Reclining standards
Boarding a long-haul flight always brings anxiety about the possibility of being seated behind the seat-recliner, who does so, not because he needs to, but because he can.
Reclining my own seat in response is not an option. I wouldn't dream of inflicting that much discomfort on anyone else.
The lengthy correspondence in Traveller on this subject reflects the degree of anger felt by those who have had to endure the selfishness of fellow passengers - the only winners - who are usually perfectly capable of remaining seated in an upright position during their normal daily activities.
- Shirley Parkes
Be alert to fraud
Further to Carol Hyde's letter (Traveller, August 6), exercise caution when loading a positive balance on a 28 Degrees credit card, or any other credit card. I used the card recently (on my own laptop at home, so no security issue my end) to make online bookings for a Paris apartment stay and an easyJet flight.
Within 48 hours the card had been hacked and the remaining positive balance and credit limit was used. Alerted by 28 Degrees, I now have to wait three to four weeks while the fraudulent charges are investigated. My money is in limbo until then.
A new card will be issued but if I want to use it I have to deposit funds to effect the credit limit, and then more if I want to take it into positive balance again.
Another concern is that 28 Degrees's insurance covers the credit-limit amount but not any positive balance. My advice is to load only the positive balance sufficient for your short-term needs. Credit-card fraud is becoming commonplace.
- Karina Reynolds
Cabin baggage solution
Boarding several flights while in Europe recently we were entertained by the numerous cabin bags clattering down the aisles indicating that they are too heavy to carry and some instances to stow.
If airlines estimate their fuel needs by the amount of weight a passenger carries, a solution could be to give discount fares to those who are prepared to reduce their baggage weight. It could be a win-win-win outcome for passengers, the airline and the environment.
- Wendy Finney
New York versus Sydney
Gary Tearle makes a good point about the user-friendliness of the New York subway compared with Sydney (Traveller, August 6), especially in relation to fares. Tourists visiting Sydney must be frustrated by our ticket system.
If you want to make only a few trips each day, you are forced to purchase separate tickets for each trip and at different places if you change modes. The buses and ferries sell multi-trip tickets but the minimum purchase is 10 trips and there is no equivalent for the trains.
The alternative is paying $20 for a full-day pass across all modes. While the New York MetroCard allows you to top up as you go, our system is overly complicated and inflexible. When you add the lack of ticket machines and the extortionate fare to use the airport stations, our public transport is distinctly unwelcoming.
- Stephen Kovacs
Sweet memories of the manor
Ah, Drayton Manor in Tamworth, Staffordshire, magical place of my youth (Traveller, August 6). The amusement park was in its infancy then but I loved the approach to it through trees and rhododendrons in bloom; there was a gurgling stream and everywhere the wonderful smell of wet earth. A footbridge across the water was the place of romance in the moonlight with my first boyfriend who later became my husband.
With another boyfriend I enjoyed a visit to the boating lake. We found a couple tangled up in barbed wire and managed to free their boat. This boyfriend recently became my second husband.
Aged 17 and on holiday from Tamworth Girls' High School, I worked in the kiosk at the park, serving sweets, ice-creams and drinks.
At the end of the first week, I proudly presented my mother with my wages, 21 shillings. I expect the amusement park has grown a lot since I knew it but I'd like to think the section with trees remains, still working its magic on the locals.
- Marion Short
We welcome your travel-related opinions, experiences and letters. Letters may be edited for space, legal or other reasons. Email us at travellerletters@fairfax.com.au including your name, address and phone number.
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