There’s a collection of posters that the public transport authority in Perth, TransPerth, are using to try and get the message across to the travelling public.  The message is how to be considerate of your fellow travellers.

I think it’s going to take more than a couple of clever posters …

Airport men’s toilets are interesting places.  You get to see and be offered all sorts of products, from “glow in the dark” condoms to toothbrushes.  The shaving kits you used to get are long gone.  Airport security folks must be afraid that a passenger is going to look clean before getting on a flight.

As if that would happen in these days of cheap flights.

The glow in the dark condoms would be useful though in an aviation incident.  As a “glow in the dark” balloon.  Just follow the bouncing ball boys and girls …

Wipe-on sex appeal.  Saw these on offer for $2 and I immediately thought,

“Ah, another way to separate the gullible from their money”

So in the interests of you dear reader, I purchased a sample.  No, it’s not Spanish Fly, even though the box claims it’s a “Pheromone – Product of Mexico”.    The “David Ross – Eau De Cologne” does contain:

• Alcoholdenal
• Fragrance
• Aqua
• Benzophenone-2
• Citral
• Citronellol
• Eugenol
• Carboxaldehyde

With that mixture of “”chemicals””, there ain’t no way I’m going to be trying it.

Sometimes, peoples’ lack of maths skills amaze me.

I was at the airport the other night, buying some stuff.

Total cost $41.35.

Gave the old bloke $60 (3 x $20).

I received $28.65 change, a “bonus” of $10.

Spent the next five minutes arguing with the old bloke, that he was short-changing himself $10.

Now some people might say “… serves him right, keep the extra $10.”

But the thought of the poor bloke having to make up cash from his wage stopped me doing that.

Travelled on Tiger Airways recently, and the service wasn’t too bad.

Sure, Terminal 4 at Tullamarine Airport is a converted shed, and the baggage pickup area IS A shed, but you do expect that for such cheap fares, eh?

The downside is that Tiger fly Airbus A320* aircraft.

I don’t like them.  They make strange sounds.  They tend to crash.

From a 2001 news article:

The French have also blamed the pilots in every major fatal crash of the Airbus aircraft, built by a four-nation consortium whose headquarters are at Toulouse in France. In one of the crashes, the aircraft was being flown by the most senior aviator in his field: Airbus’s chief test pilot, the Englishman Nick Warner.

As with Concorde, the Airbus is fly-by-wire, which means that computers act as intermediaries between the pilots and the flying controls. Unlike Boeing’s “fly-by-wire” systems, which give pilots the ultimate control of the aircraft’s operations, the Airbus designers have a view that planes can be made safer if, in certain circumstances, software imposes “hard limits” on what the pilots can and cannot do.

One thing to note.

When Tiger Airlines say that “Check-in desks close strictly 45 minutes before scheduled departure time.”, you should believe them.  Even if the aircraft is 2 hours late, and is the last flight of the night.

* – macabrely known as the “John Wayne” aircraft.  It climbs mountains, knocks down trees & kills Indians.

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.”

1. Power board and travel power plug adapter.
2. Laptop power supply supply.
   With all my devices being chargeable via USB cable, I don’t need to pack separate phone/PDA/headset chargers.
3. PDA & BlackBerry.
4. Plenty of Audio Books.
   For something to listen  to when I can’t do anything else.
5. USB memory sticks.
   For transferring data between PC’s.  Ensure they are on lanyards.
6. Portable hard drive for backups.
7. Boot recovery CDs.
8. Torch.
9. Tape.
10. Leatherman Tool.