Latest news with #CandyRetriever
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
These 5 NYC restaurants have the hottest patrons, controversial new AI ranking claims — and some top spots got seriously snubbed
Hot or not? A divisive new dining ranking — more interested in who's sitting at the table than what's on the menu — is raising eyebrows in New York's image-conscious restaurant world. Created by Gen Z programmer Riley Walz, LooksMapping scores hotspots in the Big Apple — and Los Angeles and San Francisco, too — based on AI-driven evaluations of the profile photos of patrons leaving Google Reviews. Advertisement 5 Restaurants and bars have always been prime ways for single people to link up — Gen Z's just trying to make it easier. CandyRetriever – After scraping countless amounts of data, the algorithm spits out an average score that supposedly represents the physical appeal of each eatery's clientele. And the results are, in some cases, a complete slap in the face. Advertisement Take Balthazar, Keith McNally's iconic Soho brasserie, for example, long considered one of the top NYC spots to see and be seen — there, the clientele ranked a somewhat pitiful 5.4 out of 10. Adding insult to injury in many cases, the site also dishes a detailed explanation of its findings — like which way age, gender and general physical beauty lean. Further downtown, for example, it's supposedly mostly unattractive, middle-aged men and women dining at The Odeon, a Tribeca spot with a dreadful 3.1 rating that appears to no longer play host to the 'It' crowd of artists and celebrities it once did. 5 'The model is certainly biased. It's certainly flawed. But we judge places by the people who go there,' the website reads. 'This website just puts reductive numbers on the superficial calculations we make every day. A mirror held up to our collective vanity.' Looks Mapping Advertisement And way up town at ultra-exclusive East Harlem Italian restaurant, Rao's, the elite crowd was handed a woeful 3.4 — suggesting, perhaps, that even AI models get jealous over not being able to snag one of the legendary spot's highly-coveted tables. Of course, it's not all bad news — fine-dining stalwart Jean-Georges is where hot-leaning, middle-aged men and women go, according to the tool, earning the quintessential French spot a 7.1 and a light, rosy-hued marker on the map. But even that crowd can't beat local institutions like Katz's Delicatessen, which managed to snag an 8.1 rating — suggesting the customers are as beautiful as the city's best pastrami sandwiches. 5 Balthazar is a legendary spot in the NYC food scene, and despite its apparently unattractive reviewers, it still proves tough to snag a reservation. Bloomberg via Getty Images Advertisement The top ratings in town, however, were reserved for a handful of relatively obscure options — from a Midtown sushi spot to a Thai restaurant in the Financial District. The NYC restaurants with the hottest patrons, according to AI Ubani Midtown: 10/10 Shinn West: 10/10 KYU NYC: 10/10 Aroy Dee Thai Kitchen: 10/10 Top Thai 55 Carmine: 10/10 Walz first shared news of the site's launch back in March, and a steady wave of AI-haters, driven developers and delighted daters on the prowl quickly flooded the replies. 5 Rao's was among the LooksMapping's lowest-ranked of the iconic NYC restaurants. Google Maps Many have pronounced the AI model flawed — even suggesting that it has a racial bias. On this subject, Walz told the New York Times, '[the project] is making fun of AI,' and admitted that the attractiveness ranking system was 'a bit janky.' For now, Manhattan and the Bronx are the only boroughs included on LooksMapping, but Walz, a native New Yorker currently based in San Francisco, 'knew people would rightfully give [him] crap' and is planning to add the other three soon, he assured eager diners in a post on X. The release of the talked-about tool comes as younger diners are increasingly concerned with customer attractiveness. Advertisement With limited budgets and time on their hands, young and single New Yorkers want to go where they might score. 5 Admittedly, clientele can be considered a part of a restaurant's atmosphere, which, for many, is a key factor in deciding to make a reservation. bobex73 – On TikTok, a new trend has taken hold among women in their 20s that clearly demonstrates a demand for sites like LooksMapping. Advertisement Ahead of going out for the evening or as a deciding factor, these ladies are calling the restaurants and bars they're interested in going to and asking the staff whether the current crop of patrons is hot. 'As a hostess, I take my job of vibe checking very seriously and am always happy to keep the girls updated #womensupportingwomen,' wrote one understanding commenter.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Cruise workers can never break this rule, or they face getting kicked off the ship — and even arrested
They frown on this kind of relation-ship. Landing a man in uniform on the high seas might sound like the ultimate maritime fantasy, but one cruise ship employee revealed that's unlikely to happen. The reason: flirting with passengers could potentially get crew members booted from the vessel. Luke Osey, a professional magician who has worked on ships, dropped the bombshell in a viral TikTok video while responding to a fan who'd asked what employees do if passengers come on to them. 'The thing is, it's not really going to get to that point,' Osey explained. 'If you notice that a guest is starting to flirt with you, obviously you talk to them for a bit, but you're not going to flirt back because you know it would be leading them on.' 3 Cruise magician Luke Osey has revealed that flirting with passengers could get crew members kicked off a ship. CandyRetriever – Contrary to the sea-bound salaciousness that permeated the 1970s sitcom 'The Love Boat,' that kind of vessel va-va-voom is not allowed. The card-trick shark said that, for the most part, high seas employees 'politely decline' voyagers' advances, as not doing so could land them a one-way ticket off the ship. 'If there was even a hint of suspicion that you were talking to or sleeping with a guest, you'd be disembarked immediately,' the illusionist explained. 'My contract would be terminated, I'd be kicked off at the next stop pretty much.' Osey claimed he took this rule so seriously that he'd intervene if he saw a colleague coming onto a guest. 'I'd say, 'Hey, mate, that's not the best idea — you could get called out for this,'' said the magician. 'A little bit of fun is not worth your contract,' the young shipmate concluded. 'And, also, the average age of cruisers is about 65, so it's not really my type anyway.' 3 'A little bit of fun is not worth your contract,' magician and cruise vet Luke Osey declared. TikTok/lukeosey According to P&O Cruises' Fleet Harassment Policy, 'any intimate relations or attempts at intimate relations that are unwelcome, including asking a passenger to be alone, kissing, engaging in sexual relations, or any other similar behavior will be dealt with under the Code of Conduct with a potential sanction being up to and including dismissal.' In fact, non-consensual interactions could be deemed a 'criminal offense' and result in the offending crew member getting arrested. Crew members are also prohibited from inviting passengers to their cabin accommodations — unless the employee is already recognized to be in a relationship with said guest before boarding. 'You must declare this to your Head of Department prior to the passenger boarding,' they write. 3 The Liberty of the Seas sails away from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Getty Images Relationships between crewmembers, on the other hand, are generally acceptable with one caveat — supervisors are not allowed to date their subordinates, the Daily Mail reported. Meanwhile, cruise ships are veritable havens for inter-passenger relations. In fact, swinging — engaging in group sex or swapping partners — is particularly popular with randy travelers often pinning pictures of upside-down pineapples to cabin doors to let fellow pleasure boaters know they're in the mood for a switcheroo.
New York Post
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Cruise ship worker reveals biggest pet peeves — including ‘piss drunk' passengers
He spilled some deep seacrets. A cruise ship crewmember has pulled back the curtain on what it's like to work on a pleasure vessel, revealing the worst customer antics, best-paid employees and other insider secrets. The high seas employee spilled the beans in an 'Ask Me Anything' forum making waves on Reddit. 'I work in guest services — ask me anything,' declared the worker, who didn't disclose their position or company to keep their gig safe. When it came to biggest pet peeves on the high seas, the professional voyager said he was tired of passengers 'demanding to see my supervisor/manager.' 3 'That was the first time I ever got flipped off at work, I was about a month in my first contract,' said the Redditor while recalling an incident with an inebriated passenger. CandyRetriever – 3 The Redditor said he appreciates cash tips. Kirk Fisher – '{Most of these people I would be happy not to have to deal with, however what they fail to realize is that I might get in trouble if I immediately call a superior without trying to resolve the issue by myself first,' the Redditor declared. 'If seeing the manager is warranted, I promise you won't have to say it.' Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to problem cruise customers, of which there have been an abundance of late. The industry insider recounted one time a 'lady was p–s drunk and yelled at me because the restaurant wouldn't let her take a wine bottle to her room.' 'That was the first time I ever got flipped off at work, I was about a month in my first contract,' the customer service pro recalled. 3 Entertainers are the best-paid employees working the high seas. Brocreative – Perhaps the 'craziest guest incident' entailed a 'p–s drunk' passenger who 'took off his underwear in the atrium full of people' and had to be 'removed by security.' 'I don't he was aware what he was doing, but I think he paid a hefty fine,' recalled the Reddit poster, who said that no 'sane person' would work in guest services for an extended period. This comes as crime rates aboard cruise ships leaving the US have reached a two-year high with 48 crimes reported aboard vessels from Jan. 1 to Mar 30 this year. There's even a jail to hold offenders aboard the ship, per the Redditor. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways passengers can help cruise employees feel appreciated while working this grueling gig. 'Any sign of gratitude is GREATLY appreciated from our end,' said the Redditor. 'Just coming up and saying that would be more than enough.' He also implored people to tip in cash instead of gifting auto-gratuities and to make sure to leave extra moolah for 'guest services' as they don't 'really get tips.' However, people shouldn't expect a free upgrade because they shelled out extra — the voyaging veteran pointed out that there's 'no way' for passengers to get upgraded once aboard. 'It's actually not even our job to decide about upgrades, that's done by the reservations office, which is on land,' said the Redditor, who added that they keep extra vacant rooms but for emergencies only. If you want to get compensated well while working the high seas, the poster advised getting a job as an entertainer as they have 'the most time off' and 'are very well paid.'
