If you’re banned from a retail store, it’s probably best to avoid making a return visit. It’s certainly not a good idea to bring along your young children when you do pop by, and it’s definitely ill-advised to ask one of those children to use pepper spray on that store’s employees. [More]
philadelphia
Own The ‘Rocky II’ House For Only $139,000
March 15, 2013
Usually if you want to buy a house featured in a famous movie, like The Godfather or Amityville Horror, you need to pony up seven figures. But the 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath South Philly rowhouse from Rocky II (aka, the one where Rocky finally wins) is up for sale for the completely reasonable price of $139,000. [via Philly.com] [More]
Hero Or Fool: Man Pays $200 To Appeal $26 Parking Ticket
By 2.25.13
Here in Philadelphia, parking tickets tend to appear out of nowhere, the Parking Authority’s army of ninja ticket-writers leaving their citations in silence. Many people just fork over the cash, even when the violation is bogus. But not one man, who was willing to spend money to prove his point. [More]
Comcast Now Charging Customers For Formerly Free Converter Boxes
By 1.31.13
Not so long ago, Comcast customers who had to upgrade to digital set-top boxes were provided up to two free digital-television adapters so they wouldn’t gave to trash their old analog sets. Now, folks who still have those DTAs will have to pay $1.99/month for the privilege. [More]
With Planes And Trains Out Of Service, Dr. Pays $750 For Cab Ride From Philly To Boston
By 11.2.12
We’ve heard a number of stories in recent days of people whose flights or train trips between various cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were canceled or delayed for days as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Many of them stuck it out, while others rented cars to get to their destinations. But one UK doctor chose to hail a cab to make the 300+ mile trip from Philadelphia to Boston. [More]
Cosi Manager Wins Over Customers By Opening During Storm, Not Gouging
By 10.29.12
With Hurricane Sandy about to hop on the Atlantic City Expressway toward Philadelphia, many area stores opted for the better safe than sorry route and closed for the day. But one Cosi eatery in Center City won over some hospital employees by not only opening just for them, but by also not charging. [More]
Trademark Office Doesn’t See Difference Between A Philadelphia Cheesesteak And “Philadelphia’s Cheesesteak”
By 10.12.12
Just about every pizza place, diner, deli and sandwich shop here in Philadelphia will make you a cheesesteak, and while many claim to make the city’s best, only one has actually tried — unsuccessfully thus far — to trademark the phrase “Philadelphia’s Cheesesteak.” [More]
Man Spends $20,000 To Clean Up Vacant Lot, City Says He's A Trespasser
By 9.14.12
During the past few years, a Philadelphia developer and business owner says he’s been fined for un-shoveled snow, trash and other violations for a vacant lot (pictured, left) adjoining one of his properties — a vacant lot he doesn’t even own. But after he decided to spend his own money and time having 40 tons of debris removed from that same lot, the city claims he’s a trespasser. [More]
Madonna Booed For Showing Up 2.5 Hours Late For Own Concert
By 8.29.12
Concerts usually start later than the time on the ticket, but apparently 2.5 hours later (with only a DJ as your opening act) is a bit too late for the people of Philadelphia. The CBS affiliate in Philly is reporting that the crowd turned on Madonna when she finally took the stage at 10:30 pm (for an 8 pm show) but the boos were probably quieter than they could have been… because some concert-goers had already given up and left. [More]
Township Warns Good Samaritan Not To Feed Hungry Children Without Zoning Variance
By 8.15.12
A Philadelphia-area woman is learning that no good deed goes un-chastised, after being warned by local authorities that she could face steep fines if she continues to provide free meals to hungry children in her neighborhood. [More]
Delicious Ice Cream Gollum Creature Eats Itself, Creeps Us Out
By 8.6.12
Here’s a marketing hypothetical that no one has ever posed before: does cannibalism sell ice cream? Philadelphia ice cream parlor mini-chain Little Baby’s Ice Cream has released two ads featuring an odd creature seemingly made of ice crea, which finds itself so irresistible that it shovels giant spoonfuls of the top of its own head into its mouth, and licks an ice cream cone in which a smaller version of itself sits. The spots are trippy, gross, strange, and…. really make me want some ice cream. [More]
Cab Company Balks At Cleaning Up After Driver Caught Pooping On Sidewalk
By 7.18.12
You may already have heard about the icky cab driver here in Philadelphia who was caught on camera using a street corner as his personal pooping ground. What you may not know is that — even though the man and his cab company have been identified — no one has come out to actually do much about removing all the offending fecal matter. [More]
7 TSA Agents Fired For Paying Bribes To Pass Proficiency Tests
By 6.15.12
Pop quiz: What’s the best way to pass a proficiency test when you work for a highly scrutinized federal agency already under fire for ineptitude? If you answered “pay $200 to the instructor,” then maybe you are among those TSA agents getting the boot from Philadelphia International Airport. [More]
Store Enacts “Two Students At A Time” Limit To Curb Shoplifting
By 6.7.12
Here in Philadelphia — and in a number of cities around the country — you hear several stories a week about some small deli or convenience store being suddenly overwhelmed by crowds of students with the intention of swiping armfuls of Pepsi Max, Sun Chips, Snickers bars and whatever else can be grabbed during the brief raid. One store has apparently had enough and enacted a two-student limit to cut down on the theft. [More]
Throwing Hot Coffee On The Donut Shop Worker Is Not A Reasonable Way To Resolve A Dispute
By 5.11.12
For years, we’ve advocated the use of the Executive E-mail Carpet Bomb as a way for customers to resolve disputes with companies. What he have never suggested is the Donut Shop Employee Coffee Bomb. [More]
Taxpayers Stuck With Tab For Restaurant's Utilities Because City "Failed To Issue" Bills
By 5.3.12
The taxpayers of Philadelphia have unwittingly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars paying the electric, gas, and water bills for a posh restaurant, all because the city says it simply goofed. But now that they know about it, the restaurant will be compelled to pay that money back, right? Not quite. [More]
Victim Says Police Won't Investigate Scam Because His $1,200 Isn't Worth The Effort
By 3.5.12
A pizzeria owner in Philadelphia says his business was scammed out of $1,200 by someone using a blocked phone number, but when he contacted police for help he was told by detectives that the value of the crime didn’t merit investigation. [More]
Is The Philly Cellphone Jammer A Hero Or A Jerk?
By 3.1.12
A man in Philadelphia decided he’d had enough with listening to his fellow bus passengers blab away on their cellphones. But instead of buying himself some noise-cancelling headphones or politely asking people to pipe down, he chose to fight back with a handheld device that jams their signals. [More]
