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A trip to a foreign land can be an exciting and memorable experience. However, before you pack your bags and head off to the international airport, there are critical matters that need to be addressed before you venture beyond the sanctuary of the friendly United States boarders.

Many of the privileges and securities you enjoy in the United States are immediately left behind once you leave the boarders of American soil. While in the United States, we sometimes take for granted the liberties, freedoms and protections we have as US citizens. When we venture to a third world country, or even an industrialized European nation, many matters we take for granted in the US change dramatically when we travel to this foreign land.

So before you head merrily off to your foreign country with your favorite travel hat and travel bag, you need to make sure you are aware of how to prepare for any unplanned medical, personal or legal emergencies. You need to understand how your medical insurance coverage will change or even disappear. You need to have a basic understanding of the laws of the country you are visiting and who to contact when matters arise that you did not foresee.

YOU MAY LOSE MEDICAL COVERAGE

If you go to a foreign country, the medical care will most likely be sub-standard to the US. If you have a serious condition subject to the need of immediate medical attention, find out about the location and the quality of the medical facilities available at the locale you will be visiting. Make sure you have with you sufficient prescription medication and refill prescriptions from your doctor. In addition, you will need a letter from your doctor summarizing your condition and the medications he has prescribed. And most important, carry your medication in the pharmacy labeled container.

Your group medical coverage may or may not cover unexpected medical needs or offer limited coverage. Most medical insurance policies will cover your medical cost while you are out of the country. However, few in any will cover the cost of transporting a medical patient back to the United States, and the actual cost would be well over ten thousand dollars. If you are depending on medicare or medicaid coverage, unfortunately, once you leave the United States your medical coverage will cease. If you are going to be without coverage, then the only alternative is to purchase supplemental travel insurance and the cost normally runs between five and ten percent of the cost of your trip. For a list of reliable supplemental insurance carriers check the state departments website at: http://travel.state.gov or check with an established medical insurance agent.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS WILL CHANGE

Also, remember, once in a foreign land you are subject to their laws, and can be prosecuted in that country, if their laws are deemed violated. A violation that may be considered a misdemeanor in the US may be a major crime in a foreign land. For example, consider certain drug possession offenses. Foreign due process rights are quite different than due process rights in the US. In many countries you have no guaranteed right to counsel and may be deemed guilty until you prove your innocence. The United States has embassies in almost all countries and it is best to have the phone number, address and email of the US embassy in any country you enter, and be sure to contact the local US embassy immediately, even if you suspect problems with the local authorities. See the state department website above to locate the various foreign embassies, and keep a copy of the contact details in your pocket at all times.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERMENT HELPS ITS CITIZENS ABROAD

Lastly, the United States wants to protect and insure the safety of US citizens abroad. Be sure to register the details of your trip with the US State Department at: https://travelregistration.state.gov, and note their toll free number accessible twenty-four hours a day at: 1-888-407-4747. If you register with the state department, then in the event of an emergency your relatives can call the above number and you will be contacted pursuant to your registration details. Also, there is a page on your passport to leave critical medical and contact information and takes just a minute to record.

The vast majority of foreign travelers rarely have significant problems abroad, however, it is more than wise to plan ahead in the event an unfortunate medical or legal emergency develops.And, hopefully, the most you will have to deal with on your next foreign trip is just a little sunburn.

By: David Burlison

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The Euro Tunnel is now bankrupt, but it has a new leader to take over. A couple of years back the entire board of the EuroTunnel was sacked and a new board installed. Now we have a new boss at the helm; who comes in as the cash dry Chunnel Operation hits the end of the line. They are out of money.

Will the British be isolated again from the rest of the European Continent? The EuroTunnel has never made any money, never turned a profit. The investors where shown really impressive proformas, which would put Enron to shame. As a matter of fact if this were in the United States the operation would have been sued into oblivion by investors, State’s Attorneys Generals and Regulatory Bodies. But this is European business and things are done differently there. So there is a chance that this EuroTunnel may now have a turn-around King installed to talk over and fix the problem without the lawsuits.

Today the Tunnel is 12 Billion in debt. Jean-Louis Raymond resigned and of course all the shareholders want their money back? Wouldn’t you? But why did such a good idea fail? Is it because humans do not like to drive underground for 21 miles? Or because no one wants to take a train-ride underground at 100 miles per hour, just to come up and be forced onto an English rail system of 40-60 mph at best? There is a Semi-Fast line going to the London Suburbs, but the rest of the relay is slow and cumbersome indeed. Part of the issues was that the Ferries implemented a price reduction strategy to deal with the competition to lower the costs.

Additionally if someone from London wishes to go to France by car, they still have the car when they get there and driving a car is nightmare there and the Chunnel costs are not cheap. You could fly for about $55.00 or so from London to anywhere in Spain, Italy or France. Are we seeing a trend in the world with transportation issues? Will the EuroTunnel survive simply thru subsidies in transportation? If so, why not make it free to travel and really open up the trade routes? After all if the EU is serious about having everyone on board then, they need to be thinking here? Picking up the assets out of bankruptcy cannot be too bad? But presently it is a complete and utter failure and a dismal fiasco. Think on this.

By: Lance Winslow

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Public transportation is typically problematic as it creates its own wind of bureaucracy. The Euro Tunnel is no different in that it has to deal with all sorts of rules and regulations. We see in the United States many crises in the public transportation sectors. Bus systems are found to be often losing money and wasting dollars. We see the BART Trains in San Francisco as well upside down in cost per rider VS costs to run the system.

Each time a large transportation project is made to jump thru nearly impossible hoops of regulation we see issues where they become inefficient and are unable to reasonably serve the common good. Let’s look at the Amtrak in the United States which seems to be a pet project of many a democratic politician. It has never made any money and always been a drain on the taxpayer. In Canada we see privatization helped their counter part to the Amtrak. But still with over regulation, favoritism to other government transportation in competition with such systems we see more of the same issues really.

It is estimated that the EuroTunnel could be bankrupt by autumn of this year. We also know with the increased security costs it has been less traveled; hurting tourism and raising costs. Everyone knows it is a target of Muslim Radical Terrorists as well. It is also a sore spot on National Security for Tony Blair. The EuroTunnel is used by many to enter the UK illegally. These are just a few of the more recent factors affecting the profitability of the EuroTunnel. The EuroTunnel was not cheap to build either and it has considerable debt, which it cannot pay from profits, as there are none. The company running it fired all their board of directors last year for lack of performance. The current board is currently under some musical chair issues and the rental company owning those chairs wants them back.

We are seeing worldwide issues with public transportation, which is run by private or public sectors. They are not working; rider ship is at issue with regards to the scare of International Terrorists, especially after the Madrid Train Bombing. Some conspiracy theorists think that it is only a matter of time before the EuroTunnel is attacked to further tighten the screws on the European populations. These same conspiracy theorists look at similar smaller targets in the United States such as the Baltimore Tunnel, California Bridges and Bart System, Boston Tunnel and Washington Ferries. But whether or not the conspiracy theories hold any water, it appears Al Queda is also looking at these things and taking digital pictures as well. The question is will the economics, Lawsuits, over regulation and banks shut down some of these transportation projects before the International Terrorists or Bird Flu virus predictions?

If they remain un-profitable, underwater, debt laden they will continue to be an underground bottomless pit of taxpayer resources. If the prices are raised to cover the costs the rider ship drops and they lose their purported economies of scale. If they are un-economically viable or if people are afraid to use them for fear of catching a disease or being in the wrong place at the wrong time during an International Terrorist event then we have a very serious problem worldwide with out human transportation flows. Please think on this, we need some solutions. It is not working.

By: Lance Winslow

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