving to an electronic fare card system (Oyster) and encourages everyone to use it.  The cost of a single one-way paper ticket on the Tube is a whopping £4.00 ($6.00).  An all day fare card, good for zones 1-6, is £6.80 (about $10.00) US and is worth the extra cost if you are taking 2 or more trips.  At a Metro station, the swipe cards and the paper tickets are all the same price, so you can choose which you want to use.  Metro’s $7.80 all-day pass is a much better deal.

Metro also has the benefit of a newer system.  Most of the Tube stations are like the NYC metro: individual tunnels carved out and supported with iron beams.  Metro’s open station design may be darker, but it gives the appearance of a lot more room and isn’t anywhere near as noisy.

Because the tunnels are older, it can be harder to navigate around a Tube station.   So anyone who has complained about the walkways in Metro only has to visit the warrens of the Tube to realize how good we have it.

Places we could learn something

The one real benefit of the London Tube is the sheer number of lines.  Our five line system is great, but doesn’t cover anywhere near as much area as the 11 line London Tube.   During my stay in London, I couldn’t find anytihng I wanted to visit that wasn’t 3-5 blocks from a Tube stop.  Imagine two to three times the number of Metro stops in DC, and lines going through almost every major suburb, and you’ll start to see the extent of the system.

Even more impressive is that London has trains to both Heathrow and Gatwick.  In fact, Heathrow has both Tube stations and an express line to Paddington Station.  Now that’s mass transit to an airport.  (Dulles dreams about having a rail line by 2075, but doesn’t hold out too much hope.)

But the Tube has conquered a number of other problems that we could mimic.  My favorite were the “line maps”, which show all the stops for a particular line on each train.  As a visitor it made it easy for me to find my way around, and I could always tell how many stops were left.  And the Tube has great recorded voices on most trains, which clearly state the next station stop.  Mumbling Metro?  Nothing even close.

The layout of the trains also seemed to be better thought out.  Instead of the two-across seating on both sides, the Tube puts a row of seats against the wall.  That means more standing, but also more room to stand.

I was also struck by the number of Tube stations that exited in to public shopping areas.  Rather than put all of the stops outside, the Tube has more stations like Pentagon City which put you out in to an enclosed, heated, dry indoor space.  This seems obvious to me, as commuters could easily stop at the Chemist on thier way home.  Metro, perhaps those outdoor stations should be a thing of the past.

Roads?  We don’t need roads…

The one thing that I realized, standing outside a London Tube stop, is that the train system is almost inversely linked to the roads.  London, wih it’s insanse street layout and few lanes for traffic, has forced commuters and the entire city to look for new ways to move around.  An extensive network of trains (the Tube is just one of many trains) helps solve this problem.  And London isn’t “choked”, it is a thriving and exciting city.

I think that DC should be watching closely.  There is only so much physical room for cars – and once that is gone, the city will need something else to help keep it vibrant and thriving.  Rather than planning just outlying suburb lines, it would be great to see Metro planners include more rails in all parts of the DC area.  The Tube proves that it can be made to work, and work well.

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The Washington Post reports that Circuit City is closing 155 stores nationwide in an effort to reduce costs and weather the current economic storm.

So, what does that mean to us DC people?  Well, the stores that are closing (including locations in Baltimore, Beltsville, Marlow Heights, Charlottesville, Manassas, and McLean) will be closed tomorrow, November 4.  On November 5 they will open with store-closing sales.  All merchandise must go.

If you have your Christmas lists handy, this might be a good time to head to one and see what kind of pre-Black Friday sales you can find.

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This is the second half of the two-part “Where is my luggage?” series.

So, you decided it’s time to get out the passport, dust off the large bag, and leave the country for a couple of days or weeks.  And then Murphy decided to make things interesting, and now your luggage has a different itinerary than you.  Even though it is enjoying itself sunning on a beach in the Bahamas right now, it would be nice if you could be reunited with your bags, right?

I can’t promise that you’re going to get reunited with your bag.  What I can promise is that the phone and the internet are about to become a larger part of your trip.  But here are a few tips that might help get you out of the jam.

Got your passport?  Okay, let’s see what we can do…

Carry on baggage

You can always tell  the seasoned traveler from the newbie on an international flight.  First, the seasoned traveler has three bags.  One is their business luggage of some sort.  The other is the suitcase they checked underneath the plane.  The third – and this is what distinguishes them – is the overnight bag they packed with just enough to survive.

A small duffel bag can hold enough clothing for a few days, as long as you pack just right.  Put your toiletries in this bag, several changes of socks and underwear, and something clean to wear once you get off the flight.  Remember to pack for the destination – if it’s going to be warm, put the shorts in your carry on bag.  And always bring your prescription medicine in your carry on.  Because the ulcer medication won’t do you any good if you lose the bag you packed it in.

Finally, be sure to make two copies of your itinerary.  The first should go in your packed luggage.  Bring the second copy with you on board, so that if you have to take a different flight or need information, it’s right there so anyone can read it.  After all, who remembers their reservation code?

Checked Luggage

International luggage is heavy.  Very, very, heavy.  Most people pack suitcases weighing in at a metric ton or more, so you can expect that your bag will get put under a lot of very heavy stuff.  Keep that in mind when packing, because those glass bottles might not fare well.

The real problem with heavy luggage is the baggage allowances on most international domestic flights.  On a recent trip to Australia, I found that Virgin Blue (the Southwest of Australia) had a luggage limit of 23 Kilos (or 50 pounds).  My international luggage weighted a lot more than that, so I got hit with a bunch of fees.  Check all the airlines you are using on your trip, and if you must pack two bags instead of one.  (I would say pack lighter, but who am I kidding?)

And don’t forget to tape a luggage card to the inside of your luggage.  Include the phone number you have with you, if your phone supports international calling.

Luggage, by Du-Sa-Ni-Ma (Creative Commons)

Lost Luggage

The luggage carousel keeps going around and around, but your bag just refuses to come out and meet you at your destination.  So, what should you do next?

US Carrier

If you flew the same airline all the way to your destination, the first thing you should do is file a lost luggage report with that airline.  Did you keep your baggage check tag?  Because you are going to need it.  Someone also recommended taking a cell-phone picture of your bag before you left, and that can’t hurt either.  Just make sure you fill out the form completely, and get all of the tracking information from them about your bag.

Airlines have internal tracking systems that they use for tracking lost luggage.  These are the first line of defense, and the airline (and usually it’s best partners) will have an extensive system they use for finding lost bags.  It’s just like domestic travel, using the same codes and has the same dial in numbers.  Since your international, make sure to get the local baggage tracking office number, so you won’t have to call back to the US to find out what happened.  (And remember, most US operators don’t have a clue about international travel, so the local office is your best bet.)

Before you walk away, make sure and get the name of the person who took your report.  And try to get the local number of the office at the airport – because sometimes they see things that the computer doesn’t.  It can’t hurt.

United Ground Luggage Conveyor, by planephotoman (Creative Commons)

International Carrier (WorldTracer)

Most international carriers have thier own baggage tracking systems.  But a number of those airlines have started to use IATA’s WorldTracer program.  WorldTracer is the international version of the baggage tracking system, and it is used by multiple airlines to serve the world-wide community.  Some airlines will give you a WorldTracer number (which is 5 letters and 5 numbers) as well as a company specific tracking number.  Be sure to identify which is which – you’ll need to know what to give people when they ask for information.

If you get a WorldTracer number (for example, ABCDE12345), you can use the global tracking site to get information on your bag.  You can also use the airlines web site to track information (as I found when flying Monarch airlines, a low cost UK carrier).  Sometimes one will have information that they other can’t find.  Use as many as you can find, and get as much information as you can.

There is a benefit to WorldTracer.  No matter what airline finds your bag, it is routed as “airline independent”.  That means any carrier at the airport will attempt to put it on a flight towards its destination.  That’s good – the bag is following you.  It’s also really bad, because many airlines scan bags as the enter the plane – but they DON’T scan WorldTracer bags.  So it’s exact routing may be a mystery until it lands in the US.

Although many of the international carriers have heard of WorldTracer, if you get back to a United States airport things can get really insane.  Most baggage agents don’t deal with a lot of international luggage.  Worse, the limited training they get only covers the airline lost luggage systems, not WorldTracer.  Don’t be discouraged.  When you go to a US airport, don’t wait for anyone.  Ask for the supervisor or the “international expert” when you get to the counter.  Explain, politely, that your bag is lost on international travel.  The normal agents will then route you to one of the few people who will “get it” and be able to start helping you.  (I attempted to give a WorldTracer number to a regular baggage agent in San Francisco, and it caused an hour of confusion, so I know this one from personal experience.)

If you have trouble finding someone from your airline who understands the international situation, there are a few sneaky workarounds.  First, most domestic carriers have international partners.  Find the luggage office for an international partner (any partner will do, at this point).  The people in that office will have a lot more experience with international luggage, and they may be able to help you when the normal luggage office can’t do anything.

Finally, if your luggage didn’t make your flight, check back in 24 hours.  Often luggage that “missed” the first flight is pushed in to the same routing the next day.  It is worth it to stop at the airport the next day and check in.  I found a piece of luggage that way, long before the luggage office “discovered” it and called me.

How Much Do You Get

Here is the $64,000 question.  If you lose your luggage on an international flight, you will get a quick trip through the Warsaw convention on lost items overseas.  Here is how it works: luggage is valued at the weight of the suitcase, at US $20.00 per kilo (about $9 a pound).  That’s a LOT less than the usual $2,500 you get for domestic baggage.  So a 75 lbs bag (34 kilos) would get $680.00 back.  That’s nothing.

I said it before for domestic, but for international this is really true:  BUY INSURANCE.  Make sure your insurance covers your bags, lost items you picked up along the way, and costs for buying clothes in route.  It’s your only hope of recovering something if your bag goes missing.  American Express offers travel insurance, and they have offices in most major countries where you can file a claim (and get help).  But shop around, as you can find better deals if you look.

I love international travel.  Getting to see places that have thousands of years of history, unique skylines, and amazing people are just some of the rewards of having a well used passport.  And the with the dollar making a resurgence, it’s time to start making overseas plans!  Take a few simple precautions, and you won’t remember your international trip as the one where you spent all your time on the phone.

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Voting Place Sign, by Jonathan

As we close in on the election next Tuesday, the press has been having a field day with the “early voting” going on across the country.  Not to be left out, and having to file an absentee ballot myself, I decided to see just what was happening in Arlington.

First, all the registrars wanted me to point out that no one in the area has “Early Voting”.   Maryland, Virginia, and the District all provide for Absentee Ballots, which means you can only vote early if you have a valid reason.   Both the District and Virginia provide for absentee voting in person or by mail.  In Maryland, you can only vote Absentee by mail.  And that deadline has already passed, so if you missed the absentee ballot in Maryland your only chance is Tuesday.  (Don did a great job of covering all the details in his previous post, so I won’t belabor the point.)

So, if you want to vote in person, when should you go?

The answer is “ask for two hours off, and go over right now.”

Absentee Voting Line in Arlington, by Jonathan

I submitted my ballot in Arlington yesterday, where I found the line there was 45 minutes long.  I asked the registrar and several of the staff if that was normal, and they said yes.  The line starts before they even arrive, so there is no good time to show up.  The 45 minute line continues pretty much all day.  The poll workers have things pretty much in hand for the week, and the line moves along.  But they recommend you bring a book, iPod, or other distraction for the wait.

Saturday, they reported, is going to be much worse.  Last Saturday, in the rain, they had lines over 90 minutes long for the entire day.  That was the week before the election, and they expect things to be even crazier this weekend.  The registrar said they were processing about 1100 ballots each weekday, and expected to do twice that on Saturday.

Wait Time From This Point, by Jonathan

The registrar politely asked that everyone who could should try to get in before the Saturday rush.

Voting hours for Wednesday – Thursday are 8 am to 7 pm.  Friday is 8 am to 5 pm.  Saturday is 8:30 am to 5 pm, and anyone in line at 5 pm will be able to vote.

How about Fairfax?  So I took a drive out to see how Fairfax was handling things.  The assistant registrar out there told me that they had lines of only 15-20 minutes during this week.  And Fairfax has eight other absentee voting locations, so there are multiple choices all with short lines during the week.

Fairfax is also expecting a crush of voters this weekend.  They expected 45-60 minute waits at the main office, and waits could be up to 90 minutes at the Springfield center.  Not surprisingly, they also recommended that voters try to get to the offices before Saturday, and avoid the rush.  Alternatively, the more distant locations will have shorter lines, but the longer drive might eat up the saved time.

Voting hours for the Government Center location are Wednesday – Friday are 8 am to 8 pm.  Saturday is 9 am to 5 pm.  Anyone in line at 5 pm on Saturday will be able to vote.  Satellite locations are open Wednesday – Friday 1 pm to 8 pm , and Saturday 9 am tp 5 pm.

Voting hours for Wednesday – Friday are 8 am to 5 pm, and Saturday will also be 8 am to 5 pm.  Anyone in line at 5 pm will be able to vote.

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Luggage Pile, courtesy of Sundazed/Creative Commons 2.0

It’s no secret that our luggage doesn’t always agree with our travel plans.  I realized this when I considered how many times my luggage has decided to go somewhere else, misses the flight, or just returns home.  It would seem that my luggage has it’s own travel plans on a regular basis.

If you travel by air, and everyone does sooner or later, it’s important to realize that there are ways to keep your luggage with you.  It’s pretty simple to do, and it can save you a lot of suffering when you get to your destination.

This week, I’ll talk about domestic travel and ways to keep things under control.  Next post I’ll get in to international travel, which makes domestic travel look like a cake walk.

Carry on baggage?

If you’re a frequent flyer, like me, this is your favorite option.  And frequent flyers have a good chance of keeping your luggage with you at all times.  But even so, there are a few things to remember when doing carry on luggage:

First, do you know there is enough room?  Frequent flyers get to go first, and they take a lot of overhead space.  If you aren’t a frequent flyer, you should assume your luggage might not find a spot.  This means your bag just turned in to checked luggage.  if you are making a connection, your luggage could wander off.

Second, watch the size.  Yes, I know it looks like everyone is bringing on the X-HUGE roll-aboard.  But airlines are looking for revenue, so they are cracking down on over-sized bags.  Don’t risk it.  Stick with the 22 x 14 x 9.

(And don’t forget what you can’t bring in carry on luggage.  Nothing drives me crazier than watching someone unpack a bag in the line for TSA.)

Luggage Tag, courtesy of AP…/Creative Commons

Checking baggage?

There are some times you just can’t get around this.  In this case, it helps to think like a baggage claim representative.

Let’s be honest here.  Those bag tags they put on your bag?  They come off.  Luggage is outside in the weather, and is dropped and beaten.  That person next to you, the one who packed her entire bedroom?  Her luggage is gong to land on yours.  So assume the tag will come off, and prepare for it.

Now, if you are the person who gets this “tagless” bag, what are you going to do?  I asked – and the answer is that they look for a name or address to try and find the owner.  And they will open the bag to find it.  But the luggage computers aren’t perfect, so you need to cover your bases.

• Put a name on your bag.  Skip the little name tags they hand out at the airport – those things are flimsy, and rain/snow/wind/sharp edges/random bad luck can take one off your bag.  Write your name on a piece of paper (and say “address inside” below it), and tape it (using clear packing tape) to the outside.
• Put the same name, and your home address, on the INSIDE of the bag as well.  Tape it someplace conspicuous, like the inside of the top cover.
• Put a copy of your itinerary in your bag, right on top.  When the luggage person opens your bag, they will find your itinerary, which makes it easy to track down who you are and where you went.

The last point is important.  If you lose your luggage on the way to a destination, you don’t want the luggage to go home.  If you have an itinerary inside, the bag will follow you.  Much better.

Now, if your bag doesn’t show up, here is the plan.

1. Find the luggage check tag.  You kept it, right?
2. Fill in a missing bag report.  Make sure the report has your bag tracking number on it, and that it is clear.  I can’t emphasize the clear enough – I lost a bag for two days over bad handwriting.
3. Tell them where they can find you or deliver your bag.  If they have a track on the bag, let them deliver it to you.  But if you are moving around, have them hold it at the airport.  That way it doesn’t get lost AGAIN trying to find your hotel.  (I always ask them to hold it at the airport, because I trust myself to pick it up more than I trust the delivery company to find me.)

I know this sounds like the usual advice, but I’ve lost enough luggage to know that getting angry at the airline or the poor (minimum wage) baggage claim person doesn’t help.  So do what you can.  And be nice to that baggage person – they are your best hope of seeing your clothes again.

Insurance?

Do you have travel insurance?  If not, you might want to consider it.  If an airline really loses your bag completely, you don’t get much.  The maximum varies, but it is around 2000.00.  Sound like a lot?  Yeah, you need to go shopping more.  Call your credit card company and see what they cover for free.  And if that isn’t a lot, get some additional travel insurance.  Because shopping is a lot more fun when someone else is paying for it.

Next week I’ll talk about the wonderful world of international lost luggage.  It’s a very different world…

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Ice Cream, taken by Lotus Head (Creative Commons)

I love this time of year.  The chilly evenings go really well with the beautiful warm days.  The leaves are about to turn colors.  And, just about any week now we are going to get another famous DC Indian Summer.

When Indian Summer hits all I can think about are all the summer things I want to do one last time.  And that means only one thing:  I’m going to be jonesing for some Ice Cream.

So, to help out everyone in DC, I’ve compiled a short list of three great places where you can get your fix.

The Dairy Godmother

Many is the time I’ve finished eating down in Del Ray and wanted to take a quick walk.  All roads, in Del Ray at least, lead to this great little place.  You know you have found it if just outside the door are lots of people licking cones and plenty of dogs who really want something to hit the ground.

Inside you’ll find three great flavors of custard.  Dairy Godmother, as the sign by the door describes, uses a Minnesota recipe for custard ice cream.  It’s heavier and richer than regular ice cream and the flavor really comes out.  DG makes all of their custard every day, using two machines specially made for custard.  One churns out vanilla and chocolate every day.  The other has a much better job – it makes a constantly changing list of specialty flavors.  They also have a great selection of sorbets, and specials which include ice cream with cookies and other great pastries.

Dairy Godmother changes as fall crosses the DC area.  As I arrived to talk to them, they had just taken delivery of a whole big box of spices.  Apparently fall allows them to get more creative with spices, adding to flavors like mulled cider and pumpkin.  Fall also means more baked goods, which go well with all the custard.  Hot and cold.  I may have to come back after Indian Summer is over.

Also, for anyone planning a little holiday party, they make multiple flavors of custard cakes for any occasion.

DG is open Wednesday through Sunday, and closes for the month of January (because “the holiday diets really drive down business”).

Dairy Godmother, 2310 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301

Mr. Yogato

For those of you in the city, this is great little place to stop by.  It’s right down the street from the venerable Sushi Taro on 17th, mixed in with the collection of other businesses hiding on that block.

But don’t miss this place.  There is nothing “usual” about the yogurt coming out of these great machines.  They have multiple interesting flavors, including the “original soft”, “original tangy” (I warned you it was interesting), Fidberry, and Kiramel.  Fidberry – yep, a berry flavor – is named after the first customer and first person who came and ate for thirty straight days.  Kiramel, the caramel flavor, shares the same distinction.

What makes this place great is the eclectic – okay, crazy – rules and contests.  If you can stop humming Mr. Roboto long enough to look around, you’ll find signs on the walls offering all kinds of discounts depending on your level of participation.  Answer the trivia question?  10% off.  Willing to have a Mr. Yogato stamp put on your forehead?  10% off for you.  Memorize Braveheart, and can quote it from memory?  20% is your lucky discount.

With a really friendly staff, and willingness to poke fun at itself, this is the perfect place to come on a warm fall evening and just hang out.  Just don’t let the staff get too close to you with the stamp.

Inside scoop: Although it isn’t announced officially yet, Mr Yogato will start to offer a full service hot chocolate bar starting this Saturday.  I spotted multiple flavored syrups, and they already have a great selection of toppings.  With those kind of options, its bound to be a winner.

Mr. Yogato, 1515 17th Street NW, Washington, DC

Boccato

If you find yourself in Clarendon on the warm fall evening, having just eaten at one of the multiple outdoor restaurants in the area (Wilson traffic isn’t really that loud, is it?) make this the next place on your list.  Like Mr. Yogato, Boccato has been open for about three months now.  Except this tasty little find is all about the gelato.

This little shop, an extension of the small grocery store right next door, has a huge selection of great flavors.  After staring at the case for several minutes I hit on the Chocolate Hazelnut.  A real winner.  Of course, you can’t go wrong with gellato, but even so the flavors really stand out.  And they even have a few that are made with skim milk – how non-fattening that is can be debated later.

The small but cozy atmosphere here makes it easy to get samples of several great flavors.  The staff is really helpful and can explain how anything in the case was made.  And considering that it is just far enough away from the restaurants to keep the crowds away, service is usually only a few minutes.

Boccato, 2719 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA

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If you’re used to parking your car in the lot outside of Murky Coffee all day, it’s time to find a new parking spot.

Arlington has been replacing parking meters with “Pay and Display” meters.  These new boxes take the old coins (which was my last refuge for all my spare change) and also accept dollar bills and credit cards.  So running out of change is no longer a good excuse.

After a successful test run in other locations (outside the shops at Clarendon was one) they are expanding the program to other areas.  Yesterday, they modified the large parking lot that runs from St. Charles Church to Murky Coffee.

Here is the catch: since a Pay and Display machine can only be one type, they have apparently chosen 4-hour parking (Red) as the only parking available outside.  So, once you spend the morning at Murky, it’s time to move on to something else.  Which might be a good idea anyway.

Also, if you do park at a lot of meters in Arlington, you might want to consider picking up one of these cool toys.  They cost $20.00, but have unlimited refills and – the best part – they only charge for exactly the time you use it.

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I’m a big fan of traveling.  And when I go on vacation, or just away for work, I usually end up traveling out of Dulles airport.  That’s because I live in Arlington, so the two closest airports to me are Dulles and National.  And although I take National any time I can, Dulles still ends up being the most often used.

But, with airfare prices (and FEES, don’t get me started) going up all over the place, being flexible on travel times can save me and my company a lot of cash.  But some times that means flying out at 6:00 am.  Or some equally absurd time in the morning.

Now, do the math.  If you have to be at the airport for a 6:00 am flight, you need to be there an hour early.  That’s 5:00 am.  Earlier, if you want to check luggage for that great Hawaii vacation.  For anyone who lives near DC, in DC, or anywhere other than Reston, that means at least a 30 minute trip.  Fortunately the roads are pretty clear at 4:30 am, and the toll road helps.  Now, if I’ve done my math correctly, that means getting up at 3:30 am to get ready to leave.  At that point, why even go to sleep?

I, for one, don’t want to wake up at 3:30 am for a flight.  So is there a better solution?

Now, before I continue, I should make a quick overview of your options on getting to Dulles at 4:30 am.  Taxi: about $65.00 from the district.  Shared Ride van: $25.00 – and add about an hour.  Metro – um, metro isn’t open at 4:30 am.  Drive your own car:  $17.00/day for the daily lot, or $10.00/day for economy.  For economy, add 30 minutes for the bus.

The cheapest option gets you to the airport for $25.00, but requires an additional hour advanced notice, so now you are getting up at 2:30 am.  Cabs are an option – especially if you are on an expense account.  Or you can park, and for a week pay $60.00.

So a few weeks ago I tried another alternative.  I rented a room at the Dulles Airport Marriott.  They have a package, called Stay and Park, that for $125.00 that gives you an overnight room and two weeks of parking.  The hotel is less than a mile from the airport – heck, it’s basically on a runway – which means the shuttle takes 5 minutes to get there.  Take off the parking fees and the rate is $65.00.  For that, you get to sleep until 4:00 or 4:30 am, and still get to the airport in plenty of time.

Even better, your car is parked in the Marriott parking lot.  So instead of waiting 30 minutes for a bus to pick you up from your car, and 30 more minutes to get back to your car, you travel in a van and take 5 minutes to get your car and drive away.

If you’re headed out on vacation in the next few months (especially if you are lucky enough to take more than a week off) it’s worth looking at the park & stay options.  Several other hotels in the area offer the same thing – so there is some price shopping available.  And the hotel shuttles beat the Economy lot bus any day.

Alternatively, you can try to sleep on the plane.  The cost for a pillow will be $5.00, please.

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There is a large water main break at N. 26th and Old Dominion Drive.  Water pressure will be very low or none at all. Traffic may also be impacted while the break is being repaired.

Google Map view of the break…

If you are a Marymount student – I wouldn’t expect there to be water any times soon…

Update:

Arlington just posted this update:

The water is back on for residents in the area of the Old Dominion (at 25th Street) water main break. Some residents will still notice lower water pressure and crews will continue to work to restore full pressure. If residents notice discoloration of the water, they should allow the water to run until clear.
Traffic may be diverted in some area, particularly Old Dominion Drive, pending repairs.

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A friend and I were returning from lunch yesterday when we noticed this little item in Alexandria.

Look closely.   (The answer to the riddle is past the break…)

Admittedly, it’s a little tough to see, but here is the price for the station exactly 150 feet behind the Exxon/Mobil station…

Still a little hard to read?  Okay, the unleaded prices is $3.79, a 14 cent difference.  Premium is $4.09, a 15 cent difference.  Now, I’m not really math challenged but even that seems a little extreme to me.  14 cents per gallon difference?  One hundred and fifty feet down the block?

I asked someone who knows a lot about the industry, and it turns out this isn’t all that unusual.  If you are an Exxon dealer, you must buy from the Exxon fuel depot and you pay the Exxon depot price.  The Liberty station owner can buy from any supplier, so they can shop around for a better price.   The station owner can decide the price, but if they bought their supply at a higher price they will sell it for a higher price.

Still, it seems that Exxon is setting up this poor dealer to fail.

Enjoy the savings.  And keep your eyes open.

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I’ve always wondered what United Airlines did to deserve their treatment at Dulles Airport. I mean, really, you guys have the worst terminal in the airport. No, not sort of. They put you out in ghetto, trailer park, bus stations look better than this, terminal. I don’t know what you did (okay, I can imagine a few dozen things) but the travelers are really paying for your sins.

For anyone who has been to Dulles, there are actually two airports out there. The first, relatively nice, airport is the newly expanded A & B terminal. Getting there is a snap. Come out of the security gates and head towards the brand new tunnel. No shuttle buses for you – those are reserved for the low class section. A long set of escalators in each direction, and some moving walkways, and you emerge in to the Dulles equivalent of airport heaven.

Isn’t’ B terminal pretty?

And the list of things to do isn’t bad either…

The B terminal is a great place to wait. Beautiful tall ceilings meet you after you emerge from the tunnel. Glass walls, lots of sunlight, a clear view of almost all the airport operations. Did I mention the food? Like burgers? Five Guys (two locations!) or Fuddruckers. Looking for coffee? Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or Capital Grounds, pick your poison. Matsutake Sushi (that’s for me). Not high end enough? You get a Massage Bar. Because you might get stressed. Yep, this is the place to fly from Dulles.

On the other hand, if you fly the hub carrier out of Dulles, you get to look forward to this…

Where did the marble floors go?  Oh, right, carpet shows stains much better…

First, you have to take the shuttle bus. (And if you are one of the 5 people in DC who like the shuttle, you are in luck.) When you finally get off the shuttle, you get greeted by… well… at least the carpets are soft. Which is good if you have to sit on them, and you might.  Low ceilings, lots of things that get in the way, and since this is the hub airline there are crowds.  Worse, because the gates are smaller, and yet more people use this part of the airport, the crowds often stick out in to the walking areas so you can’t move around easily.

Now, admittedly, the food is slightly better than it used to be, but your choices are still only fair. For the burger lovers, we have many choices, as long as you like Wendy’s. Coffee? If you came in to D terminal there is a Starbucks right after you get off the shuttle.  In C terminal, you get the Starbucks in a closet.  If you see it you’ll know what I mean.  Unless you want to hike to the Dunkin Donuts (conveniently put between both bus stops, in the transfer tunnel, with less space than the Starbucks in a closet.  Hard to believe, huh?)  There are a few other choices – if you like to walk to the ends of the terminal.  For pizza you can hike down to the end of D.   For a sandwich, you can hike to the end of C for Pot Belly.  Both are a long walk.  Did I mention the crowds that stick out in to the walkway?  Yeah, you get the picture.

If you are a United Passenger, you definitely get the short end of the stick.  There is one small consolation – at least you won’t be too surprised at the lack of service inside the planes.

Now, as if it couldn’t really get any worse… oh, yes, I can make it worse.

Here is  insult to injury. The new train system is going in to Dulles, to help move people around. Hurray, no more buses. But, look more closely:

(Map courtesy of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority web site)

That’s right. I hope you like walking.  And if you are going to D terminal – I hope you like buses.

(I’ll write more on the train system later… because there is another full post just about that.)

United, I’ve been telling you for a while that your might eventually get your just reward. Apparently Dulles Airport beat me to it.

We love to travel from DC will be published every Tuesday (except when the author is on the road and can’t get the internet connection to work – like this week). Please email suggestions to jonebaker at we love dc dot com.

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