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USA Today Says San Francisco Is The Safest City In The USA?


Hey, have any of you USA Today newsies ever actually spent a day and/or night walking the streets there recently? The City by the Bay may not be quite as dangerous as Chicago, Oakland, Baltimore or New York.

However, with one of the nation’s highest homeless populations, it isn’t as safe for visitors as Lancaster PA, Bismarck ND nor Tucson AZ. Wandering these days along Lombard, Market, Castro and other iconic San Francisco streets is not only dangerous, but also very repulsive.

Many of the growing thousands of homeless live in makeshift tents, doorways, parks or out on the sidewalks. Some are mentally ill and/or drug addicts. Their ravings, trash, begging, unwashed bodies and human waste make walking in the areas extremely unpleasant.   

Recently, San Francisco police had eased the problems with the use of digital security efforts to get to crime scenes more quickly. However, it was stopped by city politicians as abuse of human rights. Of course, they didn’t consider the ever-increasing violence and abuse against tourists by growing thousands of homeless street people.
Doggone Airline Done Me Wrong! What Can I Do? PDF Print E-mail


Kicked off your flight? Injured when the aircraft hit rough skies? Lost luggage? Take action about it! Convenient Department of Transportation complaint forms are available online. All you need is to input your personal info, airline, flight details, and description of the incident. Then upload any supporting documents, including photos. After that, click the submit button.

From there, the complaint is entered into DOT’s aviation industry monitoring system, and becomes part of the stats in the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. It’s distributed to the airline industry and made accessible to media and general public. DOT requires that airlines acknowledge complaints within 30 days and send “a substantive response” within 60 days of receiving it. If you believe you should get financial compensation, consider these issues before submitting.

Know airline policy: Beyond the minimum federal requirements, airlines set their own policies about flight delays, lost luggage and payments. Read the fine print before filing a complaint, as there may not be any actual violation nor compensation.

Try to solve the issue with the airline first. It’s worth trying to work out a deal with the airline directly before complaining to the DOT. Don’t be afraid to counter the airline’s first offer, with one of your own. It’s a classic negotiation. Plus, if you are a regular flier with the airline, your good will and continued business are valued.

Make sure you have the facts straight: It won’t help if you can’t recall half the details. Record them at the time of the event or as soon as possible after. Supporting evidence helps, so take a picture, note down names, save luggage tags and keep other related material.

Keep your complaint short and professional: Rambling tirades are far less effective than a to-the-point, concise statement. Keep it 250 words or less and be sure to use proper grammar, spelling and professional language.

Be clear about what you want: Keep demands realistic. Asking for $5 million because your $29.99 SmartPhone was stepped on by the attendant won’t get you far, a reasonable amount nor even a simple apology.
 
 
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