Just the name of this book gives an inkling that this will not be your normal travel book: The Titanic Awards: Celebrating the Worst of Travel by Doug Lansky. Lansky offers up the worst of the worst in the following travel categories- Air Travel, Surface Transport, Hospitality, Food & Drink and Destination & Tourism. Categories were chosen from surveys and travel industry studies. Interspersed in the categories are also some interesting random incidents that have been previously published in newspapers or media reports. This is the type of book you can pick up and browse through for just a few minutes at your leisure.
If you would like to find out which airport has the worst layout, what city has the most confusing subway system or which country has the worst beer, this is the book for you. The Titanic Awards fills a niche in travel writing by reporting on the worst types of travel encounters. As the author points out, most travel magazines and journals tell you where to spend your vacation, what to see and where to stay. Since their advertising revenues are dependent on the travel industry, they normally don’t bite the hands that feed them by reporting on places and hotels to avoid.
That’s where The Titanic Awards comes in. Besides giving you useful information, you’ll also find out which country has the worst dressed tourists and which cities, hotels and restaurants have the most unfortunate names. It’s ironic to find that the country with the most overrated food also has the rudest waiters. Additional information on new awards can also be found at www.titanicawards.com.
Page through this book, but remember to read it with an open mind. For instance, in the survey of most dangerous cities, Johannesburg, South Africa came in first, Baghdad, Iraq was second, followed closely by the number three city, Detroit, Michigan. What? Detroit is almost as dangerous as Baghdad? Really?
