Heathrow annoying, Americans rude according to some social network

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The members of social network Where Are you Now? have spoken! Heathrow is the worst airport in the world, according to voters, thanks to passport control lines and baggage problems. The Brits don’t get all the glory, though. JFK in New York and Los Angeles picked up spots #2 and #3, respectively.

The good news, for Heathrow and JFK, at least, is that both were at the top of the list for security. Bangkok, Amsterdam and Rome were at the bottom. WAYN co-founder and joint chief executive Jerome Touze calls the survey results “pretty damning in terms of Heathrow’s reputation for passenger service.” Apparently, he doesn’t realize nobody gives a shit about WAYN’s opinion.

But, Heathrow is worth the wait, with the friendliest passport control officers outside Australia. They’re even nicer than the Canadians! U.S. customs officers were voted rudest, followed by those in India and Russia.

Again thinking that people give a damn about his opinion, Touze believes that “U.S. customs and immigration need address their attitude towards visitors, simplify the form filling, generally be a lot more welcoming and better reflect the personality of the American people.”

Thanks, Jerome. Because of your publicist prompted quote, we’ll get right on that.

WAYN’s survey included detail from 2,250 air travelers, who answered questions about customs, baggage handling and passport matters.

[Via Sydney Morning Herald]

Why are these the world’s best airports?


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A Day in the life of Abbey Road time lapse

by Jamie Rhein on

If you keep watching this video of people crossing Abbey Road The Beatles’ style, you’ll notice patterns. Some people organize themselves just like The Beatles did in their iconic photograh of the Abbey Road album cover.

The time lapse photography is set to the song “Garble Arch” by the music group Blame Ringo. Look for the near misses. Some people were almost clocked by vehicles that sped through the crosswalk. One guy does a bit of flashing at oncoming traffic.

There is something about this video that’s mesmerizing.The time lapse photography is set to the song “Garble Arch” by the indie band Blame Ringo. In case you have a hankering to cross Abbey Road yourself, it’s located in the the city of Westminster section of London outside the entrance of EMI’s Abbey Road Studios

The UK’s “environment czar” doesn’t want people to go anywhere

by Annie Scott on

Damn the man who’s saving the empire?

Adair Turner, chairman of the independent Committee on Climate Change, who is cheekily called the “environment czar” of Great Britain, made a proposal on Thursday that nobody’s gonna like.

In an effort to protect the environment from the ravages of the pasty empire lying on beaches (oh all right, and carbon dioxide emissions), Turner wants the Britains to limit their trips abroad to just a few per year. We’re talking making it law.

This just reeks of “rule for the people without enough money to skirt it.” Isn’t Great Britain’s class system already pronounced enough?

[via ATW Daily News]

The new face of army food

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The U.S. Culinary Arts Team … yes, there is such a thing … faced an incredible challenge. The team had to cook 150 three-course meals in six hours without the benefit of a real kitchen. The crew had to work “in the field” – as the army calls being away from the plumbing, walls and heat of the barracks – which is never an easy task.

The IKA/Culinary Olympics, which occurred back in October, is where chefs come from 53 countries to vie for the top spot in categories such as community catering, regional and military. The civilians take advantage of state-of-the-art facilities, while teams in the military competition were shrouded in camouflage and fueled by propane.

Like any military operation, the team from the United States had rehearsed tirelessly, nailing down its menu.

Salad: seared tuna, smoked trout, and poached salmon over a seaweed salad

Entrée: herb-infused turkey breast with sweet potatoes, cranberry johnnycake, and bacon-wrapped green beans

Dessert: chocolate-mousse crunch cake with apricot-and-cherry sauce.

The military category consisted of 10 countries in total, including Hungary, Sweden, Germany and Slovenia.

The results? Our team finished a strong second, much to the surprise to anyone who has been assigned to Fort Sill, OK (trust me). The Swiss took top honors, and Great Britain shocked all by: (a) not finishing last and (b) serving something that the judges could actually taste.

[Via The Atlantic]

Dining while blindfolded: A new way to enjoy eating out?

by Jamie Rhein on

For chefs who pride themselves on the artful presentation of their culinary artistry, and people who enjoy looking at their food, probably blindfolded dining is not for them. For anyone who is into a culinary adventure that taps into all other senses but sight, head to the Grill Room restaurant at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. Since October, diners have been able to experience this more unusual way to enjoy their food.

According to executive chef Malcom Webster, dining while blindfolded gives diners the chance to fully experience the various textures, flavors and aromas of the five-course meal. With each course, a new wine is served to further heighten the experience. During the entire time, diners don’t know what they are eating. I do wonder if someone stands by to coach a person who is having a hard time directing his or her fork.

“No, a little to the left sir. There you go. Nope, smaller bite. That’s it. No, your mouth is a little more to the right.”

Recognizing that there are hazards to such an experience, coffee is not part of the meal. I’d add that I’d avoid wearing white. Think of red wine. Even with my sight, I once knocked over a glass of red wine in an upscale restaurant in Albuquerque, sloshing it onto the plate glass window.

This dining experience costs £60 per person. If having someone blindfold you gives you the willies, you can try dining in the dark at Dans Le Noir in London. There the whole dining room is dark. How do the waiters see to bring the food, I wonder? “Ooops, sorry Ma’m.”

As you can see from the picture taken by curran.kelleher, you can turn any dining experience into a blindfolded one. This one was at some event in Rüdesheim, Germany. [www.tandorimagazine.com]