The Odd Truth: Aug. 3, 2005

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Meredith Stoffel.

Cyclist Ticketed After Fall

TOLEDO, Ohio - A northwest Ohio man's fall off his bicycle left him with a bruised leg, a big hospital bill and a ticket from police. Police fined Melvin Surprise III, of Toledo, because he was riding his bike on a sidewalk when he was struck by a pickup truck pulling out of a parking lot.

City law says anyone 15 and older can't ride a bike on the sidewalk. Violators face a $93 fine.

Surprise, 22, pleaded innocent to the charge in Toledo Municipal Court. He plans to fight the citation, saying the law discriminates against adult cyclists.

He was riding his bicycle on a sidewalk along a heavily traveled street on July 22 when he was hit.

The driver, Michael Garvin, 17, was not cited. Police said a trailer park and large vehicle parked nearby created a blind spot. "I never even saw him," Garvin said. "The bike literally appeared out of nowhere."

Lt. Kevin Keel, who heads the police traffic bureau, said a citation should be filed when one person's negligent action causes an accident. "If the officer can determine fault, we strongly suggest they file charges," he said.

To add to the injury, Surprise was taken to Toledo Hospital as a precaution and billed $800 because he is unemployed and does not have medical insurance.

Woman Punches Bear In Nose

DULUTH, Minn. - A 50-year-old Holyoke woman said she punched a black bear in the nose as it attacked her, but the bear didn't flinch.

"It was totally ineffective," Mary Munn said of her attempts to fend off the bear during Friday's attack. The ordeal lasted less than a minute, but in that time the bear bit her in several places, as Munn's dog tried to distract the 150 to 200 pound animal.

Munn described the attack on Monday, speaking from a wheelchair in a conference room at St. Mary's Hospital. She showed reporters the gouge in her right leg. She also had deep bites in her side and armpit.

Munn said she was walking near a beaver pond in the woods near her home when she spotted a bear about 30 feet away. The bear charged her immediately, but did not attack, she said.

The bear charged a couple more times, and Munn hit it with a stick and punched it in the nose. The bear then attacked, knocking Munn down and biting and clawing her on her torso, arms and legs. Her dog, a boxer named Maggie, distracted the bear a little, but Munn did not run.

The attack lasted less than a minute, then the bear looked at something and went away, Munn said.

Munn walked back to her house, called for help and waited about 30 minutes outside for police to come.

DNR searches for the bear have not been successful. If a bear that matches Munn's description is found, it will be killed and examined for disease.

Munn is being treated for rabies, just to be safe, said Dr. Kevin Stephan.

Despite her injuries, Munn was joking about the attack on Monday.

"I'm 50," Munn said. "It will be another 50 years before another bear attacks me."

Man Won't Be Buried Naked

PEKIN, Illinois - Even in death, Robert Norton's nakedness is a no-no.

Norton, 82, spent four decades in and out of court fighting repeated arrests for gardening and wandering his yard in the nude. He said he wanted to be buried without any clothes, but his family is sending him to eternity wearing gray slacks and a matching shirt.

"He's not going to be buried in the nude," said his brother, Jack Norton, a minister.

Robert Norton's family said they hope to lay the years of controversy to rest when the World War II veteran is buried. Norton had fought 20 indecency arrests since 1962, arguing that he had a constitutional right to public nakedness.

Relatives say Norton suffered emotional problems after serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II. Prosecutors counter that he was just stubborn.

Brenda Loete, who lived next door to Norton for a dozen years before he moved into a nursing home, said she never spoke to her neighbor.

"We didn't really know him. We just had him arrested," Loete said. "Normally, if we had him arrested in the spring he'd be gone for the summer and we wouldn't have to worry about him until the next spring."

Llamas On The Loose

EISENSTADT, Austria - Two llamas escaped from a zoo and took to the road, scaring drivers on a highway in eastern Austria, police said.

One driver called police to report that "a man was running around on the highway, trying to capture two llamas," police officer Wilfried Tonhofer told The Associated Press.

A zoo employee eventually caught the animals using a lasso.

No one was hurt, but some drivers slammed their brakes at the sight of the animals. Though llamas aren't allowed on highways, no charges will be filed, Tonhofer said.

The llamas had escaped before, but never gotten so far. However, their brief escape might lead to a permanent relocation; zoo owner Samier Dergham said he wants to find them a new home to avoid further escapes.

Hollywood Suit

LOS ANGELES - In Hollywood, the settlement of a $1.5 million suit is small potatoes. But this time, some lucky moviegoers may get a share: five dollars each.

A court has approved the settlement of a class-action suit against Sony Pictures Entertainment. It accused the studio of running ads quoting a movie critic who didn't exist.

Some moviegoers sued. Their lawyer says if you saw the 2001 films "A Knight's Tale," or "Vertical Limit," "The Animal," "Hollow Man" or "The Patriot" during their original runs, you can file a claim for a five-dollar refund. Any leftover money goes to charity.

Sony didn't admit any liability. But at the time, it temporarily suspended two executives and vowed to quote only critics who are real.

Ring Sent To Iraq

ROSWELL, N.M. - Nicole Vargas figures her wedding ring is heading for Iraq. The Rosewell, New Mexico, woman runs a program that sends care packages to GI's in the war zone. Vargas says her diamond-and-gold ring slipped off her finger while she was mixing up bags of hard candy. She didn't notice it was gone until it was too late. She hopes a big-hearted and keen-eyed solider will spot the ring and send it back. She promises a 100-pound care package full goodies to the GI who finds her ring.