Travel Trouble

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Why this Aussie traveller didn’t tip when they headed overseas

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the US where wages are so low that tipping supplements their income, refusing to tip while travelling overseas is highly frowned upon.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, one Australian woman refused to buy into the practice of tipping at all while she was in the United States for two weeks and then headed on a four-month trip to South America.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I had started the first leg of my five-month trip and was on a very tight budget,” Natasha Cameron, 26, said told </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/travellers-stories/aussie-traveller-in-the-us-explains-why-she-refused-to-tip/news-story/768ed04e876d47440b430ade6db72953"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was also uncertain as to how much was acceptable to tip. For some of the trip we bought from the supermarket and takeaway to avoid having to worry about tipping and having that awkward encounter. I had saved for years to go on this trip and was not working for the duration of the holiday, so every last penny really did count.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As tipping in Australia is culturally looked upon as an extra amount for doing a good job, it’s not surprising that Aussies don’t follow the cultural trends while travelling overseas.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Cameron said that she never felt pressured into tipping. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People in the US are really friendly to Aussie travellers, so I never felt pressured into tipping,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“However, I myself did feel guilty and would often second-guess myself. There were occasions where I left a small tip. I think being a tourist and sometimes not understanding the tipping etiquette can impact perceptions and attitudes.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With tipping factors into labour laws in the US, tipping can make or break a servers’ night. However, it needs to be changed, according to Cameron.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think (this) definitely does need to change and starts with the restaurant owners,” she said. “There is often a tax on top of the bill, so with tipping as well, it really does add up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As someone who has worked in restaurants and cafes growing up, I do believe (Australian) wages are great by comparison to other countries. While I did appreciate a tip from time to time, I did not expect it and therefore don’t think people should.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If the service is exceptional and someone has gone out of their way to help me, then I think it is a great way of showing gratitude.”</span></p>

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“Disgusting”: Passenger’s horror flight habit leaves travellers squeamish

<p>An airline passenger’s unhygienic albeit unique way of browsing through the in-flight entertainment has left fellow travellers feeling rather uncomfortable.</p> <p>Most people use their hands or a remote to swipe through the various options on offer, but one man was filmed using his toes instead.</p> <p>Author Alafair Burke took to Twitter to share the bizarre clip on Tuesday, captioning it: “My friend who doesn’t have Twitter sent this from her flight. It belongs on Twitter.”</p> <p>Alafair then added: “The photographer confirms she saw him walk on and off the plane, carrying his own bag. He just likes to watch TV with his bare feet.”</p> <p>It didn’t take long for the post to gain traction with the viral video gaining 27,000 retweets and 133,000 likes as users around the world felt disturbed.</p> <p>“Just another confirmation of how disgusting people are,” wrote one person.</p> <p>“Ya’ll don’t bathe your feet so this is violence,” said another.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Everyone: “YOU CANT CALL THE COPS, WE’RE IN THE SKY!” <br /><br />Me, regardless: <a href="https://t.co/ScKl9Yyaeb">pic.twitter.com/ScKl9Yyaeb</a></p> — X (@XLNB) <a href="https://twitter.com/XLNB/status/1150914202103455744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 July 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Just another confirmation of how disgusting people are.</p> — irwin (@IrwinFletcher72) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrwinFletcher72/status/1150981770566885377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">16 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>However, others used this opportunity to educate the masses as to why they should sanitise all surfaces before take-off.</p> <p>“This is why my wife wipes everything down at her seat,” one commented. “Including the screen!”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">This is why my wife wipes everything down at her seat. Including the screen!</p> — Fergz (@valorousman) <a href="https://twitter.com/valorousman/status/1150963332624465920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">16 July 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Next flight, I will bring a small clorox+febreeze+ lyson wipes, all 3 on 1, to clean tha screen. I don't care if it's not the same seat number or the screen is on the top of the seat. 🤢</p> — Humberto Contasta (@HContasta) <a href="https://twitter.com/HContasta/status/1150966391866105856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">16 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“Next flight, I will bring a small clorox + febreeze + lyson wipes, all 3 in 1, to clean that screen,” vowed a second user. “I don’t care if it’s not the same seat number or the screen is on the top of the seat.”</p> <p>But one Twitter user commended the passenger for his feet navigation skills, pointing out that this is not the first time he’s done this.</p> <p>“He is clearly practiced at this too, look how adept he is,” they said.</p> <p>Another person posted a reminder about how our hands are just as dirty as our feet.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">You fools, you nincompoops, for believing their fingers are any more sanitary than their feet. This human being was just in an Airport, nothing about them is clean</p> — Kyle 🌱 (@KylePlantEmoji) <a href="https://twitter.com/KylePlantEmoji/status/1150938571596951552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">16 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“You fools, you nincompoops, for believing our fingers are more sanitary than their feet,” he wrote. “This human being was just in an airport, nothing about them is clean.”</p>

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Woman left $2,500 out of pocket over a broken nail on US holiday

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Sydney woman has been left with a shocking bill that has left insurance companies warning travellers about the costs of getting injured in the United States.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rachael Minaway, 32, arrived with her friend in Honolulu and hadn’t checked into their hotel before breaking her acrylic nail in a glovebox.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We had a late check-in, so we headed straight for the beach, and we were so excited to run out of the car and get into the water,” Ms Minaway told </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/travellers-stories/aussie-tourist-forced-to-fork-out-2500-after-breaking-a-nail-on-american-holiday/news-story/513292ca5fe39393de734dfd34117743"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We were packing away the GPS in the glovebox, and I was being too quick and smashed my fingernail between the dashboard and the glovebox, and it cracked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I didn’t think it was a big deal at all, it’s happened to all of us before.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her and her friend searched for medical centres to help them out with the issue.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We typed in ‘medical centre’ in the GPS and I guess in Hawaii they call hospitals ‘medical centres’ because it directed us to the closest emergency room,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At that point my hand was really hurting, and we thought, OK, they’ll just tell us what to do. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We just wanted to get back to our trip. And I was wasting my friend’s time for a fingernail, it was so silly.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The doctor at the hospital said that it would be best to remove the fingernail, which she agreed to if she could undergo a local anaesthetic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was so painful, I did not want to feel him ripping it off,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But we were taking photos and laughing through it, I honestly did not expect it to be a big deal.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was all fun and games until the pair were presented with the bill of $1,200. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I had to pay it on the spot,” she said. “I told them we’d only just landed, I hadn’t even checked in my luggage at the hotel. But they wouldn’t let us leave without paying it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, she was inundated with more bills from the hospital after returning home to Sydney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I remember emailing them after the first one and saying, ‘No, sorry, I’ve already paid for this’, but the invoices were for different things. They kept finding new things to bill me for. After a few months I regretted giving them my real address.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was pretty upsetting. I was six months pregnant at that point, and I kept thinking, imagine if didn’t have insurance and actually had to pay for all this myself.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She was telling her story to warn other travellers about heading to the United States.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’d heard about how in America they don’t have Medicare like us, but I never expected (the cost) to be this outrageous for something this tiny,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I feel so sorry for those people who go over there (to the US) and wind up with massive medical bills,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You have no idea what’s going to happen.”</span></p>

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Duchess Camilla’s helicopter near “seconds from disaster”

<p>New reports have claimed a helicopter carrying the Duchess of Cornwall was just “seconds away from disaster” twice in the same year.</p> <p>The allegations have said Duchess Camilla was travelling in Sikorsky S76 from the Queen's Flight when the aircraft veered away to avoid mid-air collisions while flying with the 71-year-old.</p> <p>The royal was being flown from Sandringham to her home in Wiltshire when the alleged incident occurred.</p> <p>The second incident happened while the helicopter was getting ready to land 45 minutes after the first event and had to make yet another manoeuvre to avoid a glider.</p> <p>The pilot reportedly said he was fortunate enough to have spotted the glider from half a mile away as he had “been flying into the sun.”</p> <p>These alleged incidents have been reported in the UK Aiprox Board Reports and happened on July 25, 2018 after the Duchess visited the Sandringham Flower Show with her husband, Prince Charles.</p> <p>The Prince of Wales is believed to have been in Norfolk when the events reportedly took place and Duchess Camilla boarded the flight to Anmer Hall.</p> <p>The helicopter took flight at 1.11 pm and later an air traffic controller RAF Marham, Norfolk said the risk of collision had been “high.”</p> <p>The report by UK Aiprox Board found the DHC-6 pilot should have informed RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk of the two incidents on Duchess Camilla’s flights however he forgot due to it being his eight flight of the day.</p> <p>RAF Marham reportedly informed RAF Lakenheath to remind other aircraft to keep away from the Royal Flight.</p> <p>RAF Lakenheath made “numerous” attempts to contaxt the DHC-6 pilot, who failed to respond as he was “distracted by passengers in the back.”</p> <p>Buckingham Palace and Skydive Chatter declined to comment to the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7244703/Camillas-helicopter-swerve-avoid-collisions-TWICE-one-hour-flew-home.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail.</a></p>

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“How ridiculous”: Pauline Hanson and Today show panned over "shameful" Uluru debate

<p>In three months, the hour-long hike up Uluru will be closed, but the decision has stirred up debate around the nation as the closure of the hike draws closer.</p> <p>One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and 2GB radio DJ and regular<span> </span><em>The Project </em>panellist Steve Price appeared on <em>Today</em> this morning to discuss why the rock should stay open to climbers.</p> <p>Despite traditional owners of the land being horrified as tourists flock to Uluru to climb it before the closure, Price and Hanson shared their thoughts during the all-white panel debate.</p> <p>“The Australian taxpayers put in millions, hundreds of millions of dollars into it and they’re wanting another $27.5 million to upgrade the airport there for the resort,” Hanson said.</p> <p>“Now the resort has only returned $19 million to the taxpayers only just recently. It employs over 400 people there, 38 per cent are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.</p> <p>“The fact is, it’s money-making. It’s giving jobs to indigenous communities, and you’ve got thousands of tourists who go there every year and want to climb the rock,” Hanson finished.</p> <p>Price agreed.</p> <p>“What we should be doing is assisting the local indigenous population to make this a growing tourism concern. We’ve seen, apparently, a huge spike in people that want to climb it since the announcement it’s going to close in October. So that shows there’s a hunger for tourists to do it,” he said.</p> <p>“If it’s well managed Deb [Knight], I don’t have an issue with it. We need to sit down with them and explain this could be a positive for them.”</p> <p>However, disgruntled fans were quick to criticise the segment on social media, pointing out that Price and Hanson, both Caucasian Australians, were debating the sensitivge topic with <em>Today</em>’s Knight, who is also a Caucasian Australian.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/StevePriceMedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StevePriceMedia</a> weighs in on the "silent scandal" affecting 1 in 3 elderly Australians. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/H40Uuy2o3v">pic.twitter.com/H40Uuy2o3v</a></p> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1150511835591790593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“I can only conclude that the reason the Today Show continues to provide Pauline Hanson with a platform is because they endorse her putrid, racist bile and want to ensure it gets wide coverage,” one user wrote.</p> <p>“Let's talk Uluru climbing with… Pauline Hanson and Steve Price. Couldn't they find anyone whiter?,” another comment read.</p> <p>The decision to have three white Australians discussing the issue without seeking the opinions of members of the Indigenous community was deemed insensitive.</p> <p>"Omitting that factual dimension of the story is not reporting, its participation in a pantomime," one person wrote.</p> <p>More than five hours after the initial debate,<span> </span><em>Today</em><span> </span>included a second segment where Indigenous entertainment reporter Brooke Boney weighed in on the discussion.</p> <p>“This is about indigenous people having some sort of say over what happens on their land and their sacred sites,” she said.</p> <p>“The thing about the rock is that it is so sacred to them that every time someone gets injured, hurt or has to be airlifted out it hurts them, and they say their ancestors mourn the loss of those people," Boney commented. </p> <p>“They're not doing it to be nasty or protective, they're doing it to protect others because it is really dangerous.”</p> <p>Yawuru woman Shannan Dodson, who works as an Indigenous Affairs Adviser for Media Diversity Australia, told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/northern-territory/one-nations-pauline-hanson-compares-closing-uluru-to-shutting-bondi-beach/news-story/10d69391726ea30a0fe5607b0d3b0e93" target="_blank">news.com.au</a> that Uluru should have the same significance as any other of the world’s sacred sites.</p> <p>“The issue around climbing Uluru is that it is a sacred place and at the end of the day, when you see how much the world rallied around the destruction of Notre Dame and how significant that is, people understand there are sacred places based around culture and religion,” she said.</p> <p>“The fact you can’t then translate that to Uluru having the same significance is undermining.</p> <p>“For me, it feels like Western cultures and values are always elevated above other cultures and values. It’s saying Aboriginal cultures and values are less important. It’s just a thinking that we’re less than them and that our culture and values don’t matter.”</p>

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Shocking photo reveals BIG problem with Uluru: “It makes me sick"

<p>A shocking new photo has emerged of the hordes of tourists who are trying to climb Uluru before it officially closes.</p> <p>A photo was taken at the base of Uluru which shows the amount of people trying to climb it. The picture shows a queue of people snaking up the landmark, as hundreds are arriving daily to climb it before the deadline of October 26.</p> <p>The traditional landowners, known as the Anangu people, and Alice Springs locals say that the impact of the tourists has been “the busiest they’ve seen it”.</p> <p>“There’s cars parked for one kilometre on either side of the road leading up to the carpark at the base,” an unnamed photographer who supplied the photo to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-10/uluru-climb-closure-breaking-point-overflow-tourists-waste/11296256" target="_blank">ABC Alice Springs </a>said.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FABCAliceSprings%2Fphotos%2Fa.10150105317457671%2F10156406196652671%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="682" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>About 140 people were climbing the rock each day when the ban was announced in 2017, but those numbers have skyrocketed to between 300 to 500 people per day as the ban approaches.</p> <p>Stephen Schwer, chief executive of Tourism Central Australia, has told the ABC that tourists are trespassing, camping illegally and dumping rubbish on private lands.</p> <p>“(Tourists) think they’re doing a good thing by free camping along the way; what they are actually doing is trespassing on pastoralist and joint-managed and protected land, and a lot of people don’t seem to be getting that message,” Mr Schwer said.</p> <p>“When there is the kind of influx of drive travel as we are seeing at the moment, there is an influx of waste.”</p> <p>Lindy Severin, the owner of Curtin Springs station, which is about 100 kilometres away from Uluru, has said thousands of tourists travelling in caravans have been dumping their toilet tanks onto the roads.</p> <p>“There are limited areas to dispose of black waste in Central Australia — it’s either Alice [Springs] or Ayers Rock near here — and we’ve got visitors who don’t want to stand in queues to dump waste,” Ms Severin told the ABC.</p> <p>“There’s just rubbish everywhere, [including] used toilet paper.”</p> <p>Traditional landowners are devastated at the amount of people rushing to climb Uluru before the cut-off date, despite the common knowledge that climbing Uluru is deeply offensive.</p> <p>“It makes me sick looking at this photo at the disrespect and disregard shown for the traditional owners’ wishes,” said a spokesperson from the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/anger-as-tourists-swarm-uluru-as-climb-closure-date-approaches/news-story/719341af223311e97e9f84f66c52e824" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>.</p> <p>“Not only do people climb it but they defecate, urinate and discard nappies and rubbish on it.</p> <p>“I for one cannot wait for the climb to be permanently closed and our sacred lore, culture and traditions to be acknowledged and respected.”</p>

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Hidden camera technology is booming: What this means for your privacy

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With stories about people finding hidden cameras and other technology in their AirBnb’s and apartment rentals, some people are curious as to why and where the hidden technology boom has come from.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bruce Baer Arnold, an associate professor of law and justice at Canberra University, told </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/a-boom-in-hidden-camera-tech-makes-it-difficult-to-spot-devices-and-the-law-is-complex/news-story/59ec9bbef84ed22748429647ae7a4414"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> his thoughts on the matter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Fifteen years ago, the technology that was available was expensive and a bit quirky and was mostly bought by law enforcement, private investigators and uber geeks.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He added, “But we’re seeing the Kmart effect where availability has boomed and prices have fallen, so now anybody can get their hands on them.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the objects that are able to conceal cameras include hats, fake car key fobs, watches, picture frames, wall clocks, television remotes, notebooks and music speakers. Some of the technology also has hidden video recorders inside them, so that the footage can be looked at later.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Depending on what you’re after and what website you buy it from, it could set you back $20 or $168.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">University of Technology Sydney law professor Kristopher Wilson says that this is a real problem for privacy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We don’t have any real standards or control mechanisms for the development and sale of these devices,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That’s an issue for cyber security as well as privacy. There’s a plethora of flow-on effects from this.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although stories of technology being found in apartment rentals are nothing new, there are more sinister uses for the hidden technology.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“An emerging problem is ‘cyber gaslighting’ where these kind of devices are being used in domestic violence situations,” Mr Wilson said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It might be a husband who installs them to monitor his wife’s movements to harass and intimidate. It’s a relatively new phenomenon.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Baer Arnold says that context was key when it comes to determining the legality of using the devices, which again, raises a host of issues.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The big issue we’ve got is that the law is so profoundly inconsistent between the states and territories. And then there are cases where a potential offence would be dealt with by Commonwealth laws.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s all a bit rocky, and some of the laws have been shown to be outdated. We’ve had instances in the past where an invasion of privacy with a video recording was deemed fine because the sound was off. That’s a bizarre situation.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, it seems like the law will consistently be playing catch up. Dr Baer Arnold believes that restricting the sale of the technology won’t help matters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Like all technology, it can be used for good and it can be used for bad,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Take drone technology. Drones can protect the environment and help in emergencies. They can also be used to spy and to kill. It’s about context. Just restricting something doesn’t work.”</span></p>

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"Polar pulses" set to blast Australia: Full force of winter arrives as severe weather warning issued

<p>Parts of Australia’s south is set to receive a triple Antarctic blast with the forecast for today showing heavy rain and damaging winds.</p> <p>South Australians have been advised to remain vigilant as strong winds, rain and hail approaches the state in what is considered one of the biggest storms of the season.</p> <p>Matt Bass, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said the front was expected to hit the state today and cross Adelaide’s CBD later this afternoon.</p> <p>“What we’re looking at is quite a windy front coming through, one of the most significant fronts we’ve seen so far this winter,” he said.</p> <p>“There is a risk of damaging winds across a broad area of the state, roughly south of Streaky Bay to Port Pirie to Renmark – this includes the Adelaide metropolitan area.</p> <p>“The heaviest rainfall and strongest winds for Adelaide are likely to be from mid-afternoon through to the evening, including the afternoon commute, so drive to the conditions and stay safe.”</p> <p>SES chief of staff Trevor Arnold said driving conditions and outdoor activities will become hazardous.</p> <p>“We’re asking communities to be aware this could cause minor street flooding,” he said.</p> <p>“We’re urging motorists to not drive, ride or walk through floodwater and keep clear of creeks and storm drains. And also check your gutters.”</p> <p>Conditions are expected to continue until the end of the week with the Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island and parts of the lower southeast of the state expected to receive between 15 and 30mm of rainfall on Wednesday.</p> <p><strong>Around Australia</strong></p> <p>NSW is forecasted to remain dry today despite hazardous surf warnings in place for coastal areas. The western suburbs are also expected to be hit with frost and fog this morning.</p> <p>Queensland can expect showers along the northeast coast and the central inland.</p> <p>Western Australia will also be dealing with wet weather around Perth and Jurien Bay but is expected to clear up by this afternoon.</p> <p>Light rain in the north and west of Tasmania is predicted but will turn to heavier showers later this afternoon.</p> <p>Victoria should also brace themselves for catastrophic winds as thunderstorms and showers are set to cover the state.</p>

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Pilots reveal their scariest stories while flying

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pilots have taken to the internet to share their stories behind the flights. They shared their stories with </span><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&amp;objectid=12239732"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Zealand Herald</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Muffingrinder was up first and shared a story about their father. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not me but my dad, first years with Delta Airlines in the ‘90s as a navigator (back when they still had them) he was working a flight crossing the Atlantic and a passenger died (nothing dramatic, he was old and had a heart condition).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This particular plane had a gap between a wall and a row of seats so my dad had to be the one to move the body there and cover it with a blanket. Some people were bound to notice but a portion of the plane didn’t know until all the drama that ensued when they pulled up to the gate.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Redditor Giftofnarwhals reminds us why fear of flying is a valid fear.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I used to work with elderly people and one of my clients was a former pilot that finally quit when he realised in the middle of a flight his dementia had progressed and he couldn’t remember where he was supposed to be flying to. Meaning he had been flying for a commercial airline with dementia for quite some time before that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">TopGun966 shared a story from when they were a 14-year-old student pilot. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A few minutes before I was about to call for permission, my instructor goes really quiet. I looked over at him and he looked really bad. I thought he was going to puke so looking for a bag. But then I notice he isn’t breathing,” they said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I figure out where I am at and call up Detroit approach. I declare a medical emergency and that my instructor was not breathing. I also told them I am a student and never landed on my own before, and never in a large airport. Detroit approach was amazing at helping me.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Anyway, did my approach and made the most butter smooth landing I have ever made in my life (even till this day). Ambulance was right there on the taxi waiting for me. Turns out my instructor (who was only 25) had a heart attack. He ended up being OK.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sometimes, passengers overhear some things that they wish they hadn’t.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Flight was fine until we passed the mountain range just north of the airport. From that point on it was like a bad rollercoaster. Most of us passengers were white knuckling it, except for my infant son who laughed at every lurch.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was one of the last people off the plane because I was having to haul the baby and his carseat off, and either the pilot or co-pilot came off behind me with a flight attendant, and one said to the other ‘I wasn’t sure we were going to make it down in one piece.’ Not something I wanted to overhear.”</span></p>

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Look at your mobile phone while crossing the road? You could be slapped with a $200 fine

<p>There have been renewed calls for the government to introduce a $200 fine for pedestrians distracted by their phones while crossing the road.</p> <p>The Pedestrian Council of Australia is pushing for a national legislation to deter people from using their devices or noise-cancelling headphones while crossing a street.</p> <p>Under the proposal, pedestrians would be hit with the fine even if they were crossing on a pedestrian green light.</p> <p>The organisation’s chairman Harold Scruby said the penalty – which was to be called “cross road while distracted” – would help minimise the risk of accidents.</p> <p>“A lot of people say if they [pedestrians] are going to be stupid, it’s their problem but the fact is the cost of road trauma per annum is about $30 billion and much of that is pedestrian trauma,” said Scruby.</p> <p>“At the moment there’s no stopping people wearing noise-cancelling headphones and stepping out on a pedestrian crossing or a green light without looking, listening, stopping, thinking … They’re not aware of the imminent danger surrounding them.”</p> <p>Scruby added, “We’ve spent 8-10 years advertising, now it’s time for enforcement.”</p> <p>According to the NRMA’s latest <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mynrma.com.au/-/media/documents/advocacy/look-up-keeping-pedestrians-safe.pdf" target="_blank"><em>Look Up</em></a> report, over one in three pedestrians in Sydney are behaving like “smombies” or “smartphone zombies” by crossing the road while looking at their phones or wearing earphones.</p> <p>Pedestrian trauma accounts for 17 per cent of all deaths on NSW roads. Almost half – or 48 per cent – of the pedestrians killed on the road were aged 60 or more.</p> <p>“Statistics already show that the elderly, very young and those who have been drinking are already at risk when crossing the road, so adding 'smombies' to the list only further enhances the need to crack down on this behaviour,” said NRMA Road Safety Expert Dimitra Vlahomitros.</p> <p>This is not the first time the pedestrian council has called for a regulatory measure to improve pedestrians’ behaviour. Last year, Scruby told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-pedestrian-mobile-phones-fines-safety-measures/e26d068b-699d-418e-ac51-8f5a9cdd5aa2" target="_blank"><em>9News</em></a> the proposed $200 fine would be an appropriate penalty to encourage vigilance.</p> <p>“The fine for not wearing a bicycle helmet in NSW is $450,” he said. “When you put it in perspective $200 is pretty cheap.”</p> <p>In November, Queensland’s Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey, said the State Government was not looking at introducing new fines for distracted pedestrians.</p> <p>Distracted walking laws have been applied in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/05/texting-safety-tips-distracted-walking-laws-nyc-vision-zero/589606/" target="_blank">several cities in the US</a>, including Honolulu in Hawaii, Montclair in California, and Rexburg in Idaho.</p>

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Passenger divides internet over seat complaint on flight: "Ridiculous"

<p>A man has been slammed as “entitled” and “ridiculous” after posting a complaint about airplane seat-swapping on his social media account.</p> <p>On Sunday, Australian journalist Daniel Brettig shared on Twitter that he asked a fellow passenger to exchange seats with him so that he could sit next to his girlfriend.</p> <p>Brettig explained that it was the last day the couple would see each other for two and a half months.</p> <p>However, the “boomer” passenger refused to move “because they wanted to look out the window”, Brettig wrote. “Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">A boomer refused to swap seats on a flight this morning to let my gf and I sit together on the last day before we're apart for 2.5 months - because they wanted to look out the window. Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane</p> — Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbrettig/status/1145476449551310850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Brettig’s post was met with a wave of criticism, with many social media users slamming his reaction to the rejection as “spoiled”, “selfish” and “entitled”.</p> <p>“Good. Buy your seat, choose your seat. Don’t ask for someone else’s that they have either earned, chosen or paid for,” one commented.</p> <p>“Window seat is sacred. You should have pre-selected your seats if this time together was so important,” another wrote.</p> <p>“What a ridiculous &amp; self-entitled Tweet. If sitting together is so important yet you can’t be bothered to pre-select seats in advance, whether by paying a fee or otherwise, why should someone else give up their seat for you?” one added.</p> <p>Some pointed out that while the request was reasonable, it was also fair for the fellow passenger to say no.</p> <p>“It’s a reasonable request, but also more than reasonable to have that request rejected. I possibly would have done the same given how I was feeling on the day,” one wrote. “Your lack of organisations is not someone else’s issue.”</p> <p>Another commented, “Nothing wrong in my opinion with asking someone to swap seats, but also nothing wrong in the other person’s right to turn down the request.”</p>

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4 things your flight attendant wishes you knew

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Flight attendants all have “that story”, whether it’s about a terrible flight on New Year’s Eve or that time a passenger decided that </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">this</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was the time that they didn’t need an airsickness bag, despite needing one every time previously.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are four things they wish you knew, thanks to </span><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&amp;objectid=12239258"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Zealand Herald</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><strong>1. They know you’re not supposed to sit there</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reddit user and air hostess Zlinerlabs shared their story of entitlement on a flight, saying that, "Every so often we get the odd straggler who boards last who finds a vacant seat in first or business thinking that we won't know that they are from coach."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notweirdthrowaway had this to say; "Not an attendant but was on a flight with really bad turbulence. It went on for about 10 minutes then the old lady next to me reaches up and presses her button. Attendant walks over to see if the woman is okay, the woman begins to yell at the attendant for the rough flight and that she's been flying her whole life and clearly the pilot has no idea what he's doing. The stewardess just walked away."</span></p> <p><strong>2. They know you’re trying to swing into an upgrade by booking separate seats if you’re a couple</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ConstableBlimeyChips is an attendant and this is their pet peeve; "A type of behavior I've unfortunately seen too much of: Couple will book separate seats, the man in a premium economy seat with extra leg room, the woman in a normal economy seat. The woman will then play the sad sack and ask another passenger to give up their comfy seat so they can sit together. If the other passenger refuses (usually because they paid extra and literally don't fit in a regular seat), some will even complain to the crew. And all this to save a few bucks on the second Premium seat."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Doc_Choc: "I never understand the logic of this and how it works on anyone. I've been the random person in a premium seat a few times, and when asked I decline and tell them they'd probably have more luck if the person in the premium seat traded theirs away. They always act like they hadn't thought of that and then move on to someone they hope is an easier mark. I can't imagine how I'd react if someone tried to get the staff to move me."</span></p> <p><strong>3. Please wear shoes while being on your flight </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although some of you like to walk around the cabin barefoot when the flight is in the middle of its journey, these stories might have you reconsidering that option.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Please do not ever walk into a toilet with bare feet. I promise you, 9 times out of 10, that is not water on the floor," writes Reddit user HausofDarling.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The toilets are often absolutely disgusting and get deep cleaned only at the end of a route... For us this could be from one side of the world to the other... imagine how lovely they are at the end of a 12 hour flight with 200 people using them."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seeyou_never adds: "So many incidents occur on the plane that everyday passengers don't see or consider. My last flight an elderly man accidentally shit on the floor, stepped in it, and walked on like it was nothing. Pee and poop happens, all over. I feel like I witness an 'accident' regularly; in their seat or in the lav. People get nose bleeds, or their wounds open. Obviously when we land, it is thoroughly cleaned. But in-flight our resources are limited. DON'T CHANGE YOUR BABY'S DIAPER ON THE TRAY TABLE. This also happens all the time. It's unsanitary and people use the tray table to eat!"</span></p> <p><strong>4. You’re not going to like what the code “HUM” stands for</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although you think you’re just travelling with luggage and other human beings, that might not always be the case.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Usually, the only people who know are the flight deck (pilots) and the manager/senior crew member. Dead bodies, organs, blood are obvious ones, but we also carry everything right up to Formula One car parts, exotic animals, marble tables, oversized televisions … everything.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“HUM” is the code for human remains and the cargo most aircrew dread, said user Rosiulia who worked in the “booking department” of a long-haul airline.</span></p>

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The verdict is in: People don’t want babies on flights

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The results are in: People don’t want babies on flights anymore.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new survey conducted by insurance company </span><a href="https://www.insureandgo.com.au/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">InsureandGo</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">asked 1,100 Australian parents how old a child should be before it was OK for them to be taken on-board domestic and international flights.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It turns out that Australians have some pretty strong opinions about the appropriate age children should be taken on a flight as well as whether or not cabins should be “baby-free zones”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 60 per cent of people said domestic flights were not suitable for children aged under one year old, and 76 per cent said the same about international flights. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The overwhelming majority of people said it was not acceptable for newborns to fly domestically (87 per cent) and internationally (92 per cent).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The strict stance seems to be for newborns only as people generally got more relaxed about older children flying. Only a quarter of people said that domestic flights were not okay for children aged five and up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 45 per cent of people said that kids under five shouldn’t be on international flights and 14 per cent said that children should be at least 12 before travelling internationally.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">InsureandGo</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> spokesman Jonathan Etkind said that from a health and wellbeing point, heading overseas provides children with unique threats.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This can take the form of anything from infections and diseases that may be present in the country to which you’re travelling, to the pain children sometimes feel due to cabin pressure at the takeoff and landing of your flight,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many people still maintain that they don’t want to be disturbed by children while flying.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another survey said that 52 per cent of travellers thought that families and children should be grouped together in a separate section of the plane.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Others explained their reasoning saying that they’d pay more for a flight to sit in a child-free area.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Some believe there should be a separate aeroplane cabin for those travelling without children but I will do you one better — there should be an entire AIRLINE that guarantees child-free travel,” one Twitter user said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another person added: “There are child-free hotels, why not child-free flights?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IndiGo, an Indian airline, has already introduced “child-free zones” to some of its services in response to this demand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t expect this on international airlines however, as Tracey Stewart from Airfarewatchdog said that it would cause an outrage.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s probably hard for parents to be super objective for this stuff. Whenever this comes up, people get so upset about it,” she told </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/child-free-zones-on-airplanes-becomes-growing-movement-2018-2?r=US&amp;IR=T"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Business Insider</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It would be great if an American carrier would give it a shot, but I would be surprised if anyone takes it on.”</span></p>

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"I was in shock": Woman kicked off flight for wearing revealing top

<p>A woman has been banned from her flight for wearing a revealing shirt.    </p> <p>Harriet Osborne, 31, told <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9397738/mum-kicked-off-easyjet-flight-low-cut-top/" target="_blank">The Sun</a></em> that she was unable to board her easyJet flight at Malaga airport in Spain because of the shirt she was wearing.</p> <p>Osborne was wearing a partially see-through top without a bra on but had nipple covers on.</p> <p>Osborne explained her experience on the plane.</p> <p>“The crew were horrible and made me feel cheap. This air hostess confronted me in front of the whole plane and said I wasn’t allowed on in that top.</p> <p>“She said to me, ‘Oh no, move to the side,’ and tried to cover me up with my hands.</p> <p>“She said, ‘You’re not coming on my plane like that — you need to put a top on’.</p> <p>Despite Osborne switching shirts with a friend and wearing a jumper, she was unable to board her flight.</p> <p>“Then she ordered me off the plane, so of course I put a top on. When I tried to get back on she turned to the ground crew and said, ‘She’s not coming on my plane’.</p> <p>“I was escorted away from the aircraft. I was in shock. It was so sexist.</p> <p>“I just burst out crying. We had to walk back through the terminal where Spanish police stopped to question us. They were baffled when I told them why we’d been kicked off.”</p> <p>However, EasyJet have confirmed the incident and explained their side of the story.</p> <p>“We can confirm that a passenger travelling from Malaga to Stansted on 23 June was unable to travel due to behaving disruptively.</p> <p>"Following concerns about her clothing, crew politely requested that the customer wear an additional top for the flight which the customer agreed to.</p> <p>"However, she then proceeded to act disruptively towards a member of our crew.</p> <p>“Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately. We do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour towards our staff.”</p>

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Family stung with $30,000 phone bill after holidaying in Bali

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Brisbane family arrived home from a holiday overseas in Bali to a massive $30,000 phone bill.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The debt came as a shock to Craig Piper, as he had purposely made the trip to Telstra before the holiday to switch his and his wife’s phone, as well as his daughter’s iPad to international roaming.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, upon opening the bill, it quickly became clear that the telecommunication’s company had not switched open the iPad. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They put my phone and my wife’s phone, which is under my name under the data roaming but they failed to do the iPad,” Mr Piper told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Current Affair</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Dealing with telcos at the best of times is challenging...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9ACA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9ACA</a> | FULL STORY: <a href="https://t.co/GQt5qezyhO">https://t.co/GQt5qezyhO</a> <a href="https://t.co/tQmndlMRtj">pic.twitter.com/tQmndlMRtj</a></p> — A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACurrentAffair9/status/1139101586645344257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">13 June 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He explained that the bill “put a lot of stress on our family”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We opened it up and saw the, the amount of money that they were asking for and we just couldn’t believe it,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sabine Lebroy from </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">finder.com</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> told the program that planning ahead can help reduce these costs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Either add a travel pack to your existing plan or buy a travel sim,” Leroy said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Luckily for the family, the telecommunications company were sympathetic to the situation and ended up waiving the entire bill.</span></p>

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Who’s at fault? Dash cam footage divides the nation

<p>A video shared on the Dash Cam Owners Australia Facebook page has left viewers divided as it shows a slow speed collision between two cars on a road in Victoria.</p> <p>The footage shows cars lined up behind roadworks in Ballarat, separated only by a few orange cones.</p> <p>Assuming the driver was impatient to wait his turn, the owner of the silver Ford Focus decided to overtake stationary cars on the wrong side of the road.</p> <p>But it doesn’t end well, as during his attempt to cut the line, the driver of a blue Mercedes convertible begins to make a U-turn before crashing into the Ford.</p> <p>The video left users stuck on who’s side to choose, as they claim both drivers made a failure in judgement.</p> <p>“I would love to hear the argument between the two drivers,” wrote one person.</p> <p>“No indication but heading down wrong side of the road. Good luck on this insurance claim,” wrote another.</p> <p>A few believed the silver car was the one at fault.</p> <p>“U-turn legal, no lines, no signs OK. Car on wrong side of the road (is) 100 per cent wrong,” commented one user.</p> <p>“That’s what happens when you get impatient in a roadworks area and ignore the cones to sneak onto the wrong side of the road to overtake and make a right turn,” wrote another.</p> <p>But others disagreed, saying the driver of the Mercedes should have checked before turning.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDashCamOwnersAustralia%2Fvideos%2F351217129111046%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>“(Blue) car at fault – one must give way to overtaking vehicles,” wrote one person.</p> <p>“Mirrors. They’re on vehicles for a reason,” said another.</p> <p>Looking into Victoria’s Roads may have seemed like a no-brainer, but instead, it left people scratching their heads.</p> <p>According to VicRoads, this is when you cannot make a U-turn: “If there is: A single continuous line down the centre of the road; double continuous lines down the centre of the road; a ‘no U-turn’ sign.</p> <p>“When making a U-turn you must give way to all other vehicles and pedestrians.”</p> <p>But despite the driver of the Mercedes copping a blow, it doesn’t leave the Ford in the clear.</p> <p>“It is an offence to: Drive on the wrong side of a divided road (or) pass to the right of a right turning vehicle or a vehicle making a U-turn from the centre of the road.”</p>

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Mysterious “blob” 130 kms wide causes confusion amongst meteorologists

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A “blob” that appeared on the US National Weather Service’s radar had meteorologists worried as they thought it was a massive storm on the way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The mass, which was about 130 kilometres wide went over San Diego County in Southern California.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, on closer inspection, it appeared to be a massive swarm of ladybugs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meteorologist Joe Dandrea told </span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ladybugs-on-radar-20190604-story.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Los Angeles Times</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that the ladybugs were spread throughout the sky and flew at an altitude of between 1500 kilometres and 2700 kilometres.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most concentrated group was about 16 kilometres wide. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t think they’re dense like a cloud,” he said. “The observer there said you could see little specks flying by.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">The large echo showing up on SoCal radar this evening is not precipitation, but actually a cloud of lady bugs termed a "bloom" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/1C0rt0in6z">pic.twitter.com/1C0rt0in6z</a></p> — NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanDiego/status/1136115889516867586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">5 June 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As California is home to about 200 species of ladybugs, it’s not yet known what type of ladybugs were causing the phenomenon.</span></p>

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Car park war: Two mums fight over parking space with scathing notes

<div> <div class="replay"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>A Brisbane mum was “caught in the crossfires” over a bitter battle between two strangers over a parking spot.</p> <p>But instead of using their hands and fists, their weapon of choice was simple: A ballpoint pen and a scrap piece of paper.</p> <p>The woman took to Facebook earlier this month to recount the strange moment that occurred during her visit to a local shopping centre in Chermside.</p> <p>“My daughter and I got caught in the crossfire of the mummy wars today,” explained the woman.</p> <p>“We were at Chermside and I parked in one of two ‘Parents with Prams” car parks.”</p> <p>Upon returning to their car at the end of their trip, the mother-daughter duo found a double-sided note attached to their windscreen.</p> <p>“I didn’t write, nor was I the target, of the original note,” she said.</p> <p>However, the person behind the scathing letter was convinced that she had written to them, so this woman was now involved in a war she knew nothing about.</p> <p>But if you think that was the end of it, then think again. Earlier in the day a livid mother decided to write a rage-filled note to a stranger who parked in a “pram park”, where she scolded them for being “inconsiderate”.</p> <p>“I thought I would right (sic) you a little note so maybe next time you park in a ‘pram park’ you may think twice,” said the note.</p> <p>The author pointed fingers at the recipient saying she had pulled into the designated spot before she could grab it.</p> <p>“… and then proceeded to get out, WITHOUT CHILDREN, and you have NO CHILD SEATS,” she wrote.</p> <p>“I am a mother of 2 whom rely’s (sic) on those parks as I have a double pram and a child with special needs,” she scribbled.</p> <p>“You(r) inconsideration was appalling to other mothers and basic human decency.”</p> <p>She ended the letter by asking the woman to “please think before you take another one” of the pram parking spaces.</p> <p>Of course, the feud didn’t end there, with the recipient responding with a note of her own.</p> <p>“If you wrote this note, you should know I DO have a car seat and I was picking up my grandchild, you self-righteous TW*T,” they said.</p> <p>The first mum who was caught up in this mess then wrote on Facebook that one should never make assumptions about others.</p> <p>“Whether they’re entitled to a car space or not, or weather (sic) they have left you a passive aggressive note,” she said.</p> <p>“Otherwise you all end up looking like tw*ts. Especially when it gets posted by some tw*t to Facebook!”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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“Rip off”: Furious tourists charged $133 for 8 soft drinks

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of tourists were left agitated after being charged €82 ($AUD133) for seven soft drinks and a milkshake after visiting a restaurant in Rhodes, Greece.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This seems to be a common theme as of late with tourists getting stung with higher-than-expected food bills while travelling on holiday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vikki Scott shared her experience at The Gate in Old Rhodes Town on Facebook.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Went to The Gate restaurant in Old Rhodes Town for a drink,” she wrote on Facebook.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The bill for eight soft drinks was €82 — €14 ($AUD 23) for a milkshake!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I confronted him and all he could say was ‘thank you lady’ people like him should not be allowed to rip off tourists,” the post said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“On our way back he posed for the photo until he realised who I was then he followed me down the street telling me I couldn’t take his photo.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Please share this especially in Rhodes sites to stop others getting ripped off!”</span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fvikki.scott.961%2Fposts%2F2309378365951441&amp;width=500" width="500" height="764" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some people were quick to comment on the post saying that it was unfair for restaurants to charge that much.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“All I can say is have your wits about you. Many places rip off the tourists,” one commented.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another agreed saying: “Easy money for them. I would have asked for a proper till receipt. No receipt no pay.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, some felt it was up to the patrons to be smart.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Check the menu prices — otherwise only yourself to blame!” one commented.</span></p>

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The 4 most dangerous travel routes revealed around the world

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shipping company 1st Move International has utilised data from the Aviation Safety Network and the World Health Organisation to figure out what the most dangerous travel routes are around the globe.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of them will surprise you. </span></p> <p><strong>1. Yungas Road, Bolivia</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This road is commonly referred to as “The Death Road” and clings to the Bolivian mountainside. With sheer drops, frequent mudslides and terrifyingly narrow sections, the road is responsible for up to 300 deaths a year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, it’s an essential shipping route for locals and businesses so they must use the road.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHVhEG0Dmoo/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHVhEG0Dmoo/" target="_blank">uno mas from the death road, as I sit on the toilet in Peru battling food poisoning 💩 #deathtoilet</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/lukegram/" target="_blank"> Luke Gram</a> (@lukegram) on Jul 1, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>2. Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This route along China is 2,028 kms and is littered with lofty segments and dissects through a staggering 14 of the highest mountains between Changdu and Lhasa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Complete with unexpected landslides and multiple potholes, the route is one that truck drivers take regularly. There are also sharp mountain-side hair pins making travelling along the single-track sections in bad weather challenging for those who are inexperienced.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaEJFBQg8Ra/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaEJFBQg8Ra/" target="_blank">Between Lhasa and Chengdu lies the famous Sichuan-Tibet Highway. The 2,142 kilometre-long road is prone to earthquake-triggered landslides that can cause traffic disruption, affecting the livelihoods of many living in the region. Despite all, it promises to be a breath-taking route for the adventurous. 📸 by Research Fellow Shi Xuhua.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/earthobservatorysg/" target="_blank"> Earth Observatory of Singapore</a> (@earthobservatorysg) on Oct 10, 2017 at 3:48am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>3. The Canning Stock Route, Australia</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Canning Stock Route spans over three deserts in Australia: The Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert and the Great Sandy Desert. The route attracts rev-heads who are keen for a 4WD adventure, but the sandy stretch is paved with graves.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The road stretches over 1,700 kilometres and the track was created in 1910 to connect a string of wells. It’s recommended that you allow at least 21 days for this extreme outback journey.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYJ3-BhBTcx/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYJ3-BhBTcx/" target="_blank">A post shared by Gavin Gillett (@gavin.gillett)</a> on Aug 23, 2017 at 4:11pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>4. Bermuda Triangle, Bermuda</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the destination is now a hot-spot for tourists, this region in the North Atlantic Ocean is well known all over the world due to people disappearing in the region.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the years, an alarming rate of ships and planes have vanished without a trace, but is still a very popular route around the world.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BynUhoshoR6/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BynUhoshoR6/" target="_blank">Surfs Up 🤙🏾 Happy Hump day! 📸 @princessbermuda #bermuda #summer #bermudasummers #ptix #surfsup #wednesdaywaves</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/ptixbm/" target="_blank"> Ptix | Premier Tickets Limited</a> (@ptixbm) on Jun 12, 2019 at 8:15am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote>

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