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Escalators can be deadly

Geoff Williams — 2008-05-14T11:30:00+00:00

As if I didn't have enough to worry about. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, probably my favorite government agency, sent an email today, warning people about the dangers of escalators.

Granted, this news may not at first glance seem like it has anything to do with a personal finance blog, but plenty of businesspeople use escalators. You may be preparing to use one later today, when going up to see your financial adviser on the fifth floor of a building downtown. And like my recent elevator post, perhaps I should suggest investing in an escalator company. There are at least three that I'm aware of: the Escalator Company, Star Elevator and Escalator Company, and Detroit Escalator Company, or I thought that last one was one, until I logged onto a web site and discovered it's the name of a musician who calls himself the Detroit Escalator Company.

Anyway, if the musician wanted to start his own company, he'd have plenty of work. Each year, according to the CPSC, 90 billion riders use an escalator.

And while most people go up and down without a problem, the CPSC estimates that last year, there were approximately 11,000 escalator related injuries.

And, you know, at first, I was going to really send this up, and make fun of this plight, because it seemed silly and so random, but then I started Googling and found all sorts of scary things.
It really can be dangerous to ride an escalator. Eleven people in Japan were injured on an escalator when it came to a sudden stop earlier this week. And I found three instances of people who died due to escalator accidents in just the last month. I won't link to them because I don't want to anyone to somehow think I'm making fun of this -- I'm not. As it turns out, one of the victims was an elderly man, another was an eight-year-old boy in India who lost his balance and then there was a guy who drank too much and met an untimely end at a baseball stadium in April.

Drinking and escalators definitely don't mix. Years ago, I interviewed the president of a small record label who had a similar accident. He spent a few months in a hospital, reconsidered the direction of his life, stopped drinking and became a valuable member of society. I wish I could find the link to the story. But I digress.

Anyway, if you're curious, the CPSC says that most injuries involve falling, but 10 percent of accidents occur when hands, feet or shoes are trapped in escalators. Soft sided shoes are the most likely to get stuck. Clogs are particularly prone as are women's shoes called slides.

So the CPSC recommends that you:

make sure your shoes are tied before getting on an escalator
stand in the center of the step
always hold children's hands on escalators
don't let kids sit or play on the steps
don't bring children in strollers onto the escalator
face forward (do we really need to be told that?)

And if you're truly panicked, learn where the emergency shutoff buttons are, just in case you need to stop the escalator.

As for me, I'm just going to take the stairs. It's better for you, anyway.

Geoff Williams is a business journalist and the author of C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America (Rodale).

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What to do when you get pulled over

Josh Smith — 2008-05-14T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Saving, Transportation

Back in February Tom Barlow covered 40 ways to avoid a traffic ticket which provided some great tips relating to preparation, driving, and what to do if you do get stopped. Just this month Car and Driver posted an article which contains some great information to build on Tom's original series. Car and Driver went straight to the ladies and gentlemen in blue to find out the top 5 best things to do if you are busted and the top five worst things to do! Nothing beats hearing this advice from the individuals you have to deal with out on the road and the advice comes with anecdotal experience to back it up.

Even with the best driving you will likely get pulled over at some point in your life and the actions you take may heavily influence the outcome of the traffic stop. Even those done with the best of intentions can result in unease for officers and money out of the pocket for you. When you do get pulled over be sure to put yourself in the officer's shoes and realize that someone going for a cell phone or an insurance card can look a lot like someone going for a gun. At the same time be sure you are aware of your rights when it comes to a traffic stop. Instructables recently released a guide which covers what to do if the police stop you, which is information worth knowing.

As someone who has been pulled over on more than one occasion and received a few tickets over the years I'll be quick to note that sometimes even the best tips and advice from officers won't get you out of a ticket. I am related to a State Trooper and two of my childhood friends are officers as well, which has translated into a large amount of respect for officers as a whole. No matter the outcome I've found that there isn't any substitute for a little respect and a lack of contempt when it comes to interactions with police officers. Unless of course they earn the contempt, in which case spite away my friend ... spite away.

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Track your gas costs online with Fuel Frog

Josh Smith — 2008-05-14T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Simplification, Transportation

As gas prices rise, so will the importance of tracking gas purchases for your monthly budget. For some individuals tracking fuel purchases and performance is a simple exercise involving a notebook and a pen stashed in the center console. If division and receipt keeping aren't your style then I have a cool new tool for you! Fuel Frog is an online tracking service which measures not only your fuel costs but also your miles per gallon.

The service is easy to use and has a clean and user friendly online interface. Where it really shines though, is that it allows you to enter the information from your cell phone via Twitter. No more bundles of receipts or rushing to the PC as soon as you get home to record your fuel info. Its so simple you can do it in real time while you are waiting for your pay at the pump transaction to complete.

I have just started using Fuel Frog so I haven't had a chance to check out the monthly reporting yet but I expect it will come in very handy. At the least it will solidify my decision to carpool and encourage me to try and find more carpool partners. I am also a little bit scared to see how much I spend per month on gas. My only wish is that Fuel Frog offered a way to track two cars on one account so we could keep our house under one login, but two accounts will do in the meantime.

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Gas prices got you blue? Try mass transit!

Tracy Coenen — 2008-05-13T09:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation

As the national average price for a gallon of gas creeps closer to $4 (and actually hit $4 at home for me on Monday) mass transit is looking more appealing to many. Consumers are leaving their cars behind in favor of buses and subways. It makes plenty of sense, as a family with 2 cars will spend an estimated $700 more this year on gas than they did last year.

Mass transit doesn't work everywhere. In Milwaukee, it would be next to impossible for me to get to and from work without my car. And without the ability to visit a client in the suburbs on a moment's notice, my business would quickly be impacted without my car.

Watch this video to see who's saving money and which cities have some of the best and most accessible public transportation systems.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

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Watch out for gas spam scams

Josh Smith — 2008-05-12T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Ripoffs and Scams, Transportation, Fraud

Just when you finished setting up the final Viagra and ED related keyword filters on your inbox, the scamming spammers have found a new ruse to part fools with their money. The new scam claims to offer a discount of 70 cents on each gallon of gas and originate for now anyway, from an individual representing himself as "Gas Saver." According to McAfee, a security and anti-virus company, in terms of volume gas related spam is still relatively low, but it has the potential to skyrocket over the summer in tandem with gas prices.

Next time you sit down with a friend or relative, do your part; remind them that they shouldn't purchase medication, gas or lottery winnings from an email. It seems to have been said again and again but just like the MPAA and the RIAA run their public service announcements before movies; maybe we need to have an announcement before sending money from your bank to another account. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, especially when it comes to reduced gas prices.

I truly wonder how many times local news stations and papers need to run the story of an individual scammed out of their life savings due to an email that touted a too-good-to-be-true scheme. At the very least, it seems these email-armed con men are on the ball when it comes to identifying consumer needs, or perceived needs anyway. I hear later this year they are coming out with a reprinted version of Dante's Inferno which has been updated to include a new circle of hell specifically for spammers. Until then, be sure to check out how to get gas for $2.99 a gallon for the next three years legitimately.

Hybrid auto costs going up

Tracy Coenen — 2008-05-11T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation

A hybrid automobile seems to make more sense than ever with rapidly rising fuel prices. But the increased demand for these vehicles is causing their prices to rise. Many hybrid prices are up about $2,000 to $5,000 over last year's prices.

It takes drviers several years to make up for the increased hybrid price via fuel savings. Is it still worthwhile? Check out this video for more details.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

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Not your father's Oldsmobile: Gay collectors fawn over fabulous, gas-guzzling, 70s classics

Julie Tilsner — 2008-05-09T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Extracurriculars, Transportation, Travel

I'm not surprised.

Those long, lean, pimpin' machines of yore, those boats of the '70s have been derided long enough by those of us who remember when Disco played on the AM stations. Left unloved too long, their original owners long passed away, these gas-guzzling relics have finally found a new, and adoring audience:

Gay car collectors.

In this piece in the Los Angeles Times, a writer by the unlikely name of Cocoa Efficient relates to us why gay collectors have flocked to the luxury land-cruisers popular in the 70s: They're fabulous. As spacious as an SUV, and even less fuel-efficient (hard to imagine, but true), these cars made use of colors and fabrics in a way that today's car designers could not imagine. Blue velour seats? Audacious.

Just feast your eyes on the photo above of a 1976 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham. Built for comfort and power with not a thought toward fuel conservation. Our modern-day equivalents, say Hummers or an Escalade, can't compare in the truly pimpin' style department. I'd cruise this baby to Vegas any day.

With our '70s-style inflation, it's no wonder these long-ignored cars have suddenly been noticed again. Call it fantasy fulfillment. You wouldn't commute in these cars, but could you resist a road-trip across the country? Just get six or seven friends (and they would easily fit), pool your money for the gasoline, buy appropriate road snacks and pop the Staying Alive soundtrack into the eight-track tape player. I guarantee you'd make a scene at every stop.

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What would a gas tax holiday really do for consumers?

Tracy Coenen — 2008-05-09T16:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Tax, Transportation

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain have both floated the idea of a gas tax holiday to "help consumers." Would turning off the federal gas tax for a period of time really help consumers? Or might it actually make our situation at the fuel pumps even worse?

The Roni Deutch Tax Center has a few comments about the issue. Currently the feds take 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. A gas tax "holiday" would save the average consumer about $30 over three months (but there are varying calculations out there on this). This means consumers could save about $2 to $5 each time they fill up.

But economists say this isn't a good idea. They say that this savings would do next to nothing for consumers. Why? A drop in the price consumers pay would lead to higher demand, which would probably end up pushing up the price of gas. So consumers would be put back in the same position as without the tax holiday.

There's also a complaint that oil companies would make more money on the higher demand and higher consumption. I don't care if the oil companies make more money on gas or not. They're in business to turn a profit and they provide a much needed (and obviously desired) product to us.

What I do care about is the fact that a gas tax "holiday" won't really do anything for consumers anyway. The government needs to get their hands out of our wallets permanently, and that's not going to happen with a three month "holiday" on one tax. The overall tax structure at all levels of government is unfair to consumers and taxes need to be cut across the board. That would be something to get excited about!

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

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Bike to Work Week starts Monday!

Josh Smith — 2008-05-08T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation, Health

This coming week May 12 through 16 is Bike-to-Work Week with Friday the 16 being Bike-to-Work day. The event is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and has many events nationwide. The league has also provided a listing of 50 ways to enjoy the bike related festivities during May, national Bike Month. If you have organized an event in your local community as part of the celebration you can get it added to the official page of events.

Biking to work is a great way to save money on gas as it approaches the $4 mark in many areas of the country. Biking to work has many other benefits including being environmentally friendly. The exercise gained from biking to and from work even a short distance is good for your body. The savings over time for being healthy and in good shape throughout your life is worth more than most people can tally up.

If I was more of a morning person or if I lived closer to work I would definitely take advantage of Bike-to-Work week. Unfortunately I live about 20 miles one way from work and I don't have the desire to get up early enough nor do I have the physical prowess to bike 20 miles and then put in a full day's work. If my employer provided a good shower facility I might attempt to bike every now and then, so long as I had a safety net to pick me up when I fell behind.

Do any readers bike to work? How far do you go? Does your employer provide areas to benefit bikers or incentives to bike?

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Psst! Want some cheap gas? I found it!

Tracy Coenen — 2008-05-07T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation

Can a day go by without a news story regarding record high gas prices in the United States? Doubtful. We're a society of complainers, so the news is much more fun when there is something good to complain about. Gas fits the bill. Especially since it also means we get to complain about big naughty oil companies.

Unfortunately, most Americans don't realize that we are blessed with incredibly low gas prices compared to many places around the world. Even as we flirt with $4 a gallon gas, that's still a bargain when you consider what consumers in other countries pay. Gas prices in the U.S. were 45th cheapest on a list of 155 countries, a survey reported by CNNMoney.com shows.

In oil-producing countries, gas is cheap. It's about 12 cents a gallon in Venezuela, 40 cents a gallon in Iran, and 45 cents a gallon in Saudi Arabia. But in and around Europe, the prices are two to two-and-a-half times higher than the U.S. Gas is $8.73 a gallon in Norway, $8.38 a gallon in the United Kingdom, $8.22 in Belgium, and $7.86 in Germany.

So the next time you get ready to complain about the high cost of gas here, maybe thinking about this study will make you feel a little better. We've still got relatively cheap gas, even though the U.S. is one of the world's biggest consumers of gas.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

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Great deal or desparate plea? Buy a Chrysler and get $3 gas for next 3 years

Geoff Williams — 2008-05-06T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Saving, Transportation

If you haven't been thinking of buying a Chrysler lately, maybe you should. The Detroit News is reporting that Chrysler LLC is offering customers guaranteed gas prices for the next three years. Our sister blog, the ever-vigilant, AutoBlog, was one of the first to report the news yesterday.

The sales plan is called "Let's Refuel America," and almost every Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicle being sold allows you to also sign up for a gas card that will reduce the price you pay to $2.99 -- for the next three years.

Clearly, it's an interesting deal and possibly a fantastic one, depending how high gas prices go. Currently, The Detroit News reports, someone would save approximately $1,000 per year if you have a 12-mile-per-gallon vehicle. People who are not interested can get a different incentive like a rebate or a cash bonus.

But I don't know what's more depressing -- that Chrysler has to bribe people with cheaper gas to buy its cars... or that $2.99 is now considered a deal at the pump.

Geoff Williams is a business journalist and the author of C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America (Rodale).

Take a tip from the third world: $4 gas is scooter time

Tom Barlow — 2008-05-06T11:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation, Travel

For under $2,000, you can buy a brand-new vehicle that will get 100 mpg, and can be parked almost anywhere. With gas at $4 and heading up, perhaps it's time we took another look at the world's answer to cheap transportation, the scooter.

I'm not suggesting the old-style two-stroke, high polluting pieces of crap, but modern, high-quality machines from manufacturers such as Honda.

For example, check out the--

Honda Metropolitan, $1,899. Honda matches classic scooter styling with a 49 cc. four stroke liquid-cooled engine for a ride capable of carrying you 100 miles or so on a gallon of petrol. Talk about cutting down the cost of transportation.

Yamaha Vino, $1,949. This scoot features a comparable engine to the Honda, and gets around 110 mpg. It too has classic European styling and Yamaha quality.

Vespa still has plenty of dogs in this hunt, including the Piaggio Fly50, a 50 cc. four-stroke selling for $1,849. It also captures the scooter cache with handsome styling.

Of course, scooters have limitations, primarily weather. Riding them in traffic takes some practice and skill, and taking a motorcycle training course from the Motorcycle Safety Institute would greatly improve your skills. But with gas going nowhere but up, a little two-wheeled fun might help keep your budget from running out of gas.

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Fuel pumps can't handle the gas price run-up either!

Tracy Coenen — 2008-05-05T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation

I don't think there's anyone around who isn't grumbling about high gas prices. (Unless you're committed to walking and biking, I suppose.) Gas station owners are already hurting because of the high gas prices. They make very little money on gas to begin with, and the higher the prices rise, the more their margins are hurt.

Now we can add another gripe to the list for some gas station owners. Older pumps may not be set up to charge more than $3.99 per gallon. That's the problem one gas station owner in the Seattle area is grappling with. Lou Engels bought new gas pumps in 1995, never thinking that he'd have to replace them because they only go up to $3.99 per gallon.

Those twelve-year-old pumps aren't exactly ancient, and there's apparently nothing wrong with how they operate. So replacing them isn't much of an option, especially when it would cost him tens of thousands of dollars. Even just upgrading the pumps would cost him a minimum of $8,500, a cost that Engel can't justify right now.

So what's a gas station owner to do? Engel has posted large signs indicating the correct price, and each sale has to be tallied by hand before the customer can pay. He says he's got local customers who understand, and this hasn't hurt his business. But it looks like Engel may be forced to do the expensive upgrades, because Washington state laws require the pumps to calculate the correct total price. Just another fuel-related woe to add to the list!

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

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Beware of misleading car ads -- how can a price not include the down payment?

Zac Bissonnette — 2008-05-05T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Ripoffs and Scams, Transportation

You don't have to look very far to find instances of blatantly misleading but still legal advertising in the automotive industry. Even though most dealers clearly disclose how the deal works, the result is that car ads are obfuscatory and require very careful reading.

My favorite (or least favorite) example of deliberately confusing car advertising is the ol' "price reflects down payment and/or trade-in."

Here's an example of how this works in action. Sutherlin Nissan of Fort Myers advertises a 2003 Corvette priced at $24,988, with the caveat (in much smaller print) that "all prices are after your $2000 down payment."

Think about that. This dealer (and many, many other dealers that use the same tactics) are telling you that the car costs $24,988, not including another $2,000. Wouldn't it be more forthright to just say that the car costs $26,988? To my knowledge, the car industry is the only business that uses this tactic. Can you imagine if the flyer for the grocery store advertised "99 CENT VITAMIN WATER!" with an asterisk indicating that "price advertised does not include the other 50 cents that you have to pay for the drink"?

I know that these companies aren't doing anything illegal in their advertising. But to me, it's misleading enough that I wouldn't even consider buying from that dealer.

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Recession Watch: $1,000 a month for a new minivan? No way

Amey Stone — 2008-05-02T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Shopping, Transportation, Recession

This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession.

It has been fun for the past year, since my son was born, driving around in a 1999 Ford Taurus with three kids crammed into the back seat. But the plan has long been to buy a minivan.

The only one my eight-year-old daughter, who loves our Taurus almost as much as my husband, would consent to is the new Dodge Grand Caravan, for 2008. That's because it is the one with the seats that spin and face backwards and the little pop-in table for in-van picnicking.

Am I a sucker for swivel and go seating? Yes! I thought we had an easy decision and I even joined Costco (more on that decision) to take advantage of their no-haggle car buying program. I had my special incentives and zero percent financing deals all lined up when I went to the nearest participating dealer, ready to buy.

Only problem: I thought I could buy a car for about $22,000. But when I got done talking to the salesman, he had me convinced I needed a model that cost $36,000. With my cheap financing deal, that was still $1,000 a month.
In more optimistic times, I might have rationalized the purchase. I mean, we'd probably have the van for 10 years. Maybe I'd let him convince me to lease one. Or take out a five year loan. But this year? When we're trying to cut back on evenings out, new clothes, vacations, anywhere we can, to suddenly take on that kind of expense? All I could think of was all the things I could do with that $1,000 a month.

Owning a Dodge Caravan paled in comparison. I decided to swivel and go myself -- right out of that dealership.

I talked it over with my wise and frugal colleague Sarah Gilbert. She advised waiting a year when I can buy one used at hopefully about half the price.

See, I'm still a sucker for swivel and go seating -- just not at a $36,000 price tag.

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Is your odometer cheating you?

Josh Smith — 2008-04-30T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Ripoffs and Scams, Transportation

Back in 2004 a lawyer in Arkansas found out that his odometer wasn't calculating mileage correctly on his Honda minivan. His tests found out that the odometer was off by 5%, so for every 100 miles his minivan would rack up 105 miles. This may seem like small change, but as Bankrate.com points out, even a 5% error can end your new car's warranty up 1000 miles early! The problem only gets worse when you have a car with a 100,000 mile warranty.

The last time you want to be without a warranty is when your vehicle rolls over 100,000, especially not when you really have 5,000 miles left on your warranty. At this point in your car's life it is much more likely to need expensive repairs which would have normally been covered under warranty. You'll appreciate having checked out the calibration of your odometer when your engine or transmission goes out at 100,007 miles.

Finding out if your odometer is quietly eating away at your warranty is really easy, just grab a friend and head to your closest federal highway. All you need to do is measure your odometer against the mile markers, use some of your mathematical skills and viola, you know how far off your odometer is. Bankrate has several steps to take in the event your odometer is skimming cash from your wallet. Thankfully most odometers are computer controlled, and can be fixed at your local dealer.

When we bought our most recent car we made sure that the car didn't have any odometer fraud, but we didn't even think to check that it was recording correctly. It looks like we have a project for our next road trip, especially since we purchased a power-train warranty with the vehicle.

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Four great ways to find a mechanic

Josh Smith — 2008-04-29T09:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Simplification, Transportation

Finding a good mechanic can be a particularly daunting task. I have been trying to find a new mechanic near me for quite a little while now. This task has been a little more difficult for me as my dad used to be a full time mechanic, handling all of my repairs. Now that he has switched jobs he doesn't have access to many of the tools needed to do advanced work on our 2005 Equinox. Thisrecent purchase spurred the search for a trustworthy and loyal mechanic.

The way I see it, you have 4 options for finding a reliable mechanic in your hometown. If you disagree or want to add to the list use the comments box below.

Use reviews on Cartalk.com - Click and Clack run a weekly call in show about car problems, often spiced with laughs and a DIY approach. Their website also offers a "Find a great mechanic" feature which pointed me to several local repair shops worth checking out.
Ask your co-workers and neighbors - Have lunch with a co-worker you trust and get along with, find out where they take their car. If they seem happy with the service give the place a try. Same goes for your neighbor, though if they recommend "Cousin Jim's auto repair and taxidermy," you may want to make sure the shop is properly equipped and staffed with trained employees.

Ask your Dad - Call me sexist if you want, but in my house dad handled any car repairs or trips to the mechanic in the rare case our garage wasn't equipped to handle the problem. Before you give the go ahead on a major repair at a new shop, call Dad and see if the cost sounds reasonable. Even if he isn't a mechanic I'd venture to say he has had enough work done over the years that he'll know if a price is right!
Shop Around - Before something major goes wrong and you are too stressed out to make fiscally responsible decisions check out several mechanics. An easy way to do this is to have your oil changed at different location until you find one that fits you. You'll know you have the right place by the way you are treated and how comfortable you are dealing with the mechanic.

When you do find a mechanic you are ready to call your own, don't forget to look for certification, recent training and a tidy shop. You don't need a wall of ink jet certificates and a floor you can eat off, but you should feel like your car won't come back with a rodent hiding in the glove box. Finally be sure to ask about any kind of warranty on parts and repairs, and find out if you can bring your own parts in. Providing the parts may be cheaper in some instances, but could also invalidate any warranty on repairs, so you'll need to weigh the benefits. We just saved close to $50 on a brake job because the pads were still under warranty ,so make sure you toss the sales slip into the maintenance log you keep in the glove box. You are keeping track of your repairs and when you get new tires, right?

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Recession watch: Catalytic converter thefts test car owners' mettle

Anne Gelhaus — 2008-04-29T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation, Recession

This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession.

My brother-in-law recently wound up paying a lot more than he expected when he left my nephew's Toyota Tacoma in the Oakland Airport's long-term parking for the weekend. When he returned from his trip and turned the key in the ignition, the truck let out a roar that would deafen even the most hardened Harley driver, and David knew he'd joined the growing number of victims of catalytic converter theft nationwide.

Thieves have taken to removing catalytic converters, which help control emissions, from the underside of parked vehicles. The converters contain trace amounts of platinum and rhodium--which go for about $2,054 and $9,278 per ounce, respectively--and can be sold on the black market for a couple hundred dollars each. Victims, however, pay much more than that for replacement parts: My brother-in-law shelled out almost $2,000 for a new converter for my nephew's truck.

While David has pledged to use only short-term parking at the airport from now on, that precaution might not be enough. For one thing, trucks like the Tacoma and SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner--the vehicle David owns and drives to the train station each morning--are among the hardest hit since they sit high off the ground, making their catalytic converters easy to remove from underneath. For another, those who are of the mind to slide under a vehicle with hacksaw in hand don't seem to be picky about where they strike: Reports of catalytic converter thefts have come from day care centers in Memphis, carpool lots in Michigan and car dealerships in Ohio.

Since this is a crime of opportunity--and since thieves are grabbing every opportunity they can--prevention is tricky. Seems the best way to avoid becoming a victim is to drive low to the ground. Or maybe just ride a Harley.

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One bright spot on the horizon for air travelers?

Tracy Coenen — 2008-04-28T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Transportation, Travel

I moan a lot about how poorly the airlines treat their customers. And with the addition of all sorts of fees for everything from a drink of water to bringing two suitcases on your trip, the race is on to see which airline can treat its customers worst.

UK company Thompson Solutions has created a better airline seat they call the "The Cozy Suite." I already know what you're thinking. First class doesn't need another perk on their trip. But these seats - believe it or not - are made specifically for coach travelers.

The key to comfort for these seats is their staggered design. Three people are no longer crammed directly next to each other. Each passenger is slightly in front of or behind the person next to them, giving the illusion of more room. The seats even add seating capacity to some flights (depending on the configuration the airline chooses) which should make them more appealing to airline management. If airlines choose the configuration that does not add capacity, the seats then end up being two-inches wider than a normal coach seat. Yahoo!!!

A lot of design time went into these seats, with the most important part of the process... watching passengers to see how they sat and slept while on flights. Wired reports that Delta is the first airline that will be using the seats. They're scheduled to install them in 100 airplanes used for transatlantic flights, beginning in 2010. I'm all in favor of anything that will offer some level of comfort on flights!

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Telecommuting could save America $4.5 billion

Josh Smith — 2008-04-28T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Technology, Transportation

The American Electronics Association released a report last week as part of Earth Day celebrations making a strong case for telecommuting. The study found that if all employees in the U.S. whose positions allowed it worked from home two days a week the demand for gasoline would drop by 1.35 billion gallons!

The report also addresses many of the concerns managers have with their underlings telecommuting, dispelling several, and providing additional reasons for companies to support working from home. The strongest reasons other than cost savings are that working from home improves both employee retention and productivity.

For many employees, the technology to enable telecommuting is already available. Possibly one of the biggest hurdles is the need for a secure connection to the work network, known as a VPN, but in recent years these have become more common. Off the shelf solutions such as LogMeIn and GoToMyPC provide secure connections and are easy to set up, providing a link to a computer already on the network. This leaves just the need for a laptop, miscellaneous office equipment and a high speed Internet connection to complete the telecommuter's home office.

I would love to be able to work from home for a few days a week at my day job as a database administrator. I currently commute about 40 miles round trip, and while I carpool, I am still spending a nice chunk of my monthly take home on gas. In my case, the technology is all in place, and as for home office equipment, I'd be willing to use my own technology to work from home a few days a week. Unfortunately working from home is still looked at warily by my employer, though given the green initiatives in place at work; this report may be just what I need. I guess I'll be doing a mass emailing in the morning! I think I'll need support from the president to get this one green lit.

What do you all think? Do your employers allow you to telecommute? Why or why not? Let's hear from you.

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