German tourist arrested for bomb threat at Disney World

by Katie Hammel on

Seriously folks, who out there doesn’t know by now that it’s just not okay to make a bomb threat? It’s not okay at the airport, and it’s not okay at Disney World either. But still, we have yet another story about someone getting arrested for making a false bomb threat.

A 37-year old German tourist told security that he had two bombs in his backpack as he was passing through security at Walt Disney World in California. Not surprisingly, the security guards detained him and had a bomb-sniffing dog check out his bag. No bombs were found, and the man, who then claimed he was just joking about those bombs, was arrested and taken to the Orange County Jail. Bail was set at $10,000.

According to ABC News, this isn’t the first bomb scare at Disney. In September, a mysterious device was found under a bus. Bus service around the resort was suspended, but the device was not found to be explosive.

German pilot dumped, lives in Brazilian airport for two weeks

by Tom Johansmeyer on

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Breakups are tough, but we always seem to get through them. Whether it’s strip clubs or buckets of ice cream, there are plenty of coping mechanisms. The latest is to move into an airport. I don’t know how this makes you feel better, but it seems to be working for a German tourist. Heinz Muller, a former pilot, was dumped by a Brazilian girl he met on the internet and subsequently hung out in the Campinas airport — about an hour from Sao Paulo — until he was finally removed Thursday. Muller was taken to a hospital for psychological testing. Big shock, right?

By the time he was … ummmm … evicted from the airport, Muller had run out of money. Broke and unwilling to say when he planned to leave, he subsisted on food court meals bought for him by airport employees. They had no plans to boot him, since he was in the country legally, but doctors decided he needed a closer look. Muller resisted slightly, but the authorities didn’t need to use force.

Muller’s been in the country all month. He arrived in Rio de Janeiro on October 2, 2009. Only 13 days of this time, however, was spent living in the Campinas airport. He washed himself in the airport’s bathrooms and slept on chairs. This must have become pretty tedious — the airport only has one terminal.

To pass the time, Muller plucked away at his laptop, which was placed on a luggage cart. Looking for a new girlfriend reason to stay in the country, maybe?

Hikers on new trail in Germany may see more “nature” than they want

by Katie Hammel on

Apparently, nudity is big in Germany. The German Nudist Association organizes outings for naturalists to nude beaches and campgrounds and now, there’s even a special path for naked hikers. Yeah, I said naked hikers.

The 11-mile long trail will run from Dankerode to the Wippertal dam and officially opens in May. The trail will be marked with signs warning hikers that nudists are in the area. “If you don’t want to see people with nothing on then you should refrain from moving on!” one says. While Germans anxious to hike au naturel have been trying out the unfinished trail, not everyone is excited to encounter naked hikers. The nearby town of Appenzell has banned nude hikers – anyone caught hiking in the buff, an act town officials have called “shameless behavior”, faces fines of up to £120.

I can kind of see the appeal of nude beaches – I’m no fan of tan lines – but nude hiking makes no sense to me. Poison oak and mosquito bites in uncomfortable places and sore, um, jiggly bits? No thanks. But I’m glad that those with a passion for hiking in their birthday suits now have a place to go. And I’ll echo the sentiments of the Deputy Director at the German National Tourist Office: “To the locals I would say: hike and let hike. To the nude hikers, I would say: Mind the brambles and high thistles.” Ouch!

[via Daily Mail]

Brits continue to self-congratulate on cleanliness

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Brits are the best-behaved hotel guests, according to a survey by TripAdvisor. More than 3,000 participated in the study, and the results are certain to reinforce stereotypes. Forty-three percent of hotel guests from the UK make their own beds every morning … which is nothing compared to the 79 percent who put their clothes neatly in the closets.

But, tidiness comes with a price. Travelers from the land of the stiff upper lip are also the most accident-prone. They tend to break things and block up the toilet – the latter distinction shared with the Germans.

Shockingly, the French are the quietest (fewest noise complaints), and those from Spain are most likely to dip into the mini-bar without paying. Italians are both the worst tippers and most likely to leave underwear in the room.

Here’s the best part: 10 percent of all survey participants admitted to replacing minibar items with cheaper, store-bought stuff.

Top 10 wine spots, none in U.S.

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I realize that, on the world stage, our homeland isn’t exactly the most popular place right now. Part of it stems from eight years of political buffoonery, and a healthy dose comes from traditional “old world” bias against the United States. Like most of us, I’ve learned to adjust for a touch of this when I read international news coverage. To a certain extent, I understand it … we’re more like France than we realize. But, it’s tough when our country doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

This is especially the case for wine.

In an article detailing the top 10 wine spots in the world, Forbes deemed none in the United States worthy of the list.

1. Castello Banfi, Tuscany, Italy: not an adventurous pick for the top spot
2. Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile: trying to seem enlightened, succeeds
3. Ken Forrester, Stellenbosch, South Africa: see #2, with the same results
4. Fournier, Mendoza, Argentina: doubling up on South America in the top five? Trying too hard …
5. Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River, Australia: could call for the middle of the pack
6. Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand: again with the doubling up …
7. Bodegas Ysios, Rioja, Spain: classic location, should probably be higher
8. Quinta do Portal, Douro Valley, Portugal: this would have been more exciting at #3 or #4
9. Chateau Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux, France: obligatory, but at #9?
10. Peter Jakob Kuhn Oestrich, Rhein/Mosel, Germany: obviously added to the list out of a sense of obligation

And, where are we? No Sonoma? No Napa? Or, a break from the norm with Oregon?

The collection of wine destinations seems to a certain extent like a Little League awards banquet. No country is on the list twice, giving the impression that the reporter sought to dish out as many trophies as possible. The wide reach, of course, makes those absent even more evident.

As you can see, the list is more likely the result of a careful analysis of balancing out different regions and meeting reader expectations than it is a genuine reflection on the most interesting wine destinations in the world.

This is why I hate “listicles”: they have less to do with the content than they do with managing perception. Blech.