Watercooler Stories

Suit: Woman humiliated by flight attendant

NEW YORK, July 18 (UPI) -- A passenger on a New York-to-Rome flight claims in a lawsuit she was humiliated when a flight attendant had her detained without just cause.

Carolyn "Lynne" Meadow, the artistic director of the prestigious Manhattan Theatre Club, claims in her suit against Continental Airlines that she was detained and interrogated by the FBI after she asked a flight attendant to be quiet so she could sleep on the Aug. 9 flight, the New York Sun reported.

Meadow's suit, filed in the New York Supreme Court, claims she was woken up shortly after the flight departed New York by a flight attendant, identified in the suit as Chris Boone, who was speaking loudly with a colleague. She said she put her finger to her lips and said, "Shhh."

Later in the flight, Meadow said her malfunctioning movie screen -- which the suit claims was attached only by an electrical chord -- broke off while she was attempting to adjust it.

She said Boone then confronted her about the broken screen, insisting she had purposefully destroyed airline property.

"From the moment you 'shushed' me during takeoff, I knew there would not be enough attendants on this plane to take care of you." The suit quotes Boone as saying, "The authorities will deal with you on the ground."

Meadow was detained by the FBI for about an hour and released without charges.

Alleged knife in sandwich spurs memories

NEW YORK, July 18 (UPI) -- Some customers said a suit against Subway by a New York who claimed he found a knife in his sandwich brought back unpleasant memories.

John Agnesini is seeking $1 million from the restaurant chain after a sandwich he purchased from a Manhattan location allegedly contained a serrated 7-inch knife baked into the bread, the New York Post reported.

The incident brought back memories for former Subway customer Lauren Goldman, 22, who said she discovered a knife in her Subway sandwich two years ago. However, unlike Agnesini, she was not lucky enough to notice the utensil until after taking a bite of her sub.

"It was ... so sharp it could've taken my tongue off in a second," Goldman said.

She said settled the matter with Subway's insurance company for $2,500.

Other customers said they were shocked to hear about the alleged surprise ingredient in Agnesini's cold cut sub.

"I'm horrified. I don't know if I'll be able to eat again," customer Kathleen Dulay, 21, said. "I'm going to tell everyone in my office about this because we all go there."

Hartford defends its scooter parking ban

HARTFORD, Conn., July 18 (UPI) -- Parking officials in Hartford, Conn., have defended a ban on scooters and motorcycles in city garages after environmentally-conscious commuters complained.

Sonny Parlin said he was surprised to discover the red scooter he purchased to save gas and reduce carbon emissions was not allowed in the parking garage at the end of his commute to Hartford, the Hartford Courier reported.

Parlin said the Hartford Parking Authority told him his scooter was a danger to himself and other garage patrons.

"I was furious," Parlin said. "I feel I'm doing my part for the environment and what do I get in return? I feel like I was shut down. They don't have a place for me to park my vehicle."

Parking Authority Executive Director Jim Kopency said there are numerous reasons why scooters and motorcycles are not allowed at any of the four city-run parking garages. He said motorized bikes are smaller than automobiles and harder to see, and the smaller vehicles often move too fast for drivers to react.

Kopency said scooters can be dangerous in the garages because they lack the mass of automobiles, so motion sensors that control the entrance and exit gates can't detect them and could injure a scooter driver by closing too quickly.

Britain's worst car: Austin Allegro

LONDON, July 18 (UPI) -- British residents have voted the Austin Allegro the worst car ever to traverse U.K. roads.

The poll of 4,000 people found the Allegro, which was once the fifth best-selling car in Britain, was the most hated among respondents, with nearly a quarter of those polled expressing a loathing for the vehicle, The Scotsman reported.

The Allegro was despised for its tendency to rust, poor quality of construction and the tendency for the rear window to pop out.

The second worst car to grace British roads, as chosen by those polled, was the Morris Ital with 23.4 percent of votes. The Talbot Sunbeam was voted third worst vehicle with 11.5 percent.

The survey was commissioned by iMotormag.co.uk.

"In the face of superior alternatives from Europe and the Far East, cars like the Austin Allegro were the final nail in the coffin for the once-dominant British motor industry," said Mat Watson, an editor for the automotive Web site.