Tips on navigating airports and taxi tales.

Byline: Douglas Hanks III

Aug. 28--After three days of rushing in and out of Miami International Airport covering the emergency liquid and gel ban on airliners (we bugged the federal government about whether stick deodorant is allowed so you didn't have to), I wound up much smarter about parking there than before. Here are my two discoveries: -- Use your credit card in long-term parking. When I pulled into the garage complex, I reached to push the button for a ticket as usual. Then I noticed the sign saying I could just stick my credit card in the machine instead. Might as well, I thought. A few hours later, in a hurry to get back to the newsroom, I saw 10 cars backed up at the cashier's station. I gave myself a little pat on the back and zipped right up to the empty lane marked "Credit Cards." I stuck the same card in the slot there, and a few seconds later I had a receipt and was on my way. A no-brainer, as far as I can tell. Please let me know if you've had problems.

-- The garage lettering system isn't as $@#!& complicated as you think. At least three times I've been convinced my car was stolen from MIA, only to realize I was just a little lost. (A big clue: The car in question was a 1993 Nissan Altima with no hubcaps.) Every time I park my car, I find the nearest sign, write down the number and letter (4Q was my most recent landing spot), and then head for the terminal. But for some reason, when I retrace my route days later, I often find myself walking up and down ramps in search of my parking spot. The problem: Unlike Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, most MIA parking spots are on ramps. If you park on the upper half of a ramp, you're likely to walk downhill and wind up on the lower floor. When you come back and try to compensate -- I'll just look for 3Q! -- it doesn't work. And now I've realized why. 4Q doesn't connect to 3Q. It connects to 3QQ. That is, midway downhill between the fourth and third level, 4Q ramp morphs into 3QQ. (And 3Q morphs into 2QQ, and so on.) This may sound far too complicated without checking it out in the garage, but understanding the system makes a breeze out of finding your car again. The best way to remember it: the extra letter rolls down hill. YOUR TURN Of course, whenever this column offers advice, it's just a pretense to get readers to provide much better tips. Today's topic: navigating the local airports. Send me your secrets. And, as you can see from my tips, no helpful tidbit is too technical. TAXI! TAXI? A recent column highlighted Gary Urban's harrowing anecdotes about cab rides in Mexico and Venezuela. I asked readers to share their taxi tales, and I received quite a few. And, I'm happy ...