Nine months after a 10-year-old boy died on the “world’s largest waterslide” at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, the youngster’s family has reached a nearly $20 million settlement with the company. [More]
kansas city
“World’s Largest Waterslide” To Be Torn Down After 10-Year-Old’s Death
By 11.23.16
Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, KS, will no longer be home to the “world’s largest waterslide.” Three months after a 10-year-old boy died on the ride, officials with the park say they will tear down and replace the main attraction — The Verrückt. [More]
When Do Identical Products Have Two Different Prices At The Same Store? When They’re Sold At Target, Obviously
By 8.24.16
Target’s pricing and labeling incompetence is so legendary that we now use the term “Target Math” to describe a situation where any retailer baffles customers by, for example, advertising a “sale” that is more expensive than the everyday price, or where percentages are irrelevant, or when the economy of buying in bulk is turned on its ear. The latest fuzzy math from Target involves charging two different prices for identical items, including infant ibuprofen and acetaminophen. [More]
Ford Partners With Startup To Launch On-Demand Bus Service In Kansas City
By 2.11.16
Residents of Kansas City will have another option when it comes to tooling around town next month: Ford has partnered with Boston-based pop-up bus company, Bridj, to launch an on-demand bus service in the city.
[More]
Chipotle’s Non-Burrito Pizzeria Concept Expands Eastward
By 1.29.15
For the last couple of years, Chipotle has been playing around with pizza at the few Pizzeria Locale eateries it has in Colorado. But now the eatery is looking to the east and seeing there are hungry mouths to feed in the Kansas City area, where another Locale is set to open this summer. [More]
Time Warner And Comcast Just Happen To Boost Customer Speeds Near Google Fiber
By 8.4.14
When Google Fiber entered the Internet service provider market in Kansas City, the strangest things began to happen. Current providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, which operate in different parts of the metropolitan area, had to start acting like they were in a competitive business. Last week, bost Comcast and Time Warner announced that they’re doubling Internet speeds for most customers, with no price increase. [More]
Burger King Customer Complains About Sandwich, Employee Threatens Him With Box Cutter
By 10.29.13
While it’s been a while since any of us have worked in fast food, we’re pretty sure that “Threaten him with box cutter” is not among Burger King’s suggested methods for dealing with a dissatisfied (dissatisfried?) customer. [More]
Why New Fiber Networks Are Required To Shatter Monopolies Of Comcast & Other ISPs
By 10.2.13
It’s one thing if a company earns a dominant market share in a region because consumers have voted with their wallets and decided that Company X is the best around and it’s the only one they want. It’s another when, in the case of the cable industry, that monopoly isn’t earned, but is instead the result of outdated regulations that force a certain company on consumers based on ZIP code. The introduction of higher-speed fiber-optic networks like Google Fiber and AT&T’s new experiment in Austin may shatter the concrete feet of a cable colossus like Comcast. [More]
Time Warner Boosts My Speed, Cuts My Bill: I Just Happen To Live Near Google Fiber
By 1.30.13
Rob is a Time Warner Cable customer, and he’s received two really interesting things from them lately. First, a 50% speed boost: they claim to have upgraded the speed of his home Internet connection. That’s neat. Oh, and they’ve also cut his bill, from $45 to $30. Wow! What has prompted this amazing treatment? Years of loyalty and on-time payments? No, not exactly…Rob lives in Kansas City, pilot site for Google Fiber, the gigabit broadband project that’s threatening to make current broadband providers almost care about competing. [More]
Google Files Applications To Offer TV Service In Kansas City
By 2.23.12
Google has been using the Kansas City area as a place to test out its high-speed internet service and now it looks like the internet giant may be ready to try its hand at offering TV service to customers. [More]
Another Postal Worker Caught Stealing Netflix DVDs
By 10.7.11
It’s been over five years since we first wrote about postal workers being busted for detouring Netflix DVDs into their own private stashes, and yet there are apparently still some USPS staffers out there who think they can steal more than 100 DVDs and not have it set off alarm bells. [More]
TSA Tries To Explain Need For Patting Down An Infant
By 5.10.11
Over the weekend, TSA agents at the Kansas City International Airport felt the full furor of the internet when a camera phone image of a baby being patted-down hit the web. The world wanted to know if we’d moved from worrying about dirty bombs to hunting for poopy bombs. In an attempt to diffuse the explosive situation, the folks behind the curtains of Security Theater took to their blog to offer an explanation. [More]
Relative Of Slain 7-11 Employee Wants Company To Install Bulletproof Glass
By 3.19.10
Late Wednesday night in a Kansas City 7-11, employee Gurpreet Singh was shot by a robber, even after he handed over the cash without protest. And now a relative of Sing wants the convenience store chain to install safety glass in all their stores before another employee dies. [More]
Topeka Changes Name To Google For All Of March
By 3.11.10
In a remarkably crass act of prostitution, Topeka has up and changed its name to Google for the month, ABS-CBN News reports. The name change is a way for the mayor to thank Google for using Topeka as a test ground for a high-speed internet network. [More]
Fishy Selling Practices At Kansas City Restaurants: 85% Of The Fish On The Menu Is Not The Fish On The Menu
By 5.14.09
An NBC investigation in Kansas City, Mo., has discovered that 85% of area restaurants surveyed use cheaper fish in place of the one listed on the menu. Instead of red snapper, they mostly served tilapia—which costs five times less. Even “Red Snapper” restaurant was caught serving something that wasn’t red snapper.
Customer Finds Racial Slur On Receipt After Returning Some Shoes
By 10.22.08
KMBC in Kansas City, MO says that a local man found a racial slur on his receipt after returning a pair of shoes at a store called Journeys. He got his money back without a problem, but found a nasty surprise waiting on the receipt.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Calls Miscarriage "Elective Abortion," Denies Claim
By 9.24.07
After going without any healthcare coverage for 3 years, (husband’s employer didn’t not offer it and husband and child have preexisting conditions that make self paid insurance imposable to afford) was ecstatic to find out my husband’s new employer did offer insurance! Even though it is at a very high premium and a $2000 deductible, it’s better than nothing, right? At least that’s what I thought, till I tried to use Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City…
Panera Bread Burns Kansas City
By 5.5.07
A deluge of baseball fans trying to collect free bagels has led Panera Bread to cancel a promotion with the Kansas City Royals. Under the promotion, ticket stubs from a home game in which the Royals won with thirteen or more hits could be redeemed for thirteen free Panera bagels.
