Ed from Pensacola

Ed where are you?
I hope you know that you are missed & we hope to read your fantastic responses once again ;-)

Miss Ed, too.

I really miss Ed, and would have to to see him tackle the countless "is it safe here?" questions with his usual candor and spunk. I think he is one of the few people who can get away with totally being himself (unfiltered).

75% of initial responders really miss him.

Well guys, it's been about a year and 1/2 or so since he posted. Another thread on this subject posted back in Nov, 2014 elicited 65 responses but no resolution to the question: "where is Ed?"

We all miss him and it would be nice to have a 'final answer' about what happened to him but I'm not holding my breath that that will happen.

a year and a half?! i never would have dreamed it would have been that long. wow.

i hope he's okay and just got annoyed, and not that something bad happened to him.

Hmmmm.

Didn't some chime in at some point that he had responded to a private email and that he just wasn't taking part in the forum anymore?

Yes, Valerie, I think that's right. Here's that post if anyone wants to weed through the responses:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/ed

I also really miss Ed's succinct and entertaining comments, and hopefully he will return at some point in the future.

A lot of his posts were arrogant and condescending.

Let's just say that Ed did not suffer fools gladly.

I don't want to speak for Ed as to why he is no longer posting, but for those who are concerned about his well-being...he is fine.

I'm so glad to hear that Ed is fine. I miss him. He was extremely helpful to me when I was planning my first trip to Scotland. "Arrogant and condescending"? Me, too. I love it! Hope you come back someday, Ed.

Norma, your comment about Ed is the best description of his posts I have ever heard. It is a shame that he's not been around for so long and I'm glad to hear he's fine. Many of us still miss his comments that were usually brief and right on the mark even though they may have seemed arrogant and condescending to some. He had the absolute best information for touring Wales and I'm glad I have saved his responses to my posts and some PM's also since I'm still waiting for that trip to happen. I laugh when I think of what he would have thought about some of the recent 'discussions' about politics, terrorism, and whether it's safe to travel and what his responses would be.

Surely he must be Jonathan Goldsmith.

Instead of arrogant and condescending to describe Ed's posts let's say pithy and forthright. More apropos.

Pithy, yes. The essence of pithiness and a good command of the English language.

Expect to see Ed in television commercials soon. In a travel related story for those of you who are not keeping up with the really important international news, the formerly Most Interesting Man in the World is now on a mission to Mars, and the sponsoring beer company is looking for a replacement.

I am not so sure about his command of the English language. His favorite verb when talking about walking in Scotland and Wales was "to hump" by which he meant a strenuous effort. He claimed to be unaware that "hump" is a transitive verb with a rather vulgar meaning.

When he used the word hump I assumed he'd been in the military, as that is a common term for a long, arduous journey, whether on foot or by vehicle.

He was in the military.

He was definitely retired military (I got the impression maybe of a higher rank), that's how he was able to fly all over the world for a lot less than it would have cost us ordinary citizens. He mentioned that a couple of times.

Yes, he was military, and had some unique' Edisms' that made his posts LOL material.

I miss Ed too. He was the funniest poster on this forum and offered the very best advice. He served his time in the Marines. I believe he is assisting survivors in Nepal. He travels around the world helping others.
Hope he returns soon.

I miss reading Ed's posts too. When I was planning a first trip to England, Scotland and Wales in 2014, his advice along with advice from Nigel and Pam was invaluable. Glad to know that he is fine and while I hope he returns to the forum at some point, it is good to know he is out enjoying life and doing things he wants to do. His posts were not only full of great information but good humor as well.

Remember he once claimed to be a CIA black ops but that claim didn't last long. And also a pilot. So who knows who Ed was or is but he was a decent read. Maybe he is not traveling anymore, anywhere.

Yes, he can fly.

So could his best buddy.

Yes, he has and had interesting occupations.

Yes, he is still travelling.

But is Ed real? Nigel, I will be in London in Sept. I will drink a pint with you so that I know you are real and I am real. But Lee knows that already.

Well if he wasn't real then that boat must have floated up the staircase locks all on its own. It takes more than just me winding the windlass.

Trust me, he's real.

"But Lee knows that already."

I'm no longer so sure about that. You haven't been to a Panera meeting in over a year. Where is the real Frank and what have you done with him? I think the Cubans have replaced him with a spy.

BTW, I to miss Ed and his sense of humor.

Yes, Ed is real and still traveling.

Didn't he show up at one of the Atlanta forum meetings one time? I seem to remember hearing that.
He definitely has a quick wit.

Excellent responses Nigel!!

I saw on the news a few weeks ago that Ed has now retired from his TV gig advertising a Mexican beer, which he seldom drank, and is now on an interplanetary expedition to Mars. You may be able to reach him through the Beyond Europe site in the Travel forum.

Good one, Roy.

His posts were certainly entertaining. I didn't always find them believable, but were definitely imaginative.