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 "Your Papers, Please"
Passport Requirements Will Include Children, Too
A Trip to Canada, Mexico or Islands Could Cost $358 for a Family of Four
By STEWART M. POWELL
Hearst News Service
www.chron.com
WASHINGTON New anti-terrorism rules soon will require American children under the age of 16 to obtain $82 U.S. passports to return home by air or sea from visits to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.
The children are among the estimated 22 million U.S. travelers to neighboring nations each year who will be required for the first time to present U.S. passports to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency agents upon returning to the
United States.
Complete Story |
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 Benevolent Virgin
Richard Branson Pledges $3 Billion To Fight Global Warming
Don't Have $3 Billion To Spare? You Can Do Your Part By
Offsetting Your Carbon Emissions With Better World Club
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Cola, the Virgin Islands (?), and countless other "Virginal" products, is an entrepreneurial icon. Branson has just
added another item to his impressive resume: Super-Mega Philanthropy (our term, not Sir Richard's).
Branson has pledged $3 billion over the next decade to combat global warming. His share of the profits from Virgin's transportation and airline sectors will fund the contribution.
So, if you have to fly somewhere, fly Virgin and support the fight against global warming. You can search for inexpensive Virgin flights using
Better World Club's online booking engine. To choose a Virgin flight, simply click on "Airline and Non-Stop Options" under the "Advanced Search Options" in the middle of the page.
Commercial flying releases over 1,700 pounds of greenhouse gases into the air per passenger. However, you can further mitigate the damage done to the environment with
TravelCool!, Better World Club's carbon offset program.
Related Links:
- Read the
NY Times article for more info.
- Wondering about the statue of the Virgin Mary above?
Click here to find out where it's located.
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TravelCool Tips of the Month:
Some Ways To Protect Your Film, and by Extension, Your Vacation Memories
After All, You Don't Want to Deprive Your Family of the Joy of Watching Your Vacation Slideshow, Complete With Thirty Pictures of Identical-Looking Cathedrals
1) All your film is at risk, but high-speed film is the most susceptible to damage (as opposed to slow-moving films, like anything by
Ingmar Bergman).
2) We don't recommend packing your film in your carry-on luggage. With stronger bomb detection devices, your film is now more likely to get fried. After all, you don't want your pho-tos to become pho-toast! [Oh, stop
groaning. That was a really clever pun.]
3) Buy special carrying cases designed for protecting film. That's the easy part. The hard part is trying to remember where you stored the carrying cases before you travel. Try looking in the closet. No, not that closet, the one at the
top of the stairs. You know, the one with all the old shoes in it that you're never going to wear again. Speaking of which, you live in Georgia, do you really need moon boots?
4) You can ask for a manual inspection in the United States and some foreign airports to avoid the x-rays if you place your film in your carry-on bag. This should not be confused with the annual inspection that your doctor
performs. [For once, we decided to take the moral high road and not include a "Hernia Test" joke here.]
5) Walkthrough and hand wand security devices shouldn't affect your film. And, who knows? After an extensive manual pat-down by security personnel, you might even have made a new friend.
6) Your best bet is to buy the film after you arrive and develop it before you go. This may not be the cheapest route, but it is the best guarantee to keep your memories safe. (Sorry, no tips on taking good pictures that don't make you
look like your Aunt Rose.) |
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***WHEN YOU TRAVEL, DON'T FORGET TO