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Sue the Bastards
Err Travel · August 1, 2000

Smack dab in the middle of National Tourism Week (May 7-13), the Associated Press reported that a jury awarded $5.2 million to the family of a Dutch tourist killed during a robbery in Miami in 1996.

Want to guess who is supposed to pony-up this "award?"

It's not the City of Miami where the crime took place. It's not the Miami-Dade Police Department that is supposed to protect its residents and visitors. It's not the owner of the gas station in Liberty City where the victim stopped with her husband to ask directions. And it's not the most culpable of all - the murderers or their families.

No, it's Alamo, the company that simply rented the tourist and her husband a car.

Surprised? Me neither. There is no question that a major consideration - no, the only consideration - in deciding to pursue this case against Alamo was money. What is surprising is that so many other potentially bountiful sources of dough were not named as defendants in this case.

How could the plaintiff's attorney overlook so many other potential revenue sources? Perhaps focusing on a single prosperous company interferes with the ability to see the boundless opportunities to pick the deep pockets of other travel suppliers. So as a service to unprincipled ambulance cha… I mean trial lawyers, I'll use this case as an example to propose other sources that could have proved lucrative.

(No need to send me messages of thanks. It's just another service from us here at Ticked.com.)

Here is a list of missed targets of opportunity:

• Visit Florida, the official tourism marketing agency for the state of Florida, and the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau - for enticing the victim to south Florida without posting a notice like, "Warning: The Attorney General has determined that travel in the Miami area may be hazardous to your health."
  
  
• The victim's travel agent who arranged her trip and the travel agency that made her reservations and issued her airline ticket - for professional negligence in not performing due diligence in carefully researching the victim's itinerary.
  
  
• The airline that flew her to the United States - for delivering her to ground-zero in our crime-ridden country
  
  
• The automobile maker that sold the victim's rental car to Alamo - for supplying a vehicle that could be driven into dangerous neighborhoods.
  
  
• Her husband who was driving the rental car - for getting lost and then choosing to stop at the gas station that became the scene of the crime.
  
  
• The gun producer whose product was used in the commission of the crime - for manufacturing the murder weapon. (Oh, wait a minute, other attorneys are following that angle already.)
  
  
• The hotel - for sending a reservation confirmation without noting the dangers that may present themselves on the way to the hotel.
  
  
• Finally, Terry Riley - for telling travelers that they are ultimately responsibility for their own personal safety when they travel.

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority. His column appears on Wednesdays. He is author of the popular book Travel Can Be Murder. Visit his site at http://www.appliedpsychology.com or e-mail him at terry@ticked.com.