When Qualified, PreCheck Speeds Fliers Thru Security
With year-end super-busy holiday air traffic and jammed check-in lines, senior flyers should consider this new go-to-the-head-of-the-line gimmick. Called the TSA PreCheck system, and costing $100, it now permits some pre-security approved airline passengers to get to their aircraft more quickly.
After their status is confirmed, the privileged few are allowed to keep shoes, belt and coats on. They may also carry laptop computers and eligible personal liquids and gels in carry-ons. The only negative could be enduring the dirty looks and curses of the poor peasants who must wait in the long security lines as the special boarders sail past them.
If eligible passengers have kids under 12 with them, all can go through PreCheck. To keep up with the constantly changing status of PreCheck, when booking new flights, always review requirements with your favorite hometown or online travel agency. It may also be expedient to call the airline directly at least 24 hours before your departure to make sure your lofty status is on record.
Q: I met a great guy on an LA-Mexico cruise. We hit it off immediately, and when when ashore for a sunset beach stroll, it was togetherness for the rest of the cruise. The problem is that I’m in the middle of a divorce, and I told him I was single. He wants to book us for another cruise in September, this time Fort Lauderdale-Bahamas. He says he’s single, too, has a great job and offered to pay my way on the Bahamas cruise. I’m not sure he’s telling the truth either. Should I take a chance and go for the new cruise?
A: What do we look like here on www.travel55plus.com, a lonely hearts club? We’re experts in travel, not romance. However, we can tell you that cruises always create an emotional wonderland, a temporary fantasy world that often masks reality. That’s why all the fibs and promises work on new romances at sea. Or at least delay the truth until we must face real life on shore.
Tell the romantic guy the truth. Give him an idea of when you’ll be completely free. Ask him to level with you, too. Then, when there are no spouses or other complications keeping you apart, accept the invitation for the Bahamas cruise. If you feel you can afford to pay your own way on this cruise, tell him so. He’ll respect your indepenence. Then, if you really enjoy each other’s ... er ... company, why not get together again. And again. And again.
National Museum of American History's New Exhibition Goes "On the Water"
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History today opens "On the Water: Stories from Maritime America," a new, permanent exhibition designed to engage the public in a dynamic exploration of America's maritime heritage. The 8,500-square-foot exhibition builds on the Smithsonian's unparalleled National Watercraft Collection of rigged ship models, patent models, documents and images to bring the sights, sounds and stories from the oceans, inland rivers and coastal communities to the museum's millions of visitors.
