Ever take a trip with your spouse or significant other, and suddenly find yourself "in the mood" at 20,000 feet? You may want to keep that affection in check. Some guy from California might go to jail for getting it on with his girlfriend in the air.

Carl William Persing has been convicted of interfering with flight attendants and crew members after he and his girlfriend "made other passengers uncomfortable" by "kissing" and "embracing." After they asked him to take his tongue out of his girlfriend's mouth, Persing got miffed, threatened the attendants -- twice -- and found himself in an awkward conversation with FBI officials upon arrival in North Carolina.

Sounds like he was acting like a jerk, so fair enough. I know I wouldn't want to watch anyone suck face -- let alone when I'm stuck with them for a cross-country flight. But because it all happened on an airplane, Persing was breaking federal law, and has thus been convicted of a federal felony -- which means he'll probably serve jail time.

Wow. I can only imagine the conversation with other inmates while he's in the slammer.

"Why are you in here?"
"I robbed a bank. What about you?"
"I. Uh. Made out with my girlfriend on an airplane."

Doesn't exactly make him sound like a force to be reckoned with.

Frisky Passenger Faces Prison originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 04 May 2007 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If there's one thing common to all adventure travelers, it's the drive to overcome adversity. One British man exemplifies this spirit -- flying 13,500 miles from London to Sydney even though he's completely blind.

Under the supervision of a sighted co-pilot, Miles Hilton-Baber took to the skies for 59 days in a microlight aircraft, competing with snowstorms, freezing temperatures, and torrential downpours. When the trip was completed, not only had Hilton-Barber fulfilled a life-long dream, but he'd also raised a possible $2 million for Seeing is Believing -- a charity that works to prevent blindness in developing countries.

And if you think that's impressive, you should also know that he's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Blanc, run marathons in the Sahara and Gobi deserts, and made an attempt at the South Pole. This man is proof that people really can do anything they set their mind to.

Blind Pilot Makes Successful International Flight originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the old days, if you wanted to be a flight attendant, you had to be young, single and slim. That's how things were when Iris Peterson got her start back in 1946. But during her more than 60 years in the airline industry, the world's #1 Flight Attendant fought to end that kind of discrimination. Now, at age 85, she's finally retiring.

Most of her work was through the Association of Flight Attendants -- the attendants' workers' union. In 1953 she became the first official lobbyist for the organization (then called the Air Line Stewards and Stewardesses Association), and she quickly set to work changing policy. Not only did she see the repeal of archaic regulations -- such as the one requiring that stewardesses had to leave the job when they got married -- but also worked toward increased safety on airplanes, especially when engineers were creating the world's first jumbo jet.

In fact, many of the things we take for granted on modern airplanes were directly affected by Peterson.

I'm always amazed when I read about people with such a passion and dedication to their careers. I wonder, how many travelers never realized they were flying with an industry legend?

[via Neatorama]

World's #1 Flight Attendant Calls it Quits at 85 originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While it may seem obvious, it's worth noting that the best experiences I have while exploring cities around the world are never to do with what's there -- museums, important landmarks, etc -- but instead revolve around how the place makes me feel.

One artist is making it easy for travelers like me, by making maps based not on an area's geography, but rather on the emotions evoked by different areas within an urban landscape.

It works like this: volunteers agree to wander around a city while wearing both a GPS device and a sensor similar to that which is used in lie detector tests. Their thoughts on what they saw and felt when the polygraph recorded a quickened heartbeat are then recorded by the artist, who in turn uses the information to create "emotional maps."

As you might suspect, a number of marketing and advertising companies want to use the findings to better target consumers, but the most interesting find -- at least for me -- is that people respond to social interactions far more than any piece of architecture. This means you're far more likely to connect with a city full of interesting people, rather than someplace that has impressive buildings or attractive landscapes.

Might be useful information for the next time you're planning that urban getaway, although -- at least for the moment -- London and San Francisco are the only cities the artist has completed.

Emotional Maps: a New Way to Navigate the City originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's pretend you're in a relationship where gender roles are traditionally defined. Sick and tired of feeling obedient to her husband, and blindly accepting his every arbitrary decision, the woman finally cries "I wish, just once, you could walk a day in my shoes, buster! Then you'd know what I have to put up with!"

Now, thanks to a rather odd initiative by the Chinese government, you can make that dream a reality.

The country is building the world's first "women's town" -- a place where women run everything, and men get punished for disobedience. With a motto of "women never make mistakes, and men can never refuse women's requests," the town claims to be emulating the traditional male/female dynamic in the areas of Sichuan province and Chongqing, but appears to be more about having fun with a novel gimmick (or just putting men in their place).

So, by 2008 (or so), tour groups will be able to enter the town, and women in the group will immediately be given total control. They chose where to go shopping, where to eat, where to stay, and any man who disagrees is punished by washing dishes or "kneeling on an uneven board."

Sounds like this is where Chinese men are heading every time they forget an anniversary.

"Women's town" puts men in their place originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ever been on safari, and wished you could get up close and personal with animals? Normally that'd be too dangerous, but one German performance artists has found a novel solution for keeping himself self while out in the elements.

He's protected by a giant ball of steel wire. Not only that, the design of the ball allows him to move at will -- propelling himself and the contraption simply by shifting his weight in a walking motion.

It's part of a 220-mile publicity stunt to raise awareness for those who need psychiatric help. Seems a little random, but according to Arnd Drossel, the artist: "the whole concept is about finding the courage to do something and inspire courage in those who have lost their confidence along with much else."

Drossel envisioned the idea after suffering a personal low, and realizing how little help there was for people in bouts with depression. So he enlisted the help of psychiatric patients around the area to build his unique traveling device, then set off at a pace of nearly 13 miles a day.

If nothing else, it certainly appears to have the tigers' attention.

[via Spluch]

How to Get Really Close to Tigers originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As I've mentioned on a number of occasions, the sunny, temperate afternoons and lush green countryside make the UK a great pace to visit during the Spring and Summer. Ahhh.

Now there's yet another reason for Britain-bound travelers to celebrate -- a new sexual "theme park" is has opened in London.

In tourist-friendly Piccadilly Circus, you'll find Amora, a "love and relationship academy" featuring exhibits that explore every aspect of sexuality, from flirting to fetishes.

After a jaunt though the erotic attraction, you can wander into nearby Soho -- which not only is home to great bars, restaurants and jazz clubs, but also the city's renowned red light district. And -- while I wouldn't normally admit this, but seeing as it's pertinent -- I can personally vouch for at least one of the district's adult-themed stores. In what has been, as of yet, my only experience with a "sex shop," I entered one of the Soho's sleazier establishments at the tender age of 15, and...

Well, we'll just say it was an eye-opener.

But, at least according to an Amora spokeswoman, sleaze is the last thing you'll find at the new erotic museum, which aims to inform the more high-brow sexual connoisseur.

Seems worth a visit -- as, by the sounds of it, you might even learn a thing or two.

Trouble With Your Love Life? Visit the New Sexual Theme Park originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 21 Apr 2007 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's plenty of reasons to visit Amsterdam -- the people, the culture, the beautiful, walkable city -- but let's get real: the place is famous for its coffee shops, where patrons come to sit back, relax, and smoke a couple doobies. But like other European countries, the Netherlands is considering a ban on smoking tobacco in restaurants, cafes and bars -- so will this signal the end for the country's pot-smoking tourist traffic?

The answer, in short, seems to be no. Namely, because the clientele at these establishments aren't actually smoking tobacco. Those who like to smoke their marijuana mixed with tobacco (a circumstance in which the ban probably would apply), will most likely get around the restriction simply by mixing their dope with something else. "You can bring parsley or old socks if you want, cut them here and smoke them, nobody will say anything," one Dutch politician and coffee shop owner told Reuters News.

A ban -- which could go into effect at the beginning of 2008 -- might even mean good news for the makers and distributors of marijuana smoking paraphernalia, such as pipes, bongs, or other oddball contraptions potheads have dreamed up for the sake of improving their high.

So don't worry, it looks Amsterdam's tourists will be getting stoned wherever they like for the foreseeable future.

Would a Dutch Smoking Ban Mean the End of its Famous Coffee Shops? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I remember when my family first moved from the US to the UK, one off the most obvious -- and most difficult -- parts of culture shock was driving on the opposite side of the road. There's a number of little things that make this a challenge -- for example, it's hard to know where the left front corner of your car is in relation to where you're sitting in the driver's seat. This issue led to a couple awkward explanations at the rental car place.

However, far more troubling is when you have a mental lapse, revert to old habits, and drive on the wrong side altogether (which is surprisingly easy to do when there's no oncoming traffic).

It appears Americans aren't the only ones who space out while behind the wheel. Brits driving in France are apparently having considerable trouble remembering to drive on the right side of the road, as opposed to left as they've grown accustom. So much so, that police in a small town in northern France have launched a poster campaign to remind motorists to drive on the appropriate side.

They hope that by covering the town in English-language posters that read: "For your safety, keep right on French roads," they can prevent additional tourist-related traffic deaths (there have been 2 in the last 2 years in this town alone).

Now if they could just explain how round-a-bouts work, I think we'll be in business.

Driving On the Wrong Right Side of the Road originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday I posted about tickets going on sale for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Understandably, China wants to make a good impression on the hordes of international travelers who will descend upon their country. In an effort to control that impression, the government has made a 12-item self-improvement list for cabdrivers.

So, if you travel to Beijing for the games, you can be sure your cabdrivers won't smoke, spit or overcharge. Women won't wear big earrings or have red hair, and men's hair will be kept short. They'll also always use their meter, or they'll run the risk of losing their license.

On the one hand, I feel sorry for cabbies who are having their appearance micro-managed by the Chinese government, but on the other, taking a taxi in a country you're not familiar with -- especially when your language isn't commonly spoken -- can be daunting. Travelers who are confident they can make their way around the city -- without being taken for the proverbial ride -- are far more likely to enjoy their stay.

That being said, what does the government have against red hair?

Beijing Cabbies Not Allowed to Dye Hair Red originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Next time you're on a beach vacation, snorkeling in and around some reef, wouldn't it be nice to have a soundtrack for the experience? Now, thanks to the new waterproofed iPod shuffle from SwimMan, you can you get your groove on while taking in the beautiful underwater scenery.

For $250, you get a genuine, 1GB Apple shuffle that the company has taken apart, waterproofed completely, and put back together again. Plus, they'll include some headphones they've waterproofed as well. According to SwimMan: "This is truly the 'go anywhere, do anything' iPod Shuffle for all sports and leisure activities on land or in the water."

These guys were the first to create waterproof audio players and headphones, so it sounds like they know what they're doing. However, if something does go wrong, you can send the product back within 30 days, no questions asked.

So, what will you be rocking out to on your next underwater endeavor?

[via Geek Sugar]

Waterproof iPod Lets You Swim to Music originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

OK, sports fans, if you're planning on attending next year's Olympics in Beijing, you might want to get your tickets now. More than 7 million have just gone on sale, but 75% are allotted for Chinese residents only, and you can't buy them in large numbers -- in fact, some events, like the opening ceremonies, have a 1 ticket per person policy.

On the plus side, it won't be horribly expensive. Organizers are keeping prices low, in the hopes that the games can be affordable for everyone. In fact, more than half the tickets are going for $12 or less.

In the event that you're not quite ready to book a trip 15 months in advance, don't worry. This is only the first wave of ticket sales. Procrastinators will get another shot at seats in October of this year.

This is where I'm at in the planning process. I'd love to go, but I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to. I've never been to China, nor have I attended an Olympics, so this could be the perfect opportunity to do both. Plus, by August 8th, 2008, I might just have enough money saved up to eat while I'm attending.

See you there?

Tickets on Sale for Beijing Olympics originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's difficult for me to maintain perspective when my flights are delayed. No matter what the reason -- weather, technical problems, etc -- I get frustrated, and have to resist the temptation to blame the airline, their staff, or anyone else who seems like they might be in some way connected to the problem.

But of all the reasons to wait around for a flight to land or take off, an air traffic controller's bathroom break is the last thing I'd expect to be causing the disruption.

However, that's exactly what happened last week at Manchester-Boston Regional -- New Hampshire's largest airport. The controller left the tower for 12 minutes, which left two Southwest Airlines flights circling above the airport for an extra 18 minutes, and kept a medical flight delivering lungs to New Jersey on the ground 10 minutes longer than scheduled. The absence was in the logbook as a "bathroom break."

It should be noted, the controller waited until traffic was very light, and followed procedure by notifying other controllers at nearby facility that he'd be out for moment.

I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Bathroom Break for Air Taffic Controller Causes Flight Delays originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One thing I love to do when I'm heading down open highway on some cross-country trip, is crank up the classic rock. You know, the really good stuff -- like Bruce Springsteen or Guns N Roses.

Apparently I'm not alone. As promotion for for the release of racing videogame called "Burnout Dominator," Electronic Arts and AOL have asked voters to choose their favorite driving music, and out of 1,700 votes, classic rock is by far the most popular choice.

But, while it's great to get revved up by kick-ass tunes when you're pretending to drive, on real highways, aggressive driving isn't exactly rewarded.

For the life of me, I can't find the poll results online, but according to this Reuters article, artists you should be especially wary of while racing down the Interstate are: Meat Loaf, Bruce Springsteen, Guns N roses, and Motorhead, along with more contemporary groups like The Killers, Feeder, and the Prodigy.

Next time you get a ticket for driving like a rockstar, don't say I didn't warn you.

Rock Music Makes You a Bad Driver originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Finally, after a long winter locked up inside the house, it's time to get out, feel the sunshine, and head off on your Spring vacations. But while you're picking flights, reserving hotels and scouring local shops for a hot new swimsuit, you can cross one thing off your list of travel preparations: buying insurance.

Sounds risky, right? What about all your stuff? What if you get injured and need medical assistance?

Chances are, you're already covered. Homeowners and medical insurance cover most everything to do with traveling, and credit cards and automobile clubs often pick up the rest.

That being said, don't take my word for it. Check your insurance policies before your trip, and if it turns out you do need to pick up some additional coverage, check out these helpful tips from Consumer Reports.

So here I was, feeling guilty for all the "uninsured" trips I've taken over the years, only to find out, I was probably fine.

Don't Waste Your Money on Travel Insurance originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you ever see the movie Magnolia, where it rains frogs at the end?** I thought that the filmmaker was just being clever, but apparently it actually happens.

At least it does in Serbia. That's where thousands of frogs descended upon on a village of understandably terrified citizens.

"We were all wondering what it was when suddenly frogs started to fall from the sky. I thought maybe a plane carrying frogs had exploded in midair," Caja Jovanovic told Ananova.

While, at first, you might think this signals some drastic problem -- like the end of the world, for instance -- the phenomenon is apparently recognized by the scientific community. A local climatology expert, Slavisa Ignjatovic, said it happened because "A whirlwind has sucked up the frogs from a lake, the sea or some other body of water somewhere else and carried them along to Odzaci where they have fallen to the ground."

So I guess this could happen anywhere. Sure makes me want to visit Serbia, though.

**Note: if you haven't seen Magnolia, don't worry, the frog falling scene doesn't have much to do with the rest of the movie, so I haven't ruined anything for you.

[via Spluch]

It's Raining Frogs in Serbia originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Do you dream of piloting an aircraft? Now you can be one step closer to the cockpit -- with your phone!

Seriously, this guy is selling ringtones created from real cockpit noises. "The tones I have created are actual aural warning alerts heard in the cockpits that I have access to in my line of work. They are rarely if ever heard in public. I have cleaned up the sounds where I can and they really sound great on your typical cell phone. When used as ringtones these alerts WILL definitely get your attention and of those around you."

Yes, they "WILL," because they're some of the most obnoxious sounds on the planet. I'm sure they're designed that way for a reason, and -- while flying a plane -- are very useful. But be warned: by choosing to put these on your phone you are willingly and deliberately alienate anyone within earshot.

That being said, if you really want to be alerted to phone calls by actual airplane noises, head over to the website where you can sample the sounds of "WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP" (what you'd hear just before impact), "Boeing 757/767 Master Caution," "BINGO-BINGO" (the low fuel warning from an F-16) and many, many more.

At the very least, as noted on the site, "they are sure to garner attention."

[via Neatorama]

Ringtones Right From the Cockpit originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How much would you pay to travel the world in complete and total luxury? If you're Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and money is no object, designing a boat to fit your needs could run you $138million.

That's the story according to Mario La Via, an Italian boat builder with Privilege Motor Yacht. Although -- while he confirms the order -- he hasn't said for certain that Jolie and Pitt are the buyers.

Regardless of who's buying the ship, it sounds very impressive. Totally 240ft in length, it's set to have 6 en-suite cabins with marble and gold bathroom fittings, a swimming pool, a gym -- even a helicopter pad -- all across 3 enormous decks.

With all the adopting the pair is doing, I guess they need the space.

Brad and Angelina Travel in Style on $138million Yacht originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For those of you looking to get roaring drunk on your next holiday abroad, you're probably in the market for a really good pub crawl. I spent my college days in Liverpool -- formerly rated the UK's number 1 party city -- so, rest assured, I know what I'm talking about.

But beyond the unchecked inebriation, and poorly-harmonized group renditions of "Lean On Me" that often accompany these sorts of excursions, in some cities, pub crawls are the best way to get to know the local population.

Thanks to Vincent Crump and Chris Haslam at the Times Online, you can review a handpicked list of the best pub crawls in the best pub crawl cities -- Sydney, Dublin, Boston and Edinburgh. Not only do they give you a run down on the cultural significance of all their chosen watering holes, but the pair are even so thoughtful as to offer culinary suggestions for the morning after -- pleasant ways to ease out of that hangover (or beat it to death with fried eggs and bacon).

Bottoms up.

Where to Get Your Drink On originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The next time I'm at a restaurant or bar, and someone asks me for identification, I'd love to pull out this -- just to see their reaction.

To be honest, I can't think of any other reason to own Walt Disney's passport, unless you're an enormous fan of the entrepreneur, and the ever-expanding entertainment giant he originally founded. Regardless, if you are interested, now is your chance to own a piece of travel history. The eBay auction closes at 11:00 a.m. PDT on April 14th; opening bid is $3,600, and it's expected to sell for between $14,400 and $21,600 by the time all is said and done.

Got your checkbook handy?

[via Boing Boing]

Own Walt Disney's Passport originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.