TSA tests system of color-coded security lines
Dude, it'll never work in Boston. The TSA is testing a system in Denver and Salt Lake City in an effort to speed security lines at airports: color-coded lanes. How does it work? Think skiing. Green circle for beginners (families or those needing special assistance), blue squares for intermediates (a casual traveler, perhaps, but one who's been around the block a couple of times - although never without multiple carry-ons), and black diamonds for experts (Special Forces in Gray Flannel camo with limited carry-ons and the rules of engagement with liquids, gels, laptops, and footwear tattooed on the insides of eyelids). Basically, you decide which lane is for you, and in theory it makes the process more efficient and less stressful. Earl Morris of TSA says that the tests are working well and that the agency will look at possibly expanding them.
PAUL MAKISHIMA
Immersive ideas address teenage vacation malaise
If your teenager isn't happy on vacation, chances are no one's happy. Some good news: Loews Hotels' "Edu-cations" (loewshotels.com) include a one- or two-night hotel stay and activities that will appeal to hard-to-please teens. Some examples: At Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, the teen package includes private surfing lessons on surfboards custom-designed to take home. At the Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville, a music package includes a songwriting session with songwriter Thom Shepherd, a Gibson acoustic guitar, and a one-hour guitar lesson. And on it goes: golf lessons for aspiring PGA pros at Loews Lake Las Vegas, a culinary arts package for would-be cooks at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, and a behind-the-scenes look at the financial markets for executive wannabes at the Loews Regency Hotel in New York. These packages cost between $600-$2,000. But for these one-of-a-kind experiences, your teen will owe you big time.
CHRIS MURPHY
How green is my city? Presenting the top 10 list
Popular Science has put out its rating of the greenest cities. And I'm thinking this is going to totally influence all my travel plans. They ranked the cities by how good they are at getting electricity from clean and renewable sources, how much people use public transportation and recycle, and the number of green buildings they have. And now the top ten: 10. Austin, Texas (Yee-haw), 9. Chicago (love the hot dogs), 8. Seattle (the birthplace of coffee), 7. Berkeley, Calif. (the mother of all crunchitude), 6. Cambridge (i.e., People's Republic of), 5. Eugene, Ore. (where they invented running), 4. Oakland, Calif. (still not much there there), 3. Boston (mad teams, lame drivers), 2. San Francisco (worth it for the sourdough alone). And the No. 1 greenest city in America: Portland, Ore. (which, according to lore, could have ended up being Boston, Ore., had our guy not lost the coin toss with some dude from Maine). There you have it. Start booking flights. And don't forget the carbon-offset fees.
PAUL MAKISHIMA
