Talk about crappy service! JetBlue is the number 1 and the number 2 airline! A man from NYC is suing JetBlue “for more than $2 million because he says a pilot made him give up his seat to a flight attendant and sit on the toilet for more than three hours on a flight from California,” reports CBS News. We’re not going to judge the airline too harshly until more of the story comes out, just in case it turns out to be another upset passenger overstating the situation—but if it’s true, it’s going to be hard for JetBlue to wipe this story from the public’s memory for a while. Especially with all the joke opportunities.
Government Policy
Charter To Begin Tracking Users' Searches And Inserting Targeted Ads
By 5.13.08
Charter Communications is sending letters to its customers informing them of an “enhanced online experience” that involves Charter monitoring its users’ searches and the websites they visit, and inserting targeted third-party ads based on their web activity. Charter, which serves nearly six million customers, is requiring users who want to keep their activity private to submit their personal information to Charter via an unencrypted form and download a privacy cookie that must be downloaded again each time a user clears his web cache or uses a different browser.
By 5.12.08
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H&R Block says you paid it $2.8 billion to do your taxes this year. It was their best tax season in 9 years thanks to the company’s decision to increase fees by 7%-9.8% [CNNMoney ]
Man Convicted Of Spending $3.2M In 3 Months Using Photocopied ID & SSN
By 5.9.08
According to 9 News in Denver, James Hartman was convicted and sentenced to 8 years in prison for spending $3.2 million on vehicles and land using his brother’s photocopied driver’s license and social security number. Investigators are still trying to understand how this man could do so much spending damage with virtually zero credentials. Details, inside…
Do You Know What Grade Of Beef Taco Bell Uses? Do They? Does Anyone?
By 5.8.08
A reader sent us the contents of a Better Business Bureau complaint filed against Taco Bell. It describes how a customer tried repeatedly to find out what grade beef Taco Bell uses in its food, and how nobody at the company was able or willing to provide an answer. Not surprisingly, the BBB complaint also went unanswered. Let’s just hope they’re not sourcing their beef from forklift cattle, which is like downer cattle but has odd prong-shaped bruises on the side.
Tim Horton's Fires Single Mom For Giving A Free Donut Hole To A Baby
By 5.8.08
We pause this blog to bring you a message from Canada: A single mother has been fired by the iconic Canadian donut chain Tim Horton’s for giving a free donut hole to a fussy baby. The chain said the worker was caught on video “stealing” the donut hole, which, in the mysterious Canadian language, is apparently called a “Timbit” and looks freaking delicious. Reader Chris, who alerted us to this story, explains: “It’s important to understand that Tim Horton’s is a Canadian national icon. That makes this story so much sadder.”
Your Economic Stimulus Payment Questions Answered By The IRS
By 5.8.08
The IRS has a new and improved stimulus payment FAQ up and running on their website, so if you have additional questions you should check it out. Of note, the IRS has now definitively said that those who owe back taxes, or have delinquent child support payments or student loans will have their payments offset.
Where's My Stimulus Payment?
By 5.7.08
The IRS has a tool that lets you find out when your Stimulus Payment will arrive. Just punch in your social, filing status, and number of exemptions on your 2007 taxes. Its usefulness is limited, though, as it can’t tell you when your payment arrive until about a week before they send out the check.
Court Rules Customs Agents Can Collect Data From Laptops & Cellphones Without Cause
By 5.7.08
Some visitors and citizens of the United States may be shocked to learn that their computers, cell phones and data devices are now subject to search and data retrieval upon entry into the U.S., even without cause or suspicion. On April 19th, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that all computers and data devices are the same as luggage in that they can be searched without cause, and that all collected data may be stored indefinitely. More, inside…
Roy "Fancypants" Pearson Sues City For $1M To Get Job Back
By 5.7.08
According to AP, former Judge Roy “Fancy Pants” Pearson is suing to get his old job back and tacking on $1 million in damages. You may remember Pearson as the judge who tried to sue a dry-cleaner for $54 million over a pair of pants. Now, “Fancy Pants” says he was wrongfully dismissed and “vilified in the media.” Whichever way you slice it, he wants money. Details, inside…
Dear Steve Jobs: FedEx Stole My Mom's Mother's Day iPod, Please Help!
By 5.7.08
Reader Matt CC’d us on this sad email to Steve Jobs. It seems that some #$!@#$ at FedEx stole his Mother’s Day gift right out of the box. Now he’s asking Steve Jobs to help him get the stolen iPod replaced in time for Mother’s Day.
Is The "Unbreakable Autolock" Actually Just "Gone In 60 Seconds?"
By 5.6.08
Reader Alan thought that installing the Unbreakable Autolock would give him some peace of mind and enhance his vehicle’s security. But those thoughts were quickly dashed when his Toyota Rav4 was stolen in the middle of the night. The device is supposed to immobilize the brake or clutch making a car impossible to drive. Alan did some research, and to his amazement, found a video of a young boy picking an identical lock in under a minute. The lock-pick video and his letter, inside…
By 5.6.08
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Target’s internal crime lab is overrun with requests from law enforcement agencies for its forensic video expertise. [Forbes]
$50k Porn-Pilfering Lawsuits Opens With Geek Squad Employee Confession
By 5.5.08
The Star Tribune reports a woman is suing Best Buy for $50,000 after the Best Buy/Geek Squad repair service stole her naked photos from her computer, shared them with other Geek Squad agents, and even copied them onto the hard drives of other customers (this is hardly the first time Geek Squad has been caught stealing porn from customer’s computers). William E. Giffels admitted in a written statement that he copied Kaylee Hall’s nude photos from her computer onto his personal flash drive. On this drive, he also kept the most up-to-date version of the Geek Squad diagnostic tools and told other agents to copy from it. Then other Geek Squad made CD copies of the drive and installed the tools, along with Kaylee’s photos, onto other customers’ computers in the Traverse City, Michigan area. Inside, Giffels’s written confession…
Record High Prices Drive Police Officer Into Stealing Gas
By 5.5.08
This is ex-police officer, Craig Bucknor. KSLA reports that the Minden, Lousiana police officer has been arrested and is being charged with felony theft for stealing gasoline from the city. It seems no one is immune from the rising cost of gas. More details, inside…
Recall: 286,000 lbs of Meat Used In Sandwich Wraps Contaminated With Listeria
By 5.5.08
Gourmet Boutique, of Queens, NY is recalling 286,000 lbs of possibly contaminated meat used in sandwich wraps and other ready-to-eat products, says the USDA. This is the second recall of this type for the company. In March they recalled 7,000 lbs of meat for possible listeria contamination.
Court: Tyson Can No Longer Claim Chickens Are "Raised Without Antibiotics"
By 5.3.08
Tyson Foods has 14 days to stop claiming that their chickens are “raised without antibiotics.” The deceptive nationwide campaign was brought to an end after rivals Sanderson Farms and Purdue filed suit claiming that all three poultry processors use antibiotics, and that Tyson was trying to steal an undeserved appearance of health.
