Nobody Asked Me, But ...
Global Weirdness Edition
Global Weirdness Edition
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2026 --
Nobody asked me, but …
The FAA is all hyped over its recruiting drive aimed at convincing video gamers to become air traffic controllers. I hope it works out. We need many more live bodies in the towers. But I am worried that gamers will be as cavalier about real in-flight issues as I am when I prang a landing at San Diego or Heathrow in a flight simulator.
The Trump Administration's DOT already has proposed loosening advertising rules so it'll be easier for airlines to hide the real price of flying. Now it has changed the rules to reduce the types of events that require airlines to offer food vouchers and overnight accommodations. Let's be honest: Airline-supplied hotel/motel rooms usually are crappy and barely habitable. During irregular ops, it's always better to get your own room and argue over compensation later. But, still, it sucks that the DOT, our supposed protector, is going out of its way to protect the airlines.
Nobody asked me, but …
I have often said that the Credit Card Gods are weirder than the Sky Gods. But this bit of doggerel in the "important notices" section of your recent Amex Platinum bill might take the proverbial cake: The enrollment experience for Hertz Gold+ Presidents Circle status benefit [is] new and improved. Due to the updated enrollment experience card members … are required to re-enroll.
Think about that. Hertz allegedly "improves" its enrollment process, so Amex demands Platinum card members re-enroll. Benefits haven't changed. Rules haven't changed. Hertz just changed its enrollment system. So Amex wants enrolled members to do it again to … um … experience a new process. Because we've got nothing better to do in life …
Nobody asked me, but …
After a gap of nearly 40 years, train service has been restored between Sweden and Finland. A train on the Oulu-Kemi-Tornio-Haparanda route now runs twice daily. No, I don't even know where those places are, but I am impressed.
Meanwhile, both Montreal and Copenhagen have added to their urban light-rail networks. In Montreal, an 8.7-mile extension on West Island adds four new stations and a new terminus. Montreal also expects the extension to Montreal/Trudeau will open next year. At the same time, the Danes completed the 17-mile Copenhagen cross city line. It has 29 stops and connects with the city's S-Train transit system.
Nobody asked me, but …
Lufthansa was once a pioneer in the field of inter-modal logistics. Even 40 years ago, you could fly into Frankfurt Airport and seamlessly switch to Lufthansa-branded trains that took you to many other West German cities. But the German carrier is intent on cutting costs and making our lives miserable. Next month it will close its AiRail Terminal at FRA, making the train-to-plane baggage transfer more difficult and more time-consuming. And Lufthansa is so arrogant that it posted the closure notice on the same page where it boasts about its inter-modal capability.
Meanwhile, Thailand is making the lives of longer-term visitors more difficult. Effective next week, visa-free entrances to the country will only be valid for 30 days, down from the current 60 days.
Nobody asked me, but …
I've lost track of all the things uncovered in Europe as the heatwaves and droughts lowered river levels. Receding rivers eventually may reveal the remains of Judge Crater, Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa.
Wildfires burning through Europe's forest also are exposing all sorts of long-buried munitions from the world wars. The Associated Press says that the heatwaves are causing the ancient bombs to explode. Tomorrow's forecast: Hazy and hot in the morning. Extreme heat later in the day with a 60% chance of explosions.
Nobody asked me, but …
Giorgia Meloni's government on Friday became the longest lasting administration in Italy's post-war history. She took office on October 22, 2022. Over those same 1,415 days, Britain has had four prime ministers. France has had five.
Columbia House has folded. Launched in 1955, it became famous for ubiquitous magazine ads offering 12 records (or CDs) for a penny. The gimmick was the so-called "negative option" billing scheme. Unless you proactively turned down the monthly album choice, it arrived by mail and you were on the hook to pay. I'm sure that's why I own a Gilbert O'Sullivan album and two copies of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
Nobody asked me, but …
South Korea is no longer going to the dogs. Effective in February, the country finally bans consumption of dog meat, which has been something of a local obsession.
This is an awful transition and I urge you not to draw any conclusions about this item's placement: American Airlines is opening entry to its (formerly) Flagship First Dining facilities at its major hubs. Effective September 15, the DFW and Miami outposts will allow entry to business class international and premium transcon flyers. Premium Hawaii customers will also be welcome. Also good news: The LAX Flagship Dining option will reopen later this year. It's been closed since the pandemic.
Nobody asked me, but …
Iceland last week voted against resuming talks to join the European Union. Discussions began in 2009 after Iceland's near-fatal financial crisis. They were called off in 2015 and been in limbo ever since. So besides continuing to remind yourself there's a Y in Reykjavik, you'll also have to remember Iceland's currency is the Króna.
The Netherlands has given McDonald's until January 5 to stop serving disposable cups to its dine-in customers. McDonald's promises to switch to reusable cups in its Dutch restaurants. Me? I'm curious about the shape, size and design of what surely will be called the McMug. They will probably become worldwide collector's items. Think I'm kidding? Several years ago, I bought 99-cent espresso cups at Walmart that carry the phrases "Bean Me Up" and "Espresso Yourself." They now sell for around $5 a pop on Ebay. Walmart gets it, too. Its new cups are emblazoned with "This Is How We Brew It" and the price has risen to almost $6.
Nobody asked me, but …
DFW Airport has abandoned its plans to build more wadu stations to accommodate Islamic travelers who are supposed to wash their feet before daily prayers. Why? Not the appalling $300,000-a-unit cost, but because Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Fox "News" were on the warpath against them. Abbott claims that the washing stations favor one religion over another.
No matter that there already are washing stations at DFW and Houston/Intercontinental as well as at New York/LaGuardia and Chicago/O'Hare. No matter that the stations are open to any traveler of any religion that wishes to use them. Abbott knows what he knows. Like how he knew it was right to push the Texas law that now requires posting the Ten Commandments in the state's schoolrooms.
Nobody asked me, but …
I note the untimely passing of Cassandra Wilson. As I wrote years ago, her 2002 album, Belly of the Sun, is in heavy rotation on my travel play list.
I am sure my next international flight will offer Coyote Vs. ACME, the movie that escaped the greedy clutches of Warner Bros. accountants. But I was in a restaurant this week that was showing a string of Road Runner cartoons on a gigantic wall monitor. And I note that every Acme product Wile E. Coyote purchased worked perfectly. I will never side with whomever the bad guys are in the movie, but Wile E. Coyote is not an innocent, hard-working everyman. He was trying to eat the Road Runner. Besides, the last time we saw Marvin Acme was when he used his disappearing-reappearing ink, the gimmick that saved Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Nobody asked me, but …
One thing I have always felt foolish about is the column that was posted at Biztravel.com on the day the Twin Towers Fell. It was an edition of Nobody Asked Me, but … that I wrote on September 6, 2001. Today is September 6, 2026, and here I am with another trifling Nobody Asked Me, but …
I hope this column has given you a laugh, made you smile or led you to think a bit. A blizzard of media coverage is coming this week to mark the 25th year since 9/11. It'll be rough, sad, depressing going. So laugh a little now. Smile if you can. And soldier on.
The FAA is all hyped over its recruiting drive aimed at convincing video gamers to become air traffic controllers. I hope it works out. We need many more live bodies in the towers. But I am worried that gamers will be as cavalier about real in-flight issues as I am when I prang a landing at San Diego or Heathrow in a flight simulator.
The Trump Administration's DOT already has proposed loosening advertising rules so it'll be easier for airlines to hide the real price of flying. Now it has changed the rules to reduce the types of events that require airlines to offer food vouchers and overnight accommodations. Let's be honest: Airline-supplied hotel/motel rooms usually are crappy and barely habitable. During irregular ops, it's always better to get your own room and argue over compensation later. But, still, it sucks that the DOT, our supposed protector, is going out of its way to protect the airlines.
Nobody asked me, but …
I have often said that the Credit Card Gods are weirder than the Sky Gods. But this bit of doggerel in the "important notices" section of your recent Amex Platinum bill might take the proverbial cake: The enrollment experience for Hertz Gold+ Presidents Circle status benefit [is] new and improved. Due to the updated enrollment experience card members … are required to re-enroll.
Think about that. Hertz allegedly "improves" its enrollment process, so Amex demands Platinum card members re-enroll. Benefits haven't changed. Rules haven't changed. Hertz just changed its enrollment system. So Amex wants enrolled members to do it again to … um … experience a new process. Because we've got nothing better to do in life …
Nobody asked me, but …
After a gap of nearly 40 years, train service has been restored between Sweden and Finland. A train on the Oulu-Kemi-Tornio-Haparanda route now runs twice daily. No, I don't even know where those places are, but I am impressed.
Meanwhile, both Montreal and Copenhagen have added to their urban light-rail networks. In Montreal, an 8.7-mile extension on West Island adds four new stations and a new terminus. Montreal also expects the extension to Montreal/Trudeau will open next year. At the same time, the Danes completed the 17-mile Copenhagen cross city line. It has 29 stops and connects with the city's S-Train transit system.
Nobody asked me, but …
Lufthansa was once a pioneer in the field of inter-modal logistics. Even 40 years ago, you could fly into Frankfurt Airport and seamlessly switch to Lufthansa-branded trains that took you to many other West German cities. But the German carrier is intent on cutting costs and making our lives miserable. Next month it will close its AiRail Terminal at FRA, making the train-to-plane baggage transfer more difficult and more time-consuming. And Lufthansa is so arrogant that it posted the closure notice on the same page where it boasts about its inter-modal capability.
Meanwhile, Thailand is making the lives of longer-term visitors more difficult. Effective next week, visa-free entrances to the country will only be valid for 30 days, down from the current 60 days.
Nobody asked me, but …
I've lost track of all the things uncovered in Europe as the heatwaves and droughts lowered river levels. Receding rivers eventually may reveal the remains of Judge Crater, Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa.
Wildfires burning through Europe's forest also are exposing all sorts of long-buried munitions from the world wars. The Associated Press says that the heatwaves are causing the ancient bombs to explode. Tomorrow's forecast: Hazy and hot in the morning. Extreme heat later in the day with a 60% chance of explosions.
Nobody asked me, but …
Giorgia Meloni's government on Friday became the longest lasting administration in Italy's post-war history. She took office on October 22, 2022. Over those same 1,415 days, Britain has had four prime ministers. France has had five.
Columbia House has folded. Launched in 1955, it became famous for ubiquitous magazine ads offering 12 records (or CDs) for a penny. The gimmick was the so-called "negative option" billing scheme. Unless you proactively turned down the monthly album choice, it arrived by mail and you were on the hook to pay. I'm sure that's why I own a Gilbert O'Sullivan album and two copies of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
Nobody asked me, but …
South Korea is no longer going to the dogs. Effective in February, the country finally bans consumption of dog meat, which has been something of a local obsession.
This is an awful transition and I urge you not to draw any conclusions about this item's placement: American Airlines is opening entry to its (formerly) Flagship First Dining facilities at its major hubs. Effective September 15, the DFW and Miami outposts will allow entry to business class international and premium transcon flyers. Premium Hawaii customers will also be welcome. Also good news: The LAX Flagship Dining option will reopen later this year. It's been closed since the pandemic.
Nobody asked me, but …
Iceland last week voted against resuming talks to join the European Union. Discussions began in 2009 after Iceland's near-fatal financial crisis. They were called off in 2015 and been in limbo ever since. So besides continuing to remind yourself there's a Y in Reykjavik, you'll also have to remember Iceland's currency is the Króna.
The Netherlands has given McDonald's until January 5 to stop serving disposable cups to its dine-in customers. McDonald's promises to switch to reusable cups in its Dutch restaurants. Me? I'm curious about the shape, size and design of what surely will be called the McMug. They will probably become worldwide collector's items. Think I'm kidding? Several years ago, I bought 99-cent espresso cups at Walmart that carry the phrases "Bean Me Up" and "Espresso Yourself." They now sell for around $5 a pop on Ebay. Walmart gets it, too. Its new cups are emblazoned with "This Is How We Brew It" and the price has risen to almost $6.
Nobody asked me, but …
DFW Airport has abandoned its plans to build more wadu stations to accommodate Islamic travelers who are supposed to wash their feet before daily prayers. Why? Not the appalling $300,000-a-unit cost, but because Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Fox "News" were on the warpath against them. Abbott claims that the washing stations favor one religion over another.
No matter that there already are washing stations at DFW and Houston/Intercontinental as well as at New York/LaGuardia and Chicago/O'Hare. No matter that the stations are open to any traveler of any religion that wishes to use them. Abbott knows what he knows. Like how he knew it was right to push the Texas law that now requires posting the Ten Commandments in the state's schoolrooms.
Nobody asked me, but …
I note the untimely passing of Cassandra Wilson. As I wrote years ago, her 2002 album, Belly of the Sun, is in heavy rotation on my travel play list.
I am sure my next international flight will offer Coyote Vs. ACME, the movie that escaped the greedy clutches of Warner Bros. accountants. But I was in a restaurant this week that was showing a string of Road Runner cartoons on a gigantic wall monitor. And I note that every Acme product Wile E. Coyote purchased worked perfectly. I will never side with whomever the bad guys are in the movie, but Wile E. Coyote is not an innocent, hard-working everyman. He was trying to eat the Road Runner. Besides, the last time we saw Marvin Acme was when he used his disappearing-reappearing ink, the gimmick that saved Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Nobody asked me, but …
One thing I have always felt foolish about is the column that was posted at Biztravel.com on the day the Twin Towers Fell. It was an edition of Nobody Asked Me, but … that I wrote on September 6, 2001. Today is September 6, 2026, and here I am with another trifling Nobody Asked Me, but …
I hope this column has given you a laugh, made you smile or led you to think a bit. A blizzard of media coverage is coming this week to mark the 25th year since 9/11. It'll be rough, sad, depressing going. So laugh a little now. Smile if you can. And soldier on.