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Cockpit Chronicles: Know your Boeings {Gadling}
Sep 23rd 2011 10:13AM Lovely article. I've always loved Boeing planes and I loved your explanation of ways to distinguish them. I work near the ATL airport and see lots of planes overhead every day so being able to go "oh, the tracks point down, it's a 767" is the sort of thing that delights me.
Thanks!
Congressman talks Delta baggage-gate, supports soldiers {Gadling}
Jun 9th 2011 11:21AM Interesting, you could donate money and time to charities and services for veterans and active service members. Instead you are donating hassle and whinging born of frustration (and not even your frustration, but the temporary frustrations of some soldiers you don't even know) to an airline you probably wouldn't fly much anyways.
I'm sure the soldiers in question and the rest of the US armed services can do without your need to be petty on their behalf.
Galley Gossip: Electronic devices & the passenger with the cat-like reflexes {Gadling}
May 5th 2011 11:55PM Here's my take on Portable Electronic Devices:
Will the plane go down if you leave your fancy glass-fronted cellphone in "Airplane Mode" or, worse, leave it on in the overhead compartment where it will increase it's radio signal and try to scream home to mama until the battery dies? No. Not at all. Otherwise thousands of planes would have gone down and the flight attendants would have to wand the entire plane before takeoff.
Can your fancy glass-fronted cellphone turn into a projectile that can take someone's ear off if the pilot has to floor on the brakes to abort take off (200 - 0 in about ~8 seconds)? Absolutely. The _ceramic_ brakes on planes _Catch Fire_ when they have to stop like that. That is the level of kinetic energy you are dealing with in emergency situations. This is also why the laptop has to be on the floor or locked in a bin and can no longer live in the seat back.
So, if you put your cellphone in airplane mode and slip it into your front pocket, the flight attendant will not notice or care because you're not ignoring him or her and diddling the silly thing all through the safety breifing. If you have it out dinking around with it while the plane is taxiing about, it's something that becomes a pain-inducing projectile during hazards that passengers _can_ _not_ _see_ _coming_.
So don't get peeved if they come around telling you to shut it off and put it away. Had you been paying attention, you would have easily stayed off their radar.
Also, paying attention to the people responsible for your safety (The Main Reason for flight attendants being on a plane, getting you stuff is just a bonus) is just the courteous thing to do.
Airline passenger rights upgraded {Gadling}
Apr 21st 2011 1:16PM Awesome :D
Video: Fired NMS employee speaks out about errant F-bomb on Chrysler Twitter account {Autoblog}
Mar 17th 2011 1:52PM "Don't worry, it will implode eventually like so many of these useless "social" enterprises."
Says the guy on the car blog run by AOL.
Video: I need an upgrade. Give me an upgrade. I am an elite member. {Gadling}
Feb 25th 2011 5:24PM From a couple of weeks ago at an Avis desk:
"Hey, I got this weekend rental coupon so I shouldn't have been charged anything"
"Yes, but it's Monday evening so you were charged for a day"
"But I got it Saturday instead of Friday, doesn't "the weekend" cover two nights and three days"
"Unfortunately it doesn't work like that"
"I KNOW HOW IT WORKS I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED"
*attended sort of sits there stunned by the intensity of the hissy fit*
"I KNOOOOW HOOOW THIIIIIS WOOOOOORKS"
and that's when I walked out...
What made it extra precious was the fact that she was on the phone when I came in saying "Oh, yeah, I'll be up there in just a sec, Avis charged me and I need to see if I can get it taken off..."
My other favorite on Delta:
"Would you like anything from the snack bin"
"I would like a fruit and cheese plate *hands over a 'have one on us coupon' which says "one beer, One wine split, one cocktail, one headset" (the newer ones have since replaced 'headset' with 'non-perishable snack')*
"Oh, I'm sorry sir, these coupons only cover alcoholic drinks and headsets"
"How much is a wine split?"
"$6"
"and how much is a fruit and cheese plate"
"$5"
"then WHY can't I get the thing I want if this coupon will trade in towards something more expensive!??!!"
"We're not allowed to do that"
"THAT'S STUPID!!"
"I agree, Sir, please make a comment on Delta.com, can I get you anything else?"
The man waved the flight attendant off and proceeded to pout for the rest of the flight (3 hours)
Frankly if I wanted some tiny bits of cheese, a few grapes, some crackers, and a few almonds that badly, I would have just ponied up $5
Also, this sort of thing happened every week for a while there: Customers getting all huffy because someone had to tell them no when they didn't read the smaller print. It also frustrates the FAs to no end that the policy doesn't cover perishable food. I've taken to getting the FAs candy on every flight just to try and improve their day. I've noticed much fewer squabbles on those flights as a result of (I guess) travel karma.
But, in the future, when people start making new statuses and getting coupons and not reading them, if one of them is sitting next to me, I'll probably just buy whatever it is they want in exchange for their coupon and use it towards a cocktail.
British tour company criticized for offering 'Hitler tour' around Germany {Gadling}
Jan 10th 2011 2:27PM If it were called "Good idea, bad timing", I would be more alarmed.
Since it's called "Face of Evil"... I get the feeling that the focus will be "This is why totalitarianism is bad, because it lets a complete meshugenah do stuff like this, let's go over the finer points where misanthropy won out"...
Also, almost a year ago I took a tour of Germany, and it was wonderful but I can't think of many Germany tours (other than oktoberfest and maybe some of the fancier "Drive your Beemer on the autobahn, have it delivered to your home continent!" tours) that AREN'T "Hitler tours". It's like the douche was all over Germany doing douchey things while running the place...
So what's the complaint? Truth in advertising?
Report: Honda says it's sticking by Ridgeline {Autoblog}
Jan 7th 2011 9:24PM The Ridgeline is basically what happens when you try and get an Odyssey to go for the same functionality and basic design cues as an Avalanche... much in the same way the Aztek was what happened when someone tried to get a Montana/Trans-sport to go for the same functionality and basic design cues as a Blazer.
While it's nice to have the in-bed trunk and extendable widgets, the Ridgeline is mostly derided for being a fugly yuppie tailgate machine much to the chagrin of people who found it excruciatingly useful (who, it seems, tend to run around and vote-up anyone who has nice things to say about it on comment pages).
Frankly, I think the Minivan/CUV truck is going to be a big craze in a couple of years, probably replacing things like the Ranger and the S10/Colorado with something ultimately safer and more fuel efficient with far better ride and ergonomics at the cost of towing capacity (which most people weren't using anyways). But the Ridgeline might not be around, or will be significantly reworked, by the time that happens.
Opinion: VW webisodes with SNL's Bill Hader go awry [w/videos] {Autoblog}
Jan 7th 2011 9:08PM Ever since I had a MK IV Golf go completely to sod around 60,032 miles and become more of a maintenance nightmare than a crack addict, I used to say the best thing about Volkswagen was it's ad agency.
Now I can't even say that anymore. Looks like I'm getting my wish for VWUSA to die like the English Patient's girlfriend: Long, drawn out, boring death.
Five ways holiday travelers annoy business travelers {Gadling}
Dec 24th 2010 5:40PM I find the easiest way to get in at a power outlet is to bring a power strip.
It also gets you lots of love and appreciation from business travelers and families alike.
