Parasailing by keith allison

The White-Miskell Act does mandate that  companies that offer parasailing services have liability insurance and have a weather radio on board the boat used for the services. The companies that operate these services cannot offer parasailing when it’s too windy, foggy, or rainy.

The use of a weather radio is vital to this business, because high wind could cause the line that connects the parasailer to the boat to suddenly break.

Before you go parasailing during your vacation, understand that the law, however, does not force parasailing companies to maintain equipment or inspect it. Parasailers are lifted up  about about 200 feet in the air. According to Debbie Chalik, an attorney for a parasailing accident victim, since 1982, 72 people have died in parasailing accidents and 1,600 people have been injured.

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Rio by Priscilla JP

The attack on a couple of tourists in Rio recently has travelers and travel professional alike, wondering if law enforcement officials can handle the throngs of guests who are expected to visit Rio for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, reported CBC. It is true that a single incident should not dissuade people from travelling, but fear is a powerful thing, and people no doubt would want to avoid areas that could pose a risk to their personal safety. The couple caught a van in a popular and relatively safe area in Rio, and instead of taking the two to their destination, a club area, they attacked them.

The woman in her 20s was raped repeatedly by three men, and her boyfriend was handcuffed and beaten. The rapists went on a spending spree with the couple’s credit cards, and when the money ran out from the cards they had with them, the criminals forced them to get another card.

The terror inflicted on this couple, although horrific, has occurred over and over again in the United States. Americans have heard tales of horrible crimes against innocent tourists, visiting the states. In a way, some people have become desensitized to these tragedies. So, it is unlikely that this incident will keep people from visiting Rio during these events. They might think twice about riding private transportation, and from the description of these vans, that might be a good choice.  If anything, this crime and the media attention that it has garnered will probably prompt law enforcement officials to further step up crime prevention efforts.

Photo by Priscilla JP

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