It’s just required that after a long trip I have to whinge about the two things that make travel hard. This time, the TSA is more to blame. I’ll not beat around the hedge, they’re mostly a bunch of power-tripping villains. Gill had a 5oz container of conditioner in her clear plastic baggie. 4.5oz is the limit. They gleefully told us to go back and check bags so their friends in baggage can open them up and pilfer our stuff of surrender it. Gill had to throw out her conditioner and shampoo (both of which were kind of pricey) because of .5oz.

Of course the liquids are not thrown out. At the end of the shift, these guardians of good, defeaters of terror then go back into a room and divvy up the treats.

At this point my blood was boiling. I mad a small scene and short of anyone having to “call for backup” it was resolved that the TSA team at AUS are little terrorists themselves. Irony. The TSA Taliban on liquid patrol. And I don’t want to hear about how it’s for my own safety, I’m not some blunt-headed philistine who falls for that drivel. But thanks for trying.

Since I mentioned the baggage thieves, it’s important to note that 20% of the time I check a bag, it’s opened by the TSA for no good reason. Often, it’s just to see what I have inside. It’s rarely interesting. On the way back from the UK, I informed the lady at the desk that AA (them) has a bad history with my family and friends around our bags being either destroyed, lost or rifled through while AA consistently stonewalled us so in this case, we’d like to have them tape-shut our luggage with their own security tape on the one bag that would be checked.

So, the bag is labeled “Premium” since we were nice enough to upgrade, via miles, to business. It was checked first, and taped with AA tape. How could we go wrong.

It made it to the US intact but someone at Logan or Dallas just couldn’t resist and opened our bag and it was not an authorized open either. The tape was sliced and the contents handled. The “joke” was on them, it was a case full of only dirty laundry where I was kind enough to make sure that upon opening, the first thing to jump out of the pressure-shut case would be all of my boxers. I hope he enjoyed that. Too bad I didn’t have the forethought to pack an old hockey glove.

Which didn’t stop anyone from enjoying themselves.

I can never get enough of being abroad. Europe in particular. Since our trip was only a week, we barely got into a good stride but at the same time, not rushed. Europe combines a number of things I like; cool small cars, great food, nice people, pretty scenery, old stuff, and shopping.

While I may have eased back during the begining of the trip, once I hit the Paul Smith store in London, all bets were off. My sneakers were, well, required even at £90.00…
But, you have to do what you have to do.

And while mooching around Central London in search of shirts cut properly (unlike the dress shirts in the US that are cut for people who carry bags of Red Cross rice under their tees), the scenery is worth staying alert for. Particularly on the car front.

Last time I was in Central London I witnessed, in the wild, a Mclaren SLR. Parked on the street next to a Ford Mondeo.

This time, it seems that the game has been moved into a higher gear. In one day I saw more Bentley CGTs than I can count. More than 10. An Arnage cab which is not rare in LA, but is most everywhere else, a Toureg R50, a Maybach (Gill pointed it out) a right-drive GT3, 3 997 turbos and one special car.

I am hesitant to even say its name because saying I saw one on the street is opening myself up to be called a bald faced liar. But I did see one. I saw one and I have proof, dammit. So here it is and tell me if you know what it is.

While it’s not a Zonda or a CCX which for all purposes are truly kit cars for sultans, this is a proper supercar and it’s unlikely I’ll ever see one in the flesh again. Unless Ralph Lauren invites me over to play XBOX.

Now all I need to do is get over this jetlag.

i wish jet blue flew international and gave me aa miles

not surprised the gps in my blackberry works at 30k ft. am surprised it was calm about registering 550mph.

i just hate the tsa wankers, the lot of them. apparently toothpaste is dangerous