A man was arrested and charged with second-degree impersonation after he pretended to be a soldier in an effort to get bumped up to first-class on his American Airlines flight. The man wore camo fatigues, a military-style buzz cut, and fake dog tags, but was caught, after landing and having enjoyed his first-class ride, when he couldn’t answer basic questions about his service. [More]
NEW YORK
Landlord Uses "Psychic Credit Checks" On Potential Tenants
By 6.23.11
Maybe you weren’t worried when you heard that Experian was adding rental payments to its credit reports because you’ve always paid your landlord on time. But now it’s time to look deep within your psyche and soul to ask yourself if you’d pass a psychic credit check. [More]
Will Take NY 62 Years to Get Through All The Foreclosures
By 6.20.11
At their current pace, it will take New York State lenders 62 years to repossess all the houses currently in foreclosure or severe default, NYT reports. That’s good news for some homeowners looking to get a break while they try to get out from behind the eight-ball with their debts. Some of them could even be dead by the time the house repo man comes to collect. [More]
TWC Ends Chat When You Ask Them To Honor To On-Time Guarantee
By 6.16.11
In New York City you are entitled to a free month of service if the cable guy doesn’t show up on time. It’s part of the franchise agreement the cable companies have with the city. But here’s a chat transcript showing what happens when a informed consumer tries to claim their credit from Time Warner Cable… [More]
800 NYC Restaurants Caught Trying To Hide Sub-Par Health Inspection Grades
By 6.15.11
Last summer, the New York City Board of Health began requiring all restaurants to post the letter-grade results of their latest health inspections. But a large number of eateries with non-A marks opted either to not post their grade or post it in a spot where no one could see it. [More]
NY Court: Lap Dances Not Exempt From Sales Tax
By 6.10.11
The owners of a strip club in New York state have spent the last half decade arguing that they do not owe $125,000 in sales tax on cover charges and lap dances because the dirty dances fall under the tax exempt category of “dramatic or musical art performance.” Alas, the NY State Supreme Court Appellate Division disagrees. [More]
Woman Sues Chanel After Getting $10,000 Ring Stuck On Her Finger
By 5.31.11
Don’t you just hate it when you slip on a really expensive ring, only to then have to wait several hours in the emergency room for a doctor to pry it off your pudgy digit? I know I do… But I’ve never gotten so mad that I’ve sued one of the most famous brands in the world of fashion. [More]
Cheaper To Get Four 2-Slice Deals Than A Whole Pie
By 5.23.11
Math is all around us, in the leaves on the tree, inside the crystals of an icicle, and in a delicious slice of 4-cheese pizza served up by your favorite New York pizza parlor, 7-11. [More]
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck Successful Enough To Open Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
By 5.20.11
It’s Friday and we’re getting a little exhausted after a week of sour news, so here’s a small success story to get us through the afternoon. [More]
NY Attorney General Investigating Pre-Bust Hijinks At Bank Of America, Goldman Sachs & Morgan Stanley
By 5.17.11
Just when you think the beleaguered bankers of the world can finally stop dealing with pesky investigations into their roles in the recent financial ugliness (some would call it a global economic meltdown), some Columbo-like snoop has to say, “Just one more thing” and open up all new cans of worms. The latest can-opener is New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has reportedly begun a broad investigation of Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. [More]
How (And Why) A Pack Of Twitter Vigilantes Recovered A Stranger's Stolen Laptop
By 5.13.11
A guy was able to hunt down his laptop after he lost it by using a program that gave him remote access to it, tracking its location and taking screenshots of the person who was using it. He even got the guys name after watching him log into Skype. Problem was the laptop was in New York City and the owner was traveling in Canada. So he began live-tweeting his predicament and the Twitterverse rose up and rescued his laptop. [More]
Popeyes Franchise Goes Bust, Leaves Behind Stinky Fly-Filled Building
By 5.6.11
The former operators of a Popeyes chicken joint in Brooklyn have managed to anger an entire neighborhood. After the restaurant went bust, the franchisee apparently decided to leave a mess than can be smelled for miles around. [More]
Pickpockets Target Starbucks Customers
By 5.2.11
While you’re taking a break with a relaxing Trenta of Pike’s Peak Roast coffee at Starbucks, a thief could be silently snagging your wallet, reports the New York Times. [More]
Proposed NYC Law Could Send Buyers Of Knockoff Handbags To Jail
By 4.26.11
The sidewalks of lower Manhattan, especially Chinatown, are filled with vendors selling genuine faux Louis Vuitton bags “Ugggs” boots and Ronex watches. One city councilwoman from that neighborhood is so fed up of trying to fight the problem from the supply side that she’s introducing new legislation that would attempt to curb demand by making it illegal to purchase counterfeit merchandise. [More]
This Cigarette Ice Cream Truck Is Doing It Wrong
By 4.4.11
Pro tip: when you buy an old ice cream truck and turn it into a mobile cigarette dispensary, you should probably cover up all the old ads for Bombpops and Choco Tacos. Reader discounteggroll’s co-worker snapped this picture at a gas station on the NY-CT border in Greenwich, CT. (Perhaps the truck is parked on the CT side of the parking lot, to take advantage of CT’s lower cigarette tax?) If it doesn’t violate any regulations, like the Tobacco Control Act of 2009 which prohibits the sale, distribution, marketing and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to children under the age of 18, it’s in poor taste, even with the sign asking for ID. “One Big Vanilla ice cream sandwich, please.” “Sorry kid, we got Pall Malls.” [More]
Lost Bronx Zoo Cobra Found
By 3.31.11
The misplaced cobra at the Bronx zoo has been found, coiled and hungry in a dark secluded corner of the reptile house, CNN reports. After the snake went missing, zoo officials closed down the snake exhibit and started searching ceaselessly for the missing creature. Though the zoo kept stressing the cobra was probably within the reptile house, that didn’t stop the deadly snake from setting the public’s imagination on fire, with national media coverage, a keyboard-playing appearance on Conan, and a 200,000 follower strong satirical Twitter account. [More]
New York Attorney General To Look Into AT&T Purchase Of T-Mobile
By 3.29.11
Looks like Sprint isn’t the only one with concerns about the pending $39 billion sale of T-Mobile to AT&T. The Attorney General for the state of New York has announced that his office will be conducting a “thorough review” of the deal. [More]
NJ Man Selling 212 Phone Number For $1 Million
By 3.25.11
212 is a coveted area code for your phone number. It says that you are in Manhattan, established, and among the set that could pop its collar if it wanted to but chooses not to. Now a New Jersey man is trying to auction off his 212 number for $1 million on eBay, hoping the proceeds will cover care for his elderly mother, who has dementia, reports New York Daily News. For those that might question whether the number really has value, consider that 6 months after he got the number, Verizon called asking if they could have it back, saying they usually reserve it for “big companies.” Sorry, Charlie, prestige has its price. [More]
