Air Traveler Too Sexy? There Are Much More Serious Issues With Air Travelers
September 11th, 2007
Have you seen the story about the girl asked to leave until she was dressed more appropriately? One Southwest flight attendant chastised her another complemented her on her style.
This is totally ridiculous. A girl dressed like many other girls her age and some moron take offense. I’ll bet he was trying to bring attention to himself. Well he did alright. He should be fired for stupidity.
The real issues with air travelers are people who stink and people who weigh so much they cannot fit in one seat. You cannot escape these people on a plane. If someone boards nude, I don’t have to look. If some sits in a middle seat and takes up the equivalent of two seats, I am crunched. Has this happened? Yes a number of times. What about poor hygiene. Has this happened - all the time.
What is the solution? Fliers must continually complain to the airlines and demand compensation when there is a very uncomfortable situation and I don’t mean some attractive girl wearing clothes.
Here is the story in case you missed it.
Steve Pohlit
Business Development Consulting
Steve Pohlit has more than 20 years experience running very large and medium sized companies. Steve now designs and implements processes with large and small companies that will deliver improved business performance for the long term. Most projects are self-funding within 90 days. . Learn more about the process of Increasing Profits by 30% or More In 90 Days or Less by visiting http://www.stevepohlit.com or you can call 727-587-7871 and speak with Steve directly. Have a question? Click Here To Visit Ask The Consultant If you want to learn how to use a blog to build your business then register for the the free mini-course “Blogging for Profits” at Steve Reports and Blogging For Profits. Did you know you can make a ton of money by referring a business that converts to consulting project? Just thought I’d mention that.
Malaysia, Sydney and More
August 25th, 2007
(Randy Gage is a wonderful human being. I am delighted to pass
along this adverture. Be sure to see the invitation at the end. If
you skip to the end you have missed a great deal. Steve Pohlit)
Dear Steve ,
OK, I admit it. I wasn’t feeling too prosperous this week. I just got back from my last around the world trip, and I was sick for most of it.
I’m in need of sinus surgery, but I couldn’t get it done before the trip. What I did get done was dental surgery, two days before I left. So I wasn’t really supposed to make any trips, let alone five flights across all 24 time zones. But I had things booked and people were counting on me, so I went ahead.
Now whether I had an infection from the dental surgery, or my poor sinuses couldn’t take any more of that moldy, recycled airplane air is debatable. But halfway through the trip, I was breaking down. So I guess I have to take some of my own advice and explore my own prosperity consciousness.
Stop one on the tour, and about 12 time zones into it, was Sydney, Australia, truly an amazing city and one I’ve visited at least ten times. The Aussies are such a fun, friendly and ongoing people, you’ll feel welcome instantly. And it’s about the last country left in the world that doesn’t hate Americans, because of president George “Give ‘em democracy or give ‘em death” Bush.
I took Qantas from LA and had a nice experience. For some reason they don’t use the First Class cabin to Melbourne and their Business Class is pretty mediocre, so I’ve been avoiding them.
Happily they do have a First Class to Sydney, and the service was very friendly and accommodating.
If you’re a road warrior who travels for business, I can recommend the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. Stay on one of the Executive Floors. Even when I’ve been gone six or nine months, the staff remembers and greets me by name. Unfortunately the “I am Angus” steakhouse (which was one of the world’s finest) is no longer there. Ask the staff to direct you to Bambini’s, which is just a few doors down Elizabeth Street, for lunch or dinner.
Order the spagattini with chili’s and shrimp, which is delectably tasty and clears your sinuses at the same time! If you don’t want the sinus treatment, ask them to leave out the chili’s.
If you’re there on the weekend, take a stroll down to “the Rocks” which is located by the Sydney harbor. You’ll find a flea market full of a lot of chintzy souvenirs, but also some cool handcrafts, homemade fudge, and other cool treats.
Look for the little Chinese ladies who offer the chair massages.
Most of them don’t weigh 70 pounds soaking wet, but when they put their elbow into your neck and shoulder muscles and grab you with their death claw grip, you’ll think Hulk Hogan is working on you.
I flew Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur, which was my first time with them. Not quite up to the standards of Cathay Pacific, but excellent nevertheless. The plane was fairly old, but the seats stretch out for four windows, there are fresh flowers in the cabin, and over 300 hours of movies and shows in the personal entertainment systems.
The service was gracious, friendly, and actually a little too smothering. There were only three of us passengers up front and four flight attendants hovering over us. Every time you go to the lav someone rushes over to open the door for you, they wait by and jump to hold it open when you leave, if you close your eyes for ten seconds they run over and cover you with a blanket, when you stir they run over turn on the light, ask what you want to drink and open the windows, etc. It all sounds very nice, but in fact it ends up making you feel like you have no privacy.
Which you don’t. But I’m giving them bonus points for being the only Asian airline that actually has slippers big enough for my feet!
The meal service was great. For starters the Malaysian Satay, five leaf green salad, and fried seafood with mango salsa were sumptuous. I decided to get out of my dining rut and try the vegetable strudel, which was wonderful. But you must wash it all down with “teh tarik,” a sweet traditional Malaysian hot tea.
If you’ve been a regular reader, then you know all about the wonders of KL. It’s one of the most fascinating places on earth.
And I was excited to get back. Unfortunately by the time I landed there, my body was going on strike, so I spent most of the time in bed.
People had come from all over Malaysia and a few small groups had traveled in from Singapore and I didn’t want to disappoint them. So I gathered my strength and did a 90-minute presentation Tuesday night. Then at the break, I sneaked out the back, and let my team members finish the training.
Fortunately I was staying at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur, which bills itself as the best business hotel and they’ll get no argument from me. When you arrive, the doormen bow and place their hands over their heart, in the traditional Malay welcome.
The architecture, interior design and artwork in the place are stunning. The elevator lobby has two bellmen in white gloves, calling the cars for you. My suite had two large HD flat screen TV’s, a killer stereo system, and a two-level balcony with a built-in Jacuzzi.
The service is gracious and immediate for anything you need. The room service waiter actually gave me his card and instructed me to call the hotline and ask for him by name for anything. If you’re going to be sick on the road – this is the hotel you want to be in.
KLIA bills itself as the best airport in the world, and that gets no argument either. The shops there have just about every great designer in the world, it’s well signed, spotless and friendly. It really is a model of how to run an airport.
If you go through there, find the little massage place in the wing where the tram lets you out for international departures. I got a 45-minute reflexology treatment that totally reinvigorated me for my flight to Hong Kong. That was on Cathay Pacific, and shockingly, I have to say wasn’t as good as the flight I had on Malaysia Airlines. Not that it was bad; it wasn’t. But you expect so much from them if it isn’t spectacular you’re disappointed.
They made up for it with a great First Class lounge at the Hong Kong airport. I took a shower and changed clothes, caught up my emails and had a nice dinner in there on my layover.
Then on the flight from Hong Kong to London, they were back to their usual extraordinary service. Unfortunately it wasn’t fitted with their newest seats and interior, but the food, amenities and care were up to par.
Fortunately I had a few days in London to recharge and heal before my event. And fortunately one of those was one of the five days of summer they’ve had this year. I walked around Piccadilly, ate lousy British food, and just relaxed.
The London event went great. A good crowd even though the tube line to that area was shut down that morning with no notice. The attendees were fired up and excited about achieving prosperity.
I also discovered one of the best-kept secrets in the UK this trip – a band called “Never the Bride.” Of course I say best-kept secrets, but that’s probably outside of England.
Because Roger Daltry has called Nikki Lamborn the lead singer of the group, the best female vocalist since Janis Joplin. And he has a good point. Nikki has a hauntingly beautiful raw sound – a mélange of Janice, Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morrisette and Stevie Nicks.
There’s a tribute disc to Led Zeppelin called Encomium, featuring artists like Sheryl Crow, Hootie and the Blowfish, Stone Temple Pilots, and Blind Melon. Never the Bride does a cover of “Going to California” that is the most soulful interpretation of a Zeppelin song you’ll ever hear. Head over to a music store or Amazon.com and pick up that disc and the group’s regular albums, the self-titled “Never the Bride” on the Atlantic label and “Surprise.”
Heading home from London I was on British Airways. Once again, I can’t complain. They had lie flat sleeper seats, great food and pleasant service. But next time I really want to try Virgin and see how they have raised the bar.
So all told, it was a great trip. I have to take better care of myself and schedule my travel accordingly. But if you’re going to travel sick, there are worse ways to do it.
I have my sinus surgery next week and looking forward to a perfect bill of health. Then I’m celebrating with short vacations in New Orleans and a Cirque du Soleil fest in Vegas.
I’ll check in from one of these places.
Before I go, I wanted to alert you about a special opportunity that could be important to you. I just received a message from Derek Gehl of the Internet Marketing Center, who has convinced his elite team of eBay PowerSellers to let him put their proven success system down on paper, so ANYONE can use it to achieve life-changing income on eBay.
Now you should know, I’m not talking about selling junk from around your house or scrounging stuff from flea markets and reselling it on eBay. This is the same system his eBay experts are using to teach their students how to build their own successful eBay businesses. Many of these students are making $1,000 to $10,000 a month on eBay — within a matter of weeks.
Anyway, here’s where the ‘opportunity’ part comes in…
Because this is the first time he’s released this system to the general public, he needs more people who can “testify” that his system actually works. So if making at least $100,000+ in your first year is something that interests you, I’d like to invite you to check out a “review copy” of his new eBay profit system and give it a try.
And because he has so much confidence in this system, he’s willing to let you test-drive it absolutely risk free for a full 30 days — for only 99 cents!
He’s banking on the fact that you’ll be up and running and making big profits on eBay in the next month or so, and will write him a nice testimonial that he can put up on his web page when he rolls out his full launch of this system to the public.
And if not, just send it back and it won’t have cost you anything. So I think it’s definitely worth a look on your part.
You can take part by going to:
Auction Powersellers
I’m sweltering in the humidity here, but it’s good to be playing softball again. Have a great week!
-RG
PS RS is for Randy Gage. Click Here for his marvelous newsletter which is FREE
P.S.S. How would you like to work with Randy. “I Do” Yes that is completely correct. I am part of Randy’s team and proud of it. My last meeting with him was in July in Orlando. Look at this venture and see if “you get it” Click Here Now
My Friend Randy Shares His Journal Detailing Trips To Turkey, Israel and More
August 2nd, 2007
(Randy Gage is a wonderful human being. I am delighted to pass
along this adverture. Be sure to see the invitation at the end. If
you skip to the end you have missed a great deal. Steve Pohlit)
Dear Steve,
I’m just in from Istanbul, Turkey, finishing up what was an
amazing trip. It would be difficult to put together three more
interesting but different stops on one itinerary.
As you know, Prague is one of my favorite cities in the world.
The mélange of castles, languages, and traditions create one of
the coolest experiences in Europe. The people are friendly, the
food is amazing, and you are surrounded by culture everywhere.
I stayed again at the Four Seasons on the Vltava River, where
you can want for nothing. The Allegro restaurant there is one of
the best in the country, or any country for that matter. In fact
their strawberry lemon cheesecake rivals the “Tres Coco Muey
Loco” coconut crème brûlée here at Yuca in South Beach. (Which
is only the greatest desert ever made since the earth’s crust
cooled!) My favorites are the Italian entrees, but they also
feature Mediterranean and Bohemian specialties.
If you go to Prague, also be sure and stop by Cowboys
steakhouse, and the Kampa Park restaurant at the foot of the
Charles bridge. They’re part of the six restaurants of Nils
Jebens (one in Slovakia), a transplanted Norwegian who operates
some of the best restaurants around.
And finally, get reservations at Flambée, which is located in a
Gothic vault that dates back to the 11th century. The sampler
menu offers true continental dining with about seven courses,
and you drinkers will go ga-ga over the wine list. Be sure to
bring your Platinum card, as you can pick up a nice bottle of
Dom Perignon, for the bargain price of only about a hundred
grand. If you do order a pricey bottle of something, ask for a
tour of the wine cellar. They may not accommodate you, but if
you do, you’ll be simply stunned at the scope of what they have
down there.
As always, I hated to leave this magical city, but was excited
to visit to Israel for the first time. As you land in Tel Aviv,
you are immediately fascinated by the sights around you. When I
was there, it was a nice, balmy 113 degrees! Unfortunately I was
conducting seminars a great portion of the day, and didn’t have
a lot of free time to explore the city. But what I did see
certainly was intriguing. Everywhere you turn, you are
surrounded by history.
There was a civil service strike looming, so I canceled my
Austrian Air reservations for the next day, and flew in on the
red-eye on El Al, so I wouldn’t miss conducting my programs. If
you think security at the U.S. airports is tough, you should buy
a one-way, last minute ticket to Israel!
I received a security interview worthy of an international
assassin, which I finally ended only by showing a magazine that
featured a four-color profile of me. In all fairness though, I
must say Israel has ample reason to do serious security
screening, and they do it with a hundred times more efficiency
than the ridiculous and melodramatic bullshit the TSA in the
States makes us put up with.
Their security checkpoints are actually quite efficient, well
staffed, and quick. Ian Percy will be happy to know that they
don’t make you remove your shoes for no reason, and they have
x-ray machines that can actually see through your canvas laptop
bag.
As far as El Al, their airport gate management is horrendous and
their First Class cabin was nothing special. Service was
friendly, but you always have the feeling that the big burley
flight attendant in the front of the plane is chosen for his
biceps and self-defense skills, not his hospitality training.
(Which is probably as it should be.)
The Israeli people are absolutely delightful. They have a
vibrant passion for learning, and a voracious appetite for
success. There were almost 2,500 people at my program Wednesday
night, many who traveled down from Haifa, up from Jerusalem, or
from other areas of the country in the middle of the workweek.
Like Prague, I ate too much, slept too little, and was sad to
leave. But Turkey was beckoning…
The Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul was wonderful. It was an
older plane, but had been retrofitted nicely. The service was
friendly, the food was tasty, and the First Class cabin was one
of the brighter and roomier ones I have been in. And when you
start your descent into the city, the view is beyond
spectacular.
Like Mexico City, Istanbul isn’t dominated by skyscrapers, but
low-level buildings for as far as the eye can see. It’s just a
scintillating taste of what you’ll experience when you land.
Take the route along the sea, as you leave the airport. It will
take you 15 minutes longer, but the view along the way is
breathtaking. Everywhere you turn in the city, in any direction,
is a picture postcard, as it is one of the truly great romantic
cities. No matter where you go, you feel like you’re starring in
an Indiana Jones movie.
While you’re there, be sure and eat at Adana Dostlar or
Venge-Levent for some authentic Turkish food. Within ten seconds
of being seated, they will start loading your table with salads
and cheese. Within a minute they will bring out baskets of
steaming Turkish bread. This unique treat is wafer thin, covered
with sesame seeds and seasoning, and comes with a pillow of air
inside. Rip it open hot and stuff it with goat cheese for a
flavor to savor.
About the time you’ve eaten about ten things and are completely
stuffed, they start bringing the entrees! Barbequed lamb, shaved
lamb and lamb kebobs are main stays. Wash it all down with a
yogurt milk, and if you haven’t eaten everything, expect a
tableside visit from a horrified manager to ask what was wrong
with the cooking. The Turks believe a man without a belly is
like a condo without a balcony.
When you simply cannot eat another bite, then the desert starts.
You simply have to try it, as it really is special. They make a
special ice cream which is hand mixed in lamb skin, and so hard
you must cut it with a knife. It’s served with grated pistachio
on top and is simply heavenly. There is also a hot pastry,
similar to Greek Baklava, but served hot with baked cheese
inside. Just plan on starting your diet after you leave town.
Istanbul tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its
place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. (You can still see the
walls built to protect the city during the Ottoman Empire.) The
skyline is studded with domes and minarets, as it is home to
over 4,000 mosques, each one more stunning than the last.
The city is divided into two continents by the Bosporus, a
strait joining the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmar. We were
staying in Anatolia (the Asian side), and went over to the
European side for dinner each night. The suspension bridge
connecting the sides is as beautiful as the San Francisco or
Sydney harbor ones, so it’s worth a drive over. Just don’t go in
a hurry, because traffic is a nightmare in Istanbul, and the
bridge is usually a focal point of the mess. But the
breathtaking view is certainly worth the effort. It will rival
anything you’ve seen.
But don’t stick to the bridge each time. The ferry ride from one
side to the other is a must experience. Walking around the city
is an absolute adventure. Just bring your Turkish dictionary, as
Turkey is still kind of a parochial place. Between my companion
Dmitry and I, we spoke English, Spanish, Russian, French, and
German – which will get you exactly nowhere with the vast
majority of the locals.
Bring a card with your hotel address on it and a map everywhere
you go. Istanbul is huge, and filled with thousands of little
streets. Most people, including taxi drivers, will have vast
swatches of the city they are not familiar with.
The streets here make the ones in San Fran look flat and
straight. Many are no wider than a compact car and a phone book.
If you drove a Bentley or a Testarossa into them you would be
stuck between the buildings on either side and would be forced
to cut a hole in the roof or die in your vehicle. Many appear to
be one-way, but actually go in the direction of the taxi driver
with the highest testosterone level. Some of these drivers will
roar down these glorified alleyways at 50 or 60 mph.
I can drive my Vipers at 165 mph without even raising my pulse
rate. But riding in Istanbul taxis I was petrified. The drivers
will weave between vehicles and people as though they don’t
exist. They flash their lights or tap the horn once. You get out
of their way or they go over you. If you are a pedestrian and
you think they will stop for you, you won’t be long for this
world.
Be sure and visit the Tunel neighborhood, which includes a
wonderful pedestrian mall you can walk through without fear of
being run down by a taxi. We found a funky restaurant called
News Cafeteria that had opened just two days before. They offer
fresh juices, burgers, sandwiches and some amazing crepe
deserts. It’s a cool, funky place, and the perfect spot to
people watch.
The other neighborhood to visit with a bunch of nice
restaurants, markets, and clubs is Ortakoy. We stopped for
coffee and cake on a roof top terrace overlooking the market
stalls one evening. Van Morrison was wafting through the
speakers, there was a perfect summer breeze, we heard the call
for prayers at a nearby mosque, and had a breathtaking view of
the bridge. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I was there three days and did a couple speeches, so I probably
saw about two percent of what the city has to offer. If you want
to do the city justice, give yourself two weeks. If you want to
explore the rest of the country, give yourself a year or so.
What an amazing place.
Just as I was leaving, I got a note from Chris Reynolds at the
Internet Marketing Center. They’re offering a special program
you’ll probably want to know about…
Chris told me that that Derek Gehl is offering 250 memberships
to the Web’s most powerful online Internet marketing community
– his “Internet Entrepreneur Club.” If you do ANY kind of
marketing online, you should make sure you snatch up one of
these before they’re all gone.
Here’s the deal…
Derek is looking for *real people* who’d like to become his next
Internet success story. (No computer or business experience is
required.) It’s a chance to use his team of Internet
business-building experts to learn how to start a wildly
lucrative Internet business in just 45 days.
He has protégées in this program earning an extra $4,000…
$7,500… even $12,000 per month, working as little as 15
minutes per day — even if you have NO business ideas or website
yet.
As you’ll see, there is absolutely no risk involved in test
driving this booming members-only community of Internet
entrepreneurs. In fact, for the next 30 days, Derek is willing
to let you try it for just $2.95. His only conditions are that,
once you’ve achieved your income goals, you agree to:
(#1) Write him a glowing testimonial, and (#2) Let him use your
success story to inspire others.
I strongly advise you to jump on this fast. You can get all the
details at: Internet Marketing Center
That’s it for now. I’m home just a couple days and then I’m off
on another around the world trip, so I’ll check in from
Australia or Asia. Have an amazing week!
-RG
PS RS is for Randy Gage. Click Here for his marvelous newsletter which is FREE
P.S.S. How would you like to work with Randy. “I Do” Yes that is completely correct. I am part of Randy’s team and proud of it. My last meeting with him was in July in Orlando. Look at this venture and see if “you get it” Click Here Now
Airplane ban on lighters ends Aug. 4
July 23rd, 2007
Airline passengers will be allowed to bring most cigarette lighters on board again starting next month, freeing airport screeners to spend more time searching for explosives.
And travelers without infants along will be allowed to carry more breast milk on planes to accommodate working mothers.
Starting Aug. 4, air travelers will be allowed to carry-on disposable butane lighters, such as Bics, and refillable lighters, like Zippos, the Transportation Security Administration announced Friday. But torch-style lighters, which have hotter flames, will still be banned.
Lighters are the leading item seized at airport checkpoints, an average of more than 22,000 a day. It costs TSA $4 million a year to dispose of them because they contain hazardous materials.
The other rule change on Aug. 4 applies to mothers — or anyone — wanting to bring more than 3 ounces of breast milk onto an airplane. Under current rules, the passenger carrying that amount of milk must be accompanied by an infant, but the new rules drop that requirement. The liquid will still have to be declared to screeners who might request additional inspection.