Lobby Bar – January 1: Thumb Drugs, Dining Solo on Silvester, and Snapchatting American History

By Jeremy Del Nero on 1 January 2016
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Lobby Bar – A New Year’s Day Summary of FBT News and Views

FBT DARE. It’s everywhere. You’re addicted to it. Side effects of its usage include withdrawal from social activity, sleeplessness, dizziness, headaches, and nausea.  It can even cause death if you walk or drive while using it. Make it a New Year’s resolution: curb your usage… of smartphones.

No rest for the wicked. Join us for our annual look at everybody’s favorite New Year’s Eve tradition: Dinner for One. This is our sixth year writing about Dinner for One. We’re waiting for a break, but New Year’s Eve seems to come at the same time every year without fail.

Standard procedure. Test your knowledge with our year-end travel news quiz, hosted by time-traveling celebrity Jesse Sokolow.  It’s an open-book quiz, and please be sure to use a No. 2 pencil. Don’t worry; your computer should absorb and translate the markings on the screen to an answer selection.

Glitches and bugs. Paul Riegler takes off from JFK on Christmas Eve. He thought that the empty airport was indicative of the holiday, but actually Mr. Riegler missed the memo that Terminal 8 was being fumigated for bed bugs. At least his clothing is now guaranteed to be pest-free.

Uber confused. Facebook has officially added Uber support to its messenger app.  Just be sure that, from now on, you don’t use “uber” as a synonym for “above” – otherwise you might accidentally find yourself taken for a ride.

Missed opportunity. The New Year kicks off with Jesse’s monthly article on great moments in travel history. In January’s edition, Jesse joins Christopher Columbus on a transatlantic business trip.  Jesse lent the explorer an iPhone with Google Maps pulled up, but Columbus wasted the battery life by sending goofy Snapchats to his pal Amerigo Vespucci.

Turn down for what. Sixteen hotels in New York City have vowed to do their part to cut down on carbon emissions.  Nightly, the hotels will shut off power to the guestrooms, so guests are encouraged to be showered and in bed by 11:00 p.m.  Night vision goggles are provided in the case of an emergency.

Menu changes. A fire broke out on the 20th floor of a 63-story luxury hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve.  Having marketed itself as “the perfect place to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks,” the hotel is now switching gears, rebranding itself as “the perfect place to enjoy New Year’s Eve BBQ.” Its restaurant, which is on the same floor as the fire, is now offering its dishes “charred, singed, or well done” after the pantry was consumed by the flames.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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