While Congress debates over a toothless passenger bill of rights for the airline companies, a handful of people in the know have been invoking Rule 240 to get on a flight while the rest of us sit in the bar drinking $8.73 pints of Bass. Rule 240 states that if a flight is canceled for a reason other than weather, your carrier has to book you on the next available flight to your destination—on whichever airline is going there. Apparently Rule 240 is a holdout from the Civil Aeronautics Board that was created before airline deregulation in 1978. And if Rule 240 doesn’t work, try Rule 241 or Rule 242—in fact, just let them know you can name rules all day.

via MSNBC

I know it looks fake, and a small part of me wishes it was just a lame joke, but Katadyn is selling this Trekking Mahlzeiten Canned Hamburger. It comes with the bun and all the fixings—and it’s the most futuristic food I’ve ever seen in my life. It looks like something you would eat at Space Camp.

You know how food tastes better on the trail? Well, this would be a letdown no matter how far you hiked during the day. The burger sells for about $5.

via Oh Gizmo!

At least you’ll be able to recognize your bike after it gets stolen. The making of this special project Nike bike is being used in a documentary-style ad in Japan. Apparently the fixie craze has burnt out there quite yet. Those handlebars are so narrow that you’ll be tossed over ‘em if you sneeze while trying to turn. It’s a solo bike, but I’m sure the Wilson brothers could set you up with another custom rig if you want one bad enough.

via Freshness

Reflectors are cool again. The new ELVS wheelset from Laek House has rims that light up like a dollar-store marquee when hit with a vehicle’s headlights. You won’t have to wear the day-glo jacket that begs for neighborhood kids to throw empty cans and rocks at you. The ELVS setup is made with Velocity rims and LeVel hubs. Not sure if they work with brakes or if the reflective stuff wears off.

via Laek House

I don’t read About.com Skiing much because, well, I’m not a towering idiot who needs the internet compartmentalized in small, easy-to-understand tidbits, but I’m glad I caught this blog post by About.com’s Mike Doyle. The man charged with explaining skiing to the last AOL holdouts on the internets has this gem called the Top Ten Ways to be a Polite Skier. It recommends taking lessons and giving skiers in front of you the right of way right after it explains not to cut lines. Poor Mike Doyle opens his post with:

Recently, I was surprised by the lack of etiquette at a local ski resort. I was waiting in a long gondola line and I saw two young skiers attempt to deviously cut the line. Slipping past unnoticing skiers and snowboarders and bypassing entire sections of the line by cutting corners, they didn’t seem to have that patience to be polite and wait in the line like everyone else.

Mike has a lot more faith in humanity than me if kids cutting into line surprises him. About the only thing that still surprises me is finding a parking spot (and I don’t even have a car).