Things To Do In SW Florida

Daniel Miller and Summer Lin | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The hooded man darted past shattered glass, his headlamp illuminating the rare collectibles housed in display cases that lined the walls of Bricks & Minifigs in Whittier.

“Ninjago” Ultra Violet (Oni Mask of Hatred). Percival Graves (“Harry Potter” Series 1). Velociraptor with Sand Green Back (“Jurassic World” Blue).

Those sought-after Lego mini-figures were among 600 or more stolen on May 3. In a predawn spree that lasted little more than a minute, the thief stuffed a garbage bag with about $10,000 worth of figurines before sprinting to a waiting car and speeding off.

The heist was one of seven carried out at Bricks & Minifigs outlets across the Southland since April, a $100,000-plus crime spree that, on the heels of other similar incidents, has rattled the growing — but cloistered — world of Lego collectors and merchants.

“Ten years ago I just couldn’t have imagined it — I did not think our little hobby was the kind of thing that would attract that kind of crime,” said Graham E. Hancock, editor of Blocks, an enthusiast magazine. “The idea that they are taking advantage of really dedicated collectors and resellers … it is just scary for the hobby and for these businesses.” read more

Ted Rossman | (TNS) Bankrate.com

Would you tip a robot? That’s essentially what I was asked to do when a self-checkout machine at Newark Liberty International Airport prompted me for a tip. I picked a premade sandwich out of a refrigerator, scanned it at a self-service kiosk and was presented with an on-screen tip prompt.

I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt hitting the “no tip” button, but this is the sort of thing that’s giving tipping a bad name. Another outrageous example was when I was asked to tip while making a reservation at a pick-your-own strawberry farm. Situations like this are often considered part of “tip creep.”

What is tip creep and why is it growing?

Tip creep refers to being asked to tip in unconventional places. The most widespread example that has caught on in recent years is at coffee shops, but self-checkout machines and pick-your-own strawberry farms fit the bill as well.

There’s a fun “what’s the weirdest place you’ve been prompted to tip?” forum on Reddit. A dermatologist’s office, a car mechanic shop and a movie theater ticket counter are three of my favorites. Those all feel pretty excessive. Doctors, in particular, are highly paid professionals bound by strict regulations and ethical codes. They should not be soliciting tips under any circumstances. read more

Centra Florida residents should prepare for increased air and road traffic as the Fourth of July approaches.

Officials with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority expect Orlando International Airport to have about 700,000 estimated departures over the nine-day period from Saturday to July 7. There will be more than 85,000 departures on Saturday and again on July 6, the two heaviest travel days.

“We definitely will see an increase in passengers, just not as much as we have seen over the Christmas holiday and over the Memorial holiday,” said spokesperson Angela Starke.

Besides arriving early, her biggest piece of advice for fliers as they go through the airport is not to carry any items that would slow down TSA. Given the holiday, she stresses: especially fireworks.

Parking can be found in garages and well as three new surface lots, one of which opened in January. Access to the lots requires a special pass.

AAA says nationwide, 70.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more from their homes over from Saturday to July 7, a 5% increase compared to the same time last year. read more

Supporters of Eatonville’s bid to be home to the first Florida Museum of Black History were unbowed Friday by a task force’s vote narrowly favoring St. Augustine over the Central Florida town as the preferred site.

State Rep. Bruce Antone, sponsor of the bill that created the museum and the task force charged with planning it, was sharply critical of its 460-page final report recommending St. Augustine for the 100,000-square-foot museum intended to spotlight achievements and struggles of Black Floridians.

But the panel’s final report contained one recommendation suggesting the issue remains unsettled: It asked the Legislature to pay for feasibility studies of the task force’s top three sites: St. Johns County/St. Augustine; Eatonville/Orange County; and Opa-locka in South Florida.

That issue keeps Eatonville’s foot in the door, other advocates said.

“A feasibility study should, I think hands down, improve our position,” Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner said after the panel’s tenth and final meeting. “With our historical foundation, our location is key — easy access and market-wise the best, the land of Mickey and Minnie.” read more