Is it true that U.S. airlines can weigh passengers before they board a flight now? Was there really a tiger wandering in Houston? Is Crocs giving away free shoes? If you are not sure, keep reading to see if these stories are genuine or just rumors and misinformation.

In this post, we will share three ongoing widespread rumors. They may sound wild, ridiculous, or too creative to believe. Can you tell which are true and which are false?

Can U.S. airlines weigh passengers before they board a flight?

Yes, they can! It may sound hard to believe, but yes, the statement is true. There have been reports that U.S. airlines could start weighing passengers before they board a flight for safety reasons:

The report is true. Back in 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggested that airlines should either “weigh each passenger on a scale” or “ask each passenger his or her weight” before they board the aircraft. The purpose of balancing the weight on the aircraft is not only for passengers’ flight safety but also for the efficiency of fuel and power.

In the past, airlines used the recorded average numbers to calculate the total weight of the aircraft. Yet, as obeisity has become a more serious problem, the data was too imprecise to reflect the realistic situation. That is why airlines will now start to weigh their passengers!

Plus, not everyone has to be weighed. According to FAA’s proposal, operators should randomly choose passengers as samples. Also, their weight should be kept private. Last, of course, passengers have the right to refuse to be weighed or to tell airline workers their weight.

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Was a tiger wandering the streets in Houston?

Sounds incredible? But yes, it is true that there was a tiger wandering the streets in Houston. Oh my!

A Tweet about a tiger wandering Houston streets went viral, receiving more than 78K likes and 21.3K retweets:

The Houston Police confirmed and updated that they were looking for a tiger at Ivy Wall, Houston.

It turns out that the owner of the tiger is Victor Hugo Cuevas, 26, and he is a murder suspect. He took the tiger back, but when the police arrived, he fled away. The police arrested him on May 11 for evading arrest, but the tiger was still not found yet. Oops!

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Is Crocs giving away free shoes to healthcare workers?

Yes! Although it sounds too-good-to-be-true, the giveaway campaign is real!

Crocs posted a Tweet, saying that they are giving away 10,000 free pairs of shoes to “those who have been on the frontlines” of combating COVID-19 in honor of National Nurses Week:

The campaign is a follow-up to the 2020 campaign, according to the Crocs officials. Last year, Crocs also donated free shoes to healthcare workers:

So, rest assured that the campaign is legitimate! The giveaway was from May 10- May 14, and it has come to an end now.

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Did you successfully identify the truth from the rumors? Pay more attention to what you read and share online! To combat rumors and misinformation, remember, you should always check first before you share.

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