Speeding in car parks can be dangerous as a motorist found out when he reversed his car through a wall– leaving the vehicle precariously perched seven storeys up.

The 67 year old driver was reversing into a parking spot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when his foot got stuck between the brake and the accelerator. His car smashed through the wall with the car boot emerging into open air. The amazing images were captured on the mobile phones of workers in the vicinity.

While the driver, who did not wish to give his name, was unharmed, the vehicles below were not so lucky and got damaged by a hail of bricks and mortar.
One woman had her brand new Toyota Corolla badly damaged.

Corporal David Crow of the Tulsa Police Department said: “At ten till two this afternoon we had a report of a car hitting the side of a building.
“We weren’t sure what to expect but on arrival we saw this Mercedes Benz backed halfway out of a seventh floor parking garage.

“The driver had gotten his foot stuck under the accelerator. He was coming across the back of the parking garage and created momentum, hitting this wall and almost coming all the way out.

He added: “The crash caused bricks to fly out of the car park onto a car park below. We were very lucky that this only caused property damage and that no one was hurt.”

Because the back wheels of the car had not completely gone out of the building, police officers were able to drive it back into the car park. A piece of plywood was used to cover up the hole in the car park.

I've just booked a business trip to cyprus.  Accomodation all sorted, I just needed to arrange flights.  A quick look over the available carriers and Easyjet offer the cheapest (no frills) flight from the local airport. Job done.  We are all aware of the 'extra's' that are tacked onto flight prioces, what with airport taxes and fuel taxes, it seems the the price stated is rarely the price you pay.

And it'll come as no suprise to the regualr traveller that you even have to pay for the priveledge of taking luggage with you...thanks if you check it in.  At £18 per piece with Easyjet (varies for other carriers) it can often cost more to take a bag with you than the flight itself!  There is a solution however.  Hand luggage oes not incur a charge so I am for the first time attempting to take all my necessary belongings with me as hand luggage, avoiding both the charges and indeed the time and hassle of waiting at the baggage re-claim for my bag to arrive (or not as the case may be from an unfortunate experience last summer where about half of the passengers luggage was 'forgotten' by the airline and flown back 3 days later, but thats another story!). 

Having done a little research into baggage allowances for hand luggage, Easyjet (and all other airlines that i recall) have those handy metal frames 'hand luggage' size guides dotted around the check in area and the current size guidelines are 56cm x 45cm x 25cm.  I'm sure the regular traveller has had their knee cap based or an elbow walloped by a fellow passenger navigating the aeroplace seats with hand luggage that appears more suitcase like, but if the airlines insist on charging for checked in luggage and allow such large hand luggage, then why not.  I used to get disgruntled by this, but figure i f i can;t beat them, then join them!  So my most recent purchse has been a Berghaus Optimus 40, which believe it not accomodates upto 40ltrs of luggage, weighing in at just over 2kg (pretty light weight for a whelled case with handle!).  At £80, it isn't cheap, but thats only 4 flights not checking in luggae and its paid for.  The question is can i fit all my necessary clothes and bits and bobs in it.

There are no doubt a few draw backs....you'll need to ensure that you;

• Pack well
• Pack efficiently - take only the clothes you will NEED, not those you think you might wear!
• Check your 'liquid' container sizes, max 100ml contatiners and you'll need to put them in a see-through bag for inspection
• You'll need tp put in overhead locker on place as unlikely to fit under seat - i like to have my magazine, ipod etc readily to hand
• Be careful not to knee-cap fellow passengers when lugging the thing around

Benefits;

• £20 per flight (on average) saved fornot checking in baggage
• no worrying moments at the check in desk while your bag is 'weighed' if ou go over the rather mean 20kg(average) allowance, it'll cost you!
• No waiting around at baggage reclaim for your bag
• First to the car hire desk or taxi stand!

On the whole however, hand luggage looks like its got one over on checked in luggage, I'll update the blgo upon my return to let you know it goes!  One thing is for sure though, in my eyes I am getting one over on the airline and i'll be sure to get the Paphos Airport Car Hire desk before all those waiting for checked in luggage and be on my way enjoying my holiday long before many of you have even collected your luggage!

Having just tied the knot, there was nothing I was looking forward to more than the honeymoon, after the buzz and excitement of the wedding itself, my wife and I jetted off to New York for a 5 day visit taking in the great cityscape, shops, bars and restaurants that the city that never sleeps has to offer.  We managed to get tickets to see Wicked at the Gershwin on Broadway which was fantastic too!  5 days in New York however was quite enough and then we were able to look forward to a relaxing week in a luxury lodge on the banks of Loch Lomond.


Breathtaking is a word that I would use and after the hussle and bussle of New York there was nothing I needed more than to sit in the hot tub on the terrace and share a nice bottle of bubbly and the far reaching views out over Loch Lomond with my wife.  We stayed at the Loch Lomond Waterfront Lodge in Balmaha, just 20 miles north west of Glasgow.  If you are flying into Glasgow or Prestwick, the Loch is best accessed by road and I would recomment car hire Scotland to take advantage of the wonderful scenery and attarctions near by. 



If its luxury and sheer relaxation that you are looking for then look no further, the lodges truly were wonderful and the views spectacular….all the better from the warmth of the hot tub!  Balmaha has a great little pub (The Anchor) and a small boat yard offering rowing boat / kayak hire and also boat trips out to the many islands (although these are seasonal so worth checking before you arrive).  If you are looking to take a break away from it all in the UK, Loch Lomond Luxury Lodges would come highly recommended, you really are on the doorstep of beautiful landscapes and scenery, not to mention an array of wildlife, some exclusive to the Loch!


We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather for our stay (early April in Scotland is not normally renowned for its clear skies and 19 degree temperatures!) and so took in a few local walks including the moderate climb to Conic Hill (approx 1200 feet) which took about 2.5 hours offering excellent views across the loch and a great view of snow capped Ben Lomond.   And it was that view that ignited our enthusiasm to scale the highest peak at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.  Standing proud of the rest at 3200 feet, Ben Lomond was a different proposition and required a bit more thought.  We are not walkers or climbers but have the basics in terms of clothing and walking boots and boy you’ll need it here.  At a steady 19 degrees celcius at the foot of the climb, we gradually increased our layers until we were in full coats and hats at the snow covered peak! And don’t be fooled by a calm breeze at the foot either, it was very gusty at the top which only added to the chill factor!  Be sure to take plenty of fluids also, you’d be amazed how thirsty a ‘gentle walk’ can be, nevertheless and experience and achievements that will be fondly remembered!

Once that was out of the way however we continued the more relaxing side of the trip with a  short drive to the Glengoyne Distillery for a spot of whisky tasting.  I’m by no means a connoisseur of whisky, but can tell my average blend from my single malt and boy does Glengoyne produce a fine single malt!  The distillery was great and tour informative, but lets face it, we all went for the tasting!  I stumped for a bottle of 10yr old for my dad as a gift and 12yr cask strength for those special occasions, as 58% proof however it really is special!

The FIFA football 2010 World Cup is set to be an historic event for it is the first time that the tournament will be held in Africa.  Although Africa plays out its own tournament, the African Cup of Nations on a bi-annual basis, Africans have never had the pleasure of seeing world cup matches on home soil.

Football is massively popular on the African continent and continues to grow in stature every day. This is helped in part by the number of world class superstars that it produces. This legacy stretches all the way back from the Liberian world footballer of the year, George Weah, to present day superstars like Didier Drogba from the Ivory Coast and Cameroonian Samuel Eto.

As the most developed of the African countries, it is no surprise that the world cup is being held in South Africa, spread out across cities such as Johannesburg, Durban, and Capetown. Every world cup has its preparation problems so we should probably not read too much into the fears that developers have run behind time in building the world cup stadiums. More worrying are the security concerns, although the organisers are assuring the watching world that huge steps are being made to ensure the smooth running of the greatest sporting event on earth.

But South Africa has relatively high crime rates. Visitors should make sure that they get car hire South Africa that comes with comprehensive insurance cover and do some reading up before they travel.  Check out the Rhino Drive Smart Guide for when considering Car Hire South Africa.  For instance, you have to be wary of car-jackings in South Africa and so not let yourself get ‘boxed’ in by two cars at a red light late at night. However, security will be high for the FIFA football 2010 World Cup so arguably there is no better time to visit this incredible country. Try and take a few weeks off, that way you can not only see a match and support your team, but take some time to see wonderful sights that include the beaches of Cape Town and the numerous national parks filled with huge animals like lions and tigers. Make no mistake, this will be a spectacle.

Some quick team news, England are glad to welcoming back Wayne Rooney after an injury scare, although will be competing without the influential Beckham, sidelined until November with an Achilles injury.  Has Spain's chance of success been dented by the injury to both Fabregas and Torres in Premiership Action.  One thing is for sure, all national managers will be sleeping with their fingers crossed for the next 6 weeks in hope that none of their star players are hit by injury in the closing stages of the European season, where a large proportion of the worlds best players earn their living.

Britain has been plunged into flight chaos after a volcano erupted in Iceland, sending a plume of ash into the air. The reduction to visibility could cause a serious headache for people who are taking a late Easter holiday.

Major airports in the United Kingdom including London Gatwick, Belfast, Stansted and Edinburgh airports were forced to cancel flights due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
All international flights from Scottish airports have been grounded.It is estimated than tens of thousands of passengers across the UK will be affected by delays and cancelled flights.

The volcano, which is not far from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, sent a huge cloud of debris in to the air which is causing visibility problems and drifting towards continental Europe.

A spokesperson from London Stansted International Airport said. “Following advice that we have been given by the Metrological Office, the National Air Traffic Service has introduced United Kingdom airspace restrictions this morning. This is a result of volcanic ash drifting from Iceland across Great Britain.” They added: “These measures affect Edinburgh airport, Aberdeen airport and Glasgow airport which are all currently closed. Other United Kingdom airports may also be affected as the situation develops further.”

The two largest United Kingdom airports, London Heathrow and London Gatwick have between them called off some 250 flights. Other British airports which have already reported major visibility problems are Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Cardiff and Exeter.

Metrological Office forecaster Philip Avery explained that the ash could clog up the air space for quite some time.
He said: “The volcanic ash is showing up on our satellite imagery at the moment. Right now it extends down as far as the Faroe Islands but it looks as though wind will pull it a lot further south. My Avery added: "The National Air Traffic Service has a good reason to be very cautious about this because in 1982 a British Airways jumbo jet had all four engines put out of commission as it flew through a plume of volcanic ash."

The volcanic eruption in Iceland follows a smaller eruption last month in an ice fissure, as reported on Icelandic Traveller.

At the time scientists were worried that that eruption might be a precursor to a larger explosion. The original eruption came out of a fissure in a glacier. The Eyjafjallajokull volcano had been dormant for 200 years previously, but has now attracted tourists, scientists and photographers from all over the world who want to study it and take pictures. Iceland is well known for its volcanic activity as it is positioned over a highly active area called the Mid Atlantic Ridge.