More fuel to the fire

Although I don't read much for fun these days (not for the lack of trying, just for the lack of time), I really do enjoy reading the human interest pieces in the newspapers--stories that are not breaking news, but either highlights subtle fascinations of mundane life or the "mundane" lives of incredible people. That explains why virtually all of the books I've bought or read recently are non-fiction.

I've noticed that a number of articles over the recent years focus on different "fads" in tourism, and an increasing number are driven by socioeconomic consciousness or needs. There's eco-tourism for those who would like to learn while having fun. There's "humanitarian tourism," in which people purportedly travel and do good at the same time; I'm a little leery of the momentary-feel-good motives, but I'm not going to go any further than that. There's "medical tourism" for surgeries, cheap medication, etc., which, in a sense, is a sad testament to a broken American health system.

And now, there's another form of tourism that I'd call Petrol Tourism. All of the above-mentioned varieties of tourism bear some rather highly-politicized controversies of their own, and this one is no exception. It's a very interesting read.

As usual, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

UPDATED: My roommate and I were chatting today about the same subject. She had heard a story about even more extreme measures that people take for cheap gas at the San Diego border crossing. You can read about it in the Wall Street Journal.