US launches travel manners campaign: “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You”
The DOT says travelling has become more uncivilized and therefore it asks passengers to “bring civility and courtesy back to the skies”. The message: dress respectfully; control your children; use polite language; cooperate with airline staff.
WASHINGTON, Nov 24: In a bid to restore courtesy and calm to America’s crowded
airports and airplanes, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched
a nationwide travel manners campaign titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts
with You.”
The campaign comes amid a sharp rise in disruptive passenger behaviour that
has strained airlines, flight attendants and fellow travellers.
Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy emphasized that the program is designed
to “bring civility back to the skies” ahead of the busy holiday travel season
(Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday in US, followed by X'mas).
The DOT’s message is clear: manners don’t stop at the security gate. Passengers
are being asked to dress respectfully, control their children, use polite language
and cooperate with airline staff.
The campaign, announced last Wednesday responds to troubling statistics. Since
2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recorded a 400% increase
in in-flight outbursts, ranging from verbal confrontations to physical altercations.
Between 2021 and 2024, more than 13,800 unruly passenger incidents were reported,
with one in five flight attendants experiencing physical aggression during that
period. Officials argue that restoring civility is not just about comfort—it
is about safety for passengers, crew and airport workers.
Campaign's dos and don'ts:
Respectful dress codes: Flyers are encouraged to “dress with respect,”
echoing the more formal attire of aviation’s mid-20th-century “golden age.”
Courtesy to staff: Travelers are reminded to say “please” and “thank you,”
and to follow crew instructions without argument.
Family responsibility: Parents are urged to supervise children closely to
minimize disruptions.
Community spirit: The campaign video contrasts nostalgic images of polite
air travel with today’s frequent conflicts, urging passengers to “bring civility
and courtesy back to the skies”.
Mixed reaction: The initiative has sparked debate. Many passengers welcome
the reminder, agreeing that basic manners improve the travel experience. However,
critics argue that airlines themselves contribute to passenger frustration through
cramped seating, delays and poor customer service. Some say that while travellers
should behave better, airlines must also improve conditions to reduce tensions.
The DOT hopes the campaign will jumpstart a nationwide conversation about restoring
dignity to air travel. With millions expected to fly during the holiday season,
officials believe even small gestures—like dressing neatly, offering a smile
or thanking a flight attendant—can help transform the atmosphere onboard. As
Duffy put it: “It’s not your imagination. Traveling has become more uncivilized.
It’s time to bring back civility and manners when we travel."—Agencies
What is Thanksgiving Day: It is a national holiday celebrated on various
dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia,
and unofficially in countries like Germany. It is also observed in the Australian
territory of Norfolk Island. In the US it falls on Thursday (Nov 27). - Wikipedia
Nepal is burning literally, unlike of anything history has witnessed in any
part of the world in modern times. The “Gen Z Rebellion” has set fire to Prime
Minister Oli, President Poudel's houses and Parliament building. They are burning—flames
and smoke billowing out high into the skies.
Neither the fate of former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda
and Sher Bahadur Deuba was different!
KP Sharma Oli, who reportedly resigned as PM earlier, and Prez Ram Chandra Poudel are
scrambling army choppers to flee. Protesters are setting fireworks around the
airport to stop leaders and the elite clerks from leaving the country. India
has partially closed its border.
Gen Z protesters took to arson and vandalism all across the tiny Himalayan
country.
Army is getting ready to take over.
(The violence was more of an eruption of underlying discontent over corruption
in high places, the lavish lifestyles of legions of unproductive clerks constituting
what is called the Government machinery and the resultant grinding poverty across
an underdeveloped country—than a simple ban on social media.)
Black proofing of the 2000-km iron wall is the brainchild of Trump although he is innocent of physics or for that matter anything of science. To demonstrate the will power behind the President's decision, Noem also picked up a roller brush where the work is going on. (Aside: But illegal immigrants can cross the border at night! Nights are cooler.)
WHO GOT WHAT: For Putin, the summit marked a symbolic return to global
legitimacy—an escape from diplomatic isolation - a great leap forward, standing
on his head. He even floated proposals for joint US–Russia ventures, signaling
a bold pivot toward normalization. (Where have the sanctions gone!)
For Trump, the meeting served to boost his self-styled image as a master dealmaker,
inching him closer to what some insiders describe as his “obsessive” pursuit
of the Nobel Peace Prize. Whether this ambition compromises national interest
is a question critics are now asking aloud. Ironically, the original Alaska
agenda was left untouched—overshadowed by optics, ambition, and the choreography
of power.)
(Aside: Let’s put the Ukraine issue simply. Imagine India is obsessed
with national security. It decides to invade and own not the bordering Pakistan
or Bangladesh but Sri Lanka or the Maldives—not across a land border, but across
the sea—because it perceives growing Chinese influence in the ocean as a threat.
Now apply that logic to Russia. Putin wants to annex Ukrainian territory across
the strategic Black Sea—not just for land, but to control the strategic sea
route itself. Same style, a decade ago it annexed Crimea. So he invaded Ukraine
again for more. It is not a war but is an invasion. It’s not just about borders.
It’s about expansion and dominance. Now let the common man take the explanation
forward! Let us not be confused! Ukraine is not at war! There is no war!)
The State will have a two-language formula for the schools—Tamil and English.
Goodbye to the fraud called entrance exams: No competitive entrance exam for higher education - Admissions will be based on Class 11 and 12 marks. (See footnote)
The SEP and the State's determination to bring education back to the State
List constitute a structured resistance to the Centre’s ultimate designs for centralisation of governance.
The preliminary probe report claims both the fuel control switches were in ‘CUT OFF’ mode moments after lift-off (FADEC may be set to register like that). But the switches are mounted on the centre pedestal, between the seats of the captain and the first officer at arm's length. Who can switch it off? Transitioning is a two-stage manual procedure and that makes a clicking sound also. Not one, both switches! The switches are so protected by multiple layers of physical and procedural safeguards and guarded by metal brackets for a third party to meddle with easily. The cockpit is locked during takeoff. They are handled only for start and after landing, also in emergencies. Is it possible that the pilot just missed to put the switch to RUN while on the runway and the aircraft, a good one, was running on residual fuel? Which it can do for 20 to 40 seconds. The Air India flight stalled after 32 seconds of passing the Go/NoGo point.
(Soon after the videos came into public domain, the next day of the crash, our aviation expert had stated in these columns, the crash had something to do with the fuel line.)
(Soon we will put together another diverse discourse with experts to dispel any nagging doubts surrounding aviation dynamics that are stirring curious minds in the current context.)
TRUMP: "We'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know
what DOGE is? The monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t
that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies (Tesla and SpaceX)." Nobody on
earth ever got so much of Government subsidies as Musk, The New Trump declared
audaciously when the 'Beautifiul Bill' that scraps Tesla subsidies made its
entry into the Capitol. Musk knew the Bill spelt his death knell...
The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924)
(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
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