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Workers attempt Guinness records

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, March 4 (UPI) -- Workers at a United Arab Emirates company said they submitted four attempts to Guinness World Records, including the largest barefoot race.

Employees of manufacturing firm MSSL Mideast in Sharjah said they attempted four world records -- most people wearing paper hats, largest barefoot race, longest high five chain and largest hopping race during the weekend at Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, Gulf News reported Monday.

The company said the record attempts have been submitted to Guinness World Records for verification.

The company's workers already hold four Guinness World Records: most people polishing shoes, most people opening bottles simultaneously, longest balloon train and longest conga dance line.

City employee banned from Internet

CINCINNATI, March 4 (UPI) -- A Cincinnati city worker was banned from using the Internet at work and lost a day's pay after he was caught using an online dating website during work hours.

Ken Spruce, a Board of Elections data clerk, appealed the disciplinary action against him Monday morning, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

He alleged other employees in the office used the Internet for personal reasons while on the clock without discipline.

Spruce, who was caught looking at Match.com several times in February, despite being asked not to use the dating website, called the board's computer policy "outdated" and "insufficient" to the "corporate and business environment of today."

However, the board decided to uphold its original ruling barring Spruce from using the Internet while at work and docking him one day's pay.

Deputy Board of Elections Director Sally Krisel said employees going to non-work related websites could compromise voter registration security. In the past employees have unwittingly let in viruses, Krisel said.

Woman missed voting due to airline delay

KUWAIT CITY, March 4 (UPI) -- An airline was ordered to pay damages to a Kuwaiti woman who said a delayed flight forced her to miss her opportunity to vote.

Dalal al-Mulla, a lawyer for the woman, whose name was not released, told Arabic daily al-Rai her client showed up for her Feb. 2 flight at Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Airport 2 hours before the scheduled departure, but the flight's 5-hour delay caused her to arrive in Kuwait too late to vote in the parliamentary elections, Gulf News reported Monday.

The court ordered the airline, which was not named by al-Rai, to pay $1,761 in damages as well as $704 in legal fees.

Dad says mistakes caused $22K phone bill

BURNABY, British Columbia, March 4 (UPI) -- A Canadian man said he was billed nearly $22,000 for data amassed by his 11-year-old son on a phone during a trip to Mexico, but he'll only have to pay $500.

Matt Buie of Burnaby, British Columbia, who has an account with Fido, which is owned by Rogers Communications, said Apple store representatives recommended he put his iPhone in "airplane mode" to prevent roaming charges during his family's January trip to Mexico, but his son was unaware of the problem when he ended up confined to the family's hotel room with a bad sunburn and passed the time on his father's phone, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

"I made a mistake here -- as his father -- and he made a mistake. He turned off the airplane mode and was watching YouTube videos. I should have taken the SIM card out ... or not let him use the phone. That's guilt that I have to live with. I clearly should have known better," Buie said.

"It is gouging. It is $20 in Mexico [for domestic customers] to get the same amount of data [700 MB] from their carrier and it is $40 to get the same amount of data while in Canada," he said.

Rogers said it is willing to cut the bill to $500.

"It's very unfortunate this customer had this experience," Rogers spokeswoman Jennifer Kett said. "When this type of situation happens, we have internal processes in place to identify these customers and their usage prior to their bill being sent out and then we proactively work with them towards a resolution."