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16 Aug 2010 12:50

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World: In Colombia, an airliner broke in three (!!!) in a huge crash

Sure, this looks awful, but the really crazy part is that despite all that, only one person died in this Columbia plane crash (though 114 were injured). source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

20 Jul 2010 03:01

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Offbeat: Mexican monkey smuggler no match for airline security

  • 18 monkeys around this dude’s freaking waist source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2010 12:16

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Offbeat: RyanAir charges for bathrooms, American Restroom Association exists

  • It is a human right to freely eliminate yourself. It’s conceivable that people could be stuck on an airline for 15 to 20 hours. The idea of having only one bathroom in a situation like that is … strange.
  • University of Maryland professor Dr. Steven Soifer • Regarding RyanAir’s decision to cut the number of bathrooms from three to one, and make that one coin-operated. While he may miss the boat on some aspects of this (he argues that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, even though RyanAir is a European company, on other aspects he’s dead-on. Fun fact: Soifer is the co-founder of the American Restroom Association and Shy Bladder Center, two organizations we can’t believe exist. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Dec 2009 20:30

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U.S.: The CIA was left holding the Underwear Bomber’s bag, apparently

  • They had a report on the guy all written up. They didn’t share it. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab was known to the CIA. In fact, they had everything they needed to nail the guy in case he did something like this. Instead, though, it sat around in Langley, Virginia for five weeks, just in time for this guy to almost blow up a plane. Clearly, the system is broken. And no matter how it’s spun, both Bush and Obama failed here. As did Congress. There’s plenty of blame to go around. Who wants some? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Dec 2009 20:22

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U.S.: Quick question: Did the U.S. blow the underwear bomber case?

  • YES that’s what Obama is saying, not us source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Dec 2009 14:39

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U.S.: The new airline security rules: Hitting a gnat with a sledgehammer

  • Because consumers can’t be trusted to make up for failings caused by a security check that wasn’t done on a multi-part flight from Nigeria, people flying to the U.S. from another country will be subject to rules forcing them to new standards. To call these rules over-the-top is to point out that they’re punishing the wrong people for something one guy did. Here’s a quick overview of the rules, according to Air Canada:
  • one Multiple searches, both at the airport screening point and the aircraft boarding area.
  • two One carry-on item per person, which means you’re stuck paying fees to check your stuff.
  • three During the last hour of flight, you must remain seated with no access to carry-on items.
  • four If you see your own shadow on a flight, be scared of it. (We made that one up, guys.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

15 Apr 2009 22:26

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Biz, Offbeat: Yo, fattie, you’re taking up an extra seat! Time to pay double!

  • United joins in the anti-fattie air crusade. Are you really fat. Like, really fat? Fatter than that, even? Say, bigger than a breadbox, or an airplane seat? Well, if your fatness gets you booted off a flight, you’re paying for two on United. They’re not alone in their policy – eight other airlines already do it. United defines obese as, get this, “unable to lower the arm rest and buckle a seat belt with one extension belt.” So, sorry fat people. You’re fat. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
 
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