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Travellers with disability often face discrimination. What should change and how to complain

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-stafford-1505408">Lisa Stafford</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p>Australia’s former disability discrimination commissioner, Graeme Innes, has settled his dispute <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-23/adelaide-airport-graeme-innes-disability-discrimination-dispute/103375068">with Adelaide Airport</a>. His complaint to the Human Rights Commission was lodged after being denied access to a body scanner with his assistance dog in <a href="https://graemeinnes.com/2022/05/17/airport-discrimination-dash-i-am-angry-as-hell-and-im-not-going-to-take-it-anymore/">May 2022</a>.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Innes’ experience will resonate widely with Australia’s <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability">4.4 million people with disability</a>.</p> <p>“People with disability know how challenging air travel can be, and that experience needs to be more inclusive,” said Innes, who was disability discrimination commissioner for nine years and is on the board of the <a href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/governance/board/board-profiles">National Disability Insurance Agency</a>.</p> <p>Experiences like Innes’ have been widely <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/03/australias-airlines-and-airports-urged-to-improve-treatment-of-travellers-with-disabilities">reported</a> and have happened to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/graeme-innes-fights-to-change-how-disabled-people-are-treated-when-they-fly-20220516-p5alqs.html">prominent Australians with disability</a>. The everyday experience of air travel is likely even more shocking. Change is happening, but it is moving slowly.</p> <h2>Airport and airline ableism</h2> <p>The Human Rights Commission received more than <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awptor2023-submission-a16-australian-human-rights-commission.pdf">100 disability discrimination complaints against airlines</a> in the six years to 2022, including the period in which COVID restrictions saw air travel severely limited.</p> <p>Issues included:</p> <ul> <li>assistance animal refusals</li> <li>inaccessible facilities</li> <li>inaccessible ticketing arrangements for people with vision impairments</li> <li>taxis and rideshare providers not turning up, long delays or refusing passengers with disability aids and/or assistance animals.</li> </ul> <p>These issues highlight a system underpinned by unchallenged <a href="https://theconversation.com/ableism-and-disablism-how-to-spot-them-and-how-we-can-all-do-better-204541">ableism</a> – discrimination that favours people without disability.</p> <h2>Freedom of movement</h2> <p>An important right under the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-20-personal-mobility.html">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> is freedom of movement. This right seeks to enable all people to be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2203307">included in society in ways they self-determine</a>.</p> <p>Ableism in air travel is a fundamental denial of independence and freedom of movement. Discrimination can be even more blatant and offensive. People have been removed from flights or denied boarding because there are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awptor2023-submission-a16-australian-human-rights-commission.pdf">limits on the number of wheelchair users who can access an aircraft</a> or because they require additional support to access facilities.</p> <p>People with disability report the removal of, or damage to, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-31/virgin-airline-wheelchair-damage-broken-compensation/103010472">personal mobility equipment</a>, and lack of suitable equipment. In the most severe cases, people have been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australians-with-disabilities-suffer-dehumanising-treatment-at-airports-travel-news/b7de6139-258a-4e86-a615-031eb0e89074">injured during travel</a> or left stranded in dangerous circumstances.</p> <h2>Inconsistency can fuel ableism</h2> <p>Inconsistent policies and practices significantly impact travellers with disability. This is made worse by the fact that individual airlines and airports are encouraged by government to develop their own <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-access-forum-aaf/dafp">Disability Access Facilitation Plans</a>.</p> <p>So, it is not surprising when news reports highlight instances of assistance dogs being denied travel <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-15/jetstar-assistance-dog-policy-criticised/103221894">domestically</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/travel/jetblue-service-animal-dot-open-form.html">internationally</a>, even when they’ve <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-20/qantas-sued-over-assistance-dog/103223736">previously been approved</a> by other airlines.</p> <p>Lack of consistency, negative attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices in the air travel industry have resulted in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/singapore-airlines-disability-discrimination-amputee-b2301471.html">reportedly aggressive eviction of passengers</a> with disability from exit rows. Others report being told to “<a href="https://qdn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voice-of-Queenslanders-with-Disability-report.pdf">catheterise</a>” (to insert a tube through the urethra to the bladder) to avoid needing toilet facilities on an overseas flight. Many people with disability experience situations like Innes’ where they are subjected to alternative, sometimes undignified, processes.</p> <p>Ongoing experiences of ableism not only deny people with disability their rights to travel but can also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2203307">damage their dignity</a>. Anticipation of discrimination can increase anxiety and stress for travellers with disability or prevent them travelling altogether.</p> <h2>Slow reform</h2> <p>These stories and many others point to the need for urgent reform.</p> <p>Stories shared by more than 60 participants in a special Disability Royal Commission session prompted its chair to <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/chair-writes-ceos-airlines-and-airports#:%7E:text=The%20Chair%20of%20the%20Disability,their%20experiences%20with%20air%20travel">write directly to the CEOs</a> of Australian airlines and airports, urging them to work on solutions.<br />The review and modernisation of the <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/transport-disability-standards">2002 Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport</a> along with the upcoming release of the Australian government’s <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-white-paper">Aviation White Paper</a> could be key mechanisms to address systemic discrimination. But only if key recommendations from disability organisations and advocacy centres are adopted. They include:</p> <ol> <li> <p><a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/agp2023-submission-c170-australian-federation-of-disability-organisations-and-national-inclusive-transport-advocacy-network.pdf">specific standards</a> for air travel co-designed with people with disability and representative organisations. <a href="https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-04/Universal-Design-for-Transport-TAs-discussion-paper-20220421.pdf">Universal design</a> aims to make products and environments usable by all people, without adaptation. It can play an important role in overcoming the systemic barriers in infrastructure and service design to create more seamless and inclusive transport and air travel experiences</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://piac.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PIAC-Submission-to-Aviation-Green-Paper.pdf">reportable and enforceable standards</a> and independent oversight, such as funding the Human Rights Commission to oversee compliance.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>Complaints are just one route</h2> <p>The exclusion of people with disability from seamless airline travel is a violation of their fundamental right to freedom of movement.</p> <p>Decades of travel horror stories in the media, continuing legislative reviews and national enquiries should bring change. Everyone should be able to make journeys with dignity and autonomy. People with disability deserve the same travel privileges as non-disabled Australians.</p> <p>Governments and the aviation industry will need to collaborate to implement comprehensive accessibility measures, ranging from wheelchair-friendly facilities to trained staff capable of providing appropriate assistance. Embracing inclusivity in air travel not only aligns with the principles of equity but also contributes to a society that celebrates diversity.</p> <p>For now, there are a number of ways to raise complaints, including with the individual airline or with the <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/complaints/make-complaint">Human Rights Commission</a>. Raising complaints with the Human Rights Commission can be completed by anyone who experiences discrimination. Legal support and advice may also be sought from some state-based legal aid organisations.</p> <p>While complaints are one mechanism for change, more proactive methods for change include the disability royal commission’s recommendation for the design and implementation of a <a href="https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/inside-the-disability-royal-commission-s-final-report">Disability Rights Act</a>, which would see human rights enshrined in legislation and facilitate barrier-free travel.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505"><em>Kelsey Chapman</em></a><em>, Research Fellow Dignity Project, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, Professor, Director, Griffith Inclusive Futures, Griffith University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-stafford-1505408">Lisa Stafford</a>, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Inclusive Futures Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>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/travellers-with-disability-often-face-discrimination-what-should-change-and-how-to-complain-221740">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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People are complaining about Mercury in retrograde. But what does it actually mean?

<p>Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, whipping around <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/index.html">our star every 88 days compared to Earth’s 365.25 days</a>. Mercury will also be the first planet destroyed when the Sun expands on its way to becoming <a href="https://www.space.com/22471-red-giant-stars.html">a red giant in about 5 billion years</a>.</p> <p>So it seems a bit rough that we <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/health-fitness/mercury-retrograde-2023">blame Mercury for all our problems</a> three to four times a year when it’s in retrograde. But what does it mean when we say Mercury is “in retrograde”?</p> <h2>A matter of orbits</h2> <p>Retrograde motion means a planet is moving in the opposite direction to normal around the Sun. However, the planets never actually change direction. What we are talking about is apparent retrograde motion, when to us on Earth it looks like a planet is moving across the sky in the opposite direction to its usual movement.</p> <p>Because Mercury is closest to the Sun and has the fastest orbit, it appears to move backwards in the sky more often than any other planet.</p> <p>Let’s use my dog Astro to help explain what’s happening when we see a planet in retrograde. Astro is a whippet, or a mini-greyhound, and he has a need for speed. If I take Astro for a run on my local cricket oval, he does super-speed laps on the inside while I run much more slowly around the outside.</p> <p>If we’re both going anti-clockwise around the cricket pitch, when Astro is on the opposite side of the oval to me it looks like he’s going left while I’m jogging right. But when he gets to the same side of the oval as me, it suddenly looks like he’s running right instead of left (retrograde).</p> <p>This happens because Astro is going much faster than me, and is inside my “orbit” of the oval.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/05/astro-Laura.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>Because Mercury’s orbit is inside Earth’s orbit, seeing it from our planet is like me watching Astro run.</p> <p>But Mercury isn’t the only planet to do this. Venus also orbits inside our orbit of the Sun, zipping around <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/index.html">once every 224.7 days</a>. This means Venus is in retrograde twice every three years.</p> <h2>The other retrograde</h2> <p>It works the other way around, too. The planets outside our orbit (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) also go into retrograde.</p> <p>To work this out, we need to swap our perspective. Astro is definitely not a deep thinker, but let’s imagine for a moment that he is and think about what he sees as he runs around the oval.</p> <p>He’s running around the oval and he starts catching me up from behind. At this moment it seems like we’re both going the same direction, to the right. But as he starts to pass me, it seems like I’m going backwards or left (retrograde) while he continues to run forwards to the right.</p> <p>This is what happens when we look up at the sky and see one of the outer planets in retrograde.</p> <p>Mars is in retrograde once every two years. The other planets are so far from the Sun and travelling so slowly compared to Earth that it’s almost like they’re standing still. So we see them in retrograde approximately once a year as we whip around the Sun so much faster than they do.</p> <h2>A well-known illusion</h2> <p>Retrograde motion bamboozled ancient astronomers since humans started looking up in space, and we only officially figured it out when Copernicus proposed in 1543 that the planets are <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsHistory">orbiting the Sun</a> (though he wasn’t the first astronomer <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Aristarchus_of_Samos/">to propose this heliocentric model</a>).</p> <p>Before Copernicus, many astronomers thought Earth was the centre of the universe and the planets were spinning around us. Astronomers like <a href="https://blog.oup.com/2017/07/planetary-astronomy-ancient-greece/">Apollonius</a>around 300 BCE saw the planets going backwards, and explained this by adding more circles called epicycles.</p> <p>So, humans found out retrograde motion was an optical illusion 500 years ago. However, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-astronomy-a-science-but-astrology-is-not-192376">pseudoscientific practice of astrology</a> continues to ascribe a deeper meaning to this illusion.</p> <h2>There’s a retrograde most of the time</h2> <p>If we consider the seven planets other than Earth, at least one planet is in retrograde for 244 days of 2023 – that’s around two-thirds of the year.</p> <p>If we include the dwarf planets Pluto and Ceres (and exclude the other seven dwarf planets in the Solar System), at least one planet or dwarf planet is in retrograde for 354 days of 2023, leaving only 11 days without any retrograde motion. </p> <p>I like to think the biggest impact the planets have on Earth is bringing wonder and joy every time we turn our eyes (and our telescopes) to the night sky. Astro, on the other hand, is happy as long as he gets to run around the oval and bark at possums.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-are-complaining-about-mercury-in-retrograde-but-what-does-it-actually-mean-205032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Caring

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School principal forced out after parents complain statue of David is too rude

<p>Hope Carrasquilla, a US charter school principal, has been forced to resign from her position after a parent decreed an art lesson to be “pornographic”. </p> <p>Carrasquilla was given an ultimatum - either she stepped down, or she would face termination from the Tallahassee Classical School - according to the <em>Tallahassee Democrat</em>.</p> <p>“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way,” she told the publication. </p> <p>Carrasquilla also explained that she had been informed of her options by the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop. While Bishop has confirmed that he did hand down the ultimatum, he did not expand on why. However, Carrasquilla believes a Renaissance art lesson to be the main contributing factor. </p> <p>The lesson in question saw students study Michelgangelo’s classic <em>David</em>, as well as his <em>Creation of Adam </em>fresco painting, and Boticelli’s <em>Birth of Venus</em>. </p> <p>Apparently, the school is required to educate students about Renaissance art in their 6th grade. But for three parents this wasn’t reason enough, with each of them voicing their concerns about the lesson plan, while claiming that it had caused their children upset. </p> <p>Two of the parents simply wanted to have been notified about the content before it reached their children, but one had stronger feelings, branding the situation “pornographic”. </p> <p>Carrasquilla said that one of them was “point-blank upset”, and “felt her child should not be viewing those pieces.” </p> <p>But as she informed <em>HuffPost</em>, things were “a little more complicated than that”, before sharing that the school’s usual protocol would be to inform parents before their children are presented with classical art, such as David. </p> <p>According to the now-former principal, a “breakdown in communication” between herself, the direction of operations, and the art teacher has brought upon a kind of administrative oversight, and the parents had never received a letter about the lesson. </p> <p>This came after a new rule was passed in February, with the school board mandating that parents must be notified a fortnight before any “potentially controversial” was taught to students. Parents would also be presented with the option to review their child’s curriculum, as well as any related media, with a reminder to be sent a week ahead. </p> <p>“Parental rights are supreme,” Bishop explained, “and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether it’s one, 10, 20, or 50.” </p> <p>As her story began to circulate around the globe, Carrasquilla went on to explain in a statement that for a year, Bishop had “expressed his displeasure with my leadership when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the T. </p> <p>“He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years.” </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Art

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Prince George complains about sweltering Wimbledon heat

<p>A video of Prince George has emerged, as the young royal was spotted complaining to his father that he was "too hot" in his suit at Wimbledon. </p> <p>The 8-year-old was the perfect prince as he attended the men's final match with his parents, but with soaring summer temperatures hitting 28 degrees, he found himself struggling in his suit and tie. </p> <p>After hugging Prince William, the young prince initially said he was feeling "ok" but then complained about the temperature as he walked along with his parents.</p> <p>Fans on social media also expressed concern about the youngster being too warm, and Royal Editor Robert Jobson tweeted that while William and Kate were being respectful of the All England Club's formal dress code, nobody would have minded George wearing something less formal. </p> <p>As Prince William and Kate Middleton greeted Wimbledon officials, George was seen saying "it's too hot" to his parents.</p> <p>Kate then advised her son he needed to avoid sitting "in the bright sunshine" and added they are "often in the shade".</p> <p>Photos showed doting father William checking in on his son while he tried to cool himself down, as some viewers took to Twitter to express their concern for the young prince in his suit.</p> <p>One person wrote, "Why do they dress him in a suit and tie and in this heat."</p> <p>Another said, "Poor Prince George in a shirt, tie and jacket in that stifling heat."</p> <p>The young royal then beamed as he shook hands with servicemen and women before the match, and sat watching the men's final like a perfect gentlemen. </p> <p>Serbian tennis champ Novak Djokovic defeated Aussie Nick Kyrgios in the match, as he reigned in his seventh victory at Wimbledon. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Man’s hilarious response to “nosy” neighbour who complained about his fence

<div> <div class="replay"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>A man has decided to hold a silent protest after receiving a zoning violation from the city of Santa Rosa, California, due to a neighbour complaining that his fence was too high.</p> <p>Jason Windus was the recipient of the violation after a neighbour reported his six-foot-fence for blocking a suburban corner and obstructing visibility for drivers at an intersection, as reported by <a rel="noopener" href="https://abc7.com/" target="_blank"><em>ABC 6</em></a>.</p> <p>Speaking to the station, Mr Windus said that he was confronted with a warning informing him of a daily fine that will be put in place until the fence was taken down.</p> <p>“It is very serious,” he said. “They made me freak out.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Jason Windus. It's been four day since he put up the garden party. <br />"I'm waiting. If they didn't like the fence, how do they like this?" Neighbors love it. All except the one who initially complained. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Abc7now?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Abc7now</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/santaRosa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#santaRosa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SonomaCounty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SonomaCounty</a> <a href="https://t.co/eVYytalYvU">pic.twitter.com/eVYytalYvU</a></p> — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WayneFreedman/status/1108107188147355648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 March 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Mr Windus immediately took down the fence with some help from a friend, but due to height restrictions, the newly modified fence is unable to contain his two dogs.</p> <p>With the height of his fence being out of his control, the professional mover decided to take some control back in hilarious fashion – by rearranging an assortment of naked mannequins so it appears that they’re having a clothing-optional garden party.</p> <p>“I guess the average person would get angry and cop resentment?” said Mr Windus. “I throw a naked party in my yard.”</p> <p>And despite the height of his fence crossing the boundaries of legalities, his life-sized dummies are well within the law.</p> <p>To keep the display PG, Mr Windus even took the liberty to cover the mannequins' private parts.</p> <p>And the party was open for all, especially the “nosy” neighbour who reported the fence in the first place, with a sign reading: “Reserved seat for the nosy neighbour that complained about my fence to the city.”</p> <p>The anonymous neighbour is yet to respond and remains unidentified.</p> <p>But while the whistleblower may not be a huge fan of the installation, others cannot get enough.</p> <p>“I love it. I think it’s hilarious. More power to him,” a neighbour told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nbc.com/" target="_blank"><em>NBC</em></a>.</p> <p>The only regret Mr Windus has is that his two dogs have nowhere to run around.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">"I was going to use them for target practice," said Jason Windus of the mannequins in his front yard. There's a 3-way stop at the corner, but an unidentified neighbor complained about visibility. "The average person would get angry. I throw a naked party in my yard...” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc7now</a> <a href="https://t.co/iFjiXMtK0u">pic.twitter.com/iFjiXMtK0u</a></p> — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WayneFreedman/status/1108145579345874944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 March 2019</a></blockquote> <p>But despite that, he’s having a grand ol’ time, saying he hasn’t decided on when the mannequins will be packed away.</p> <p>Joking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nbc.com/" target="_blank"> <em>NBC</em></a>, he said: “I was thinking of putting a barbecue out here next.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Jason told me this morning that he still does not know which neighbor reported the zoning violation with his fence. Feels pretty good about the reaction, he said. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc7now</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mannequin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mannequin</a> <a href="https://t.co/djNfUcISmG">pic.twitter.com/djNfUcISmG</a></p> — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WayneFreedman/status/1108453104435920897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 March 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Do you think Mr Windus has the right to be frustrated? Or was the neighbour right for reporting his fence? Let us know in the comments below.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Home & Garden

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Woman is slammed for publicly dissing her engagement ring: "Not a fan"

<p>When most people first see their partner get down on one knee and present them with an engagement ring, they are too focused on the love of their relationship to think of any trivial matters.</p> <p>However, one woman has criticised her engagement ring and slammed it as “basic”, before her boyfriend even had the chance to ask the question.</p> <p>The woman stumbled across the ring at home, which was hidden in her boyfriend’s night stand.</p> <p>Posting the photo of the ring on social media, the woman wrote: “Ewwwww. Self shame Friday here I come. Found this in the BF's nightstand. Not a fan.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 460.6986899563319px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821797/1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/aee44f53d0044270bbc3e0c42d5ad8c1" /></p> <p>“Please roast and then tell me how to tactfully say no you need to go get something different,” she added.</p> <p>A screenshot of the woman’s post was then shared on Reddit, where the woman quickly received backlash for being superficial.</p> <p>Some commented that it was awful that she was slamming the ring and that they couldn’t see an issue with it.</p> <p>“This is a gorgeous ring. I would love to be presented with this but, to be honest, my husband could propose to me with a twist-tie from a loaf of bread and I would be perfectly content," one person said.</p> <p>Many believed it was possible that the ring was a family heirloom, making her remarks even more insensitive.</p> <p>“Not going to lie this is bringing tears to my eyes. Poor sweet man. I hope he doesn't go through with it. I would have been happy with a ring pop from my husband!”</p> <p>Another added: “I hope he sees this, and then RUNS. To post this degrading sh** to social media to first insult it, and then ask for ways to get something better from someone she loves just defies what this ring should really be about and proves she doesn't even deserve a ring out of a dollar vending machine.”</p> <p>The post even prompted some to share their own engagement stories that may seem less than ideal but were perfect for them.</p> <p>“I was broke… when I proposed and bought an $80 ring at a flea market, she was thrilled, that's a keeper,” one person said. </p> <p>Another penned: “I was unemployed when we decided to get engaged. She bought the rings. Definitely not what we had planned, but 10 years later and I'm okay with it.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Restaurant’s hilarious response to woman who complained about $14 meal

<p>When Debbie Davis gave a two-star review based on what she believed was an inflated price for fish and chips, she probably didn’t expect to get such a hilarious response.</p> <p>Posting on the Facebook page for the Oxton Bar and Kitchen in the UK, Debbie mentioned that her food was “lovely” and the “staff are amazing” but “I cannot see how you justify your prices, small fish and chips £8 plus, and it was small?”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7267041/2_500x500.jpg" alt="2 (51)"/></p> <p>The poor review saw a swift response from the restaurant, where they explained to Debbie in no uncertain terms exactly how much they make from her meal, which equates to around $14.</p> <p>“OK Debbie. Where do I begin?” the response begins.</p> <p>“Out of that £8, our nasty government is charging you 20% vat [GST] which we collect by law on their behalf, so we're left with £6.66.</p> <p>“Out of this, we need to buy the fresh ingredients; 1 haddock fillet; get a chef to make everything from scratch; a delicious beer batter, homemade tartare sauce, mushy peas and chunky chips (the whole cost of ingredients for this plate comes to roughly £2.70).</p> <p>“This leaves us with £3.94, for which alas our pesky chef expects remuneration!!</p> <p>“Then we realised the 'lovely' food doesn't float to you, so we have to pay 'amazing' staff to serve you and clear up for you.</p> <p>“So if £3.94 is not justifiable for creating and affording this whole experience with us, you're welcome to recreate it in the comfort of your own home.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="500" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7267042/1_500x500.jpg" alt="1 (76)"/></p> <p>Later the restaurant posted a snap of the “sinister and unjustifiable” fish and chips – yet funnily enough there was no reply from Debbie.</p> <p>Other readers were quick to jump to the defence of the restaurant, with one stating that it was an “excellent response”.</p> <p>“It’s nearly double the price where we live. Good for you! I think your tongue in cheek reply was a perfect response.”</p> <p>Another added, “If a customer can have their say, so should you!”</p> <p>Would you leave a review like this? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Oxton Bar and Kitchen </em></p>

Technology

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Why older people don’t complain about being abused

<p>Older people don't like to make an "issue of things" if they are being abused, say organisations dealing with elder abuse.</p> <p>This could make them more vulnerable and open to being taken advantage of further.</p> <p>Senior Citizens' community support co-ordinator Robyn Baldwin said abuse came in many forms – physical, mental or emotional.</p> <p>"We have vulnerable people out there who put their faith in people and people take advantage of it. It is a sad time when that happens and sometimes we hear about it when it is too late."</p> <p>Baldwin said there was support for those people and they did not have to feel alone. All they needed to do was pick up the phone and ask for help.</p> <p>Senior constable Bill Phiskie said people were more aware of elder abuse nowadays and organisations were better qualified to act on it.</p> <p>However, the problem was people did not want to complain, due to embarrassment or because a family member was involved.</p> <p>Phiskie and Sergeant Geoff McCrostie work with Family Works to deal with cases of elder abuse, either discussing action or getting directly involved when criminal or financial offences are taking place.</p> <p>McCrostie said people needed to tell the police all about the issue before they could work out a plan of action to deal with it.</p> <p>By far the most common form of abuse the police dealt with was financial, he said. There was also always some sort of connection between the parties, be it family or caregivers.</p> <p>"There will always be people who are prepared to take advantage of the vulnerable."</p> <p>They also dealt with "devious" cases when people "wore down" the elderly by taking advantage of their health issues, or through general emotional abuse.</p> <p>One case involved a son saying he would not bring his kids around to visit his mother unless she loaned him money.</p> <p>A daughter in her mid-50s had also been arrested for assaulting her mother in her mid-80s. Phiskie said it had happened once or twice prior to it being reported to the police.</p> <p>Have you ever experienced elder abuse? Or know someone who has? What can we do to help?</p> <p><em>Written by Natasha Thyne And Sahiban Kanwal. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. </em></p>

Legal

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How to effectively complain to a hotel

<p>Do you have a problem with your hotel room that needs to be straightened out? This advice from a former hotel front-desk manager will get your issue resolve in no time.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Be specific with your complaint</strong> – Provide as many details as you can about your problem so the hotel front desk can you help you in a quick and efficient manner.</li> <li><strong>Try to remember names or faces</strong> – This will help the front desk follow up on your request. Saying “I spoke to someone about yesterday about this” means staff will have to piece together your story. To get quick and timely help, try to remember as much as you can about the situation.</li> <li><strong>Ask for management (but not immediately)</strong> – If your complaints have gone nowhere, don’t hesitate to ask for management. But that shouldn’t be the first port of call. Hotel staff are trained to handle guest concerns and problems. Only escalate if problems have gone unheard or unattended.</li> <li><strong>Be polite and respectful</strong> – Don’t talk down to the staff that are trying the best to help you. Although the staff are professionals, being rude and obnoxious won’t help your cause.</li> <li><strong>Don’t ask for unreasonable freebies</strong> – A small issue like missed housekeeping doesn’t automatically entail you to a free hotel stay. Hotels have clear policies and procedures about levels of compensation that staff follow. Asking for unreasonable compensation will make you appear like an opportunist. </li> </ul> <p>Do you have any tips to share? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Travel Tips

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How to complain right when your travel plans go wrong

<p>Advance, keyboard warriors! In this digital age of crowd-sourced travel information, innovative smartphone apps and the share-economy (think Airbnb, TripAdvisor and Sky Scanner) it's not all that shocking that a new survey of more than 3000 global travellers found we'd rather mouth off about a bad travel experience online than seek redress from the owner.</p> <p>Further down the list of priorities was complaining to an industry or licensing body. Sending a letter to the Fijian Tourism Board about your flooded room? No, it seems Aggrieved Angus of Auckland is a dying breed.</p> <p>Perhaps it is not too much of a jump to assume that those that like to research and book online may also like to review and bemoan online.</p> <p>The same survey, however, found close to one in 10 respondents surveyed ended up with plans not in line with their expectations – a worrying statistic, but one that cannot be blamed only on the individual travel companies (be they virtual or high-street based).</p> <p>Now that so much information about literally any destination is available online it's somewhat strange the old adage "let the buyer beware" is somehow lost in all the web-sale pop-ups and palm-fringed photos. You would think with all the reviews, user photos and forums, the expectations of our itineraries would be tempered slightly, but now nothing short of Instagram-worthy won't do, apparently.</p> <p>Hooks and the fine print, which previously may have been dictated to you by some travel agent just before you're about to hand over the cash, have been replaced by the online T&amp;C's check-box to be ticked without more than a fleeting glance at the never ending policy. Oh dear.</p> <p>But the same survey did find almost half, at 47 per cent, vetted a travel company website using online reviews – this seems low in the ever-growing online travel space, albeit understandable given the controversy websites like TripAdvisor have had over fake and puffed up reviews, and the fact that sometimes you'll trust a locals' or close friends' recommendations over some TripAdvisor "Star Review" from Steve and Gail of Te Awamutu.</p> <p>But when your holiday experience doesn't match your expectations (be they rose-tinted from online reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations or photo shopped adverts), in a world of cyber trolls and keyboard warriors, it's clear that many love to rant after a traumatic experience abroad ­ – even I see it as strangely therapeutic. But will it get results for you or the next poor soul who checks in, or just revenge?</p> <p>I spoke to several hospitality senior staff about their bitter-sweet relationships with online reviews and the feedback was fairly consistent: be it restaurants, hotels or activity companies the staff are far more likely to rectify the situation when you're onsite rather than online.</p> <p>"Let us know as soon as you can, rather than penting up your frustration that we didn't get it right first time. We get that you'll be annoyed but it's also an opportunity for us to wow you with better service," said one Sydney-based hotel staffer.</p> <p>Others agreed, with an Auckland hospitality manager saying: "If the restaurant is unable or unwilling to rectify the issue, then vent away online all you like ­– but they're probably going to be better placed to sort things out on the night that two weeks later".</p> <p>Even though the keyboard warriors show no sign of letting up there's much to be said for making a scene (gracefully, of course) to front-of-house staff right then and there, instead of smashing away on your laptop after the fact.</p> <p><strong>When it’s far from picture perfect</strong></p> <ul> <li>Don't delay. Be it noisy neighbours or a missed connection, let the travel company know about any issue right away.</li> <li>Take notes of times, names and places. Receipts help too. If you have to go online or complain at a later date, this can help with the legitimacy of your complaints.</li> <li>Be assertive, without being rude. Nothing is going to make your hosts want to shun you like an entitled, demanding attitude.</li> <li>Be realistic in what you expect, your off-season trip to the Med may not match the peak-season photos.</li> <li>Be realistic in what you think you're owed – you hated the steak? Then why did you eat three-quarters of it before sending it back?</li> <li>When reviewing, be sure to mention the resolution as well as the problem.</li> </ul> <p><em>Written by Josh Martin. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/06/10-travel-accessories-you-really-dont-need-to-pack/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 travel accessories you really don’t need to pack</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/07/7-tourist-attractions-that-look-different-in-person/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>7 tourist attractions that look different in person</em></span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/07/6-golden-rules-to-keep-your-smartphone-safe-while-travelling/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 golden rules to keep your smartphone safe while travelling</strong></em></span></a></p>

Travel Tips

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