Aggravating Alarm

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man stressed out, cranky and litigious? That's apparently the case for one disgruntled vacationer, who is suing a cruise line for subjecting him to an early morning wake-up call. According to David Bookbinder, he and his 86-year-old brother were on a seven-day Mediterranean cruise, when the ship's staff told passengers they would have to be ready by 5 a.m. one morning so they could clear immigration prior to docking in Israel's Eilat port.

But Bookbinder says that the cruise line actually woke passengers up early to sell more shore excursions. He claims that the stress of the early morning caused his brother, who suffers from numerous health problems, immense aggravation and stress and “ruined” the pair's holiday. He sued Thomson Cruises and booking agent Thomas Cook, seeking a full $2,500 refund for the cruise, until a judge dismissed the suit earlier this month.

Misleading Met?

It's no secret that New York is an expensive city. But one attraction that locals and tourists alike can enjoy for free is the Metropolitan Museum of Art—if they read the fine print, that is. Two museum members, Theodore Grunewald and Patricia Nicholson, are suing the famed institution, claiming that it has tricked millions of visitors into paying admission fees, even though entry is free five days a week.

Under the terms of its lease, the museum must offer the must offer the free admission in exchange for its use of city land. The Met's ticket booths and website list a regular admission price of $25, and note in smaller letters that the fee is “recommended.” Grunewald and Nicholson say that they commissioned a survey showing that most people do not know that the museum is free. In response, the museum cited its own survey, which concluded that most visitors do understand the “recommended admission” policy.

Roadkill Restaurant

Few words in the English language are more unappetizing than “animal carcass removal.” So when restaurant owner Hunter Lacey saw that a phone book company had listed his establishment, Bar 3 Bar-B-Q, in that section, he was understandably upset.

Lacey claims that the misplaced listing appeared after he declined to buy an ad in the phone book. The entry subsequently drew national attention when Jay Leno referenced it on the Tonight Show in 2011. Bar 3 Bar-B-Q's parent company, Big Sky Beverage Inc. sued Dex Media Inc., the company behind the phone book, arguing that the erroneous entry had cost the restaurant customers and subjected it to ridicule. Dex says that the entry was published in error, not as retaliation for Lacey's refusal to buy ad space. The two parties reportedly settled the case last week.