Several decades ago, when today’s seniors were younger, anyone walking across a busy street talking into a little box was considered insane. These days it’s a common sight when pedestrians not only talk, but also stare at little moving pictures on the box. And not paying attention to the street traffic around them.

According to the Wall Street Journal and other sources, today’s accident records show that cell phone inattention by pedestrians is getting more dangerous every day. And of course, drivers with eyes and ears on phones are even more guilty of causing the fatal statistics.

Seniors with limited eye and ear capabilities are particularly vulnerable to street accidents. And those who walk on unfamiliar foreign city streets are even more liable to be hit. Many years ago in New York Winston Churchill started to cross a busy street and was severely injured by a taxi. He forgot that travel lanes are reversed in England. Advice: When in city traffic, whether on foot or driving, keep eyes and ears away from your smart phone.

He responds to questions about flights and provides several humorous moments to those who need relief from the stresses of air travel. Of course, some slight artistic additions by your travel4seniors.com editor to the monster’s appearance could give him broader powers, such as spouting long speeches, making world peace and building immigrant-proof border walls.

A pit bull emotional support dog recently mauled a five-year-old’s face at the Portland OR airport. She had moved close to him when the sudden attack happened. 

The dog was stressed by airport noise, crowds and confusion, resulting in the unexpected reaction. Your travel4seniors.com editor was also hurt recently in a similar incident. When I stroked the head of a costumed dog during a noisy holiday street parade, he quickly bit my hand. It caused a large, deep bloody wound that required many stitches.

Lesson learned? In your travels, always be careful about petting comfort dogs in airports and elsewhere with large crowds, loud noise and other stressful conditions that could frighten them. Be friendly, but keep a safe  distance.

Unless we’re hit by a car, catch a fatal disease or drink/eat/smoke ourselves to death at a younger age, we all must face the inevitable decision. Unable to handle daily life, we or our family decide to stash us in a nursing home.

However, in these days of never-ending inflation, a semi-private old folks room there costs an average of $7,500 a month. Just 30 years ago when my mother needed that care, it was $450 a month. Prices have gone up just a teeny bit since then. So recently, when a Texas guy hit his golden years, he priced nursing home vs Holiday Inn living he had experienced in many years of travel. 

Every senior wanderer is familiar with Holiday Inns. Costs for similar accommodations at one are $1,900 a month, plus advantages of private room and bath. When you’re a Holiday Inn resident, there’s another plus. Instead of other old people coughing and rasping in next-door rooms, the motel wall offers more interesting sounds from amorous one-nighter younger customers.