Stinky London, Rude Paris, Romantic Venice

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you need a sense of authority to trust a publication, you can’t do better than one from Australia. So, when the Sydney Morning Herald says that Brussels is boring, you have to believe it. Likewise, Paris is overrated, and the food sucks in London (duh).

Well, if you think the folks down under have credibility problems, fear not. It was reporting on a TripAdvisor poll of nearly 2,400 travelers, so it’s really TripAdvisor users who had an epiphany on the quality of London‘s cuisine.

Bad news for London: it also has the worst-dressed locals and is the most expensive. Oh, and it’s the dirtiest.

Sorry, guys.

Meanwhile, we needed a poll to tell us that Paris was the least friendly (though I’ve never had a problem there) and the second most expensive. Yet, Paris is top for grub and fashion, and London leads in nightlife, public parks and free attractions.

Need a romantic getaway in Europe? Venice still wins.

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Drunk mailman threatens mayhem, grounded for half decade

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Why is it always the postmen?

Robert Russell had added “former” to his “mail carrier” title after being laid off by Royal Mail. So, he took a trip to Malaga, Spain. This isn’t unusual; plenty of people do something nice for themselves after losing their jobs. It’s great for morale.

It didn’t work.

Russell got wasted on lager and vodka in the Gatwick departure lounge. By the time he was literally flying high, he threatened to kill his fellow passengers and at one point tried to get off the plane early … via an emergency exit at 30,000 feet. The closest thing to a caring moment was when this unruly passenger yelled at a flight attendant, “Oi, blondie. Come and sit here so I can stroke you.”

Touching.

At one point, he said he would take down the entire plane … an awfully ambitious claim for a guy who couldn’t get the emergency door open. Eventually, crew and passengers were able to subdue the former postal employee, following his physical display of stereotype. .

All this happened on October 15, 2008. The Brighton Crown Court has finally ruled. Russell is banned from every airport in the United Kingdom for five years and will have to pay a fine of £4,643. A 12-month prison sentence was suspended for two years. And, in case there’s hope for the passenger’s humanity, he’s been ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

As crazy as this incident sounds, in-flight disruptions are more common in Gatwick than you may realize. Sussex Police had to address 58 incidents on planes last year … an increase of almost 20 percent from the 50 in 2007.

2/3 of Brit pubs to increase beer prices

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Nearly a fifth of British pub owners are increasing beer prices now, taking the national average above the current level of ₤3 a pint. Ten percent are looking to pop an extra 15 pence on every glass, with two-thirds looking to push prices higher by 5 pence to 10 pence. The price of a beer has tripled over the past 20 years, obviously making it a better investment than that Enron stock you’re hoping will bounce back.

A new 2 percent tax is contributing to the elevated cost of intoxication, though operational expenses (like updating menus and cash registers) are leading to the extra imposition.

Seven percent of pubs will absorb the extra costs until September. Ninety-seven percent don’t give a shit about your need to imbibe at a value.

Flight crew tasty, but off-limits

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Man bites dog? Well, woman bites fight attendant (or tries to, at least).

A Russian-born British woman will be spending the weekend in a Maine jail this weekend. She’s accused of having popped some prescription drugs and washed them down with a few bottles of wine and – you can’t make this stuff up – liquid soap from the plane’s lavatory.

Amazingly, she had the energy to rumble with flight attendants after pouring this unique cocktail down her throat. She punched and kicked the FAs before snapping at them “like a dog.” According to an Associated Press report, she tried to bite one of them.

The London-bound flight was diverted to Bangor, thanks to her antics.

So, what brings a flight attendant-hungry passenger to the United States? Internet dating. Apparently, Galina Rusanova went to Los Angeles to see in person a man she met via the web. Her adventure will come to something of a conclusion on Monday, when she’s scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court to face charges of assault and interference with a flight crew.

Hey, here’s a tip: don’t drink the soap!

Photo of the Day 4.20.09

by Karen Walrond on

You know, I’ve been to England tons of times. I used to live in England. I’m even *married* to an Englishman. So I’ve taken the exact same shot you see above dozens of times. And yet?

And yet, I’ve never been able to capture the detail and the colours captured by skinnymalinki1 above, and shared in our Flickr pool. Really lovely work — skinnymalinki1, you should be proud!

If you’ve got some great travel shots you’d love to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day.