What's with these Swedish airports? Tuesday, a 78-year-old woman laid down on a baggage belt at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and was swept down a luggage chute before anyone could stop her.

Thinking the ride was part of check-in procedures, the woman, who was on the way to Germany, quickly surfaced at the airport's baggage handling center, where she was helped back to the terminal by staff.

She escaped unharmed--and even managed to catch her flight!

Related Stories:
· Woman Goes Down Baggage Chute at Airport [AFP, via]
· Don't Check People: Suitcase Dwarf Stuns Airport [Jaunted]

[Photo of ARN: Wikimedia]]]> pbb 2008-08-27T11:03:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/24/144610/209

The ol' "I'll just hide in your suitcase" routine will no longer be an acceptable airport joke: A Swedish comedy troupe was able to check a dwarf at Stockholm's Bromma Airport, scaring the bananas out of check-in agents when the cargo escaped.

The troupe was filming a stunt for a show on Sweden's Kanal 5 in which an extra-heavy suitcase was brought into the airport and checked. Staff were "shocked and humiliated" but have decided not to press charges--but it's probably best not to hum "I'm Gonna Mail Myself To You" anywhere in Sweden for the next few months. (Checking your baby is also not endorsed by Jaunted.)

One thing we still don't know: Whether the dwarf hopped out to pay checked-bag fees on himself.

Related Stories:
· Dwarf Comedy Stunt Shocks Swedish Airport Staff [Canoe.ca]
· Sweden Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: geckotales]]]> egw 2008-07-24T16:00:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/14858/9384

New Yorker writer and hyper-liberal Hendrik Hertzberg got lucky on a recent visit to Austin and snagged what could be the coolest taxi this side of the Cash Cab.

The Land Yacht bills itself as the city's only rock 'n' roll taxi, and the specs on this thing back up the claim. Here's the word, unedited and straight from the cab's website:

So much BASS it'll shake yer @ss right outta the seat! Music Videos playin from 4 honkin big video screens right up in your face. Oh, did I mention that you get to CHOOSE the Music Videos you wanna watch?

And what runs all of this? It ain't yer garden variety little dvd player in 'da dash. Full computer setup right in the cab means I can do just about anything you can do with a computer! Over 2 teraBytes of hard drives means I gotz plenty of space for over 15,000 High Quality music videos available at your fingertips!

We're not saying you should go to Austin just for the transportation... Actually, you know what? That is what we're saying.

Related Stories:
· The Land Yacht [Official Site, via]
· Taxis coverage [Jaunted]
· Austin Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Land Yacht]]]> pbb 2008-07-21T14:15:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/20/132044/282

Here's a tip: When you find yourself assuring reporters that the $42,000 bronze monument you've put on display involves "no kitsch or obscenity," your art project was probably a bad idea. The statue in question is a tribute to the enema that was unveiled at a spa in the Russian city of Zheleznovodsk on Wednesday. The Botticelli-inspired monument depicts three cherubic little angles holding aloft a bronze syringe bulb that's used for anal cleansing.

The sculpture was presented to the public this weekend at a celebration featuring models and a banner bearing the charming Soviet slogan "Let's beat constipation and sloppiness with enemas." The owner of the spa said enemas are "almost a symbol" of the Caucasus, dotted as the region is with retreats offering visitors the opportunity to get local mineral water sprayed up their ass. (Hey, Zheleznovodsk does mean "Iron Waters.")

Maybe when the spa gang realizes how ridiculous this makes them look they can change that butt bulb into an onion?

Related Stories:
· Russian Spa Opens Monument to the Enema [AP, via Yahoo]
· Spas coverage [Jaunted]
· Russia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Reuters]]]> Hunter Walker 2008-06-20T14:00:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/5/83950/80955

If you have any yearning to marry a famous landmark, you'd better get your pre-nups signed before they're all spoken for. We already told you that the Berlin Wall has been married to a Swedish woman for decades, and another celebrity landmark wedding just happened.

This time it was a woman from San Francisco whose new name is Erika La Tour Eiffel. Although she also admits a fondness for the Berlin Wall, she decided to take the Eiffel Tower as her husband.

We're wondering which tourist attraction we'd want to marry: An ancient pyramid would make a loyal bedfellow, but a really tall building might make for some extra excitement. For a stable marriage, maybe a particular leaning tower deserves a second look?

Related Stories:
· Woman Weds Eiffel Tower [Ananova]
· Wedding Travel: Hooking up with Your Favorite Tourist Attraction [Jaunted]

[Photo: webbmb]]]> amandak 2008-06-05T09:32:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/29/165142/623

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has reached a settlement with the company behind the gruesome "Bodies" exhibition at the South Street Seaport in NYC, requiring them to disclose to visitors that the dead people they have on display could be

Chinese prisoners who may have been victims of torture and execution.

The settlement also requires Premiere Exhibitions--the company behind the show--to issue refunds to anyone who can prove that they paid to see the "Bodies" exhibit in New York and would've skipped it if they knew the people they were ogling might not have consented to being put on display.

Oh, it gets worse...]]> Hunter Walker 2008-05-29T17:18:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/13/151420/466

David LaHuta just got back from Florida, and he's telling us all about it this week. Keep up with our Sanibel and Captiva Map.

Who knew there was so much to do on Sanibel and Captiva Islands? So far you've gone shelling on the Gulf of Mexico and just yesterday you spotted tons of birds and reptiles at JN "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Preserve.

For an island experience that's equally as unique, look no further than The Bubble Room, a kitschy, hodgepodge of a restaurant that specializes in quirky meals and wacky décor. Picture TGI Friday's on crack and you'll begin understand what this place is all about.]]> David LaHuta 2008-05-14T12:05:56-05:00 26.523247 -82.189620 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/