Tag: travel

It Was Intimidation

We are becoming a dictatorship!

From the Los Angeles Times

‘Are you from California?’ Political advisor said he was detained at airport after confirming he’s from L.A.

  • Longtime L.A. political consultant Rick Taylor was returning from a weeklong vacation in Turks and Caicos with his wife and daughter when he was held by Customs and Border Protection for 45 minutes without reason.
  • He believes he was unjustly targeted and was intimidated during his holding.

Veteran Los Angeles political consultant Rick Taylor said he was pulled aside by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents while returning from a trip abroad, asked if he was from California and then separated from his family and put in a holding room with several Latino travelers for nearly an hour.

“I know how the system works and have pretty good connections and I was still freaking out,” said Taylor, 71. “I could only imagine how I would be feeling if I didn’t understand the language and I didn’t know anyone.”

Taylor said he was at a loss to explain why he was singled out for extra questioning, but he speculated that perhaps it was because of the Obama-Biden T-shirt packed in his suitcase.

Taylor was returning from a weeklong vacation in Turks and Caicos with his wife and daughter, who were in a separate customs line, when a CBP agent asked, “Are you from California?” He said he answered, “Yeah, I live in Los Angeles.”

The man who ran campaigns for L.A.’s last Republican mayor and for current Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla when he was a budding Los Angeles City Council candidate in the 1990s found himself escorted to a waiting room and separated from his family.

There, Taylor said he waited 45 minutes without being released, alleging he was unjustly marked for detention and intimidated by CBP agents.

“I have no idea why I was targeted,” said Taylor, a consultant with the campaign to reelect L.A. City Councilwoman Traci Park. “They don’t talk to you. They don’t give you a reason. You’re just left confused, angry and worried.”

Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said the incident brought to mind Sen. Alex Padilla, who was arrested and handcuffed June 12 while trying to ask a question during a Los Angeles press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“My former chief of staff and political consultant, Rick Taylor, was detained at Miami International Airport by federal authorities after returning from an international vacation,” he said in an email. “As Senator Alex Padilla said a couple of weeks ago, ‘if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.’ This Federal government operation is OUT OF CONTROL! Where will it end?!”

A representative from the Customs and Border Protection in Florida said an inquiry made by the Los Angeles Times and received late Friday afternoon will likely be answered next week.

“If Mr. Taylor feels the need to, he is more than welcome to file a complaint online on our website and someone will reach out to him to try and get to the bottom of things,” CBP Public Affairs Specialist Alan Regalado said in an email.

Taylor, a partner at Dakota Communications, a strategic communications and marketing firm, said he was more concerned about traveling and returning to the U.S. with his wife, a U.S. citizen and native of Vietnam.

He said he reached out to a Trump administration member before leaving on vacation, asking if he could contact that individual in case his wife was detained.

The family flew American Airlines and landed in Miami on June 20, where he planned to visit friends before returning to Los Angeles on Tuesday.

In a twist, Taylor’s wife and daughter, both Global Entry cardholders, breezed through security while Taylor, who does not have Global Entry, was detained, he said.

He said after the agent confirmed he was a Los Angeles resident, he placed a small orange tag on his passport and was told to follow a green line. That led him to another agent and his eventual holding room.

Taylor described “95% of the population” inside the room as Latino and largely Spanish-speaking.

“I was one of three white dudes in the room,” he said. “I just kept wondering, ‘What I am doing here?’”

He said the lack of communication was “very intimidating,” though he was allowed to keep his phone and did send text message updates to his family.

“I have traveled a fair amount internationally and have never been pulled aside,” he said.

About 45 minutes into his holding, Taylor said an agent asked him to collect his luggage and hand it over for inspection.

He said he was released shortly after.

“The agents have succeeded in making me reassess travel,” Taylor said. “I would tell others to really think twice about traveling internationally while you have this administration in charge.”

Pennsylvania is getting a new license plate that features the Liberty Bell

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A new state license plate design refers to Pennsylvania’s critical role in establishing the United States’ independence from England and features the phrase “Let Freedom Ring.”

The red, white, and blue plate design announced this week includes an image of Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell. The design already appears on eight signs that welcome motorists where highways cross various state lines — with 29 more planned for the coming months.

“Let Freedom Ring” is a phrase in the early 19th century song “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.”

The Liberty Bell, inscribed with a Bible verse exhorting people to “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto all the Inhabitants thereof,” was in use in Philadelphia before the American Revolution. It became a rallying point for those fighting to abolish slavery in the United States and for supporters of giving women the right to vote and of civil rights.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose name is on the highway signs, said the license plates and welcome signs are being introduced ahead of the country’s 250th birthday celebration in 2026.

The welcome signs are at borders with Maryland on U.S. Route 15 near Gettysburg and Interstate 70 in Fulton County; with New Jersey on Interstate 295 in Bucks County and Interstate 80 in Monroe County; with Ohio on Interstate 90 in Erie County; and with New York on Route 449 in Potter County, Interstate 81 in Susquehanna County and Route 1015 in Tioga County.

Those interested in the new plates can sign up to be notified when they will available early next year.

The Decline of Department Stores

I did not write this. As a child I visited Winnipeg every summer as baby and until the age of 10 in 1948. My family stayed at my grandparent’s house at 136 Cathedral Avenue. I Remember visiting Eaton’s numerous times.

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WHEN I WAS growing up in Winnipeg in the 1960s, there were essentially two places to shop: Eaton’s and the Bay. Eaton’s was the store my grandmother frequented, checking for bargains in its basement every week, eating lunch in the sedate Grill Room. The Bay was vaguely hipper. I remember it still had elevator operators then as well as its own library and post office, though the in-house orchestra was gone. Both stores had a kind of majesty to them, unaware they had peaked as retail ideas.

The decline of the downtown Winnipeg Bay store resembled Hemingway’s description of bankruptcy—gradual, then sudden. It was the company’s national flagship store until 1974, but with the advent of malls in that decade, it began to lose its currency. By 2019, the downtown core of Winnipeg had largely hollowed out, and some of the Bay floors were closing. What remained felt like a dismal Soviet-era shopping experience under gloomy lights. The store was built in 1926 at a cost of around $5 million; at the time of its closing, in November 2020, Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm, valued the building at $0.

By Don Gilmore https://thewalrus.ca/author/don-gillmor/

Here in Los Angeles shopping malls have closed and many chains of stores have gone into bankruptcy. Eaton’s is gone in Canada and May Company in the United States is gone. Local California chains are now all gone.

Hudson’s Bay owns Sak’s Fifth Avenue they are now consolidating with Neiman Marcus.

Macy’s net income for the quarter ending April 30, 2024 was $0.062B, a 60% decline year-over-year.

So where did I buy my new sneakers (tennis shoes)? Amazon. It seems everyone is buying on line.

And that is why department stores are in decline.

A Fun Trip with Challenges

After cancelling our trip to NYC due to repeating bad weather we decided to visit Seattle and Vancouver. Our last trip there in 1999 had its very wet periods. Drought in Northwest made this visit an easy decision.

With a departure on Jet Blue at 1:55 pm at Long Beach airport leaving the house at 10:30 am seemed a good idea. We would casually have lunch in Long Beach and drive over to the airport.

The first issue was the 101 and 405 freeways. The driving time turned out to be 1 1/2 hours. Then came the very small signs indicating a turn off of a wide Blvd. Not seeing that sign took us through the nearby oil refineries district. So instead of a casual lunch it was a mad dash to the air plane.

The long term parking is not $6.00 as I had planned. It’s $17.60 a day.

The not so fast TSA Pre check line got us to gate 7 with 10 minutes to spare. We were required to be there 15 minutes prior to take off. The plane was still disembarking passengers from the landed plane 10 minutes before our departure time. We actually started boarding 10 minutes after the scheduled depart time.

Our lunch was a muffin and bottle of water eaten after take-off. The take-off was 2:33 PM. That time the result of 5 minute delay by the Seattle control tower due to congestion at SEATAC and other unknown factors.

Happily I had made arrangements with the Hampton Inn for a car to pick us up at SEATAC and the driver called just as the plane came to a stop. No problem reaching the hotel (Hampton Inn). The hotel room is oversized but that’s OK since the nightly rate with tax exceeds $300. Dinner at the Crow a block from the hotel was a C-. It was both noisy and unappetizing.

Our one day in Seattle consisted of two round trips on the Emerald City hop on hop off bus. We did not get off once during those rides. The trips started at the Space Needle center city park. We ate lunch at the park and went through a well done fantasy museum that featured movies primarily from Star Wars and Star Trek but also included a fantasy section with costumes from Wizard of Oz and Princess Bride. The museum was well done.

Friday was our trip to Vancouver BC.
At about 8:30 am Friday morning I called Hertz to confirm the car pick up time. “We don’t have the car you reserved. We do have a Yaris.” I responded saying, “What’s the point of making a reservation over a month ago that was reconfirmed just two days ago?” The agent did not respond. I explained I need a car that will hold two regular size large suitcases. He responds that he expect a car return at 1pm.

A half hour later the Hertz agent calls to say he has a Ford Focus available now. I know this is larger than a Yaris. I ask the desk clerk to call a cab. Twenty minutes later I enter the cab for a 5 block ride. With tip that will be $10. Returning to the hotel I take a shower and shave. Wife is ready to leave.

The drive from Seattle to Vancouver went as planned until we were about 30 miles from the city. At that point we were approaching the George Massey tunnel. A sign informed us the highway would narrow to one lane through the tunnel. We sat in a 3 mile long traffic jam for 1 1/2 hours. Then the highway opened to 2 lanes. We arrived in the city in another 30 minutes.

The hotel (Holiday Inn on Broadway) is attractive and clean. Dinner was at the hotel restaurant. One prime rib 8 ounce split as we are small eaters. Breakfast at hotel is a mediocre buffet. We won’t do that again.

The hop on hop off tour of the city started from Canada Place at the harbor. Parking is $10.50 for 11 am to 6 pm seems reasonable. The two-hour ride was well worth the price. We only got off once at Prospect Point in Stanley Park. Ice cream there. The park is a beauty and a place you can spend all day visiting. We did that in 1999 on our last trip to Vancouver.

Dinner at Peaceful restaurant. It’s Chinese. It had been featured on the food channel and so was packed. It was a restaurant I had picked at random that was just a block from our hotel. When I offered my credit card they said they do not accept any credit cards. Fortunately I brought along $300 Canadian cash.

Sunday we drove to Chinatown and visited the cultural center. Lunch at Gastown across the street from the steam clock. Dinner at Cactus Club near our hotel was good.

Monday we went to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Wife did not walk across. The program there included other possible walks and climbs. Entering the facility felt like Disneyland. $35 per person but worth the price. Dinner at Earl’s on Broadway was very good and not overpriced.

Tuesday we left late from the hotel. Visited Roedde House in downtown area. It’s a house built around 1870. Lunch at Tim Hortons. Drove around center city. Back to hotel at 4:30. Wife took a nap. Dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory was good and the décor was outstanding.

Wife’s walking problems are quite bad. Future trips must take this issue into account.

Up at 7 am we are up for an early get away to SEATAC airport. My plan is to depart by 10 am for a 3 hour drive plus one hour to cross the border. We leave at 9 30 am, stop for gas and we are on the way. I miss a fork on the highway and we end up entering Vancouver airport. That cost 5 minutes. The border crossing takes only 30 minutes. We stop for lunch at the Wonderful Buffet. It’s Chinese food. As we are leaving we engage conversation with a man who says go to airport as quickly as possible because Seattle traffic can make the drive a nightmare.

He was correct. Traffic through central Seattle crawls. I see a sign saying exit 154 for airport. At exit 160 I see a sign for gasoline. Pull off find the station fill up go south to Rainier turn right take 5 south. But the traffic is slow and the signs are not clear. Finally on 5 south we see a sign saying 5 south to airport. The traffic is unbelievably slow. Cars are moving at a crawl. There are no more SEATAC signs. I get nervous and exit, find a place to park and check phone map. We have passed the airport according to my smartphone map. We head over to US 99 north rather than struggle with the slow moving freeway. 

The clock is ticking. It’s now 3:45. The plane takes off at 5:08. Driving north on 99 looking for airport entrance. It’s a small sign partially blocked by tree branches and leaves. There is no large sign. We turn in and follow signs to car return. I takes a group of 5 turns to reach the return facility. The car return is about a mile from the terminal. We park. The agent gives me a receipt. Car is quickly unloaded. A porter brings a cart for the luggage. He escorts us to a bus that takes us to the terminal.

Fortunately there is an abandoned luggage cart nearby as we exit the bus. We rush into the airport to find that we are on the lower level for arriving passengers. Wife asks someone where is the boarding area is and she is told to go to the glass elevator and take to top floor. The time is now 4:25.

We take the elevator to the upper deck. Where is the Jet Blue check in? All I see is Alaska Airlines. It must be farther down the terminal, I am rushing ahead of wife. I see the Jet Blue sign and push the cart to the ticket counter. The line is unoccupied. The lady there asks my name and finds the booking. She wants to see both of our IDs. She issues us boarding passes and incorrectly says go to the right to go through security. It’s now 4:30.

We must go thru TSA security and get to gate D5 15 minutes before departure according to Jet Blue rules. Wife is a slow walker. I urge her on. Through TSA and it’s now 4:45. We are finally on corridor D. The time is 5 P.M. We hear “last call for flight to Long Beach” on the PA. Time is 5:03.

As we approach to gate we see people waiting to board the plane. There are four or five people ahead of us. The sweat is dripping of my face and into my eyes. We have made the flight. Surprisingly another four or five other people are behind us.

We did not depart on time.

Despite the challenges we had a good time.

Shopping in London or Paris – It’s Really the Mall of America

We just visited London and Paris in the last week of August.  To our surprise many of the stores are the same brands we see at our local indoor upscale malls.  What a disappointment!

 Steven Erlanger wrote about this very same disappointment in his September 14, 2012 piece in the N.Y. Times.  His article titled “The Champs-Élysées, a Mall of America” points out that you can see the same old stores you saw back home on this boulevard that was supposed to be “the most beautiful avenue in the world.”  The same stores are also seen on Oxford Street and elsewhere in London.

You know – the Gap, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, and Tiffany & Company.  The only stores missing were Macy’s and Neiman Marcus.

Champ Elysee next to McDonald’s

Mr. Erlanger’s article included pictures of street vendors selling junk from sidewalk blankets outside McDonald’s.  That is an accurate depiction.  The above photo was taken by me on August 30, 2012. 

There is a 15 minute wait for food service in McDonald’s and that busy store is short on available tables.  A 50 something French woman standing in front of me said she loves McDonald’s.

Actually the variety of unique retailers was more interesting in Toronto’s Eaton Centre.

London to Paris by Train

The ride to London’s St Pancras International Station was an easy 10 minute trip by coach (bus).  Once inside the railroad station we walked through a shopping mall that was as nice as any enclosed suburban mall in the United   States.  We were advised by the Trafalgar tour guide that the cost of food on the train was relatively high.  She suggested we buy a sandwich or wrap at the Marks and Spencer store (and we had thought M&S was merely a downtown department store).

My wife chose a wrap and I selected a sandwich.  Along with a bottle of water our next stop was the rail station security.  It was a replica of the security we had experienced at LAX.  Once passed through that check point we presented our passports to French customs for entry and then seated ourselves until the train was available for boarding.  It was all very modern with moving sidewalks and escalators to the boarding platform.  Union Station in Los   Angeles has a long was to go to catch up with this facility.

On the platform at London’s St Pancras International Station
On the platform at London’s St Pancras International Station

The 306 mile train trip took 2 ½ hours on their high speed train.  That included one stop in England.  Websites say the train travels at speeds up to 180 mph.  The train travels near that speed most of the way.  It is a remarkable experience.  There is nothing like this in the USA.

Leaders of the USA keep telling Americans that we are the extraordinary country but our visit to London and Paris tells a different story.

A Trip to Europe

We, my wife and I, left for London England on August 21 for our holiday to London and Paris. It was not the same as going on a safari but since we had never traveled to Europe before this was a special event in our lives.

While the trip did not take us away from civilization it did educate us on the way others live in their cities. We did not suffer from any cultural shock. Western Europe is really very similar to the USA. America’s roots are based upon European culture and behavioral differences are minor.

The single prominent difference is the presence of Muslims. That is fact is enforced by the high number of woman dressed in burqas. Since France introduced its burqa ban in April there have been violent attacks on women wearing the niqab. Niqab is the term used to refer to the piece of cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women.

 Still in Paris, women are wearing the burqa without the niqab as they walk down the Champs-Elysees. That is not the case in London, where all manner of dress is seen.

In the next few days I will be retelling more details of our trip.

In summary it was an extraordinary experience. I am grateful to have had the experience.

From London

It’s a 13 hour air flight from Los Angeles, California to London, UK.  It’s a first for my wife and me.

We are across Oxford Street at the Marble Arch.  The bus service is astonishing.  Los Angeles has a lot to learn.  Despite all the talk of austerity the streets are  not falling apart.  The city is clean.  The people are friendly.

However, the cost of one hour on  the net is 6 British Pounds.  Photos from the cameras will be posted in September.