Flight Attendant Accused Of Smuggling Rat In Her Underwear

by Libby Zay on

What the what? You read that headline correctly. Coworkers have accused American Airlines flight attendant Louann Giambattista of smuggling a rats aboard a flight. In her underwear. A pilot tells the NY Post he “saw a bulge in [her] pocket” and believes it was a live pet, and a fellow flight attendant is saying she believes Giambattista “fed her pet rats” from a cup on the subsequent flight from St. Martin to Miami.

The story doesn’t end there. Giambattista claims the “absurd” charges have caused her “debilitating anxiety” and blacklisting, and she’s suing the airline for unspecified damages. Giambattista says she’s “an admitted animal lover,” but denies bringing her furry friends along for a ride. We want to believe her, but can’t shake the nightmare of rats on a plane.

[via nymag.com]

French Vintage Carnival Rides Come To NYC

by Meg Nesterov on

If you are a fan of carnival rides, history, or just good old-fashioned summer fun, take a ferry out to NYC’s Governor’s Island this summer for a festival of vintage Parisian rides and carousels. Billed as a museum meets amusement park, Fete Paradiso will open on July 13 and run until September 29, and feature 19th- and 20th-century attractions such as a pipe organ, flying swings and a bicycle carousel like the one featured in “Midnight in Paris.” To add to the vintage French feel, there will be food from bistro Le Gamin and a beer hall and event space converted from a 1900 bumper car pavilion, along with special events opening weekend for Bastille Day.

Admission to Fete Paradiso is free and rides are $3 a pop. The free ferry to Governor’s Island from Manhattan‘s Battery Maritime building or Brooklyn‘s Pier 6 runs half-hourly until 7 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Learn more about Governor’s Island on their website, and follow the carnival set up on Instagram here.

Northern Nights Music Fest To Go On, In Spite Of Itself

by Chris Owen on

Northern Nights Music Festival is a three-day celebration of music, art, food and local culture set to run from July 19 – 21 at California’s Cook’s Valley Campground. Host to various acclaimed music festivals for decades, thousands of visitors attend events in the area every year, making concert tourism a big part of the local economy. But some local residents don’t see it that way. They want more time between events, environmental impact studies and more control over concertgoers.

Describing the Northern Nights Music Festival as a “blowout of alcohol and drugs,” Mendocino County Board of Supervisors chairman Dan Hamburg publicized his stance. “There’s something about us welcoming in a rave that scares me,” Hamburg said in a WilItsNews report.

Still, there’s big money at stake with tickets for the three-day event selling for $160 per person and thousands expected to attend. To satisfy officials, promoters have promised to be sure the environment is respected by roaming the adjacent river for campers, educating festival goers on where and how to shower, use the toilets and park their cars.

In response to neighboring landowners and their concerns, the stage and speakers will be directed away from them and a blocking sound wall will be built. To comply with permit requirements that loud music stop at 2 a.m., concertgoers will be given wireless headphones for a “Silent Disco.”

What Staten Island Ferry Commuters Really Think Of Statue Of Liberty Tourists

by Libby Zay on

New York’s Staten Island Ferry carries a whopping 75,000 people each day. This includes thousands of tourists looking to snap obligatory photos of the Statue of Liberty, much to the grumbly dismay of seasoned commuters. As the Statue of Liberty reopens for the first time since Hurricane Sandy today, it will likely offer commuters some welcomed respite from the droves of snap-happy tourists. Of course, those looking to skip crowds at Ellis Island can always get a great view of the statue (for free!) on the ferry. But be warned, this is what the daily commuters really think:

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These thoughts were culled from Twitter, but there’s even more real talk at Overheard on the Ferry.

Sir Richard Branson Applauds Airline Complaint Letter

by Libby Zay on

Sir Richard Branson, the self-made billionaire of Virgin fame, must have some spare time these days. The business mogul has taken it upon himself to applaud a humorous airline complaint letter that went viral. Written by tennis pro Arthur Hicks, the sarcastic letter thanks Caribbean carrier LIAT for taking him on a tour of the islands.

Dear LIAT,

May I say how considerate it is of you to enable your passengers such an in-depth and thorough tour of the Caribbean.

Most other airlines I have travelled on would simply wish to take me from point A to B in rather a hurry. I was intrigued that we were allowed to stop at not a lowly one or two but a magnificent six airports yesterday. And who wants to fly on the same airplane the entire time? We got to change and refuel every step of the way!

I particularly enjoyed sampling the security scanners at each and every airport. I find it preposterous that people imagine them all to be the same. And as for being patted down by a variety of islanders, well, I feel as if I’ve been hugged by most of the Caribbean already.

I also found it unique that this was all done on “island time,” because I do like to have time to absorb the atmosphere of the various departure lounges. As for our arrival, well, who wants to have to take a ferry at the end of all that flying anyway? I’m glad the boat was long gone by the time we arrived into Tortola last night – and that all those noisy bars and restaurants were closed.

So thank you, LIAT. I now truly understand why you are “The Caribbean Airline.”

P.S. Keep the bag. I never liked it anyway.

Branson himself is no stranger to airline grievances. He once received what many regard as the world’s most epic complaint letter, a detailed account of a passenger’s “culinary journey of hell” when faced with a spongy biscuit during an in-flight meal. But as the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity — even in the case of funny airline complaints.