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Financial hardship is the biggest driver of loneliness. Here’s why – and how to tackle it

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-h-lim-176472">Michelle H Lim</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> One in four Australians <a href="https://lonelinessawarenessweek.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/why-we-feel-lonely.pdf">report</a> feeling lonely, according to our new report released this week from our research collaboration. The data builds on a large <a href="https://endingloneliness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ELT_LNA_Report_Digital.pdf">study we conducted last year</a> on social connection. Together, the data show that once someone <a href="https://endingloneliness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ELT_LNA_Report_Digital.pdf">becomes lonely</a>, they’re likely to stay lonely. Feeling lonely can have a <a href="https://endingloneliness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ELT_LNA_Report_Digital.pdf">negative impact on your health</a>. It increases the chance of having <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27124713/">social anxiety and depression</a>, and impacts the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.105">health of your heart</a>, your <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/13/4/384.full.pdf">sleep</a> and levels of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15041083/">inflammation</a>. It also increases the likelihood of an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Loneliness+and+Social+Isolation+as+Risk+Factors+for+Mortality%3A+A+Meta-Analytic+Review">earlier death</a>. Staying lonely can accelerate these <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31237442/">negative impacts</a>. As more Australians grapple with a cost-of-living crisis, a key driver of loneliness is financial hardship. <h2>Am I lonely?</h2> Loneliness is a negative feeling that arises when your <a href="https://www.gilc.global/_files/ugd/410bdf_62e236db3a7146cd9f2654877a87dbc6.pdf">social needs are not met</a> by the relationships you hold. So you can feel alone, even if you’re surrounded by others, if you’re not getting the right kind of company and support. This might mean you feel, to a certain extent, that: <ul> <li>you are not “in tune” with others</li> <li>your relationships are not meaningful</li> <li>you do not belong</li> <li>you do not have a group of friends</li> <li>no one understands you</li> <li>you do not have shared interests with others</li> <li>there is no one you can turn to.</li> </ul> Not all of these may relate to you and you may experience these in varying degrees. <h2>What drives loneliness?</h2> We <a href="https://endingloneliness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ELT_LNA_Report_Digital.pdf">found</a> particular communities were more at risk of persistent loneliness: <ul> <li>those aged 18 to 24</li> <li>people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds</li> <li>people who were single or divorced</li> <li>those with a chronic disease</li> <li>those with mental ill health.</li> </ul> But the largest effect we found, even after we accounted for all other possible contributing factors, is the impact of financial hardship. People who face financial hardship were almost seven times more likely to report persistent loneliness, and almost five times more likely to report persistent social isolation, compared with people who did not face financial hardship. This aligns with other studies that link economic hardships to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33241698/">poor health</a>. In <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37761396/">children from low-income backgrounds</a>, for example, their family’s economic hardship is one of the main factors that negatively impacts their physical and psychological health. In a large <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953622004282?via%3Dihub">study</a> using the UK Biobank, people who are from a lower economic background had a higher probability of reporting loneliness. In <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37528108/">Australia</a>, when compared with people on incomes more than A$150,000, those with incomes under $80,000 were 49% more likely to experience loneliness in one year and 66% more likely to report loneliness in at least two consecutive years. <h2>Being poor affects how we interact with others</h2> Factors such as income and your living environment are some of the <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1">social determinants of health</a>, which influence our health outcomes. However, to date, little has been done to examine exactly how the lack of financial resources negatively affects the way we interact with others. There are two plausible scenarios. First, having financial pressures may change the way we feel and relate to others due to higher stress levels. Second, financial pressures may stop us from socialising because we have to take on more work to earn more money or we try to cut costs to save money. Socialising can be free in some circumstances, but most of the time, there is a cost to getting to places, or doing an activity together. <h2>What can we do as a society?</h2> The <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/512618/almost-quarter-world-feels-lonely.aspx">high prevalence of loneliness across the world</a> – and the growing scientific evidence of the negative impact on our health, wellbeing and productivity, and subsequently the economy – can no longer be ignored. The World Health Organization is repositioning loneliness as a global public health priority and has established a <a href="https://www.who.int/groups/commission-on-social-connection">Commission on Social Connection</a>. This commission aims to set the global agenda for social connection, work with high-level commissioners to make the case for global action, scale up proven solutions and measure progress. We need to start by building a <a href="https://lonelinessawarenessweek.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/How-can-we-create-a-culture-of-connection.pdf">culture of connection</a> in Australia. This means changing the way we make decisions on how we relate to each other, promoting social connection within our schools, workplaces and communities. And to modify policies to allow us to start and maintain healthy social connections. Health and social policies to address loneliness and social isolation have to consider the impact of low incomes and increased financial pressures as barriers to building and maintaining meaningful social connection. Related to this is urban planning. People require safe and no- or low-cost spaces to interact in and to start and maintain relationships. This includes parks, libraries, public squares, community gardens and neighbourhood houses. Cuts to building or maintaining these spaces will stop people from interacting, gathering, or socialising within their community. Not addressing loneliness effectively or quickly will lead us to persistent loneliness and to potentially more distress. <h2>How to connect if you’re financially pressured</h2> Don’t feel alone in this experience. Let your family or friends know that you are financially pressured. Chances are, they are experiencing the same pressures because of the rise in the cost of living. Select no- or low-cost activities such as walking in the park with a friend, or connecting on the phone. Look for free events offered in your local area and city. Consider having meals at home as opposed to going out, or low-cost food options. Find some digital spaces which can allow you to interact with others in shared interest topics. If someone shares they are feeling lonely, asking “is there anything I can do to help?” facilitates the conversation and lets others know you are there without judgement. <hr /> If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236135/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-h-lim-176472">Michelle H Lim</a>, Associate Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/financial-hardship-is-the-biggest-driver-of-loneliness-heres-why-and-how-to-tackle-it-236135">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Just 15 centimetres of water can float a car – but we are failing to educate drivers about the dangers of floodwaters

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyra-hamilton-331594">Kyra Hamilton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Every year in Australia, people driving into floodwaters drown and many more are <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/disaster-tabs-header/flood/">rescued</a>. Do you know what to do when there’s water on the road? We searched all state and territory learner and driver handbooks for information about floodwaters, including signage. Our findings, published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437524000860?via%3Dihub">Journal of Safety Research</a>, are disturbing. Across half of Australia’s states and territories, the driver handbook ignores flooding. That’s a missed opportunity, considering the handbook contains road rules and provides advice on how to navigate safely. While some states fail to provide any flood-related information, others give detailed practical guidance. Only the New South Wales handbook includes explanation of the meaning and purpose of flood signage. This is despite almost all states and territories experiencing vehicle-related flood <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jfr3.12616">deaths</a>, including <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">drowning</a>, between 2001 and 2017. It’s a major problem that is only going to get worse as the climate changes. So our research shows driver education needs to come up to speed, fast. <h2>Why do people drive into floodwaters?</h2> Our previous <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420918301869">research</a> revealed motorists can feel compelled to drive into floodwaters for a range of reasons. These include time pressures such as being late for work or school, or needing to get home to family or pets. Sometimes they feel pressured by their passengers, or motorists behind them on the road, urging them to cross. People also report having been encouraged or instructed as learners to drive into floodwaters. Past experience as a passenger also influences a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823000475">learner driver’s</a> future willingness to drive into floodwaters. So the views of significant others, such as their supervising driver, strongly influence decisions around driving into floodwaters. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZtlXpDBjU1Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Avoid driving into floodwaters, for life’s sake.</figcaption></figure> <h2>What we did and what we found</h2> We assessed all publicly available, government-issued learner and driver handbooks (12 documents) across all six Australian states and two territories. We also looked for flood-related signage. We used a method for reviewing online material through a systematic search including in-document key words and imagery. Four jurisdictions provided no information on flooding in the handbook. In the ACT, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, drivers need to look elsewhere for information on floodwaters and driving safety. Only one jurisdiction provided information on flood signage such as depth markers and “road subject to flooding”. Hats off to the <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/Road-User-Handbook-English.pdf">NSW Road User Handbook</a>, which warns: <blockquote> Floodwater is extremely dangerous. Find another way or wait until the road is clear. It’s safer to turn around than to drive in floodwater. </blockquote> For the states and territories that did provide information on floodwaters in the handbook, the content varied. NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory warned against entering floodwaters in a vehicle. They highlighted the dangers and financial penalties associated with driving on closed roads. In the NT and Western Australia, handbooks provided practical information on when and how to cross floodwaters safely, such as how to gauge safe water depth based on vehicle size, and to avoid fast-flowing water. Although well-intentioned, judgements around what constitutes fast-flowing water are subjective and hard for any driver to assess, let alone learner drivers. Even drivers of larger vehicles such as four-wheel drives are regularly involved in flood-related <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">vehicle drowning fatalities</a>. Just <a href="https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/campaigns/15-to-float">45cm</a> of water can float a large 4WD, and considerably less for smaller vehicles. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t4ilUbMXZAQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A small car can float in just 15cm of water.</figcaption></figure> Handbooks represent valuable sources of safety information, particularly for new drivers who must learn important road rules to progress from one licence to another. Such graduated driver licensing schemes reduce road traffic injury, particularly among <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437523000385">young people</a>. However, many of these handbooks fail to provide consistent, practical evidence-based information about flooding. There is an opportunity here to support safer driving behaviours. <h2>Safety tips for all drivers</h2> We encourage drivers to follow these safety tips: <ul> <li>avoid driving into floodwaters</li> <li>identify alternative routes, so you have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-roads-become-rivers-forming-a-plan-b-can-stop-people-driving-into-floodwaters-183036">plan B</a></li> <li>familiarise yourself, and any learner drivers in the household or under your care, with the meaning and purpose of flood signage</li> <li>understand the legal consequences of crossing a road closed sign</li> <li>discuss the dangers of driving into floodwaters with learner drivers and help them formulate their own plan B</li> <li>model safe driving for all passengers, including children.</li> </ul> <h2>Time to lift our game</h2> Driving into floodwaters remains the main cause of <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">flood-related drowning</a> in Australia. For our emergency service personnel, driver behaviour, including people ignoring road closed signs, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hpja.181">significantly complicates</a> the already dangerous act of performing a flood rescue. Extreme weather and flooding are likely to become more frequent and intense in the future. That means the chance of being faced with a flooded road is growing. So information about driving during floods is vital for all, from the newly licensed to the experienced driver. We hope our research will encourage all states and territories to include provide practical, evidence-based advice on floods in driver handbooks as soon as possible.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233116/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyra-hamilton-331594">Kyra Hamilton</a>, Associate Professor in Applied Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/just-15-centimetres-of-water-can-float-a-car-but-we-are-failing-to-educate-drivers-about-the-dangers-of-floodwaters-233116">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

What the fox! Driver finds wild animal trapped in his car

A motorist has shared the startling moment a fox got trapped in the front grill of his car, after he accidentally hit the wild animal while travelling at 80km/h. While driving down a country road in South Australia on Saturday night, the man behind the wheel said he was shocked when he felt something slam into the car. When he later checked the vehicle, he was astonished to find the angry fox trying to break free from behind the front grill of the car. “Y’all thought you had a bad day,” he can be heard saying while filming the animal furiously biting the front grill in an attempt to escape. In a series of videos posted to TikTok, the man documented the fox's attempts at escape, before informing his followers that he had enlisted the help of a local vet to help free the animal. “Took him to the vet, they sedated him and we got him out safely, the poor guy,” he said, adding he was glad — and impressed — the fox was alive after such a high-speed impact. Throughout his videos, many took to the comments to offer their advice to free the fox, as one person suggested "popping the lid", with the driver explaining that he did but “couldn’t even see him through the bonnet”. The saga has been viewed more than 400,000 times in the past 24 hours, with numerous people saying they were stunned the fox wasn’t seriously injured. “How does this even happen?” one person wondered. “What in the fox is going on here!” another joked, while others pondered how the man would explain the incident to his insurance company. “Insurance would never believe you if you didn’t have that video,” someone else added. Image credits: TikTok

Travel Trouble

Driver's shock after copping $2.2 million speeding ticket

In a shocking turn of events, a man in the US state of Georgia has found himself facing a $2.2 million ($US1.4m) traffic ticket after getting caught speeding on a freeway. Yes, you read that right - $2.2 million! It sounds like a punchline from a comedy show, but it happened in real life. Connor Cato was cruising through the city of Savannah on September 2, probably enjoying the wind in his hair, when the Georgia State Patrol nabbed him going a zippy 145km/h (90miles/h) in an 88km/h (55mile/h) zone. Now, we've all been there, right? In a rush, late for a meeting, or maybe just trying to win a real-life game of Mario Kart. But poor Mr Cato got WAY more than he bargained for. When the officer handed him a ticket, he must have been bracing himself for a hefty fine. But what he got was more jaw-dropping than a surprise birthday party from a circus troupe. The ticket had a price tag of $2.2 million! In disbelief, Cato decided to call the court, assuming it was a typo. But, to his amazement, the court clerk insisted that the amount was correct. She even had the audacity to tell him, "You either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on December 21 at 1:30pm." Thankfully, Cato's dire financial situation turned out to be a mere illusion. The $2.2 million was just what's known as a "placeholder" generated by e-citation software used in Savannah. This software, used by the local Recorder's Court, goes all Mission Impossible on super speeders – those who exceed the speed limit by more than 56km/h (35miles/h). It seems that the software programmers have a taste for drama, as they used the largest number possible to create this fine that sounds more like a ransom demand from a Bond villain. In reality, a judge will set the real fine, which cannot exceed $2,000 ($US1,000), plus state-mandated costs, at Cato's mandatory court appearance. So, our dear speed demon can breathe a sigh of relief; he won't be selling his house, car, and perhaps an organ or two to pay off that outrageous ticket. The city of Savannah has been using this placeholder system since 2017 and has promised to work on adjusting the language to avoid any further confusion. In the end, this story is a reminder that sometimes technology can have a wicked sense of humour. Images: Shutterstock / WSAV TV

Legal

Uber driver shares touching moment with grieving passenger

A young Uber driver has shared the emotional interaction he had with a grieving mother. James Bade, a 23-year-old from Sydney, shares clips from his best Uber driving moments on his TikTok, capturing honest moments with his passengers. Bade's latest video has moved his followers to tears, as he drove around an older couple who broke down in tears at the end of their journey. James captioned his video, "This job makes me cry sometimes,” as the video shows the elderly woman telling James, “You know what? Look after yourself.” Her voice broke as she said, "You're a champion." The couple then left the car, before the woman began tapping frantically on James' window as he winds it down. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7279295029410057480&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40jamesbadeofficial%2Fvideo%2F7279295029410057480&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2F7648b1db68b747d38845e102a8a6ef9e_1694842956%3Fx-expires%3D1695945600%26x-signature%3DCvk%252FeflE7E2aY%252Fv15VOGr7IwGr4%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> “I lost my son last year,” she tells him through tears. “And you remind me so much of my son.” Bade unbuckles his seatbelt and hugs the woman through the window as she cries. The woman, still sobbing, holds Mr Bade for a moment, telling him to “take care”. “The world will take you wherever you want to go,” she tells him. The comments section was flooded with emotional messages, showing that the interaction obviously touched his followers. “You can tell she has so much love and nowhere for it to go,” one wrote. “Actually crying … how lovely,” said another. Another added, “This is just beautiful … you can just tell in her voice that she needed that so much.” Sadly, not every one of James' passengers are as lovely, as he recently made headlines after a rude passenger <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/uber-driver-shocked-by-elderly-passenger-s-intrusive-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked down to him</a> over his career choice and high school exam results. Image credits: TikTok

Caring

Uber driver shocked by elderly passenger's intrusive questions

A young Aussie Uber driver has shared the moment he was grilled by an elderly female passenger with a line of very judgemental questions. James Bade, 23, regularly uploads dash-cam footage to social media from his Uber journeys with colourful characters. In a video he posted on Wednesday, Bade picks up an elderly female passenger, who quickly begins quizzing him about his schooling and career. The woman asks Bade what his Year 12 ATAR rank was, before judging his answer. "What was your score like at the end of the year?" the woman asked. "Uhh, not great," Bade awkwardly responded. The passenger then pressed further, asking if his mark was "70? 80?", with Bade stated he got "65". "You did s***", the woman bluntly said. "Yeah, but that's okay," Bade said, to which the passenger responded, "No, it's not okay. It's s***." Bade, who appeared momentarily stunned by the woman's brash assertions about his school results, told her that he gave his final tests "a good go", with the passenger saying, "You did not." <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7277944950711438599&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40jamesbadeofficial%2Fvideo%2F7277944950711438599&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2F65176828c7d846a09f542b7a8ccae59d_1694528612%3Fx-expires%3D1694826000%26x-signature%3DJ1LS93ofX1akA%252F3OHw4mxLNRhyI%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Later on in the drive, she began questioning the young man about his career aspirations. Bade mentioned that he was "doing real estate for a few years" that gave him "some opportunities" but that he was happy being an Uber driver in the meantime. "Oh, God. Well you've gotta sort of get it together," the elderly passenger said. "It is together!" the young driver hit back. "I'm always chatting to new people and they're giving me new ideas for different things." The woman responded, "No it's not, my idea is to get it together." Bade posted the interaction to his TikTok account, as the video has quickly accumulated hundreds of thousands of views. Viewers were quick to praise Bade's patience with the elderly passenger, while slamming the woman's judgement of Bade's personal life decisions and her condescending attitude. "Nothing like an elderly alcoholic telling another person to get it together," one person commented. Another wrote, "I'm so sorry you had to deal with that...she's using your services and simultaneously looking down on it. It's insane. A job is a job." "You're so patient and calm with her, I would have kicked her out. Who gives her the right to judge?" added another. Image credits: TikTok

Travel Trouble

Woman’s hilarious food delivery mix-up

Kristi ordered one taco with avocado and no meat, assuming she’d be given a taco including avocado and plenty of salad options, veggies and sauces. To her surprise, she received a tortilla smothered in avocado and a hot sauce container on the side. "This is a tortilla with avocado. There is nothing else in it. It is full avocado, like pounds of it just in a tortilla. There's no cheese, no lettuce," Kristi explained in a TikTok. "What is happening?! They think just because I choose avocado, I don't want anything else?" she questioned. Her video received more than 280,000 views with many TikTokers seeing the funny side. "Whoever did your order is probably wondering why someone only got avocado lol," one said. "I mean, I don't see the problem," another teased. "Okay but that's probably $345 worth of avocado," added another. Kristi revealed there were no options to choose sides when she placed her order. One viewer explained, "Cheese, lettuce, tomato is a very Americanized version of a taco. I'm used to getting just meat.” Others joined in to share their own stories of mixed-up food orders. One said, ”One time I ordered a salad and selected my toppings - well I apparently had to select lettuce cos I just got a pile of toppings only.” While another wrote, "Once my sis in law ordered a cheese steak but said just the cheese and steak. She got steak in bread. That's it.” Kristi said she didn’t call and complain, rather she added her own sides from what she had at home. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

"Who picks a fight with a rock star?" Jimmy Barnes confronts on-road "bully"

Jimmy Barnes' wife Jane has ripped into a truck driver who "bullied" the couple on the road, with the driver attempting to "fight Jimmy on the roadside". Jane Barnes said the incident occurred on Wednesday night in the south Sydney suburb of Botany Bay, when the couple had been driving home from a charity event. In a furious thread on Twitter, Jane detailed the terrifying incident which resulted in the police being called. Jane wrote, "(He) cut us off across our lane and swiped our mirror, wanted to fight Jimmy on the roadside." "Trucks are like weapons, bullies behind the wheel a danger to us all," she wrote, alongside the hashtags #TOLL and #NOtobullies. Jane then shared a photo of the truck drivers' side profile as he almost came to blows with the rockstar, as well as photos of the truck's license plate and the Barnes' car which shows the drivers' side wing mirror bent out of place. Jane went on to say the truckie had shared his details with the couple and that NSW Police had been called over the altercation. However, she said, officers "couldn't do much" if there were no injuries or damages. Jane's post drew in a wave of attention, with one fan asking, "Who picks a fight with a rock star?" Ms Barnes replied, "Shouldn't matter who it is. This guy was just a pig. Swearing, smug, ignorant, misogynist bully." The musician continued her rant on Instagram, writing, "When you drive a truck you're in charge of a weapon. A bully at the wheel can kill people." Many sent their sympathies to the couple, with some saying the tweet was "poignant" given the increase in accidents on Aussie roads. Image credits: Twitter

Travel Trouble

Tragic final photo of newlyweds moments before fatal crash

A bride was killed and her groom was left seriously injured when a drunk driver hit their golf cart from behind in the US state of South Carolina. Samantha Miller, 34, and husband Aric Hutchinson were reportedly leaving their wedding reception when another vehicle hit their golf cart at 105km/h, propelling it almost 100m and causing it to roll. The accident occurred around 10pm on Friday, and Miller died at the scene from blunt force injuries, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office reported. Her husband and two other males were hurt and remain in hospital. Annette Hutchinson, the groom's mother, said that her son-in-law and grandson were escorting the couple from the wedding reception in the golf cart when they were struck from behind. She also said that her son has had one of two reconstruction surgeries and is suffering from a brain injury, and multiple broken bones. Annette has started a GoFundMe account to help pay for her daughter-in-law’s funeral expenses and the medical bills for her son and his family. Authorities have charged Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, with three counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily harm/death, and one count of reckless homicide. Komoroski, the driver who hit the golf cart, was not injured in the accident. Image: GoFundMe

Legal

Elderly pizza lady receives $390k tip after falling during delivery

Barbara Gillespie was completing a typical Friday night pizza delivery when things took an unexpected turn. The 72 year old had just made her way up a home’s front veranda stairs, arms laden with her pizza boxes, when she stumbled and fell on to a small white chair. The family, whose <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@momofthe5ks/video/7195696356508372266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security camera captured the entire tumble</a>, came outside to see what had happened as the elderly driver was picking herself up from the ground. On shaky legs, Barbara apologised again and again for what had become of the family’s food, telling them that she’d “ruined” it. But the family - otherwise known as the Keighrons - were only concerned about her. “I opened the door and there she is, just laying on the ground trying to get up,” Kevin Keighron said on Good Morning America. “She was more worried about the food than anything else. And I was like, ‘I don't care about the food. I care about you’.” Kevin and his wife, Lacey, described Barbara as being “the sweetest”, and after the incident - which occurred in early February - the pair decided to set up a GoFundMe to give Barbara a “tip” for her hard work. “We would like to bless her by bringing by a ‘tip’ to help her with anything she may need,” Kevin said. “She is an older woman who fell and only cared about the food she dropped. “Let’s show her some kindness and take off some of this burden that our economy is causing the older generations especially!” More than 14,000 people donated, and the fundraiser achieved a whopping $390,000. “We thought we would get her a bigger tip and bring it to her. We never expected to get as much as we did,” Kevin said of their successful campaign. “We were just so excited and thrilled to be able to tell her the next day.” And when taking the surprise to Barbara, Kevin - Lacey, and two of their children - decided to make the grand reveal at her work. They later shared footage of the reunion to their TikTok account. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620.262px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7195971641262755114&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40momofthe5ks%2Fvideo%2F7195971641262755114&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F763d48ec7b5b4f728dcbe02bb60cc22f%3Fx-expires%3D1677142800%26x-signature%3DPCfbQDrxw5It6Ey%252FV9NWSJXsZ6A%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> They have since shared that with the extra funds, Barbara was able to put in her two-week notice and finally enjoy her well-deserved retirement. Barbara said that the generosity of everyone involved was overwhelming, and admitted she was close to giving up on people because some of them can be “so mean.” “And here we got loving, caring people. They care about someone else” she declared, seemingly delighted to have had her mind so thoroughly changed, “about an elderly woman.” Images: TikTok

Money & Banking

“Very questionable”: Kmart mocked after customer's "ridiculous" delivery

A woman has taken to Facebook to mock Kmart over her recent delivery. The shopper shared on Facebook she had ordered a 20mm combination padlock from Kmart and was caught by surprise when it was delivered to her home on February 13. The woman had received a large cardboard box, and when she opened it, it was filled to the brim with plastic wrap to protect the item. However, once she dug out the plastic, she saw a small padlock at the bottom of the unnecessarily large box. “My delivery arrived today,” the woman said on Facebook. Other Kmart fans were shocked by the large box for such a small item, with many users deeming it “ridiculous.” “Omg! Seriously,” a user commented. "Ridiculous honestly yet a pair of jeans get scrunched up into a bag for delivery," another added. "It's absolutely rubbish that they waste like that," a third chimed in. Another comment read, ”How ironic ... how easy is it to break this lock that it needs to be so protected when shipped? Would you need it if it is so fragile? Very questionable Kmart ... What a waste,” Many other users joined in on the teasing, claiming they also received small items delivered in unnecessarily large boxes. "This happened to us recently with a car air freshener," one shopper said. "Yeah they keep sending me one item in a stupidly big box. I’d be much more appreciative of multiple items jammed into a big box to stop wastage or happy to wait for all items to be ready together," another claimed. "I thought my three bowls packed like this was bad!" another commented. Back in May 2021, another Kmart shopper complained that she received a small book in a “huge box.” Although some said it was “terrible”, other users claimed the size of the box shouldn’t matter because it’s recyclable. A Kmart spokesperson told Yahoo Lifestyle that the complaints have been forwarded to Kmart’s online team, and they will reassess how they manage and replenish packaging materials. "Regrettably, in this instance, it appears the team member who has packed this order did not have available or use the most appropriately sized packaging components," the spokesperson said. "While our team are trained and aim to minimise packaging use and waste, it is likely that they did not have access to appropriately sized packaging options so used what was available in an effort to pack and dispatch this order as quickly as possible." Image credit: Facebook

Food & Wine

"You can’t park there, bro”: Perth valet smashes TWO lambos in costly mistake

A valet driver at the Crown Hotel in Perth has found himself in hot water after smashing two Lamborghinis while trying to park one. The luxury vehicles belonged to billionaire Laurence Escalante and both were damaged after they collided in the hotel driveway, a spokesperson for Crown Perth said. Footage captured and shared by Jiu-Jitsu athlete Craig Jones shows the valet driver behind the wheel of a blue Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, a car valued upward of $940,000, smashing into the rear of a purple Lamborghini. “Help! I’ve really f***ed it up.” The driver said in the footage before running out to assess the damage. <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coa-BoPDhZS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Coa-BoPDhZS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Craig Jones (@craigjonesbjj)</a> </div> </blockquote> In response to the crash, the driver claimed he was “trying to park it just like everybody else,” adding that the pedals were “too close together.” He then claimed he thought he was pressing the brake but instead hit the accelerator, causing him to crash into the rear of the purple Lamborghini. The owner of the luxury vehicles appeared to have witnessed the collision and could be heard questioning the driver. “What are you doing?” Jones said. "He moved it right in his rear ... you can’t park there, bro," he added. A spokesperson for Crown Resorts confirmed the accident is still under investigation, also informing the media there were “no injuries sustained.” "The safety of Crown’s team members and guests remains our priority," they said in a statement to News.com.au. "We are conducting a full assessment of the incident together with those involved.” The Crown is "working positively with us to fix the cars and put this behind us all,” a spokesperson for Mr Escalante told The West Australian. "We appreciate accidents happen and most importantly no one was injured," they said. A similar incident occurred in Sydney in 2018 when a valet driver parked a Porsche Carrera underneath another vehicle. As the driver attempted to park the Porsche, the car reportedly accelerated and ended up under a Sports utility vehicle (SUV). Police were notified and had to cut the driver, who was left unharmed, out of the vehicle. Images: Instagram / @craigjonesbjj

Travel Trouble

Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do tax your brain

A ping from the pizza company. A couple of pings from your socials. Ping, ping, ping from your family WhatsApp group trying to organise a weekend barbecue. With all those smartphone notifications, it’s no wonder you lose focus on what you’re trying to do do. Your phone doesn’t even need to ping to distract you. There’s <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-28923-001">pretty good</a><a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/691462">evidence</a> the mere presence of your phone, silent or not, is enough to divert your attention. So what’s going on? More importantly, how can you reclaim your focus, without missing the important stuff? <h2>Is it really such a big deal?</h2> When you look at the big picture, those pings can really add up. Although estimates vary, the average person checks their phone <a href="https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30085/1/PubSub7601_Andrews.PDF">around 85 times</a><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/trapped-in-the-net-are-we-all-addicted-to-our-smartphones-20190531-p51t44.html">a day</a>, roughly once every 15 minutes. In other words, every 15 minutes or so, your attention is likely to wander from what you’re doing. The trouble is, it can take <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-long-it-takes-to-get-back-on-track-after-a-distract-1720708353">several minutes</a> to regain your concentration fully after being <a href="https://www.ics.uci.edu/%7Egmark/chi08-mark.pdf">interrupted</a> by your phone. If you’re just watching TV, distractions (and refocusing) are no big deal. But if you’re driving a car, trying to study, at work, or spending time with your loved ones, it could lead to some fairly substantial problems. <h2>Two types of interference</h2> The pings from your phone are “exogenous interruptions”. In other words, something external, around you, has caused the interruption. We can <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_21">become conditioned</a> to feeling excited when we hear our phones ping. This is the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00015.x">same pleasurable feeling</a> people who gamble can quickly become conditioned to at the sight or sound of a poker machine. What if your phone is on silent? Doesn’t that solve the ping problem? Well, no. That’s another type of interruption, an internal (or endogenous) interruption. Think of every time you were working on a task but your attention drifted to your phone. You may have fought the urge to pick it up and see what was happening online, but you probably checked anyway. In this situation, we can become so strongly conditioned to expect a reward each time we look at our phone we don’t need to wait for a ping to trigger the effect. These impulses are powerful. Just reading this article about checking your phone may make you feel like … checking your phone. <h2>Give your brain a break</h2> What do all these interruptions mean for cognition and wellbeing? There’s increasing evidence push notifications are associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853217300159">decreased productivity</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958820300051">poorer concentration</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537116300136">increased distraction</a> at work and school. But is there any evidence our brain is working harder to manage the frequent switches in attention? One study of people’s brain waves <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cin/2016/5718580/">found</a> those who describe themselves as heavy smartphone users were more sensitive to push notifications than ones who said they were light users. After hearing a push notification, heavy users were significantly worse at recovering their concentration on a task than lighter users. Although push notification interrupted concentration for both groups, the heavy users took much longer to regain focus. Frequent interruptions from your phone can also leave you <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563219302596">feeling stressed</a> by a need to respond. Frequent smartphone interruptions are also associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131519301319">increased FOMO</a> (fear of missing out). If you get distracted by your phone after responding to a notification, any subsequent <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2050157921993896">procrastination</a> in returning to a task can also leave you feeling guilty or frustrated. There’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219300883">certainly evidence</a> suggesting the longer you spend using your phone in unproductive ways, the lower you tend to rate your wellbeing. <h2>How can I stop?</h2> We know switching your phone to silent isn’t going to magically fix the problem, especially if you’re already a frequent checker. What’s needed is behaviour change, and that’s hard. It can take several attempts to see lasting change. If you have ever tried to quit smoking, lose weight, or start an exercise program you’ll know what I mean. Start by turning off all non-essential notifications. Then here are some things to try if you want to reduce the number of times you check your phone: <ul> <li> charge your phone overnight in a different room to your bedroom. Notifications can prevent you falling asleep and can repeatedly rouse you from essential sleep throughout the night </li> <li> interrupt the urge to check and actively decide if it’s going to benefit you, in that moment. For example, as you turn to reach for your phone, stop and ask yourself if this action serves a purpose other than distraction </li> <li> try the <a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/take-it-from-someone-who-hates-productivity-hacksthe-pomodoro-technique-actually-works#:%7E:text=The%20Pomodoro%20Technique%20is%20a,are%20referred%20to%20as%20pomodoros">Pomodoro method</a> to stay focused on a task. This involves breaking your concentration time up into manageable chunks (for example, 25 minutes) then rewarding yourself with a short break (for instance, to check your phone) between chunks. Gradually increase the length of time between rewards. Gradually re-learning to sustain your attention on any task can take a while if you’re a high-volume checker. </li> </ul> Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ping-your-pizza-is-on-its-way-ping-please-rate-the-driver-yes-constant-notifications-really-do-tax-your-brain-193952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Technology

“You can’t park there”: Elderly driver mistakes brake pads for accelerator

An elderly woman who mistook her accelerator for her brake pads when entering a shopping centre car park saw her vehicle end up on top of another. Shocking images shared to social media show a Honda Civic sitting on top of an expensive Mercedes in Westfield Hurstville, Sydney. It is understood that the driver was a 73-year-old woman who confused her brake and accelerator pedals. She drove through the boom gates before her car somehow drove onto the Mercedes about 9.45am on October 13. A 50-year-old man was taken to hospital with minor injuries following the terrifying incident. CCTV is yet to be released to show exactly how the incident occurred, with many questioning how the car wound up on top of the other. “I honestly don’t understand the physics behind this,” someone commented. “Imagine coming back from your shopping to see a car parked on top of yours,” another wrote. “You can’t park there,” someone else joked. Images: Nine News

Travel Trouble

Supermarket delivery by robot better for the climate

Along with their <a href="https://twitter.com/historymatt/status/1525776275939418113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cult following on social media</a>, autonomous delivery robots travelling on footpaths could be the most climate-friendly way to do your grocery shopping. Around the world, <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/will-covid-19-change-our-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19 has seen a change</a> in the way people shop for groceries. Instead of driving to the supermarket more people are ordering online for pick-up or home delivery, and even in some places, delivery <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/drone-delivery-groceries-canberra/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by drone</a> or robot. In the United States supermarket home delivery services grew 54% between 2019 and 2020. In Australia, Woolworths and Coles experienced <a href="https://theconversation.com/coles-and-woolworths-are-moving-to-robot-warehouses-and-on-demand-labour-as-home-deliveries-soar-166556" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unprecedented demand.</a> The rapid growth in e-commerce has seen an increased focus on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/to-help-the-environment-should-you-shop-in-store-or-online/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘last-mile’ delivery</a>. A study by University of Michigan researchers and the Ford Motor Co modelled the emissions associated with the journey of a 36-item grocery basket from shop to home via a number of alternative transport options. Their study is <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.2c02050" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. “This research lays the groundwork for understanding the impact of e-commerce on greenhouse gas emissions produced by the grocery supply chain,” says the study’s senior author Greg Keoleian<a href="https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/greg-keoleian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">,</a> director of the Centre for Sustainable Systems at University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. The researchers modelled 72 different ways the groceries could travel from the warehouse to the customer. Across all options, the results showed ‘last-mile’ transport emissions to be the major source of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/food-transport-emissions-cost/">supply chain emissions</a>. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p201307-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> They found the conventional option of driving to the supermarket in a petrol or diesel car to be the most polluting, creating six kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2). All other choices had lower emissions, with footpath delivery robots the cleanest for the climate, at one kg CO2. A customer who switched to an electric vehicle could halve their emissions. But they could achieve a similar impact on emissions by reducing their shopping frequency. Without buying a new car, households who halved the frequency of supermarket trips reduced emissions by 44%. Keoleian says the study emphasises the “important role consumers can serve in reducing emissions through the use of trip chaining and by making carefully planned grocery orders.” Trip chaining refers to combining grocery shopping with other errands. All home delivery options had lower emissions than in-store shopping – in part due to the efficiencies gained in store operation and transport – with the potential to cut emissions by 22 – 65%. Footpath robots are being trialled in cities across the United States, Europe and China. These four or six wheeled robots carry items like supermarket shopping or retail items over short distances. Most have a delivery range around three kilometres. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered spai-bg-prepared" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="display: block; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 612px; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=CosmosMagazine&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1525776275939418113&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fearth%2Fclimate%2Frobot-delivery-better-for-the-climate%2F&sessionId=84ec360f0f0db6f38136f997db6585736d09d60a&siteScreenName=CosmosMagazine&theme=light&widgetsVersion=b7df0f50e1ec1%3A1659558317797&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1525776275939418113"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> <a>Starship robots</a> is one example. Since launching in 2014, their robots have completed three million autonomous home deliveries in cities across Estonia, the United Kingdom, Finland and the United States. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=201307&title=Supermarket+delivery+by+robot+better+for+the+climate" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/robot-delivery-better-for-the-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

Drunk driver blames burrito for crash

After slamming into a line of traffic stopped in front of him, a 65-year-old man has blamed being distracted by his burrito for the crash - rather than the beers he’d had before getting behind the wheel. Ross Coeland had picked up a burrito on his way home in early June, claiming that he was distracted enough by his food that he didn’t see the car ahead had stopped. After telling police he had been drinking, Mr Coeland was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol for a third or subsequent time, having been most recently convicted for the same charge in July 2017, per the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/drunk-driver-covered-in-burrito-after-crashing-into-line-of-traffic/UKPA5HDIYUNXHYH5KTLXE5P7BE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. On this occasion, Mr Coeland was found to be three times over the limit. Appearing briefly in Nelson District Court, Mr Coeland admitted that he had been driving over the limit on June 2, with the police summary of facts showing that he returned a reading of 861 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - equivalent to a reading 0.08 BAC in Australia. “Due to his intoxication and distraction the defendant failed to see a line of traffic which had slowed to a crawl,” police prosecution told the court. When he eventually noticed the slowing traffic and took evasive action, it was too late. "When the defendant noticed the traffic ahead of him, he slammed his brakes on and skidded, crashing hard into the rear of the trailing vehicle,” the prosecution said. When police found him, Mr Coeland was covered in his ill-fated burrito. He has been remanded on bail for sentencing in September, as well as for a pre-sentence and alcohol and drug report. According to <a href="https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roadcode/general-road-code/road-code/about-limits/alcohol-and-drugs-limits/#:~:text=Your%20licence%20will%20be%20suspended,alcohol%20per%20litre%20of%20breath." target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Transport Agency</a>, Mr Coeland could see his licence suspended, a fine of up to $6000 or a prison sentence of up to two years if it is his third offence, and the court impose a “zero alcohol licence”. Image: Getty Images

Legal

No link found between caesarean birth and food allergies

While babies born through caesareans may lack some gut bacteria that would otherwise be gained through vaginal births, recent research has consistently shown that there is little evidence for caesarean births being responsible for asthma and allergies. A recent study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, confirmed no link between caesarean births and food allergies during the first year of life. This research, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, looked at 2,045 infants who underwent skin prick testing and an oral food challenge to test for allergy status. In this group, of the 30% that were born by caesarean, 12.7 % had a food allergy, compared to 13.2% born vaginally, meaning there was no statistically significant difference between birthing methods. “We found no meaningful differences in food allergy for infants born by caesarean delivery compared to those born by vaginal delivery,” says Rachel Peters, who led the study. “Additionally, there was no difference in likelihood of food allergy if the caesarean was performed before or after the onset of labour, or whether it was an emergency or elective caesarean.” A potential link between caesarean births and allergies had long been suspected because of the difference in early microbial exposure compared to vaginal delivery. “The infant immune system undergoes rapid development during the neonatal period,” says Peters. “The mode of delivery may interfere with the normal development of the immune system. Babies born by caesarean have less exposure to the bacteria from the mother’s gut and vagina, which influences the composition of the baby’s microbiome and immune system development. However, this doesn’t appear to play a major role in the development of food allergy.” These findings will assist caregivers to better evaluate risks and benefits of caesarean birth, and provide reassurance to parents that such interventions do not lead to an increased risk of food allergy in their babies. One in 10 infants, and one in 20 children over the age of five years in Australia, have a food allergy, one of the highest rates in the world. This research provides further good news to parents and children: 30% of peanut allergies and 90% of egg allergies naturally resolved by six years of age. These infants should be targeted for early intervention trials, such as oral immunotherapy. “Prioritising research of these and future interventions for infants less likely to naturally outgrow their allergy would yield the most benefit for healthcare resources and research funding,” says Peters. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/caesarean-no-food-allergy-link/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Qamariya Nasrullah. Image: Shutterstock

Caring

Shocking footage emerges of pregnant woman hit by out of control driver

Footage has emerged of an out-of-control ute accelerating into a medical centre full of people, but not before hitting a pregnant woman who had been about to walk inside. The mum-to-be was heading into the Balcatta Radiological Clinic in Perth for her eight-week scan when she was struck by the ute, which launched out of the car park. Footage captured from multiple angles shows the driver carefully edging into a parking spot right outside the medical centre entrance, before it’s believed they hit the accelerator and hit both a bollard and the woman. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/car3.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="281" /> The car struck the pregnant woman and a bollard before crashing into the medical centre. Image: 9News The car then crashed into the centre, narrowly missing the patients and staff inside but rattling them and other bystanders nonetheless. “I haven’t actually heard a noise like that before, it was huge,” Sandy Meikle, a witness, told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/out-of-control-driver-smashes-through-perth-surgery-clinic-injuring-pregnant-woman/df8d5f64-8c4b-4af1-9c6c-842892ecfeba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. “(There was) a lot of screaming and a lot of jumping,” Meikle said. The pregnant woman, who is in her 20s, was taken to Royal Perth Hospital and another woman was treated for shock. However, workers at the medical centre said this isn’t the first time someone has crashed into the building. “I’ve actually seen it happen before, someone drove through the building before, it’s happened twice,” a security guard said, with staff adding that the unlucky bollard had been installed to prevent such incidents from happening. Police questioned the elderly driver, who was uninjured, at the scene. No charges have been laid as of publication. Watch the shocking footage <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/out-of-control-driver-smashes-through-perth-surgery-clinic-injuring-pregnant-woman/df8d5f64-8c4b-4af1-9c6c-842892ecfeba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Images: 9News

Caring

Uber driver slammed for refusing guide dog

An Uber driver in South Australia is being slammed for refusing to let a vision impaired woman bring her guide dog in the car. Born with low vision, Ellen Fraser-Barbour relies on her guide dog Inca for safety and sight. But on Wednesday when she was trying to catch an Uber home, Ms Fraser-Barbour says she was told Inca was an unwelcome passenger. She was able to capture footage of the exchange between herself and the Uber driver. "This is an assistance dog, a guide dog," Ms Fraser-Barbour can be heard telling the driver. "No. No. No. I can't do it. Sorry," he replied. "It's an assistance dog, you can't refuse by law," Ms Fraser-Barbour added. But the driver still refused, claiming he was not obliged to accept the ride, leaving Ms Fraser-Barbour on the curb. She says the experience is one that is common for people with a disability. "I have a lot of blind friends and they all tell me about distressing experiences that they've had of being left on the curb. It's a really rampant issue," Ms Fraser-Barbour said. Since the incident she has made a report to Uber and received an apology. Ms Fraser-Barbour says it should never have happened in the first place and is now calling for stricter penalties. "For example being able to fine drivers if they refuse," Ms Fraser-Barbour said. In a statement Uber said a first offence will see a driver's account temporarily deactivated while they receive further education. A second strike could see them permanently banned from the platform. "Taking someone off the platform temporarily doesn't say zero tolerance approach. That says we'll give you another chance," Ms Fraser-Barbour said. Image: Nine News

Family & Pets

Drones are now delivering groceries in Canberra – how does it work?

Major Australian supermarket Coles yesterday announced <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7641084/supermarket-to-offer-drone-delivery-for-grocery-items-in-canberra/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7641084/supermarket-to-offer-drone-delivery-for-grocery-items-in-canberra/">the launch of its partnership</a> with drone delivery service <a href="https://wing.com/en_au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://wing.com/en_au/">Wing</a> to bring drone-delivered groceries to customers in Canberra. The battery-powered <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/drones-for-good/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/drones-for-good/">drones</a> have a one-metre wingspan, weigh about 4.8 kilograms, and are equipped with both fixed wings and hover propellers, allowing them to behave as miniature versions of both aeroplanes and helicopters. They can travel at speeds of more than 110 km/h and carry packages of up to 1.2 kilograms. According to Simon Rossi, General Manager at Wing Australia, the drones typically require less energy to make a delivery than a kettle does to boil. So how does drone delivery work? Products can be ordered using the Wing app. Coles is currently offering delivery of more than 250 of its most popular grocery items, including bread, fresh produce, healthcare items, and toilet paper. When the order is received, the products are packed and loaded onto a drone, which ascends to its flying altitude of about 45 metres above ground and sets off for the delivery location. The drone will follow a route planned by Wing’s unmanned traffic management (UTM) software. “The aircraft automatically monitors its systems to make sure it is safe to fly and will prevent take-off or automatically take contingency actions if a problem is detected,” Rossi explains. “Our trained remote aircraft pilots oversee everything to make sure the system is operating smoothly.” Once arrived, the drone descends to its delivery height of about seven metres above ground and hovers as it lowers the package to the ground on a tether. The package is automatically released, and the drone returns to the delivery facility. Customers can track the progress of their delivery on the Wing app. According to Wing, the company’s fastest delivery time to date is two minutes and 47 seconds from order to delivery. <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Wing's drone delivery service in action in Australia" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4xrCuPACmq8?feature=oembed" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> Is drone delivery catching on? Wing has existing drone delivery partnerships with several businesses in both Canberra and Logan, Queensland. The service also has a presence in the US and Finland. According to Rossi, the company completed more than 100,000 drone deliveries in Australia in 2021, and 30,000 in the first two months of 2022. Early feedback from customers on the partnership with Coles in Canberra has been positive, he says. “Customers are ordering a range of items including pantry staples like bread, eggs, and milk, fresh produce and convenience meals, as well as health care items like over-the-counter cough medicine and bandages.” Are there any risks to drone delivery? Adding large numbers of unmanned flying machines to the air would seem to have the potential to be disruptive. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p183733-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “Perhaps Wing’s most interesting feature is its airspace integration and deconfliction,” says Pauline Pounds, an associate professor in information technology and electrical engineering at the University of Queensland. “Balancing the needs of CASA [the Civil Aviation Safety Authority], commercial aviation operators and other drone operators requires some care.” Because they fly in a zone between ‘ground clutter’ and manned aviation traffic, the drones are likely to remain comparatively safe. This also helps explain why flying drones are increasingly integrated into our everyday lives, while driverless cars languish on the sidelines. “It’s far easier to build a robot to fly in clear air where obstacles are rare, rather than on roads where pedestrians and human drivers may behave erratically,” says Pounds. However, the drones’ airspace won’t be completely risk-free. “A collision between a drone and a bird is unlikely to be a pleasant experience for either,” Pounds admits. Is drone delivery the future of grocery shopping? Unfortunately, a drone can’t yet do your entire weekly grocery shop for you, and Rossi emphasises that this isn’t the service’s intention. “Rather, it is to enable customers to quickly order small grocery and convenience items, coffees, and snacks which they may need in a hurry,” he says. But could it be done one day? “Scaling drones to carry heavier payloads is a fundamental challenge: the more the drone carries, the shorter its flight will be,” says Pounds. “Drones are optimised for specific payload-range characteristics. Improving performance requires more energy-dense batteries, more efficient propulsion systems; the same limitations that hold back flying cars. “However, a distributed network of mini-aerodromes allowing packages to make many short hops – like a drone ‘Pony Express’ – could allow these systems to scale without limit, much like mobile phone base station cells.” Coles frames the new partnership with Wing as part of its strategy to become Australia’s most sustainable supermarket, as drone delivery options could reduce the need for cars and trucks. Wing also emphasise their green credentials, describing drone delivery as “one of the fastest, safest and most environmentally friendly modes of delivering goods when compared to a truck or car”. But with the drones only able to carry a kilo or two, would environmentally-conscious supermarkets be better off investing in electric cars and trucks instead? “Flying is innately energy-intensive and will always be more demanding than a comparable electric vehicle rolling the same distance, but drones fly directly point to point and do not require detours or stop at traffic lights,” says Pounds. “However, both drones and wheeled electric vehicles also have differing manufacturing, maintenance and disposal costs; whether autonomous cars or drones turn out to be more energy efficient over their lifetimes has yet to be seen.” <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=183733&title=Drones+are+now+delivering+groceries+in+Canberra+%E2%80%93+how+does+it+work%3F" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/drone-delivery-groceries-canberra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/matilda-handlsey-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matilda Handsley-Davis</a>. Matilda is a science writer at Cosmos. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Adelaide. Image: Wing (Facebook) </div>

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Drones are now delivering groceries in Canberra – how does it work?