Standing in the way of control!

So after much surfing and blogging and dropping entrecards I have been convinced to get my own domain. That was easy, now the whole design process starts and wow! it can keep you busy. which theme, plugins etc to choose from.

In one day I have learnt a lot…from web hosting and the hundreds out there but most of all I am impressed with the service I received…amazing

So, while that site is still under construction I will still be here since I have other ideas for that blog/site….

I love this journey…

To all my entrecard droppers I will reciprocate from tomorrow again…bit tired today!

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Between the TSA ban on liquids and US Airways $2 fee for bottled water, if you want a drink, you’re probably going to pay for it. It may be annoying, but is it also wrong?According to US Airways policy, coffee and tea are $1, but bottled drinking water is $2. So, can you order tea and ask them to “hold the tea” and save a $1? Shouldn’t you be able to get a boring old glass of water for free?

Jeanne Leblanc from the Hartford Courant thinks so:

It’s hard to understand why the laws that require free potable water in such public places as movie theaters and amusement parks don’t seem to apply to airlines. But then, it shouldn’t have to be a law. It should just be a matter of common decency.
…
Now, I’m not saying US Airways should have to hand out free bottles of water, although that would be nice. I’m saying it should pour a cup of water out of a quart bottle for any passenger who’s thirsty. And for no other reason than that they’re thirsty.

US Airways says that if you’re “desperately thirsty” and you don’t have any money, they might give you some water… so that you don’t try anything embarrassing like drinking out of the bathroom sinks.

“Frankly, [drinking from the sink is] just not classy,” a US Airways spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal.

So what do you think? Should there be non-fancy water for anyone who is thirsty?

Should free water be available to coach passengers?
( polls)

US Airways’ Fee Too Far [Courant]
Starting Today, No More Free Water on US Air [WSJ Middle Seat Blog]
(Photo: caseywest )

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The government is fed up with airlines whose crappy service and delayed flights incite passenger revolts. According to officials, “we will severely punish airlines which experience aircraft occupations and other incidents as a result of service reasons which originate with the airline.” Sounds great, right?Shame the cry for good service came from the Chinese government, not the FAA.

Chinese officials aren’t the only ones playing hardball. Americans and our Executive Email Carpet Bombs look like pushovers compared to our Chinese counterparts:

State media reported this week that scores of Chinese passengers smashed computers and desks and clashed with police after a night stranded at an airport without accommodation.More than 170 passengers were due to leave Kunming, capital of southwestern Yunnan province, on three flights operated by China Southern Airlines late Monday, but the flights were cancelled due to bad weather, Xinhua news agency said.

The report blamed the melee on China Southern staff’s “inappropriate working attitude.”

Yang said customers must also be kept better informed about delays, especially those caused by bad weather, a big issue in China.

“If there is bad weather, for example, we will tell the media to publicize it so that passengers can be informed ahead of time and avoid long waits at airports due to the weather,” he added.

Another worry, with the Games a week away, has been ensuring Beijing’s main airport does not suffer delays from thunderstorms, which often strike the capital over the summer, just as athletes and other visitors arrive.

During last year’s Spring Festival, riot police had to be called to Beijing airport after passengers angry at fog-related delays roughed up airline staff, attacked service counters and tried to storm grounded aircraft.

Airlines that fail to improve their service will lose runway slots at popular airports. China’s centralized government may not be able to secure their food supply, but we sure do love their can-do attitude towards the airlines!

Punishing airlines whose passengers misbehave [Reuters]

(Consumerist)

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Funny but real:

Meet Dr. Herman I. Libshitz, a retired radiologist and potential Verizon customer who would like DSL. Sadly, Dr. Libshitz was informed that he could not use his name in his email address or as his user name because it has “shit” in it.He tried his best to escalate the complaint with Verizon, but had little luck. First, he called the help line:

“We called their help line, and got a wonderful young man in the Philippines who told us:

” ‘We can’t install it because your name has - in it.’ “

I asked the doctor how I was going to print that. He said, “Just say it’s a word contained in Libshitz.”

He had no luck with a supervisor, so he called the billing disputes number and reached another supervisor who promised to investigate and have someone contact him because ” the only person who could help was in Tampa, and that man would have to call India to get them to change the computer code.” No one called back.

Finally, he got a letter informing him that he could not use his name as a username because it didn’t comply with Verizon’s policy.

It took calls from the Philadelphia Inquirer to get Verizon to deal with Dr. Libshitz and his “questionable” name, and that’s what bothers him. He told the Inquirer that what he wants “is for these people at least to stand at attention to explain themselves. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to get to Verizon. . . . You cannot get to them. They are insulated from things like this.” Unless you work for a newspaper, that is.

Here’s Verizon’s official response:

“As a general rule (since 2005) Verizon doesn’t allow questionable language in e-mail addresses, but we can, and do, make exceptions based on reasonable requests. The one from Dr. and Mrs. Libshitz certainly is reasonable and we regret the inconvenience and frustration they’ve been caused.”

Daniel Rubin: When your name gets turned against you [Philadelphia Inquirer] (Thanks, Will!)

From: Consumerist 

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