The Polite Traveler

Advice for Wheelchair Travelers Living with a chronic disease is life-altering.   What was is no more.   Nevertheless, it isn't all doom and gloom, even if that disease is multiple sclerosis , MS.   For the newly diagnosed, you may worry after learning that the disease uses a person's own immune system to attack nerve connections in the brain causing varying symptoms.    However, if you have the relapsing-remitting form, which is the most common, there are drugs that help keep the disease at bay for some time.   In fact, many people have few symptoms until the disease progresses.   For some, that progression never comes.   For others – like me – we are not quite so lucky and go directly into the progressive types of the disease.   This is my story.   In the Beginning, There was a Chair My disease began with a bang.   Severe n ystagmus , dizziness, and difficulty walking kept me tethered to a wheelchair for many years.   Most of the time, even on my worst days, getting a

Do the French Have Good Manners?  When I mention visiting France, especially Paris, I often receive smirks and comments about French manners, or lack of such.   To comments about the French as rude, off-putting, and aloof, I respond, "Have you ever visited France?"   My experience is always positive.   They are warm, kind, and open.   Therefore, I decided to clear up all these misunderstandings about the French and their manners .   Bonjour means so much more than hello. After interviewing more French than I can count, I've found that they all agree on one point; offering proper greetings is most important with respect to manners.   Simply, proper greetings are the most basic of manners for them.   To visit a store without saying, "Bonjour Madame (or Monsieur)" to the shopkeeper is viewed as extremely poor manners.   Even botching almost every French word we attempt to utter, most French will accept us if we approach them with an earnest greeting.    D

Delta Offers Great Service but Lacks Adequate Space Dear Polite Traveler, I have traveled on Delta before and each trip is a mixed bag, usually, it turns out well.  Often, however, there is that  one  little thing.  The one little thing, in this case, was ...well, to find out, you will just have to continue reading.  Tight accommodations and scare food.  Great cookies though. This trip was across the country — Sacramento, CA to New Orleans, LA — with one-stop.  Our first leg was a short one with a much longer four-hour leg following it.  (Reverse coming home).  The trip over was pleasant as on this older plane there was adequate legroom and a free movie.  Attendants were delightful and attentive offering soft drinks, coffee, tea, cookies , and peanuts, all complimentary.  The meals were not appealing and cost about $9 each.  Luckily, we had time to stop and eat at our first stop.  The return trip was different.  We were on a much newer plane with the flip-down screens for every