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Tags: Know the Law / Television Travel / Locked Up Abroad / Drugs / → All Tags

Five Lessons Learned from Watching 'Locked Up Abroad'

We like to cover a lot of television travel here and with the exception of Lost, all of the episodes we watch have been fascinating, entertaining, amazing and exciting with maybe a few gross-out moments here and there. (Bizarre Foods, anyone?) But most importantly, these shows usually have us saying at the end of the episode, "I want to go there."

Then there's the National Geographic Channel's Locked Up Abroad, a show about travelers who were either kidnapped or sent to prisons while traveling abroad. Watching this is like watching "Scared Straight", the documentary about prisons that high school teachers show their students to deter them from criminal behavior. "Locked Up Abroad" has left us with severe paranoia about getting thrown into a jail in a country where we don't speak the language.

If you have any travel lust coursing through your veins right now, this show will shut it down immediately.

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Tags: Know the Law / Driving Laws / International Road Permits / Celeb Travel / → All Tags

No International Driving Permit Needed Here

Sweet ride! Johnny Depp gets carted around in style on the Puerto Rico set of "The Rum Diary," in which he stars as a young newspaper reporter. That's costar Aaron Eckhart in the car with him.

Neither Depp nor Eckhart would need an International Driving Permit to take the wheel of that sweet convertible -- a US driver's license would suffice. But if they wanted to island-hop to, say, Antigua or Jamaica after shooting, an IDP would come in handy. Even if a local car rental in one of the 155 countries that accept it doesn't ask for it, it can't hurt to be covered for the price of $15 and 2 passport photos in places where an American driver's license isn't accepted.

Besides, this may be the last year it's that easy to drive around the world: The IDP was set up back in 1949 by the UN, which is expected to revisit the regulations at a road safety conference in November. (Host country Russia also accepts the IDP, but take it from us: don't drive there.)

Related Stories:
· Application for International Driving Permit [AAA.com]
· Victoria Beckham Parties At That Hot LA Club DMV [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]

Tags: Know The Law / Travel Bans / Smelly Travel / Minnesota Travel / Advertising / → All Tags

Say It, Don't Spray It: Axe Body Spray Not Welcome in Minneapolis

Heading to Minneapolis anytime soon? Leave your Axe body spray at home; it's not like the flight attendants have fallen into your lap yet, anyways. You see, Minnesota isn't too happy that Axe's hyper-sexual advertising campaigns have been working so well, causing kids to drench themselves in the potent scents and offend sensitive nostrils.

Apparently the overuse of Axe is so widespread in the City of Minneapolis School District, that they've called for a ban on the stuff.

You'd think that with all this hubbub, flying into Minneapolis airspace would involve descending through a fog layer of aerosol Axe spray, but instead it's simply a case of teachers trying to encourage teenage boys to shower more often. Says StyleList: "One concern prompting suburbia to sound the alarms is the idea that Axe Body Spray is somehow enabling teens to adopt poor hygiene habits."

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Tags: Know the Law / Dubai Travel / Religion / Rules / → All Tags

Dubai Is Not For Lovers or Hand-Holders

Choose your wardrobe carefully when packing for your next vacation in Dubai: things are getting a bit stricter.

We've accepted now that sex on the beach obviously offends local sensibilities and plan to refrain, but the stricter rules just announced for places like Dubai's mega shopping malls might not be so easy to follow. For a start, all fashion statements have to go out the window, and:

pants and skirts are to be of an appropriate length and clothing cannot be tight or transparent.

Kind of ironic for a shopping mall. On top of that, there is to be no kissing between men and women, and unless you're married, no holding hands either. Inappropriate behavior could lead to a prison sentences, authorities say. Having your vacation short just for holding hands with your boyfriend would make for a pretty sad travel story.

Related Stories:
· Dubai Bans Nudity, Dancing and Holding Hands [The Age]
· In Dubai, Sex on the Beach Could Lead to Prison [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sklathill]

Tags: Know the Law / Cuba Travel / Politics / Congress / Barack Obama / → All Tags

Cuba Travel is Getting Closer, But Still Slightly Sketchy For Most

Ever since Senator Obama became President Obama, travelers in the US have been wondering when the doors to Cuba would open. A couple weeks ago there was some talk about the country easing rules on travel to Cuba, and yesterday, we got one step closer. Congress signed a spending bill that the President is expected to sign today, that among other things, will allow easier family travel to Cuba.

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Tags: Apolitical DC / Hookah Bars / Smoking / Know the Law / → All Tags

Lighting Up (Legally) in the Nation's Capital

We've heard a lot about how DC is getting hip, but it's left us wondering why most Washington events we read about are still along the lines of Congressional cocktail parties and power-lunches. Just because they're Democratic now doesn't make them all that hip.

But DC has a lot more going on than just Obama-mania, so we're gonna start taking a look at Apolitical DC: the best ways to spend a weekend in Washington with minimal risk or stumbling into a heated late-night debate about the federal budget.

First up is the antithesis of the cigar-chomping, smoked-filled room, good ole boys clubs: hookah bars. Cigarettes at bars are long gone in DC, but these specialty purveyors still have an exemption.

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Tags: Know the Law / Food Fights / Travel Bans / Food Travel / → All Tags

Rome Bans Late-Night Munching

Starting this month, tourists in Rome will have to get their pizza-and-pasta fixes in before hitting the bar scene, as late-night snacking will be officially outlawed.

Authorities in the Eternal City are looking for ways to quiet the town's rowdy tourist-fueled bar scene. They already go against the European norm by closing most bars by 1 a.m., but apparently that isn't doing enough to stem the party tide, as revelers tend to just move the fun out into the streets, soaking up the alcohol at the city's omnipresent roving ice cream and snack trucks.

But not anymore—a new city ordinance that goes into effect this month orders all food vendors in the city—mobile stores and more traditional ones—to shut it down by 1 a.m. as well.

Hmm…no WiFi and no late-night eats. We're not feeling too happy with you, Rome!

Related Stories:
· No ice cream in Rome after 1 a.m. [WGY]
· Fleeting Internet Coverage In The Eternal City [Jaunted]
· Rome travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: hoteldephil]

Tags: Know the Law / Cuba Travel / Politics / Congress / Barack Obama / → All Tags

Obama Set to Ease Cuba Rules; Full-Scale Travel on the Way Soon?

President Obama's semi-State of the Union speech this week left the world with all kinds of questions—When's he gonna end the war? Will his housing plan work? Just how is he planning to cure cancer anyway? But in the travel community, we're still most anxious about just one thing—Is he gonna let us go to Cuba or what?

We’re not buying our tickets to Jose Marti Airport just year, but Washington is inching towards allowing Cuba travel. Congress is expected to pass a budget bill this week, which Obama has said he will sign, that includes language loosening restrictions on Cuba travel imposed by the Bush Administration:

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Tags: Know the Law / Signs / Train Travel / Kissing / → All Tags

No More Kissing at the Train Station If You Live In Cheshire

First the UK's Travel Czar, now this.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that nobody likes a full on spot of necking to be in their line of vision first thing on a Monday morning. But is a peck on the cheek really that bad? We ask because the Independent reports that the managers of one British railway station think that it’s such a terrible thing that they’ve introduced “No Kissing” zones on the premises.

Apparently, the signs--featuring Brief Encounter-y and completely sexist silhouettes of a man in a hat and a mega-permed housewife woman puckering up--were put up last Friday to divide the carpark and taxi ranks of Warrington station in Cheshire into “Kissing” and “No Kissing” zones.

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Tags: Know the Law / Prostitution / → All Tags

50 Women to Avoid in Las Vegas

Despite what first comes to mind when you think of Sin City, prostitution is actually not legal in Clark County, Nevada. It's very illegal. And while police departments often make public the names and photos of johns that have been arrested for soliciting prostitutes, the Las Vegas Vice Enforcement division (which we imagine is a never-ending job) has decided to publicize the 50 most prolific working girls in town.

The girls names and mugshots were published last week in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Take a good, hard, long look at those ladies. They range from ages 20 to 41 and most of them have been arrested for exchanging sex for money inside several Strip hotels. Yes! That lady sitting next to you at the slot machines does NOT think you are cute. She is just hoping you will be a hot roller on the craps tables and will desire sexytime with her later.

But aside from protecting your ego, the city of Las Vegas is very concerned about the rise of prostitution. According to the LVRJ, prostitution arrests are up by 46 percent from two years ago. And ladies of the night have reportedly been aggressive with male tourists.

And since keeping tourism afloat in this tough economy is priority #1, Las Vegas will strongarm anyone who's messing with tourism (also known as revenue) to get outta town.

Related Stories:
· Know the Law [Jaunted]
· WORKING GIRLS: Las Vegas' 50 most prolific prostitutes [LVRJ]

Tags: Recessionomics / Know the Law / → All Tags

Russian Gov. 'Putin' Pressure On Travelers In Debt

And just where do you think you are going? Some 82,000 would-be travelers in Russia with outstanding debt will be missing their vacations this year thanks to a new government program banning them from leaving the country.

Exasperated by the prospect of collecting from delinquents in a country with debtor-friendly laws, Russian creditors have supposedly claimed more than $22 million (or 800 million rubles) after the bans went into effect, catching some tourists unawares as they arrived at the airport.

Last year, as Russian tourism surged (especially to Israel, which saw over a hundred percent increase in visits), some 6,500 people living in Moscow alone were prevented from boarding because of what they owed. At least if they pay up in 30 days they are free to go, but that's too late for a non-refundable trip.

We feel for those Russian debtors, but could it happen here? Well... probably not.

Disclaimer: We are not lawyers and this paragraph does not constitute legal advice. Simply having and not paying debt alone doesn't automatically void your passport; law enforcement has to appeal to the State Department to get it revoked, which probably won't happen unless there is a criminal element to your crimes (a Ponzi scheme, for instance). But again, see a real lawyer, which we are not.

Related Stories:
· Russia bans 80,000 borrowers from travelling abroad [Reuters via Yahoo!]
· Courts banned 6,500 Moscow debtors from leaving country in 2008 [Novosti]
· Airport Connections Improving At Moscow's Sheremetyevo [Jaunted]

[Photo: sobergeorge]

Tags: Immigration / Visas / Travel News / Know the Law / → All Tags

US Visitors Don't Get In Quite So Easy Anymore

The care-free days of non-US citizens flying into the country with just a little green form in their hand ended this week. If you're from one of the countries that belonged to the visa waiver program, you'd better listen up so you're not turned back at the border on your next visit to the United States.

Now you need to know about the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, which basically requires that travelers visiting the US apply for permission to enter the country at least 72 hours before they arrive. You use a simple form online and there's no cost attached, so there's not too much to complain about--except that if you don't do it in advance then you'll probably get sent home.

Once you get "approved," your permission lasts for two years, so frequent travelers don't need to keep hopping online. ESTA affects citizens of most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Brunei, so if that's you, don't forget to get online before you fly. No complainin' that we didn't warn you, alright?

Related Stories:
· ESTA [Official Site]
· Warning Over New US Travel Rules [BBC]
· Immigration coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: partiallyblind]