Jockstrip: The world as we know it

Squeaky wheel gets grease, or free pass

BOSTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- A Boston subway rider says the Fitchburg line was late more than 30 minutes so often she got a $55 refund as a result of her "on-time guarantee."

However, she says the $50 bill she received from one of the stations of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority turned out to be a counterfeit bill, the Boston Globe reported Sunday.

A newspaper vendor said the bill was fake and advised her to take it to the bank, the bank told her to go to the MBTA Transit Police and the police took the counterfeit bill and refused to have it replaced.

"I received a call from the head of MBTA customer service explaining they appreciated my honesty but basically I was now out the $50 and the MBTA would not provide any refund," the woman said. "So now I have endured countless late trains, and I am out $50."

However, MBTA head Daniel Grabauskas stepped in and ordered a check for $50 be sent to the woman -- along with a commuter rail pass worth $170 for the month of March -- said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo.

Men want gadgets and gizmos

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- When it comes to gifts for Valentine's Day, U.S. men prefer an electronic gadget or gizmo, a survey says.

Most men would prefer to receive a gadget rather than candy or flowers from their significant other on Valentine's Day, according to survey by IOGEAR of 607 male and female respondents.

Sixty-one percent of men said that any technical gear would be their gift of choice, but only 19 percent say they have ever received such a gift for Valentine's Day.

The poll also found that an increasing number of women -- 23 percent -- would rather receive a high-tech toy than a bouquet of flowers or box of candy on Valentine's Day.

When work feels more like a zoo

CHICAGO, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Fifty-three percent of U.S. workers say they feel like they work with a bunch of animals from the zoo, a survey finds.

"If your boss acts like Tarzan and your workplace is a zoo, it may be time to join these workers in moving on to a better job opportunity," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources, CareerBuilder.com.

The survey by CareerBuilder.com of more than 2,050 workers nationwide also revealed some prime examples of what makes work seem more like a zoo including:

The co-worker who constantly e-mails the person who is sitting right next to her.

The co-worker who sits in a crowded cubicle area and puts every conversation on speaker phone, including his exploits of the night before.

The boss who cut his fingernails while standing in his employee's cubicle.

The boss who swears at the top of his lungs and occasionally throws his chair or phone down the hall.

The co-worker who was caught sleeping on the job more than once and would insist he was praying.

N.H. arresting teens with booze breath

CONCORD, N.H., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- New Hampshire teenagers who have alcohol on their breath now face the same prosecution as if they were caught with drink in hand, the Washington Post says.

Police said in the past, teenagers at a party would drop their drinks and run when officers arrived, leaving little to build a case.

"You couldn't charge them with anything," said Eddie Edwards, the state's chief of liquor law enforcement. "There's no deterrent."

But now, those under the age of 21 can be arrested for what is colloquially called "internal possession" of alcohol to the point of being intoxicated, the newspaper said.

The offense is on the same level as a traffic violation, but carries a $300 fine and the possible loss of a driver's license.

However, some legal scholars say the law is pushing the definition of a real possession charge.

"When the law makes the offense simply a biological fact, of simply having a certain chemical in one's body, that steps over a line in the law that has been traditionally accepted," said Richard Bonnie, a law professor at the University of Virginia who has studied underage drinking.