Something to bring a bit of humor or strangeness to Labor Day weekend. Here is a story about dangerous hornets in France, a slide show about furniture made from old plane parts, and a video of one of the longest airport lines I have ever seen.
Longest line in the world … at Heathrow Airport, London
Sometimes it is hard put words to what visuals can show so clearly. This video is a couple of years old but still seams amazing. Glad I have never been faced with this. It would make tarmac delays seem tame.
Tourists warned to steer clear of Asian hornets in France
If you see a hornet with yellow feet in France, watch out! These insects are vicious. The hornets are known by the name, Vespa velutina, and grow to an inch in length. They first settled in the southern forests of Aquitaine, but later spread out to surrounding areas with no indigenous predators.
The bee-eating hornets, instantly recognisable by their yellow feet, are rapidly spreading round France and entomologists fear that they will eventually cross the Channel and arrive in Britain.
Hundreds of the insects attacked a mother on a stroll with her five-month-old baby in the Lot-et-Garonne department, southwestern France, at the weekend before turning on a neighbour who ran over to help. The baby was unharmed.
They then pursued two passers by and two Dutch tourists on bikes. The victims were treated in hospital for multiple stings, which are said to be as painful as a hot nail piercing the skin.
High-flying furniture
From the Telegraph in the UK, here is a collection of furniture made from airplane parts.
Ever wanted to own a piece of aviation history? Well here is your chance. This ‘Alabatross Float Tank Couch’ is made from the tanks that hung under the wings of the 1947 Grumman Albatross amhibious airplane.
Military enthusiasts might enjoy a cold beer around the MK-84 Blockbuster table – constructed from a ‘Blockbuster’ bomb, which was used extensively in Desert Storm
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Photo: The Telegraph. Part of the slide show at the link above.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
