SAVING TIME WITH YOUR COMPUTER

Being computer-savvy can be a real timesaver when it comes to making travel arrangements and checking in at airports. . With the variety of travel web sites most of us know we can search for cheap fares, make an offer for rock-bottom pricing, make direct airline bookings and pay for it all without leaving our chair. Many of us know how to use the airport kiosks to check in without waiting in line. Now you can also check in online up to 24 hours before your flight and print your boarding pass in advance. 'Avoiding the counter, you can check your luggage at the curb and head straight for the gate. Check airline Web sites for details.

WATER SOUTH OF THE BORDER

A friend tells the story of walking by the housekeeping closet at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico and glimpsing the maid filling the complimentary "bottled water" straight from the tap. As someone who is extremely careful of what he eats and drinks in foreign countries, he was outraged at the thought of drinking unsafe water. "But the hotel water is purified," the manager said with a shrug. While that may be true, I never trust the quality and cleanliness of hotel purification systems in other countries and stick to one basic rule: If you don't personally break the seal, don't drink it. No exceptions. Also,I only drink from disposable bathroom water glasses.

THE ICE TEASE

While we Americans use a lot of ice in our drinks, many countries around the world not only forgo the ice, they don't even chill their beverages. Pubs in Britain are famous for warm beer. Italy usually serves soft drinks and alcoholic beverages without ice to avoid watering them down. Japan will only put one or two ice cubes in the glass. When traveling, remember to order drinks cold, chilled or with a glass of ice on the side, but only in a country where you're sure of the water safety. If you can't drink the tap water, you can't use the ice, either. If in doubt, go without.

Just For Fun! Be sure and Check Your Hotel Bill

Be sure and check next time you think your hotel bill is too high, you might want to consider this.
My wife and I are traveling by car from Victoria to Prince George. Being seniors, after almost eleven hours on the road, we were too tired to continue, and decided to take a room. But, we only planned to sleep for four hours and then get back on the road. When we checked out four hours later, the desk clerk handed us a bill for $350.00.
I exploded and demanded to know why the charge is so high. I told the clerk although it's a nice hotel; the rooms certainly aren't worth $350.00 for four hours. Then the clerk tells me that $350.00 is the 'standard rate.' I insisted on speaking to the Manager.
The Manager appears, listens to me, and then explains that the hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference centre that were available for us to use. “But we didn't use them," I said. ''Well, they are here, and you could have," explained the Manager.
He went on to explain that we could also have taken in one of the shows for which the hotel is famous. "We have the best entertainers from New York, Hollywood, and Las Vegas perform here," the Manager says.
"But we didn't go to any of those shows," I said. "Well, we have them, and you could have," the Manager replied.
No matter what amenity the Manager mentioned, I replied, “But we didn't use it!"
The Manager is unmoved, and eventually I gave up and agreed to pay.
I wrote a check and gave it to the Manager.
The Manager is surprised when he looks at the cheque. “But sir, this cheque is only made out for $50.00." ''That's correct. I charged you $300.00 for sleeping with my wife," I replied.
"But I didn't!" exclaims the Manager.
I said, "Well, too bad, she was here, and you could have."

Don't mess with Senior Citizens

Things to consider when choosing a Hotel

Questions To Ask And Where To Ask Them
According to Sal Caccavale, Director of Security for the Waldorf=Astoria in New York, there are three questions to ask for selecting a secure hotel:
•Are there electronic door locks?
•Is there good key control?
•Is there a fire alarm and water sprinkler system?
"Generally, the only way to find this out is contacting the hotel directly. The number one security issue is controlling who has access to a guest's hotel room. While we can install electronic locks and keep a closely controlled system of key control, it's the guests themselves who often let down their guard and fail to lock their door when they go out to get ice at the end of the hall, or open their door to an uninvited intruder," says Caccavale. "It is important to remember that a hotel is a public place and criminals are attracted to places where outsiders are vulnerable."
What Room To Reserve
If possible, avoid staying in a first floor room, as they often have sliding doors or windows that are accessible from ground level, and are a greater security risk than rooms on higher floors. Second floor to fifth floor rooms are usually a good choice in the event of a fire, as they are more easily accessible for rescue purposes than rooms on higher levels. Rooms away from the ice machine or utility area will minimize your exposure to the noise of hallway traffic, and a room near a stairwell will provide a quick escape route in the event of an emergency. Women traveling alone may wish to choose a room near hall or stairwell surveillance cameras for added security. Before you get settled into your assigned room, verify that there is a reasonably quick access to a fire escape route by window or stairway.
Smoke and Fire
Most hotels offer in-room instructions outlining what to do in case of fire, and it is wise to read them carefully. Count the number of doorways on your floor from the door to the exit staircase, and then walk down the staircase to the ground floor. This will help you familiarize yourself with your escape route so that in a fire situation when it is likely to be dark and smoky, you will be able to exit safely with no confusion, surprise turns, or unexpected locked doors. Put your room key and glasses beside your bed so that in an emergency you will be able to find them quickly. If you leave your room in an emergency, take your room key with you so you can retreat back into your room if necessary.

If you discover that the hotel does not have a smoke detector system, carry your own. It is also a good idea to carry an emergency escape smoke hood, which filters out the harmful gases that are present in a smoke-filled environment, and provides those precious extra minutes you, might need to escape.

Hotel Room Security

Some hotels can monitor when and with which key a room is entered, and there are usually room cleaning procedures to help thwart intruders. Out-of-the way hotels in foreign countries and hotels in less developed countries often do not have secure door locks. In some cases, the hotel staff may actually target you and your belongings. Your level of security awareness and the precautions you take must be adjusted for each city and area you visit, but there are standard minimal precautions that apply almost anywhere. Here are some tips to protect yourself and your belongings when you travel:
•Don't leave valuables in your room when you are absent - professional thieves and hotel staffers are usually aware of every possible hiding place. Use the hotel safe, and get a receipt for what you leave there. Although some hotels provide a safe in each guest room for storing valuables, be aware that there could be insurance issues if you use a guest room safe rather than the main hotel safe (e.g. your credit card loss/theft policy may not apply if you use the room safe).
•When you are in your room, lock the door, use the chain lock, and use your door peephole to identify people who knock at your door. Overseas, there may be no chain lock and no peephole, so you should carry a good quality traveler's door lock, a doorstop alarm that wedges against the base of the door, or a motion detector.
•Do not open the door for unexpected visitors. Call the front desk to verify that maintenanceworkers are truly from the hotel.
•Some hotels and motels that do not have their own dining facilities allow food to be delivered to your room from outside the hotel. It is best to have such deliveries made to the lobby. Also, be careful about the leftovers you leave on the tray outside your door. A single drinking cup with lipstick marks and/or remnants of a single meal can alert passersby to the fact that you are alone in the room.
•Before you go to sleep, make sure that your deadbolt lock and chain locks are in place and that all windows and sliding doors are secured. To make your room appear occupied when you leave, place the DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door and leave the TV or radio on at an audible level. At foreign destinations, this may be difficult as housekeeping may have instructions to remove DO NOT DISTURB signs in your absence.
•Most security specialists advise you to keep your room key with you at all times so that no one (including hotel staff) can see by checking the front desk that you are not in your room.