Brave behind the wheel

She sleeps with a rifle at night - and drives her taxi by day

In case you missed it, there is a change taking place on the streets of Afghanistan with the country's first female taxi driver in recent memory.

Sara Bahayi (or Bahai) is the brave Afghan woman who was inspired to drive a taxi, and went about securung her license, despite the barriers.

Profiled earlier this year by multiple sources, Al Jazeera recently released a new video about Sara, with footage of Afghan women speaking about the difference one woman is making, a sampling of her detractors and the new generation of women she is now teaching to drive.

You can also watch 2 videos about Sara's bold move on AutoBlog.

Related resources
Female cab driver in Afghanistan breaks stereotypes
The unlikely life of Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver
Afghanistan's first female taxi driver encourages women to drive
Female taxi drivers around the world
Kabul International Airport (KBL) transportation guide

The 420 from PDX

Just a week ago, as part of it's World's Best Awards, Travel+Leisure placed Portland Airport (PDX) at the top of it's World's Best Airports - Domestic Airports list. Or, rather, readers of T+L Magazine voted PDX to the top spot during an extensive readership survey.

Putting aside the conundrum-causing juxtaposition of words the title evokes*, there is a new development that could take "Fly PDX" to a whole new level, if you get our drift. Check out this headline in the International Business Times:

Marijuana Legalization In Oregon: Portland Airport Allows Travelers To Bring Weed On In-State Flights

Yes, that's right. The Portland, Oregon airport has indeed declared it acceptable for passengers to carry recreational marijuana - which is now legal in Oregon - on flights departing PDX, as long as the destination is within the state. And that's recreational marijuana, not medicinal.

Known for it's focus on service and its willingness to innovate, this latest move can only be descried as accommodating. What's funny is that there is no mention of this on the PDX website, however social media and news feeds are alive with the news.

If PaxEx means keeping travellers at your airport happy and relaxed, then PDX takes the cake. Oh, speaking of munchies...

Where to eat at Portland PDX - Portland Eater

So many people love PDX's trippy carpet
that they've created a way for fans to buy
a piece of the carpet when they are replaced!

Curious? Read on How the Portland Airport
Carpet Became a Hipster Icon

*Do you share our conundrum? How can a list of domestic airports in the United States can be considered "world's best" (wouldn't that be "World's Best Airports - Domestic Airports USA" or "United States Best Airports - Domestic Airports"?!?).... We get what T+L is trying to do, but the liberties they take with wording their award titles makes us (non-Americans) shake our heads, just a little..

Related resources
Oregon’s Portland International Airport to allow passengers to carry recreational marijuana
Is PDX the best airport in America? Travel+Leisure says so (poll)
Portland International Airport (PDX) transportation guide
Private transfer from Portland Airport - arrive stress free!
Private transfer from Portland Airport in a stretch limo - arrive in style!

All images creative commons - click each image for source info