Outside His Comfort Zone

Carl Hoffman has done a few things that most of us would never dream of doing. He has flown on airlines said to have the worst safety records in the world and ridden in old buses in South America as they crawled along cliff-top dirt roads. He also packed himself into already crowded ferries on the Amazon and trains crossing Africa. Why? To experience travel not as we might while on vacation, but as an ordinary person trying to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible. Hoffman talks about his adventures here, and in his new book, "The Lunatic Express."

Who We Are
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Nethie - Fri Apr 23, 2010
Category: Bums, Hobos, Tramps, Beggars, Panhandlers and Other Streetpeople | Eccentrics | Mass Transit | Travel

Comments

I'm impressed. I don't know if I'd have the courage to get on a plane that has been deemed unsafe. Of course, I hate to fly in the first place so a bad safety rating would just give me an excuse 😊

Posted by Nethie on 04/23/10 at 07:37 PM

Sorry, not for me. I'm too old, too rich and too American to put up with that. Plus, now that I'm insulin-dependent, my days of 3rd-world travel are done and gone.

Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 04/24/10 at 10:21 AM

I thought the title of the book seemed fitting for WU 😊

Scot, if I may ask, why would being insulin-dependent make it impossible to travel? I am ignorant of how taking insulin actually works, so can't you just take it with you?

Posted by Nethie on 04/24/10 at 06:34 PM

when diabetic, you must have access to reliable health care if you have a reaction wether it is insulin reaction or a sugar reaction. also we don't heal as eaisily and a simple wound can become life threatening if not promptly addressed. access to medication when needing a refill is also imperative. lots of crap to deal with unfortunately. :roll:

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 04/25/10 at 01:26 AM

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.