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Woman “bullied” on plane over budget seating trick

A young woman has recalled a flight from hell when she was “bullied” by a couple who were trying to utilise a seating hack that went viral on TikTok. The solo traveller took to Reddit to recount the story and ask social media users if she was in the wrong for her action. The woman began by saying she usually pays more to select her plane seat ahead of time, but a medical emergency on another plane had her waiting on standby and left with no option other than to sit in a middle seat. When she was finally able to board, she was greeted by a couple who had purchased both the window and aisle seats in a bid to have more space, utilising a travel “trick” that has been popular on TikTok. The method, which has been dubbed the 'poor man's business class', usually leaves travellers with an empty middle seat and more space, and few travellers opt to pick a middle seat. “When I got to my row the man and woman were chatting and sharing a snack... it was obvious they were together. I mentioned to the man that I'm in the middle, and he got up to let me in,” the unsuspecting traveller wrote on Reddit. “I asked them if they would prefer to sit together, I said I was totally okay with that. The woman reacted rudely to this and said ‘you're not supposed to be sitting here anyway’.” After noticing how the plane was full, she offered to show the pair her new ticket with the correct seat number on it. “She flicked her hand at my ticket and made a disgusted sound. I offered again if they wanted to sit together to which she didn't reply, her partner said it's okay and... made some small talk,” she continued. The man’s girlfriend then interrupted their conversation to ask,”'Did you use one of those third party websites to book your flight? It's so frustrating when people cheap out to inconvenience others.” The American woman explained that she had booked her flight directly and she had been placed on standby like everyone else and didn't choose the middle seat - she was assigned it. She then tried to keep the peace by refusing to engage with the furious woman. “I was so done with her attitude, I put my headphones on and attempted to do my own thing,” she explained. But the “entitled” girlfriend wasn't letting it go, as the woman explained, “This woman kept reaching over me and tapping her partner and trying to talk to him in a way that was super intrusive.” “I could tell even her partner was trying to engage her less so that she would hopefully stop, but she didn't.” “I think they tried to pull that tactic where they don't sit together on purpose...hoping no one will sit between them. But on full flights it doesn't work. And even so - it's not the other person's fault.” The traveller's post was met with hundreds of comments slamming the girlfriend’s behaviour, as one person wrote, “It's like a toddler having a tantrum.” “She was disappointed and a total a**hole. Gross entitled people,” another added. Another person applauded the traveller’s level-headed behaviour, writing, “Wow! You are my hero for keeping it classy - I’m afraid I would not have been as kind as you.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

"The most terrified I’ve ever been in my life": Passengers hurt as cruise ship tilts 45 degrees

The Norwegian Cruise Liner which tilted on a “45-degree angle,” on Sunday night, according to one cruiser, is blaming the incident on a strong, sudden gust of wind. The Norwegian Escape began slanting over at roughly midnight, shocking passengers who were enjoying their trip in the piano bar. “Just before midnight on Sunday, March 3, Norwegian Escape encountered unexpected weather in the form of a sudden, extreme gust of wind, estimated at 100 knots, which resulted in the ship heeling to the port side,” the cruise line wrote in a Twitter post. “Several injuries were reported, and those guests and crew received immediate attention or are being treated by the ship’s medical staff,” the statement continued. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjunmar.beltrano%2Fposts%2F10213907759358579&width=500" width="500" height="681" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> The ship, which is capable of carrying over 6,000 people, says it was pushed suddenly by a gust of wind about 185km – a burst similar to that of a wind from a Category 3 hurricane. The cruise line said the ship sustained no damage during the incident. Not only passengers of the vessel were injured, crew members were also wounded, but the exact amount has not been disclosed. American publication <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wesh.com/article/cruise-ship-headed-to-port-canaveral-after-sudden-extreme-gust-of-wind/26650652" target="_blank">WESH</a> reports around a dozen ambulances were at a Port Canaveral, Florida port on Tuesday morning when the ship arrived back to shore. Aaron Black, one of the cruisers onboard, told <a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/05/us/norwegian-cruise-line-ship-passengers-hurt/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> he was at the piano bar on Sunday night when the ship started to slope. Tables, chairs and even passengers slid across the room, as other terrified passengers watched. In a video Black recorded, screams, shattering glass and items sliding and being thrown by the wind can be heard. “I remember thinking about how calm it was for sailing out of New York in March and suddenly we got hit by a large gust of wind and the whole ship kind of just tilted to the side for about 30 seconds,” he said in a video he recorded from aboard the ship Tuesday afternoon. “Suddenly everything around me was starting to move. "I was used to some movement, but it was a very surreal escalation to, 'Oh this is normal' to, 'This is very unusual and probably shouldn't be happening,'” he said, explaining he had been on many cruise ships before. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Honestly, <a href="https://twitter.com/CruiseNorwegian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CruiseNorwegian</a>, the gust of wind that threw all of the shattered glass all over my bed and floor is all on mother nature, but where my pro-rated premium plus discount for all the bottled water I was going to drink tonight? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/norwegianescape?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#norwegianescape</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nclescape?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nclescape</a> — AJ Black (@aaronjosef) <a href="https://twitter.com/aaronjosef/status/1102445860074516480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2019</a></blockquote> Passengers on the Escape shared their terrifying experience onboard the vessel Sunday night, reporting damage to interior cabin and common areas of the ship. “The scariest s---t just happened on this cruise. Chairs, tables, glass, people went flying to one side of the ship,” one passenger wrote. “Everything in our room falling and sliding ...I have never been so scared in my whole life,” Samantha, another cruiser wrote in a Facebook post. “All the plates and glassware smashed on the floor. A lotto machine fell on a lady. Blood everywhere. “Hands down the most terrified I’ve ever been in my life. Can’t wait to hit solid ground...” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10213908155728488%26set%3Da.2411388614568%26type%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="594" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> Photos from inside the ship also show glass and debris on the ground, as well as passengers running away from the indoor pool area, which showed tilted water. “There’s no exaggeration on statements and pictures posted online. Ship was like at 45 degrees angle … freaked out everyone … but they said it was normal lol,” claimed a separate passenger. The ship is due to stick to its schedule on its next voyage on Tuesday for the Bahamas, the cruise line reports. Have you ever been on a cruise during rough conditions? Let us know in the comments below. <div class="body_assets"></div> <div class="details"> just now2<a class="likebtn"></a></div> <div></div>

Travel Trouble

6 tips to avoid loneliness as you age

As we age we can find our social circle getting smaller, if we let it. But there are lots of options for staying connected within your community, if you are willing to try new things. Protect your mental health and try some of these tips to see if they help build new relationships and reduce feelings of isolation. 1. Libraries and community centres These centres tend to have something for everyone, and much of it is free. Book clubs, bridge, dances, choirs, sewing skills, movie nights and supper clubs are just some of the wonderful opportunities available at your local library or community centre. 2. Exercise groups Why not join a walking group or swimming club in your local area to meet like-minded seniors? Exercise is great for mental health as well as for social skills, as it gives us a chance to get out of the house and keep fit while we make friends. 3. Special interest groups It seems that there is a group for almost anything these days, as you will find by searching online on sites such as meetup.com.au – think language skills, photography, craft, sewing, wine tasting and everything in between. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Start your own group! 4. Transport options Many local bowling and recreation clubs offer free shuttles to and from their venues. Here you might find obvious things like lawn bowls, as well as bingo or entertainment options. You could even just use the service to facilitate meeting up with friends for lunch on a monthly basis. Depending on your needs, many older people are eligible for subsidised taxi rides to get to appointments or for shopping, so be sure to look into this if you think you may be eligible. 5. Volunteering There are so many ways and places to offer your time, so find something you are passionate about and go from there. For instance you might be able to teach people to sew or build; you could help kids with their reading or homework at the local library; lend a hand at organisations that provide meals for the needy; participate in community garden projects; or spend some time with someone who speaks English as their second language to improve their conversation skills. Again, the internet is your friend here to help you find your niche. 6. Technology Speaking of technology, there are plenty of internet or phone based applications and services that you can make us of. Social media can be used to keep in touch with friends and family. Skype or Face Time allows you to make video calls for free with loved ones. You can sign up to receive regular phone calls to check on you. You can have an emergency response button around your neck so that you can ring for help if you have a fall. How have you managed to keep the feelings of isolation at bay as an older person? We would love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Relationships

The crucial difference between “Save” and “Save As”

Lisa Du is director of <a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology. Many clients tell us that they religiously save their working documents, but these documents seem to just disappear into a black hole in their computer. We see this a lot, where documents are not saved to a certain location, and it takes some detective work to find out where that document lives! The answer to your woes lies in using "Save As"! What’s the difference between clicking 'Save' vs 'Save As'? When you choose the Save option, you are updating the last saved version of your work, so that it matches the current version that you see on your screen. When you choose the Save As option, you will receive a prompt to: <ul> <li>Name the document </li> <li>The location of your document (where is this file going to live? In last week's newsletter, we talked about replicating your paper filing system on your computer!)</li> </ul> Here's a good habit to get into: <ul> <li>Use the Save As option when you've created a new document, and this is the first time you are saving it.</li> <li>By using Save As, you can give your new document a proper name, and file it away in the correct folder Example: Documents Folder</li> <li>Use the Save option when you are editing an existing document which already has a name and a home to live (you've already determined which folder to save the document in). When you use the Save option, it replaces the current version.</li> </ul>

Technology

6 foods that aren't as healthy as you think

Healthy eating has never exactly been a walk in the park, but these days, with so many different products touting health benefits, it’s never been more difficult to pick what is and what isn’t good for us. And while we all know that (unfortunately) chocolate, cake, soft drinks and all that delicious stuff is definitely on the “avoid” list, it turns out there are lots of so-called “health foods” that should be there, too. Here are just a few of them. 1. Smoothies – Unless you’ve made it at home with fresh, healthy ingredients and no added sweeteners, chances are your smoothie is just a big cup of sugar. You’re better off eating the ingredients whole – that way, you won’t miss out on getting that fibre hit. 2. Acai bowls – Chuck these in the same category as smoothies. They might contain a “superfood” or two, but they’re also high in calories, fat and sugar. 3. Low fat yogurt – Gone are the days when fat was always the enemy. If you want to lose weight, experts say cutting down on sugar is much more effective, and low-fat yoghurt uses lots of sugar to make up for the diminished taste. Of course, saturated fats should still be avoided, but unsaturated fats are a necessary part of any diet. 4. Almond milk – Unless you’re a vegan, it’s best to stick to good ol’ cow’s milk. Not only is almond milk (and similar plant-based varieties) more expensive, but it lacks the calcium and protein of regular milk. 5. Health bars – You might think you’re doing yourself a favour by swapping chocolate bars for muesli bars and protein bars, but they aren’t much better. Yes, health bars might contain more protein, fibre and other nutrients, but they often contain just as much sugar as a Mars bar, so always check the label before purchasing. 6. Packaged soup – Canned or instant soups may seem like a reasonably healthy snack or meal to whip up during the week, but in most cases, “healthy” they certainly aren’t, packed with sodium, preservatives and artificial flavouring. Healthy DIY soups are incredibly easy to make yourself, plus you can always freeze batches and reheat them later. How many of these foods do you eat regularly? Did you know they weren’t as healthy as many people think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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