North America

Mexico: “Women Only” Buses Now Running in Mexico City

Date: January 24th, 2008 |

A “women only” bus service is now in place in Mexico City to give women using the city’s transit system a break from abusive men. The special buses with large pink signs are operating on two lines and will expand to 15 more routes by April. The first three cars in all subway trains are [read more]

Mexico: Armed Robberies in Northern Baja California

Date: November 29th, 2007 |

1 comment

The routes to popular but remote surfing spots in northern Baja California, Mexico were the sites for at least six armed robberies in the past five months, numbers that authorities feel may be low because they believe many incidents go unreported. Camping in remote areas is risky. Longtime travelers to the area recommend staying only [read more]

New York: NYC Taxis to Strike Oct. 22

Date: October 18th, 2007 |

No Comments

An alliance of New York City taxi drivers plans to hold a 24-hour strike beginning at 5 a.m. Oct. 22 to protest a new requirement that all taxis have GPS and credit card systems installed by Jan. 31, 2008. The taxi alliance says it represents one-fifth of the city’s 44,000 taxis and in a similar [read more]

Hawaii: Superferry Awaits Judges’ Decisions on Sailing

Date: September 19th, 2007 |

No Comments

The Hawaii Superferry, which voluntarily shut down operations Aug. 28 in the face of demonstrations shortly after launching its service, needs to be able to operate while an environmental review is made or it will go out of business, say its owners. Judges on Maui and Kauai are holding hearings to determine if the ship [read more]

Caribbean: Hurricane Dean Misses Major Tourist Sites

Date: August 22nd, 2007 |

No Comments

Category 5 Hurricane Dean churned through the Caribbean and Mexico Aug. 19-22 causing extensive property damage but generally sparing tourism facilities. Jamaica took a glancing blow, with the north coast resorts suffering little damage and airports fully functioning again. The Cayman Islands largely escaped with just wind damage. In Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Dean hit land [read more]

United States: New Airline Restrictions on Lithium Batteries

Date: December 26th, 2007 |

No Comments

Beginning Jan. 1, lithium batteries will be prohibited from checked baggage on all flights. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that spare lithium batteries be packed in carry-on bags with their terminals covered as a precaution against short-circuiting that could spark a fire. Loose batteries should be isolated from each other and should not be [read more]

Hawaii: Superferry Gets OK to Sail

Date: November 20th, 2007 |

No Comments

The inter-island Superferry, shut down by protesters and the courts in August shortly after it began operating, has now been cleared to resume sailing between Oahu and Maui beginning Dec. 1. The governor signed a new state law to allow the ferry to operate while an environmental study is under way, and a court followed [read more]

Hawaii: National Park Service Suspends Bicycle Tours on Haleakala

Date: October 11th, 2007 |

No Comments

The National Park Service suspended commercial bicycle tours in Haleakala National Park following the third death on the long downhill run in a year. The bike trips are one of the most popular activities on Maui. Tour operators drive participants to Haleakala’s 10,000-foot summit and tourists then descend 38 miles on bicycles along a winding [read more]

Mexico and Central America: Hurricane Felix and Henriette Hit on Same Day

Date: September 5th, 2007 |

No Comments

Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes made landfall on the same day for the first time since such data has been recorded. Current statistics date to 1949 and also show that this hurricane season has seen another first, two category 5 hurricanes (the strongest) occurring in the same season, with this week’s Hurricane Felix coming two weeks [read more]

Canada: Toronto “Panhandlers” Kill a Man

Date: August 15th, 2007 |

No Comments

Aggressive panhandling that more resembled armed robbery took the life of a man near downtown Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park. He and a friend were walking just after midnight Aug. 11 when accosted by two men and two women, all in their early 20s, who demanded money. When the victim and friend refused, a verbal exchange [read more]