Air Today, Gun Tomorrow

[USA Today] : Air marshals are quitting by the dozen, USA Today has disclosed. At least 250 have already left their jobs and federal officials are now struggling to deal with the problem-- not that there is one, according to the Transportation Department, who issued a statement stating that the marshals' complaints do not ''individually or collectively, constitute a crisis.''

''We were promised the Garden of Eden. We were given hell," warned one air marshall. ''If they don't make major changes fast, they're going to have no one left but the bottom of the barrel.''

Putting sugar in your gas tank

[CNN/Reuters] : A recent scientific discovery could aid in the eventual use of hydrogen in powering vehicles and other energy consuming devices. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin at Madison found that heating sugar to 392 degrees and passing it over a platinum catalyst caused the compound to break up into hydrogen and carbon dioxide molecules. This method beats out the other prominent alternative-- the time consuming method of allowing bacteria to break down plant matter. Initial concerns that the process pumps out carbon dioxide gas just like the combustion of any fossil fuel was downplayed by the scientists, who stated that it was not creating extra carbon dioxide, since it would have already been released through the biodegradation of the plants.

Seniors think the Segway Human Transporter is SHT

[San Francisco Chronicle] : The Senior Action Network is starting a campaign to ban Segway scooters on San Francisco sidewalks. Protesters marched outside city hall on Monday carrying perplexing signs like "Stop the Segway slaughter," and "Segway: Zero Emissions, Senior Killer," which effectively condensed their negative opinions of the device. At an August meeting, the group's director got on a Segway scooter and drove into furniture (it's unclear whether this was deliberate). The board subsequently voted to oppose use of the vehicle anywhere where senior citizens may be. "It really did scare a lot of our people," Senior Action Network president Bill Price said. "If that machine comes down the sidewalk behind you, you never know what it's going to do. It could be disastrous."

City Supervisor Chris Daly supports the ban, stating that "sidewalks are no place for these Segway vehicles. Seniors, children and folks with disabilities would be especially endangered."

After reading this article, I have a few questions:
1) I've often seen disabled persons riding electric wheelchairs down sidewalks. Should this be outlawed too? If not, why not?
2) Is this a knee-jerk response from the elderly population against "new-fangled" technology, an opposition based on fear of change and lack of understanding? Or is the Segway a legitimate threat to the elderly population?
3) Considering that there have been, to my knowledge, no deaths/injuries involving the Segway scooter, or even significant street use(!), why the overly dramatic-- if outright misleading-- "Stop the Segway slaughter" and "Segway: Senior Killer" signs?

Police Officer : Too many children behind the wheel

[San Francisco Chronicle] : Forty-eight children have been killed so far in 2002 by vehicles running over them, compared to forty-one for all of 2001. Part of the problem, according to San Jose Police Sgt. Steve Dixon, is the popularity of SUVs-- which are major killers of children in this respect. "People have these SUVs that are higher from the ground -- it's like driving a school bus. They can't see down there where the kids are." Experts suggest that drivers do a quick "walk around" before operating the vehicle, to check for children.

From the Not a Plug department:

State Farm Insurance has issued their annual top 10 most dangerous intersections list. Topping the list is an intersection in Pembroke Pines, Florida, followed by two in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also included are pictures that give you an idea of why these intersections cause so many crashes. Unfortunately, the list doesn't cite specific figures regarding these sites.

Gov't : Hey! Screeners are Costing Us Money!

[AP] : The cost of hiring security screeners at airports has gone up, according to a government report. Private companies who hire the screeners have increased their rates substantially, one nearly doubling them. Though government officials are somewhat understanding of the increase, given the current climate where security is more important than reckless costcutting, it has been suggested that the lax government oversight of the positions has created troubling situations. One investigation involving two undisclosed airports found little onsite management of the security forces, while another investigation suggested that the government was being billed for work that was not completed.

[CNN] : The Transportation Security Administration has admitted that screeners at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia went through training for bomb screening in "10 minutes, 15 tops." Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge reacted to the news with a bit of concern: "Fifteen minutes dealing with this fairly sophisticated technology is unacceptable. I hope it is an aberration. It's just not the kind of training that is needed, nor is it the kind of story that inspires confidence with the traveling public."

[Slate] : Cartoonist Daryl Cagle has compiled political cartoons from around the country documenting the current fiasco with the major airlines' financial problems.

[CNN] : Here's a story confirming what you already knew: digital toys like cell phones and CD players are distracting drivers from watching the road. Experts are stating that nationally, something like 30 percent of crashes are the result of distractions related to mobile communications devices. The article also describes commuters adding VCRs, DVD players, and fax machines(!) to their vehicles. Scholars are dubbing this trend in souping up one's car with a barrage of electronic gizmos "carcooning," a term that seems to suggest the shielding of the driver from the outside world.

Offroading in SUVs is not as common as manufacturers would have you to believe, say activists.

[New York Times] : Here's an article about militant anti-SUV activists who have been 'ticketing' gas-guzzlers around New York City. SUV owners haven't been too happy about receiving the fake violations, saying that the group should mind their own business. Some recipients have sent the protest leader threatening and hostile messages via phone and email (included in the article is a somewhat large list of insults received).

The group's list of top offenders includes: the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Denali, Land Rover Range Rover, Ford Excursion and Expedition, Toyota Land Cruiser and Sequoia, Lincoln Navigator, Mercedes M-Class, Dodge Durango, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, Mercury Mountaineer and Lexus LS 470.

[Washington Post] : The government is finally loosening overzealous security regulations like not allowing passengers to bring coffee past the security gate. Also, they are de-instituting the law that requires check-in staff to ask you those nearly pointless (from a security standpoint) questions like: "did any strange men give you mysterious packages to carry in your bags?" Also included in this article are descriptions of the interesting scenarios that relate to these regulations, like the tale of a woman who was forced by security to drink out of three bottles of her own breast milk to ensure that they would not pose a risk to other airline passengers.

[Washington Post] : In other airline news, Southwest-- AKA the only airline that has actually turned a profit this year-- is egging the industry on by cutting the price of its most expensive tickets (i.e. first class and business) by 25%. Other airlines, who are already having a hell of a time trying to stay in the black, will now be forced to compete with the budget-priced carrier. "Southwest will definitely inflict some pain on the higher-cost competition," remarked a travel industry analyst.

[CNN/Money] : Delta, Northwest, and Continental have entered a "codeshare" agreement, which will allow the airlines to book passengers on flights belonging to the other partners. The purpose of the arrangement is to make more flights and destinations available to customers while each individual airline cuts capacity and certain destinations. Regulators will have to get involved, though codeshare agreements are approved far more often than mergers.

[CNN/Money] : US Air has reported that it will be cutting 13% of its flights, reducing its fleet by 31 aircrafts, and laying off at least 250 pilots-- possibly 500-- by next year. The company has also gotten $570 million in wage concessions from its unions, so that they may win $1 billion in federal loans. This comes after the airline announced bankruptcy earlier in the month.

In other US Air news, the company has been facing some competition with Amtrak, whose Washington-New York-Boston Acela high-speed train has been gaining in popularity due to tightened security at airports and long lines.^* In an effort to get on top of the game, the airline will be starting a new advertising campaign in October to get passengers back. The company's catchy new slogan is: "Time flies, it doesn't wait for a train." In what may soon be a regrettable business move, the company will also be giving away $200 refunds to passengers who have to wait for more than 20 minutes to check in.

* Sidenote: the train route has had some functionality problems in the last couple weeks, which has helped the struggling airline slightly.

posted by XXX XXX | 9:43 AM

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Wednesday, August 21, 2002  

NASA is denying the claim that they will be using high-tech equipment to "read terrorists' minds" at airports. The response comes a week after several media sources^* started reporting the bizarre story. The technology supposedly involved in the process would analyze brainwaves and heartbeat patterns to detect potentially threatening passengers.

*Incidentally, I haven't seen the article reported in a news source that I would call reliable-- which is why I didn't post the story when I originally saw it. (Yes, believe it or not, I do have standards-- despite the fact that I posted a letter that some nut wrote to Michael Jackson about his liquid nitrogen car.)

posted by XXX XXX | 1:59 PM

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Tuesday, August 20, 2002  

[UPI] : Continental just announced some cost cuts they are undergoing in an effort to save $350 million a year. Although no personnel have been laid off yet, the company is now under a hiring freeze. And following in suit of other airlines, they also announced a $20 surcharge for paper tickets.

Link via Drudge

posted by XXX XXX | 2:40 PM

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There's an interesting, if marginal, history of the sailor's exclamation "Ahoy!" on the Straight Dope today.

posted by XXX XXX | 2:05 PM

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[CNN] : According to a Air Transport Users Council (ATUC) study, airlines are not taking customer complaints seriously. British Airways and Air France are the two airlines that top the list of negligent transporters, but a British Airways airways spokesperson said, "On the list BA is by far the largest airline so the figures have to be put into perspective. We have high standards of customer care and we take any complaint seriously." The council has received complaints against more than 120 airlines in the last year.

posted by XXX XXX | 12:50 PM

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Monday, August 19, 2002  

Is this glorified scooter the miraculous invention that Dean Kamen was talking about?

[ZDNet] : A transportation conspiracy theory? Well, sort of. Some Ginger/IT/Segway scooter obsessives are claiming that the Segway scooter unveiled to the world last year is neither the revolutionary, life-changing device that inventor Dean Kamen claimed to be working on, nor the mysterious invention that wowed investors Steve Jobs (Apple Computers) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com). This accusation is coming after careful study of the descriptions of Ginger in a book written by journalist Steve Kemper vs. the features of the actual vehicle, as well as discrepancies in patent information, and other "doesn't add ups."

Another crucial piece of the theory is the assertion that Bob Metcalfe, founder of 3Com, saw Ginger once and remarked that the Segway is not the same thing. Metcalfe, speaking to the New York Times earlier in the year (scroll down a bit) was quoted as saying, "Some months ago when speculation was running high, I said that Kamen's IT was more important than the Internet, but not as important as cold fusion, had cold fusion worked out. The IT I was talking about, which I did not disclose, was NOT Segway. That's all I can say."

Well, as an impartial bystander, all I can say is this: the Segway that I've seen demonstrated could not possibly be more important than the internet. Not even close, if you ask me.

posted by XXX XXX | 11:13 AM

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Sunday, August 18, 2002  

[CNN] : Kenneth Powell, a man being tried for manslaughter, vehicular homicide and aggravated assault, has been acquitted of all charges. If you'll recall from the earlier post about this, the case was a landmark trial because Powell was not even at the scene of the accident.

posted by XXX XXX | 8:07 PM

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Friday, August 16, 2002  

Chesley Bonestell painted fantastic pictures of futuristic space scenes back in the mid-20th century. His scenes depict majestic views from other planets, strange transportation systems, and other bizarre visions into the future. It was these scenes that helped inspire the space program as we know it.

Make sure to check out Bonestell's fantastic Saturn as Seen From Titan picture on the page! Truly inspires the imagination.

posted by XXX XXX | 2:11 PM

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[MSNBC] : On Wednesday, GM unveiled photographs of their hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. The vehicle, which is affectionately being called a "skateboard" due to the fact that it has no mechanical parts and a skateboard-like chassis, has the official name of the Hy-wire, a name which GM research and development VP Larry Burns says “conveys the message we’re above the crowd, we’re willing to take risks and we’re capable of doing some things with this technology that one would not normally expect.”

Besides all the mechanical stuff that typically clutters a car, the vehicle is also missing another familiar component: the steering wheel. You maneuver the vehicle with a hand-held device called an "X-Drive," which resembles a video game controller. You can accelerate by twisting a handle, and brake by squeezing a hand control.

“GM’s goal is to be the world’s first company to produce 1 million fuel cell vehicles a year,” said Burns, adding that he wants “high penetration, high profitability." The company will have to decide in 2005 or 2006 whether or not they want to give the go-ahead for the production model, which would be out on the market by 2010.

For right now, the technology is too expensive, costing 10 times as much as it should. But Burns is determined that his plan will work out, after all, “if we don’t do this, somebody else is going to do it.”

posted by XXX XXX | 9:25 AM

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Thursday, August 15, 2002  

[Slate] : Here's a good article on why United's impending bankruptcy could be a huge blow to a promising new relationship between labor and management. You see, 55% of the company is owned by its own employees. "Combining elements of socialism and capitalism," this relationship could have gone far, but the employees aren't willing to make the sacrifice, says Daniel Gross, Slate's Moneybox editor and author of Bull Run.

posted by XXX XXX | 9:32 AM

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[CNN/Money] : So now the chairman of the much respected Hooters restaurant chain is thinking about buying the recently bankrupted Vanguard Airlines. Does this mean a flying Hooters, complete with half-naked trailer trash flight attendants? Maybe, says Vanguard spokesperson Elizabeth Cattell. Maybe.

posted by XXX XXX | 9:08 AM

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[WP] : It hasn't been a good week for airlines. Now the second-largest airline in the country, United, is talking about filing for bankruptcy. If it can't obtain serious concessions from its creditors and employees, the airline will go belly up, they said in a disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The airline, which lost $2 billion last year, has $875 million due this fourth quarter.

So much for the $15 billion airline "bailout."

posted by XXX XXX | 8:41 AM

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Tuesday, August 13, 2002  

[WP] : The world's largest carrier, American Airlines, is cutting 7,000 of its staff, as major financial setbacks force downsizing. This comes just two days after U.S. Air filed for bankruptcy.

posted by XXX XXX | 8:57 AM

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Monday, August 12, 2002  

While browsing the message boards at ilxor.com, I found this message:


"I was throwing away a miscopy at CopyMax, and I saw this letter staring up at me from the waste basket:


July 14, 02

Dear Michael Jackson,
I'm an inventor & electrical engineer living in Denver Colorado. I enjoy your music and dancing skill. I, like you, am very interested in the life sustaining properties of liquid nitrogen. Years ago in San Francisco California I invented a long range electrical vehicle powered by liquid nitrogen & not a drop of gasoline. It was a life long dream. The propulsion system has a range of 400 miles on one tank of liquid nitrogen. It uses a double-acting 3 cylinder ceramic expander coupled to a high tech aircraft generator and a single 40 kilowatt lithium disulfide plastic metal polymer battery which never has to plug in to recharge. The system can be made to fit trucks and buses as well. The important thing is that liquid...


[Unfortunately, this is where the page ends, and no other pages were in the trash. So we don't get to watch as the pitch plays out. But perhaps we ourselves can continue this letter.]" - Frank Kogan

Well, it's interesting, whatever the hell it is...

posted by XXX XXX | 1:24 PM

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[CNN] : U.S. Air filed for bankruptcy Sunday, stating that it would continue operations while restructuring its finances. Although the filing did not come as a surprise to those in the industry since the airline's troubled finances were well known long before Sept. 11, the decision does seem to re-emphasize the poor state of affairs in the airline industry in general. The airline hopes to come out of bankruptcy protection by early next year.

posted by XXX XXX | 10:31 AM

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Friday, August 09, 2002  

[CNN : Reuters] : Deaths on U.S. highways reached an 11-year high last year, as 42,116 motorists were killed in 37,795 fatal accidents. Not surprisingly, drunken driving deaths accounted for 40 percent of all traffic fatalities (17,448 people), a number that was consistent with the statistics from the year before. The total number of vehicle crashes dropped slightly to 6.32 million, and the number of injuries dropped a good 4.9 percent to 3.03 million. One of the most notable changes from last year was the drop in injuries from children 5 and under, and children 5-15: both dropped 8.6 percent since the year before. The statistics were calculated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

posted by XXX XXX | 9:27 AM

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Thursday, August 08, 2002  

Scientists are now saying that the water vapor trails that you see coming from the ends of jet planes are affecting our climate. Though they aren't sure whether the effects are good or bad (if there is such a thing when speaking about altering the environment), a scientist at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a scientist at Penn State University got a perfect opportunity to test out their theories when all U.S. planes were grounded for a few days after September 11th. [read more] [and more here]

Links shamelessly stolen from MetaFilter

posted by XXX XXX | 11:48 PM

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[CNN] : A landmark drunk driving case is about to be made in New Jersey regarding the fate of a man who wasn't even at the scene of the accident, didn't buy any alcohol, and wasn't even drunk. Kenneth Powell is facing charges of manslaughter, vehicular homicide and aggravated assault in connection with the deaths of his friend and another man. Here's the story: Powell picked up his friend Michael Pangle, 37, from jail after the latter's drunk driving arrest. Powell dropped off Pangle at his car and went home. Pangle, meanwhile, got drunk and within three hours was on the road again. His car then struck and a man in another car, U.S. Navy Ensign John Elliott, leaving both dead. Now Powell may be held responsible because he took Pangle to his car insted of to his home. The outcome of the case would set a very widespread precedent.

Questions I have:
1) What did Powell do wrong? His friend was sober when he dropped him off at the car.
2) Would Powell be facing charges if Pangle had lived?
3) Would Powell be held responsible if he had dropped Pangle off at home, and Pangle had still driven drunk?
4) What should have been Powell's proper procedure?
5) If Powell didn't actually break the law, is he at least guilty of some wrongdoing, and why?


Something to think about.

posted by XXX XXX | 12:43 PM

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Monday, August 05, 2002  

I apologize for the lack of updates, I've been a bit busy at the office... Hopefully some updates very soon. Thanks!

posted by XXX XXX | 9:23 AM

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Friday, August 02, 2002  

[NBC] : A man is suing Delta Airlines for placing him next to an obese man on a flight. Philip Shafer says that Delta breached their contract to provide him with a "full seat and reasonable comfort." Delta lawyers are calling the suit trivial.

Link via Drudge

posted by XXX XXX | 1:45 PM

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Sure, we all know about tandem bikes, but have you seen this? The conference bike seats 7 people in a circle, for when you want to ride around with a group of people. Seems pretty cool if you ask me.

posted by XXX XXX | 11:21 AM

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Powerful fuel from soap? A company claiming to have developed a method of creating "Hydrogen on Demand" (TM) is getting its day as DaimlerChrysler's Natrium project undergoes testing. It sounds exciting, but some are skeptical. Just in case you need background info, here's a quick primer on the hydrogen economy and its production...

This link, completely and shamelessly stolen from MetaFilter. Thanks to MetaFilter and Tirade.

posted by XXX XXX | 9:36 AM

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Thursday, August 01, 2002  

[READER COMMENTS] :

Haresh Kamath writes:

The obstacles to commercial supersonic jets (like the Concorde) have tended to be economic and market obstacles rather than technical ones. The plane is smaller but more expensive than a regular jet (so the capital cost per passenger is higher), and it uses considerably more fuel per trip, which means the price to customers is higher. This wouldn't be so bad by itself, but because of noise regulations, the Concorde is only allowed to fly supersonically over uninhabited areas (such as oceans), which has restricted it to transatlantic flights. So even if it was technically feasible to make a commercial passenger plane with scramjets, it's not clear whether it would make a big difference.

Scramjets draw oxygen from the atmosphere to burn fuel, which would still be carried on-board the plane. This is just like conventional jets; the difference is that scramjets work at much higher speeds.

Fuel consumption goes up with the square of velocity. So a plane traveling at 5 times the speed of sound will consume fuel 25 times as fast as a plane traveling at the speed of sound. Conventional jets can't draw in atmospheric oxygen fast enough to match that fuel consumption, so they just can't go that fast. Rockets get around the problem by carrying liquid oxygen on board, which is an expensive solution.

Scramjets would be a breakthrough because unlike conventional jets they can bring oxygen from the air fast enough to match the rate of fuel consumption at high speeds. You wouldn't need to carry oxygen on board. You can use the extra space for additional fuel, or simply make a lighter plane. But you'd still be using fuel at a rate several times that of a subsonic jet.

-Haresh Kamath, Knoxville, TN

posted by XXX XXX | 1:50 PM

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The SUV of airplanes is actually more fuel efficient than its predecessors.

[CNN] : The longest commercial plane ever built took its maiden voyage today, on a flight from London to New York. The Virgin Airlines A340-600 is 16 feet longer than any other commercial plane, carries 311 passengers, has a bar, a large screen television, and an "in-flight beauty therapy area." Virgin Airlines is expecting nine more of the planes, which cost approximately $190 million each.

posted by XXX XXX | 10:32 AM

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