Fed up with what he views as crappy treatment from the TSA, the owner of a restaurant near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has decided to put all TSA agents on his No-Eat List. [More]
Government Policy
American Beverage Association Responds To Call For Ban On Caramel Coloring In Cola
By 2.18.11
Earlier this week, the Center For Science In The Public Interest petitioned the FDA to ban two forms of caramel coloring, claiming that the ammonia and sulfites used in the creation of the products results in allegedly carcinogenic chemicals making their way into the resulting food and drink. Consumerist reached out to Coca-Cola and Pepsi to get their side of the story, but were instead passed on to the American Beverage Association, which offered its own version of things. [More]
Ikea Recalls Sniglar Cribs Over Possible Mattress Collapse Issue
By 2.18.11
Ikea has issued a recall for its Sniglar baby cribs after learning of a possible risk that the mattress support could collapse. [More]
Rich DC Burbs Pay $9.58, Rurals Pay $31.17/Mbps
By 2.18.11
The rich get richer while the poor get…slower? A new report by investigative journalist John Dunbar cracks open the numbers that are tightly held by the industry and found vast disparities in the quality and price of service based on how close to town. By comparing customer speed tests and surveys, he found that while folks in the low-income areas outside of the Washington Metropolitan Area pay slightly less for their broadband, those in the wealthier DC burbs are getting far more bandwidth for their buck. The poor are paying on average $31.17/Mbps while the rich are paying only $9.58. [More]
New York Drivers Caught Using Phone While Driving Will Be Punished With Points
By 2.18.11
Adding some teeth and uniformity to a law against cell phone use while driving, the state of New York will tack two points onto the driving records of offenders in addition to making them pay a $100 fee. Previously, those who texted while driving were stuck with the points and fee, while drive-and-talkers got off with just a fee. [More]
Fed Might Rethink Capping Debit Card Swipe Fees
By 2.18.11
The Fed told Congress yesterday that it might rethink the plan to cap debit card swipe fees at 12 cents per swipe. One of the hopes is that merchants would be able to pass on the reduced costs to consumers in the form of lower prices. Lawmakers piled on in the hearing, saying that it would “batter banks still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis.” How banks can both be posting soaring profits and still be “battered” and reeling is an accounting trick way over my head. [More]
Wells Fargo Meeting Today With Philly Homeowner Who "Foreclosed" On Them (Here's How He Did It)
By 2.18.11
Wells Fargo is meeting today at noon with the Philadelphia homeowner who “foreclosed” on them, The Consumerist has exclusively learned. Patrick says he “received a call from upon high” late yesterday and that he now has an appointment, “with a very senior Wells Fargo person.” It will be interesting to see how this plays out. But how did Patrick go from embattled and ignored homeowner to seated across the negotiating table with leverage? I spoke with him to find out more about both how and why he did what he did. His story is an inspiration to anyone who’s dreamed of going toe-to-toe with the big banks and winning. Turns out that armed with persistence, and a little legal know-how, Davids can take down Goliaths. [More]
Family Sues Disney, Says Too-Hot Nacho Cheese Burned Son
By 2.17.11
A family in California has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney World, alleging that the nacho cheese served at one of its restaurants was so hot it scalded their 4-year-old son. [More]
Snowed-In Chicago Cars Get Parking Tickets
By 2.17.11
Some Chicagoans who were snowed in during the area’s recent bout of awful weather received a little surprise when they went out to check on their vehicles — $75 parking tickets. [More]
Honda Recalls Nearly 100,000 Fits In U.S. For Possible Engine Problems
By 2.17.11
Looks like the Honda Fit isn’t exactly living up to its healthy-sounding name. The automaker has announced a worldwide recall for around 700,000 of the cars — nearly 100,000 just in the U.S. — over possible engine-stalling problems. [More]
Understand Common Contract Terms So You Don't Get Screwed
By 2.17.11
There’s a bunch of terms and provisions that keep showing up in the contracts you sign throughout life, but do you know what they mean? Who exactly are these “Heirs, Successors, and Assigns” coming over for the contract party? Do they have dietary restrictions? What is “separability?” Will it hurt? Well, we’ll tell ya! [More]
You Can Donate Money Toward The National Debt
By 2.17.11
Are you outraged at recently proposed federal budget cuts, and dismayed that you just aren’t contributing enough in taxes to help pay off the national debt? Good news! The Treasury Department has a program in place to donate toward the national debt. The program began in 1996, and has collected more than $406,000 so far this year. [More]
FDA Approves Lap-Band Surgery For Not-As-Obese Patients
By 2.17.11
The folks at Allergan, the company behind the popular Lap-Band weight loss surgery, have 26 million reasons to cheer today. After all, that’s the number of potential new Lap-Band patients now that the FDA has lowered the minimum weight loss requirements for the procedure. [More]
CSPI Asks FDA To Ban Caramel Coloring Used In Coke, Pepsi And Other Stuff You Like
By 2.17.11
Yesterday, the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest sent a petition to the Food & Drug Administration, demanding that the “caramel coloring” commonly used in sodas like Coke and Pepsi be banned because they claim it contains a pair of carcinogenic chemicals. [More]
Economic Downturn Puts Police Horses Out To Pasture
By 2.16.11
Have you seen a police horse lately? The New York Times reports that mounted patrols are on the decline nationwide, victims to budget cuts despite their popularity with the public and ability to put a cuddly, slightly archaic face on policing. “They are a valuable element to policing. The problem is I just couldn’t afford it,” the police director of Newark, N.J. told the Times. [More]
New California ZIP Code Rule Results In Landslide of Lawsuits
By 2.16.11
It’s been less than a week since the California Supreme Court issued a ruling forbidding retailers from asking for your ZIP code when making a purchase. In that short time, more than a dozen different lawsuits have been filed against retailers as a result. [More]
Cell Phone Tax Rates Are Highest Ever
By 2.16.11
Cell phones are crafty little tax machines for local, state and federal governments, now raking in their largest amount of taxes ever and posting sizable increases each year. [More]
TSA Screeners At JFK Admit To Stealing $160K From Passengers
By 2.16.11
It must be tempting to be a TSA screener, seeing bags full of expensive goodies going through your scanner and knowing how easy it would be to make those bags disappear. Two TSA agents at JFK Airport in NYC gave into that temptation, swiping at least $160,000 from travelers. [More]
