Luggage burned; passenger frosted

February 10, 2009

As Shannon Tadel waited in the Syracuse, N.Y., airport for her flight back to Chicago on Dec. 1, a United Airlines employee approached her and asked if he could speak to her privately.

Recent columns

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• A problematic path to prosperity

  February 5, 2009

  With the economy in the tank and prospects for a quick recovery looking dim, Frank Barnes figured he could use all the financial help he could get.

• 'Complimentary' 1-day car rental costs woman nearly $3,000

  February 3, 2009

  The one-day car rental was supposed to be free, a perk of servicing your car at Subaru of Schaumburg.

• Property tax payment error leads to mortgage escrow crisis

  February 1, 2009

  Property taxes in Chicago can be difficult to swallow. An error by Citibank forced Robin Saichek to take an extra gulp.

• Blizzard of I-PASS violations buries recipient

  January 29, 2009

  Audrey Weinstein gave her car to her daughter last year. But because the car was still registered in her name, I-PASS violations continued to be sent to her home. They arrived in such numbers, she had trouble keeping track of what was owed.

• A service call leads to power struggle

  January 27, 2009

  The Comcast technician who came to fix Carolyn Pfeifer's low-hanging cable wire was professional, prompt and pleasant in every way.

• City's delay leaves firefighter burning

  January 25, 2009

  A training injury cost Edward Flaherty his job as an engineer with the Chicago Fire Department.

• State's error on child support begets another

  January 22, 2009

  Robert Frazin has been happily married for 35 years. He has never been divorced.

• Ring not meant for Salvation Army

  January 18, 2009

  As Joseph Majerick exited the Dominick's grocery store in Western Springs the week before Christmas, he instinctively reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of coins and threw them into a Salvation Army kettle.

• Refund from nursing home lost in shuffle

  January 15, 2009

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• Miracle of Nice brings hockey stick back home

  January 13, 2009

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• Dialing zero nets nothing for man who helped invent system

  January 11, 2009

  When he worked for IBM, Arnold Ford helped invent the first computerized phone answering system.

• Waiting list in place for digital TV converter box coupons

  January 7, 2009

  The picture just got fuzzier for those of you who waited until the last minute to apply for the federal government's $40 TV converter box coupons.

• Hockey stick souvenir loss merits a major misconduct

  January 6, 2009

  As the clock ticked down on the Detroit Red Wings' 6-4 Winter Classic victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at Wrigley Field, Kalan Plew rushed from his seat above the third-base dugout to the spot where his beloved Wings would exit the ice.

• Bumpy road in obtaining reduced-fare card

  January 4, 2009

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• Resolutions can help prevent problems

  January 1, 2009

  Some New Year's resolutions from the Problem Solver. Repeat after me:

• Palatine bar owner fired up over ComEd withholding deposit

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  When Bob Pinion and his son bought a small sports bar in Palatine last year, they hadn't counted on paying to have their electricity hooked up.

• A year of highlights, lowlights

  December 28, 2008

  It's awards season again, and the Problem Solver would be remiss if he didn't jump on the bandwagon.

• Lost in a bureaucratic shuffle

  December 25, 2008

  A simple typo led Meghan Eddy's aunt to write What's Your Problem? in February.

• Promising student, 68, gets held back

  December 23, 2008

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  December 21, 2008

  Frank Tobolski has no time for cable television.

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  Bobbie Carrick acknowledges that she's a bit of a novice when it comes to the Internet.

• Emissions test, repair attempts stress driver

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  You can say this about Daryl Daniels: He's persistent.

• All she wanted for Christmas was heat

  December 11, 2008

  It wasn't exactly a letter to Santa, but in her e-mail to What's Your Problem? on Dec. 3, Natalia Piekarski made it painfully clear there was only one thing on her holiday wish list: heat.

• Benefit denial heart-wrenching

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• Replacing furnace boils blood

  December 7, 2008

  The knocking noise coming from her furnace was so loud, Denice Saverson knew something was wrong.

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  December 4, 2008

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• Couple relied on cancer clause

  December 2, 2008

  John and Marianne Yasak hesitated briefly before handing the salesman a $40,890 deposit on their dream retirement home last year.

• Gift cards tale a horror classic

  November 30, 2008

  The gift cards sat in Paul Cizek's kitchen drawer longer than he can remember, unearthed only recently when the Downers Grove man replaced his countertops.

• Saying 'thank you' is no problem

  November 27, 2008

  The Problem Solver has a lot thankful for this year:

• Strange events flood home

  November 23, 2008

  On a cool Saturday afternoon last month, a man came to Phyllis Burrell's door. He told her that he was with the city's Department of Water Management and that he wanted to check the water meter in her basement.

• Landlord seeks payments from CHA

  November 20, 2008

  Dominic DiOrio has no complaints about the tenant living in his Lawndale two-flat.

• Consumers are checking their gas bills twice

  November 16, 2008

  Anthony Palermo's Nicor gas bill says he owes $104 this month, but the Melrose Park resident knows better.

• Obama campaign patches up goof with Naperville Girl Scouts

  September 10, 2008

  Michelle Walsh wanted to teach her 2nd-grade Girl Scout troop about the presidential election.

• What's Your Solution? Help a reader get her deliveries

  June 20, 2008

  Each week, What's Your Problem? receives dozens -- sometimes hundreds -- of requests for help.

• Raffle winner keeps trying for room at inn

  January 16, 2008

  There were several reasons Kathie Wozniak was excited to win a raffle for a one-night stay at the Palmer House Hilton.