Episode 219- Travel Updates

Hello and welcome to episode 219 of Travel Stories from the Back Again and Gone. Being recorded in the beautiful home office of Chateau’ Relaxo, FL. If you’re a new listener, welcome; and if you’re a returning listener, welcome back.A few trips since our last episode, and two of which were new destinations, which always makes for an adventure.The first trip was a four-day trip to Lake Forest, California. Since I fly Delta, this required a layover in Atlanta and a burger at Shake Shack.It’s been a few years since my last West Coast visit, and California never disappoints. Gas prices were well north of $6.00 a gallon. And here are just a few reasons as to why.Primary Reasons for High Prices* Highest Taxes in the U.S.: Drivers pay approximately $0.90 per gallon in combined taxes. Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS): Adds roughly 17–30 cents per gallon* Special “Boutique” Fuel Blend: California mandates a unique, cleaner-burning gasoline blend that reduces smog.* And what they call “Fuel Island,” There are no interstate pipelines bringing finished gasoline into California. The state must rely on its own refineries or on expensive marine imports from Asia, which can take weeks to arrive.The Courtyard Marriott Lake Forest had at least 25 EV charging stations, and we rolled in a 9-person Chevy Suburban.The other California oddity is the clear plexiglass fences that almost every home and townhome has protecting their backyard. The reason these homes are easily $1,000,000 is that, after dropping that much cash, homeowners can enjoy the mountain views through the plexiglass fences.The meal of the trip was at Splashes in Laguna Beach. Splashes is on the beach, as in right on the sand. My dinner choice was something that I would never pass up, Braised Prime Short Rib, and it was one of the best servings that I have ever tasted. As an added bonus, they were filming an episode of one of “The Real Housewives” shows. Since I didn’t sign a release, I will not be in an upcoming episode.The following week, I enjoyed a trip to Springfield, Missouri. There were no standout meals, and the hotel was a standard Marriott. However, there were two items worth mentioning. First, I became that “guy” as I left my dress socks on the bed back at Chateau’ Relaxo, which required a trip to the Wall-Of-Mart, where I discovered that they sell real booze, not malt liquor and Fireball but Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Grey Goose Vodka. While I thought this was some sort of oddity, I discovered that when I filled up my rental car’s gas tank at the West Bypass Eagle gas station, they also sold high-octane liquor as well. So apparently, there is no need for a traditional liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. The other item is a travel tip. I have been renting cars on a consistent basis for the past thirty years, and while I always did a walk-around of my rental before I left the Hertz lot, one thing I’ve never considered is whether my rental car would pass a state vehicle inspection. Let’s set the stage. I had a 6:00 AM flight out of Springfield to Atlanta, then on to Orlando. Because there is no airline that flies directly from Orlando to Springfield. It is 3:30 AM, and I am on a country road exactly one mile from the airport when, all of a sudden, the car behind me turns on an EDM light display as I am being pulled over by the Springfield Sheriff. I’ll save you all the driver’s license and proof of insurance conversation, but my Hertz rental car had no tail lights, brake lights, yes, but no tail lights. Long story short I was given a warning and sent on my way, only to find out that TSA doesn’t open until 4:30 AM so I could’ve had an extra 45 minutes of sleep.You know you’ve hit a uniquely American travel moment when a TSA checkpoint turns into a tequila tasting. At one airport, a passenger decided her full-size bottle of Don Julio was too good to surrender, so instead of tossing it out or checking it, she started chugging it right there in line. The joke writes itself: TSA said “no liquids,” and she apparently heard “challenge accepted.” And honestly, there’s something so wonderfully chaotic about the whole scene — because this wasn’t a tiny souvenir bottle or a last-minute airport snack, it was a full commitment to the bit. According to the report, drinking that much 40% liquor in one shot is no small thing, and it definitely turned an ordinary security line into a viral spectacle. It also shines a light on the absurdity of the 3.4-ounce liquid rule, which has had travelers tossing out everything from water bottles to shampoo for years. So, congratulations to this traveler for finding the most dramatic possible workaround… though it’s probably not the kind of airport strategy anyone should be putting on their packing list.“The internet did what it does best — turned a TSA meltdown into comedy content. Some people thought it was hilarious, others thought it was ridiculous, but everybody had an opinion.”This came to us via “View From The Wing”A man recently decided that 11 hours at an airport bar was the perfect pre-game for a Delta flight, only to discover that the “party” didn’t quite make it to cruising altitude. Upon boarding, he immediately tried to liven up the cabin by smacking a sleeping passenger’s head and yanking another’s headphones out, all while loudly announcing that he was creating a “party flight”.When a flight attendant intervened, the man confidently threatened to never fly Delta again—a “punishment” the crew seemed perfectly happy to accept, promptly showing him the door. Even as he was escorted off, he tried to start a passenger revolt, begging his fellow travelers to abandon the flight and join him back at the bar. To his likely dismay, not a single person joined his movement, proving that while he had the stamina for an 11-hour drinking session, he severely lacked the charisma to lead a mutinyAnd with most of these posts, much of the comedy gold exists in the comments from readers - Christian posted:11 Hours at the bar. The guy really was trying to prove that you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning, I guess.View From The Wing also gave us our first “Thank You Florida” story.On a recent flight from Zurich to Miami, a passenger named Guillaume Mattler reportedly turned a long-haul journey into a criminal case. While the victim was asleep, Mattler allegedly began groping her, an act noticed by both other passengers and a flight attendant who promptly intervened to separate the two.Following his relocation to the back of the plane, Mattler allegedly returned to the victim’s seat area under the guise of retrieving his belongings. During this interaction, he handed her a handwritten note that read, “You look beautiful when you are sleeping.”When confronted by federal authorities upon landing, Mattler claimed he was simply trying to strike up a conversation and exchange contact information. His defense—that his unsolicited physical contact and creepy note were just a romantic gesture—failed to impress the authorities. He now faces federal charges for sexual abuse, likely ensuring his future travel experiences will involve significantly less legroom and considerably more prison time.“I’m Not Smoking, I’m Just Fog‑Testing the Cabin”News flash: vaping on a plane is now the adult version of “I only tried it once!”—except instead of a grounding, you get a lifetime ban and a viral TikTok.Our hero steps into the bathroom, fires up the e‑cigarette, thinking they’ve discovered a legal loophole, and instead sets off the smoke alarm like a DIY special‑effects team. Suddenly, the flight crew is doing a full‑scale crime‑scene sweep of the plane while the rest of us just wanted to watch Moana in peace.The FAA’s stance is basically: “We wrote this law in 1988, before anyone knew what a vape was, but we meant it for all drama‑inducing vapor inhalers.” So whether you’re puffing a Camel or a candy‑flavored vape stick, the plane’s only job is to say, “Detected: fraud, fines, and video evidence.”Alaska Airlines’ response is poetry: “You’re welcome to toot your vape, just nowhere near our planes, ever again.” Meanwhile, the rest of us passengers get a bonus in‑flight show: one person, one tiny bathroom, and an entire airline’s patience going up in smoke.So next time you’re mid‑flight, ask yourself: “Is this really the setting for my personal vaping reality show?” Spoiler: the answer is always “Fly coach, not court.”This one is a bit frightening - A United Airlines Boeing 767‑400 on final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport came in dangerously low on Sunday, clipping a light pole over the New Jersey Turnpike and then striking a tractor‑trailer traveling on the highway.The plane, United Flight 169 from Venice, Italy, was coming in for a landing on one of Newark’s shorter runways amid gusty winds when its landing gear or engines contacted the light pole, which then swung into a northbound truck on the Turnpike. Dash‑cam footage shows the jet’s undercarriage or tires brushing or striking the top of the truck cab at highway speed, shattering glass and causing the driver to pull over.Injuries and damageThe truck driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, mainly cuts from broken glass, but was later released, and the cargo in the trailer was undamaged. The 767, carrying 221 passengers and 10 crew, landed safely with no injuries on board, although the aircraft sustained enough structural damage for the NTSB to classify the event as an “accident” and launch a full investigation.The plane was estimated to be only about 20 feet above the roadway at the moment of impact, which is far below the normal clearance for a commercial jet on final approach. Investigators are now reviewing the flight data and cockpit voice recorders and have removed the crew from duty while they determine whether the pilots continued an unstable approach too low, misjudged the runway, or were affected by weather, procedure, or other factors.Multiple officials have called the incident “unacceptable,” noting that the only reason this did not turn into a catastrophic crash was sheer luck—the plane could just as easily have hit a wall, a bridge, or a different vehicle, with devastating consequences.How about a science spin on the next one -Have you ever wondered how long airplane oxygen masks last? It is shorter than you think.Airplane emergency oxygen masks are designed to last about 10–15 minutes, depending on the system and the passenger’s breathing rate. We’ll come back to how hard the passenger is breathing in just a bit.Most commercial jets use chemical oxygen generators that supply roughly 10–14 minutes of oxygen once the masks deploy, which is enough time for the pilots to descend to around 10,000 feet, where the air is breathable without supplemental oxygen. The masks are not meant to keep passengers supplied indefinitely at cruise altitude; they’re a short‑term bridge while the plane drops to a safer altitude.The system is usually triggered automatically when cabin pressure drops (around 14,000 feet), and pulling down a mask starts a chemical reaction that releases oxygen for that entire passenger row. Once the reaction starts, it cannot be turned off until the chemicals burn out, which is why the duration is fixed and relatively short.Back to the breathing part. 40+ years ago, I was a firefighter, and our Scott packs, now referred to as SCBA, held about 20-30 minutes of oxygen, depending on how hard the firefighter was breathing. I’m sure that with current technical advances, they last much longer. One night, we rolled into the parking lot of a fully engulfed building fire. We pulled the gear off the truck and began entering the building. Within minutes, we heard the bell from someone’s SCOTT back go off, indicating that they were running out of air. He was breathing so hard that he drained the tank in under 5 minutes.Finishing up with thisAn airport worker in Charlotte swiped $5,000 worth of David Yurman diamond jewelry from a passenger’s checked bag during a layover, then tried flipping it on Facebook Marketplace like a shady garage sale.Picture this: a traveler’s suitcase gets unzipped in the secure baggage area on April 11. Poof—her sparkly collection vanishes. Enter Reyes-Garcia, the baggage staffer with a Facebook alias “Alonys Garcia,” posting the exact stolen pieces as a bundle for quick cash.Cops spot the listing, track him down, and hear his gem of a defense: “I found it!” Yeah, right—found it zipped inside someone else’s bag in a restricted zone. Like claiming you “found” the last donut in the break room.He got busted faster than a carry-on at security. Moral of the story? Pack your bling in your personal item, or wear it through the metal detector and blind the TSA with your shine.Why do people insist on checking high-value items like jewelry in their checked bags? I’m a watch guy, but if I’m taking two or three with me, they go in my carry-on, not checked baggage.Well, there you have it, Episode 219, a bunch of travel updates.For long-time listeners, thank you for your comments and emails. For new listeners, I hope you return.If you want detailed show notes, links, and pictures, head over to Substack at travelstories.substack.com/You can also leave me a message on Anchor or email me at [email protected] I always say, travel safe, stay safe, and thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit travelstories.substack.com