Ben Cost
About the Author
Ben Cost is a features reporter covering everything from shark attacks to TikTokkers with Michael Jackson phobias and a man who sued Apple for a billion dollars over an iPhone malfunction. His exclusives have included a multi-course cicada tasting menu to celebrate their return to NYC after 17 years and going fishing for 450-pound sharks amid attacks in the Big Apple. Prior to working for The Post, Ben lived in Shanghai where he served as food editor, and then eventually senior editor at Shanghaiist, one of China's largest English language blogs. Ben ran a monthly column about exotic foods, testing donkey sandwiches, live drunken shrimp and cobra hotpot. After leaving Shanghaiist, he worked as a community editor for City Weekend, a Chinese lifestyle magazine owned by Swiss media giant Ringier. Following that, he served as managing editor of Shanghai Expat, a city guide and forum for foreigners living in Shanghai. Ben's hobbies include fishing, biking, making moderately amusing puns, binging "Sopranos" and plumbing the depths of NYC's boroughs for undiscovered culinary gems.
The Archive
I called out sick to catch a plane — then I ran into my boss on the flight
June 28, 2024 | 3:25pmBoss-ted! An employee's attempt to catch a flight while pretending to take a sick day backfired after she encountered her supervisor on the same plane.
I was shocked when an entitled woman sat in my airplane seat — here's what I did
June 28, 2024 | 1:14pmAn appalled passenger recounted having their seat occupied by an entitled woman, who then told them they could sit somewhere else, per a post making the rounds on Reddit.
New York pickle bun sandwich drawing crowds thanks to TikTok: 'It has been pickle mania'
June 28, 2024 | 9:53amFrankenbrine's monster. Gherkin-istas all over the US are traveling to Long Island's Seven Brothers Gourmet to try a sandwich that's literally "in a pickle."
Customer scandalized by 'closed for sex' sign on sandwich shop: 'I seemed to have lost my appetite'
June 27, 2024 | 4:24pmThey were busy making a "grinder."
Flight attendant reveals bizarre way you can urinate less on a plane
June 27, 2024 | 12:38pmWhile one flight attendant swears by the trick, this is what doctors have to say.
Flight attendant tells passenger that she's 'overreacting' to taped airplane window
June 27, 2024 | 9:59amDelta Airlines flyer Laura Iu freaked out after seeing that her airplane window was seemingly taped together, only for a flight attendant to accuse her of blowing things out of...
I applied for a Hooters job to honor my dad – I was rejected despite having 3 boob jobs
June 26, 2024 | 1:42pmAccess D-nied. Florida influencer Neyleen Ashley applied for a gig at Hooters to honor her late father -- who was a big fan of the chain -- but claims she...
Why airplanes board front to back — astrophysicist reveals the better, more efficient alternative
June 26, 2024 | 9:50amThere's a reason behind airlines' seemingly counterintuitive boarding policies.
'Bro is certified insane': Sailor influencer shocks followers after sharing wildly remote location
June 25, 2024 | 4:12pmThey thought he was sending out an SOS.
I drank my bestie's breast milk because it was on my bucket list
June 25, 2024 | 10:51amSpanish influencer Nuria Blanco shocked and revulsed the internet after consuming her friend's breast milk on camera.
Airline double-books flight, passenger refuses to exit: 'You can't be playing with people's plans'
June 25, 2024 | 9:44amAn irate passenger caused a scene after refusing to leave a plane that he was double-booked on, as seen in a video going viral online.
Why this NYC espresso bar keeps its coffee at $2.50 a cup — and staying that way — as others soar past $6
June 24, 2024 | 1:29pmCasa Salvo is part of a contingent of java joints that pledges to offer affordable coffee sans compromising on quality.
71-year-old beauty queen is oldest woman to ever compete in Miss Texas USA
June 23, 2024 | 2:50pm71-year-old Texas beauty queen Marissa Teijo proved that age is just a number after becoming the oldest woman to ever compete in the Miss Texas USA competition.
Influencer contacted by 5,000 single men after posting boyfriend application, rejects them all
June 23, 2024 | 12:35pm5,000 wrongs don't make a Mr. Right. Heartsick OnlyFans star Vera Dijkmans, who posted a viral boyfriend application, has reportedly been contacted by thousands of suitors -- but still hasn't found...
British Airways suspends crew members for fat-shaming 210-pound stewardess on WhatsApp
June 23, 2024 | 9:54amBritish Airways has suspended two crew members for making cruel remarks about a colleague's weight behind her back.
'Screaming' man booted from plane after fellow passenger refuses seat swap
June 21, 2024 | 3:08pmHe got the ejector seat.
Is it still safe to fly? Experts have mixed opinions after mid-air disasters
June 21, 2024 | 9:54amAmid the rash of mid-air mishaps, experts are addressing whether it's still safe to fly the friendly skies.
People are traveling across the world to try the viral ‘millennial Willy Wonka' chocolate bar
June 20, 2024 | 4:39pmThis confection is raising the bar.
Invasive Asian 'mystery snail' surfaces in Georgia, experts issue warning over parasite-carrying insect
June 20, 2024 | 12:01pmEscarg-no! It's spreading at a lot faster than a snail's pace.
Doctors told me I had anxiety and sent me home early — I had a deadly condition
June 20, 2024 | 9:50amCalifornia's Joe DuPont nearly died due to heart failure after doctors mistook his sepsis for anxiety and sent him home.