Holiday Travelers Hope To Stay Safe As They Hit The Streets, Skies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As holiday travelers clogged the roads Thursday night, others were hoping to avoid delays at area airports.
CBS2's Alice Gainer was at LaGuardia Airport, where things were relatively calm. It appeared many people may have already left for the holiday weekend.
Gainer talked to travelers who had just touched down in New York, and for the first time ever, heard no complaints.
"Easy, simple," one said.
"I was coming from Chicago, which doesn't have a reputation of being an easy place to come from," another said.
One thing on the back of travelers' minds was the recent attack at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany. At LaGuardia, the security measures were obvious.
"There was more security and evidence, but I don't want to stop my trip and my enjoyment," said Margaret Smith, of Chicago.
"I think they have enough security everywhere to prevent anything," another traveler said.
"I know it's going to be a safe trip," said Monica Chung, of Minnesota.
As one of the busiest travel times of the year, statistics show there is a chance your holiday trip might include a stop in the emergency room, CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez reported.
Jazon Ziegler and his family were packing for a trip to see relatives over the holidays. Unlike a recent vacation, this time they hoped to spend a little more time getting some R&R and less time in the ER.
"I tried to play it off, and the next day I just couldn't do it anymore and had to go to the emergency room and see what's going on. I ended up rupturing my eardrum and just had a horrible time the rest of the week," he said.
A new national survey by Orlando Health shows one out of four Americans had their vacations interrupted by a trip to the ER. Experts there should know, Orlando is not only one of the busiest travel destinations in the country, it's also home to one of the busiest ERs.
"We really see the gamut. I mean, if you think it you can imagine it, quite honestly, we've seen it," Dr. Steven Corbett said.
Corbett said he treats so many people from so many places, he knows how to say the word "pain" in 17 languages.
He advised people to stay home if they aren't feeling well to begin with.
"If you're ill or sick before you leave and you wouldn't go to work that day, you probably shouldn't go to your vacation that day as well," he said.
He said too many people try to push it and end up in the ER, and a surprising number forget to refill their medications before they leave. He suggested using your phone to take photos of prescriptions and uploaded important images or X-rays.
"You'd be surprised by how many people have something brand new or acute, like an operation in their recent past, and have almost no details about who, what or why they had their procedure," he said.
Always put your medicine in a carry-on bag in case your luggage gets lost.
Lastly, if you're going out of the country, buy traveler's insurance. Medicare and some private plans are no good outside of the United States.
Also, pace yourself -- drinking too much or eating too many new foods is another way to wind up in the ER. And if you're heading to a sunny destination, don't forget to pack sunscreen. It may be winter, but the sun is still strong in Florida and the islands.
