Folks in Plouneventer, France, were perplexed when they woke up to find a van perched atop a bus stop shelter. Police were summoned, the van was removed and the owner identified. But the mystery behind how it happened remained, with some theories involving alcohol or performance art. Three days later, the truth came out. The prank was part of a “commercial dispute” between the van’s owner and the perpetrator, who used a pallet truck to hoist the car onto the bus shelter. The latter may face charges of endangerment.
The Singing Ghost Of Ipswich
Residents of Ipswich, England, have spent more than four years being troubled by a haunting rendition of the nursery rhyme, “it’s raining, it’s pouring …” as it is sung by a young child during the night. “It was waking me up in the night. It was absolutely terrifying,” one woman said. “Last week it played for hours. It was just horrible.” Finally, in September, the borough council’s rapid response team tracked down the source of the chilling singing: It was a motion alarm in an industrial park. “The sound is only supposed to act as a deterrent for opportunistic thieves that come onto our property,” a spokesperson for the park said. “The motion sensors were being triggered by spiders crawling across the lenses of our cameras. It looks like we’ve had it turned up too loudly.” The volume has been lowered, and Ipswich residents can now sleep at night.
Hippos Are People, Too
A hundred hippopotami that are descendants of hippos once owned by late drug lord Pablo Escobar have been recognized by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio as legal persons. The hippos live in Colombia. But nonhuman animals are allowed to go to a federal court in the U.S. to provide testimony in defense of their interests. Colombian attorney Luis Domingo Gomez Maldondo filed a lawsuit on the animals’ behalf to save them from being euthanized, arguing that sterilization would be a better option.
A Knighter, Not A Knitter
David and Paula Knight of Surrey, U.K., were confused when they opened a letter informing them of a traffic violation and fine that took place in June in Bath. The letter, which detailed a bus lane violation and included a photo of the offender, was generated by a traffic camera that captured a woman walking in a bus lane, wearing a shirt that said KNITTER. The Knights’ vehicle tag reads KNI9 TER, a reference to David’s nickname, Knighter. “We thought one of our friends was stitching us up,” said Paula. They finally contacted authorities to straighten out the incident. Paula said the staff member who looked at the photo “burst out laughing.” The fine was canceled, everyone involved got a giggle out of it, and the next time the Knights go to Bath, they may take the train.
You Repair My Apartment Building, You Die!
An unnamed Thai woman who lives in a high-rise condominium building in Bangkok was apparently very unhappy that she wasn’t informed that two painters would be working on the outside of the building she lived in. So she cut their support rope. One of the painters, a man named Song, said he and his co-worker had lowered themselves from the 32nd floor to repair cracks. When he reached the 30th floor, he felt something on the rope and looked down to see someone on the 21st floor lean out of the window and cut his rope. A third colleague supported them from the top floor as they tried to summon help from people in other apartments. A couple on the 26th floor finally let them in. The suspect confessed to cutting the rope and said she had no intention of killing the workers. She faces attempted murder and property destruction charges.
Three Men In One
At a ceremony to award the annual Planeta literary prize in Spain, fans of author Carmen Mola were stunned to learn that the author is actually three male writers: Agustin Martinez, Jorge Diaz and Antonio Mercero, who were on hand to accept the award. Mola’s unpublished novel “The Beast” won 1 million euros with the prize. Mola had been described as a female university professor living in Madrid who uses a pseudonym. But after the reveal, Diaz said, “We are three friends who one day four years ago decided to combine our talent to tell a story.” Some have called the trio “scammers,” but Mercero argued, “We didn’t hide behind a woman; we hid behind a name.”
Rescue Let-Down
Fire officials in Santa Barbara County, California, received calls about a person hanging on the side of a cliff near Hope Ranch Beach, N.Y. Emergency crews were dispatched with equipment, including a drone and fire engines. But it turned out the “person” was just a mannequin with long hair. Apparently, the mannequin had been used in a movie shoot a few days earlier. Daniel Bertucelli of Santa Barbara County reminded residents, “better to call than not!”
Students Practice Realistic Employment Options
“Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken” in Hazard, Ken., after photos on social media showed students giving lap dances to high school staff. The incidents were part of homecoming week. Superintendent Sondra Combs said festivities included a “man pageant,” which somehow led to lap dances by scantily clad students. One of the grateful recipients was the school’s principal, Donald “Happy” Mobelini, who is also the mayor of Hazard. “Using this as a teachable moment,” Combs said, “we will provide social media training for our students and staff.” But, she emphasized, the district “has a tradition of excellence and academics and everything we do” — apparently including bumping and grinding.
Just Answer The Phone
A hiker in Colorado who was on a trail to Mount Elbert got lost, wandering in the woods until the 9:30 the next morning. Lake County Search and Rescue began looking for the unidentified person the evening before and continued through the night. Their repeated calls to the hiker’s cellphone went unanswered. The hiker, who didn’t realize a search party was looking for them, told officials that they ignored the calls because they didn’t recognize the phone number. LCSAR recommended to hikers: “If you’re overdue according to your itinerary and you start getting repeated calls from an unknown number, please answer the phone.”
Enjoy Your Big Girl Burger
While elementary students from Wilton Manors school in Florida were treated on a field trip, Broward County School Board member Sarah Leonardi accompanied them to a lesbian bar: Rosie’s Bar and Grill. Leonardi then posted about the outing on her official Facebook page. The post ignited outrage among members of the community, who, beyond their incredulity that a bar and grill was a “field trip” destination, were upset that Rosie’s is a lesbian bar. Menu items include the Rhoda Cowboy and Big Girl Burgers. Leonardi and the school district did not comment on the school trip.
We Let The 4-Year-Old Drive. Builds Character.
Police in Gillette, Wyo., were called to a home where there were complaints about a fight between a man and woman. When they arrived, the man had already left in his pickup truck. He was later pulled over and emerged from the truck with his two sons, 15 and 4. Sheriff’s Lt. Paul Pownall said that the 39-year-old admitted he’d been drinking. He also said his 4-year-old had been sitting on his lap and doing the actual driving. The suspect, who was on unsupervised probation, was charged with his second DUI.
She Hasn’t Got A Ghost Of A Chance.
Singer-songwriter Brocarde, has revealed that she is in love with a Victorian ghost, “Edwardo,” who, she says, died at age 35 when he fell down a well. Edwardo first came to her on a night when she was having difficulty sleeping, making the whole room cold and then introducing himself to her and whispering “I love you” in her ear. He then blew out her candles and left “steam hearts” on her shower walls. But Brocarde is also afraid of Edwardo: “My biggest fear is that he’ll expect too much from me and kill me so I’m a spirit too,” she said. After Brocarde revealed her love on ITV’s This Morning show, she said Edwardo “ghosted” her: “Edwardo seems furious with me since I’ve gone public with our romance,” she said. She hopes to lure him back on Halloween with scattered rose petals and candles. “I may even cook him some typical Victorian dishes to win him back.”
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