Posted on December 29 at 9 p.m.

The real lesson here should be to NEVER fly U.S. Airways! Last year they stranded me in the Las Vegas airport overnight when their flight delay out of JFK caused me to miss my Las Vegas connection. They saw no problem with expecting their passengers, including single females traveling with laptops like me, to sleep on the floor beside Las Vegas airport's blinking, flashing slot machines. They were equally unphased by the fact that I'm hypoglycemic with food allergies and all the restaurants and snack shops in the Las Vegas airport were already closed. They also didn't have any problem with rerouting us through Phoenix and letting us take a 2 hour layover there, further delaying our arrival time in Santa Barbara to 12:30 the next day -- they claimed this flight was equivalent to the direct flight we'd been scheduled for. In return for all our trouble, the airline gave us one $8 meal voucher for what was going to turn out to be over 20 hours on airplanes (with no meal service) or in airports.

I ended up renting a car and driving back to Goleta. The airline's extremely unempathetic and unhelpful agents gave me a form for getting a refund for the unused portion of the ticket, but gave me various nonsensical reasons why the airline probably wouldn't honor the request, at various times saying because I'd bought the ticket on Orbitz, or flown into New York via Newark and out via JFK. It took me several months of emailing, writing letters, and threatening to sue in small claims court before the airline finally gave me a phone number that led to a real customer service agent, who promptly agreed that it's standard for airlines to refund portions of tickets that are rendered unusable due to delays or cancellations.

These days, several airlines seem to have opted for policies that inflict the most misery on their customers. But even so, I'd never been treated as badly as I had with U.S. Airways. It's a disappointment that the only flights to some destinations out of Santa Barbara are offered by this airline. Last time I flew, I took the Airbus to LAX so that I could fly with a different airline and avoid U.S. Airways. I considered the extra time and money well spent.

On A Cautionary Tale about Airports and Holiday Horrors

Posted on December 29 at 8:30 p.m.

Instead of building hotels, why not build apartments or duplexes where residents can actually live? There is a shortage of affordable housing in both Goleta and Santa Barbara. I'm tired of seeing more and more hotels, resorts, and McMansions get built while the needs of the people who WORK here largely go ignored. Both Goleta and Santa Barbara should provide zoning and increased incentives for high-density housing along bus routes.

Cities ignore the needs of their residents at the peril of their long-term health. The tourist industry will always be susceptible to recessions and travel trends. Residents shop, eat, and pay rent regardless of the economy or which travel destination is fashionable.

On Goleta Sued over Marriott Project

Posted on November 3 at 3:37 p.m.

Why not just add a tax surcharge to all residential addresses in IV? That way city services will be funded for them and they can have their fun.

On Big Crowds Descend Upon I.V.

Posted on October 25 at 11:11 a.m.

I never said that all people who drive nice cars are a**holes. I understand that some people might own them for business reasons, etc. But, as Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the house of God." (I am a pantheist Quaker and not a religious zealot, by the way.) People who care about other people and about the environment use at least some of their time and money toward the communal good. They do not build houses directly above seal rookeries and disrupt one of the few remaining wildlife coastal areas left in southern California. They do not spend 100K on a gas-guzzling vehicle, ignoring that people are starving in the world, that our education is in shambles, and that their children will have a compromised lifestyle if they don't curve their self-centered over-consumption. The whole problem with southern California (and some other places too) is that it's too-often characterized by the mentality of "I can build wherever I want and drive whatever I want as long as I'm willing to pay for it, and scr*w anyone who interferes with my 'rights.'" People with less money -- and some of us have made choices to pursue careers that would help people rather than making us rich -- still have the right to ocean access, clean air, clean water, and a future where we're not cleaning up these people's messes. It's not that all people in southern California are like this, but too often these are the people who can purchase the most political clout. Anyone who's driven through Newport lately, where everything is perfectly manicured but fenced and gated, can see what this mentality will bring to our town if we allow it to go unchecked.

On Naples Approved 3-2

Posted on October 22 at 10:53 a.m.

Last week I parked in some metered parking at UCSB to unload some items for my advisor. Some of the things had shifted, so I had to open my back passenger side door to move them so that I could reach them from the back of the car. As I was loading things onto a cart, a woman came up behind me and said, "Excuse me," in a very irritated tone. I realized that my passenger side door was still open, and figured I must be in her way, so I quickly went to shut it. She still looked irritated, so I said, "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten my car door was open." As I continued to load the cart, she began examining where my car door had *touched* her spotless Lexus/Mercedes/luxury sedan thing. Then she said, "You F---ed up my car." This was patently ridiculous, so I said calmly, "No, I did not F--- up your car." She said, "Yes you did. It's brand new." I mumbled, "Well, if you're ever planning on parking it. . ." She said "I would expect you to at least be civilized." I explained that I was trying to be, and that a simple "please" and "thank you" (not to mention not cussing people out) wouldn't hurt for her either. This was lost on her. She glared at me and then nearly careened into the bike path when she was trying to exit the parking lot.

I am SO looking forward to more people like this moving into town once the Naples houses get built. It's really a travesty that we currently have such a mansion shortage in this town. This town is also currently lacking all the "culture" that the residents of mansions like this would provide.

On Naples Approved 3-2

0 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.

Posted on October 13 at 12:50 p.m.

I didn't see anything about illegal immigrants in the article. Let's keep our discussion on the topic and not bring in spurious and racist hot-button issues.

On Drug and Weapons Ring Toppled

2 of 2 people thought this was a good comment.

Posted on October 8 at 2:01 p.m.

Let's be clear: "Entitlement" is wanting to build a dwelling for one's personal use on one of the last remaining undeveloped coastal areas and seal rookeries on the southern California Coast. Fighting to preserve those areas, even thought doing so would have no direct personal benefit, is the opposite of entitlement. Surfrider and other people fighting to "preserve" Naples mainly would like Osgood to build his houses on the north side of the freeway, or at the very least on the north side of the railroad tracks. This would allow Osgood to make money developing his property, but would leave the bluffs, which are too unsafe and erosion-prone to build on anyway, as preserved habitat for other species. I guess I've always been brought up to believe that we aren't "entitled" to use our property in ways that hurt others, and that we aren't "entitled" to pave over and withdraw from the earth until it collapses.

On Battle for Naples Begins Sooner than Expected

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Posted on September 1 at 9:47 a.m.

I was surprised by the commenters who felt that this demonstrates the risks of cycling or running in the bike lane of a road. To me this tragedy all too starkly demonstrates the risks of unsafe driving practices. If people took responsibility for the one (or more) ton vehicles they drove, cyclists and pedestrians would be able to use the roads they help pay for without risk.

In any case, it seems crass that some people have twisted a pointless loss of someone's life into yet another rant against cyclists and pedestrians.

On Drunk Driving Death on Las Positas Road

2 of 2 people thought this was a good comment.

Posted on August 28 at 11:07 p.m.

I agree with sevendolphins. People who propose drilling are not thinking in terms of fiscal responsibility or military strategy, which ironic since many proponents of drilling seem to claim to be Republicans, and these used to be core Republican values. If we drill now, we won't have our reserves in the event of a war or an embargo from the middle east oil cartels.

And anyway, our coastlines already have more than enough drilling platforms. The safest option in terms of public safety and environmental health would be for oil companies to focus on maintaining the platforms they have. The companies could also use slant drilling techniques to access oil using the platforms they already have.

On Santa Barbara Eyes Black Gold

Posted on July 18 at 11:20 a.m.

I hope the Gaviota Coast Conservancy considers filing a legal appeal. How much compassion are we supposed to have for someone who clearly has no compassion for the communities he lives and does business in?

And we all need to step up in the next board of supervisors elections to get these short-sited and most likely corrupt council members as far away as possible from public decision-making.

On Dirt Wall and All, Supes Approve Mega-Home