$20K Stolen In Brazen Miami Hotel Room Theft

by Libby Zay on
Courtesy Local10.com

As a rule of thumb, it’s not a good idea to travel with anything you can’t afford to lose. The latest example of that comes from Miami Beach, where last month a bold thief got off with $20,000 in goods from a hotel room. Amazingly, he didn’t even have to force entry. A housekeeper let him wander right in after he flashed a hotel key card and told her it was his mother’s room.

The man ransacked the room and found $1,800 in cash and $10,000 in jewelry. He stowed the loot and some other items — including an iPad and credit cards — in a suitcase. Then he waltzed away with the bounty.

This is a good reminder that hotel rooms can easily be compromised. While this perp found a way to casually stroll in and out, thieves can easily pick door locks — even the ones with plastic key cards that used to seem so innovative. And hotel safes aren’t as secure as one might hope. When you’re in the lobby or out and about, be sure to keep your hotel room number to yourself so would-be thieves can’t target you. In fact, whenever possible, the best thing to do is to just leave your valuables at home. It’s just never a good idea to attract too much attention.

[via Local10.com]

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.

Yelp Maps Show Where To Find Hipsters, Cheap Eats

by Libby Zay on

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Yelp, the go-to place for restaurant reviews, is now mapping trending topics in major cities. By pulling frequently used keywords from reviews, data visualizations show where the dim sum hotspots are in San Francisco and where hipsters congregate in New York (Williamsburg is a big red cluster, go figure!).

At first the maps seem to do little besides confirming stereotypes. But for travelers exploring new cities, the tool could come in handy. Filter locations by “cheap” and find hotbeds of budget dining in Los Angeles. Or use “view” and “romantic” to locate a neighborhood with some ambiance in Philly. Other helpful keywords include “kosher,” “brunch” and “espresso.” Yelp’s World Map site currently covers 16 cities, mostly in the U.S.

[via Gizmodo]

Elephant Shatters Tourists’ Window On African Safari (VIDEO)

by Libby Zay on

While on safari in South Africa, a group of German tourists had a close encounter with an enraged elephant. Already agitated after fighting with another male, the five-ton animal charged at the vehicle. The tourists thought they were safe, but it took only one tap of the elephant’s powerful tusk to shatter the vehicle’s window. The tourists at first seemed shaken, but laughed soon after realizing nobody was hurt. Good thing they left with a video to show to their insurance provider, or they might not be smiling.

This isn’t the first attack at Kruger National Park, either. Earlier this month, a couple visiting from Hong Kong had their car smashed after an elephant encounter. No word on whether or not this was the same elephant, and if so, what beef he has with cars.

[via grindtv.com]

Behind-The-Scenes At Disney’s Haunted Mansion

by Libby Zay on

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes at Disney, well, it’s not always very glamorous. The photo above from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion shows that on the other side of the spine-tingling ride is a simple, stale command center with some ancient monitors. The picture, from 2002, was found on an anonymously run Tumblr chronicling areas of the attraction that aren’t typically seen by guests — and judging by this photo, that’s for good reason. The only thing scary here is how low-tech and boring everything seems.

[via BoingBoing]