Random pictures - Russian subways

 

 

 

Source:  David Burdeny: Russia a right future Visit the link for the full, un-cropped pictures and many more...

Good luck with that...

Heard on NPR this morning that its very unlikely that Ebola cases will make it to the U.S. Apparently there are a number of checks in place to ensure that this does not happen. Thus:

"... One of the things that CDC has done in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Lagos is to work with the airport's authorities. So 100 percent of the individuals getting on planes are screened for fever before they get on the plane. And if they have a fever, they're pulled out of the line, assessed for Ebola and don't fly unless Ebola is ruled out....

Airport personnel in those West African nations are trained by the CDC and the World Health Organization to look for signs of illness in travelers and question them about their health and whether they've been exposed to Ebola. And CDC spokeswoman Christine Pearson says they're also taking temperatures.

They do have what we call non-contact thermometers, which are infrared thermometers that they can read the person's temperature with their forehead.

Some question how thorough those airport personnel in West Africa really are at screening travelers. But if a sick passenger were to slip through, airlines already have the legal right to deny boarding to anyone with a serious communicable disease. If a passenger should become sick during flight, flight attendants and other airline-personnel have the training to deal with that, too. Perry Flint is a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association.

Airlines have well-established procedures, guidance materials developed with the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization for maintenance crew, for cabin crew, for cleaning crew in terms of dealing with an outbreak.

Once international travelers land in the U.S., Customs and Border Protection officers, who have also received special Ebola training, are the next line of defense.

CBP personnel review all travelers entering the United States for general overt signs of illnesses. It's through a visual observation at all U.S. ports of entry, including all U.S. airports that service international flights..." 

Hmm, so the system depends on screeners at the airport of origin, the airlines, and CBP. Well, in this case the man apparently was not sick when he left Liberia. According to the Director of the CDC: "... Ebola doesn't spread before someone gets sick. And he didn't get sick 'till four days after he got off the airplane. So we do not believe there is any risk to anyone who was on the flight at that time..."  

Well, unless the man contracted Ebola in the United States, he clearly was infected in Liberia but did not get "sick" (i.e. did not show any symptoms) for four to five days (one day of travel plus four days after he deplaned). This would seem to shoot a big hole in the theory that the airport screeners will prevent those with Ebola from traveling. And this doesn't even take into consideration possibilities such as faulty screening, venal screeners (who might be bribed to allow someone to pass), and a host of other possibilities. 

Overall, there's no reason to panic, but certainly no one should think this approach is guaranteed to work without a good helping of luck! All of the interventions are rather low reliability, the "swiss cheese" model applies, and when the holes line up....

Random picture - travel

Source: 13 Gorgeous Travel Posters From 1930s Japan

Random picture - Everest

Source: Maxed out on Everest  "Headlamps trace a path to the summit a few hours before dawn..." Read the accompanying article - How to fix the mess at the top of the world

Random chart - SUV market share

Source: Sport Utility Vehicles: An Endangered Species?

Brief update II (Rinse and repeat)

A February 14th, 2010 blog entry, 'Just in time...', noted the periodic recycling of charges of an Iranian hand in attacks against the U.S. in Iraq. Each time the "proof" consisted of charges by U.S. sources, as well as allusions to the "sophistication" of weapons or attacks (apparently considered sufficient and prima facie evidence of Iranian meddling!).

Well, rinse and repeat, see Weapons prove Iranian role in Iraq, U.S. says and U.S. military sees Iran behind rising troop deaths in Iraq. Ah, quotes from U.S. officials, a liberal use of the words "sophisticated" and "well trained". The first article reports that U.S. ambassador to Iraq "Jeffrey provided details of the forensic testing" Strangely, the article then did not go on to share any of these "details". In the second article Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, chief spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq is quoted as saying of those believed responsible for some of the recent attacks, "... all of them receive at least indirect support from elements in Iran..."

Well, clearly a (Tenet-style) "slam dunk."

Random charts

Source: Factoids that may interest only me Statistics on hotel closings over time.

Random charts

Source: 2009 Urban Mobility Report and Appendices

Thank you Delta!

This blogger was reading 'The Compliant Customer' while traveling... This article argues that some companies are now following a “customer compliance business model (CCBM)”, in which they "... have replaced the costly “customer-centricity” thinking that is frequently recommended in academic marketing literature with “customer compliance” business models, where customers are expected to comply with a company’s systems, thereby allowing the company to reduce costs and pass on the savings to their customers. In return for compliance with company systems — such as following a company’s automated procedure for ordering via its Web site or interacting with voice recognition software during a phone call — customers are rewarded with low prices and good service ..." So, how might one apply this to the airlines? Are they CCBMs?

Well perhaps, in that they definitely seem to have a process in place that, if followed, should make it easier for the one complying... However, the airlines then undermine their own processes. Consider:

• This blogger checks his roller bag, passes through security, and boards his flight. On arrival at destination, he de-planes and heads to the baggage pickup to retrieve his checked bag, and is on his way...
• Others do not check their roller bags, but take them along with them. Result, they "clog" up and slow down the security screening with their roller bags, laptops, baggies with 3-ounce liquids, etc., etc. (note: this blogger's were in his checked luggage). Prior to boarding they get pink tags to check their roller bags, which clearly are too large to go in the overhead storage, especially on the smaller commuter airplanes. On de-planing at the destination they clog up the jet bridge waiting for their bags, and get in this blogger's way as he is trying to get off the plane and to the baggage pickup.
  

OK, so some correctly follow the airlines' defined business process. In return they get to pay for the privilege ($50 per round trip) while "free riders" not only avoid these charges, but also cause delays for those following the rules. Way to go airlines, undermine your model by making your rules-following customers feel like chumps!

Random chart...

In France the masses take their vacation pretty much at the same time, and there is a mass migration of northerners to the sunny south, etc.. As you might imagine the traffic can be pretty bad when everyone is traveling the same roads to the same destinations! Luckily there is the Bison Futé.

From the web site: " In 1975 more than 600 km of traffic jams on the N10 were recorded, between Paris and Spain. This led to the creation of an extensive communication campaign for road users: Bison Futé, the reference for traffic forecasting was born. To begin with, Bison Futé only provided information on certain main roads, suggesting alternative routes in the summer for the main getaway periods. It would gradually extend its influence over the whole of the road network, all year round, to become the reference for public traffic information in real time today.

Le Bison Futé

Amazing new species...

From National Geographic, some pictures of new species discovered the Greater Mekong River region in the last ten years....

Travel peeve #3

This blogger grumbled about this once before when it appeared that in the Denver airport the nice monitors placed everywhere for the convenience of the traveling public seemed not to be used to their full extent (in that long after the flight had arrived the baggage claim information for the flight was not updated for the traveler to know at which carousel to pick up his/her bag).

Well in July this blogger flew into San Antonio. The flight arrived on time at 3:40 p.m. and everyone deplaned and went to pick up their luggage. At 4:00 p.m. when this photo was taken the flight status was still 'On time' (rather than 'Arrived') and there was no information re which carousel the bags would emerge on. In fact twenty minutes later, at 4:20 p.m., when the bags had emerged and this blogger had picked up his checked luggage and was ready to head out to 'Ground transportation' he looked at the monitor and it still had not been updated.

OK, so two is admittedly a small N, but this blogger wonders why this issue? It would seem that the process should be automated in some fashion and high reliability...

Travel peeve #2 - March 21st
Travel peeve #1 - March 21st