The Odd Truth, March 30, 2005
The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.
Suspect Snacks In Cruiser
TORONTO -- A man charged with impaired driving resorted to a desperation tactic to try to foil a police breathalyzer.
It happened 35 miles north of Toronto, where a man driving a pickup truck was pulled over and put in the back seat of a police cruiser.
South Simcoe Police say en route to the station, he vomited and relieved himself.
In an attempt to trick the breathalyzer machine, police say he grabbed a handful of his own waste and put it in his mouth.
However, officers say the tactic didn't work, and he was charged with impaired driving.
The 59-year-old man -- who has not been identified -- was released on a promise to appear in court May 12th.
Police say it took about two hours to clean the back of the cruiser using industrial-strength cleansers.
Doc Cuffed On Way To Delivery
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Florida police officer is being punished for handcuffing and ticketing a doctor who was speeding to deliver a baby.
Doctor Anthony Chidiac was driving his motorcycle ten miles over the speed limit last March when he was pulled over in Fort Lauderdale.
According to police records, when the doctor said he was on his way to a delivery, the officer replied, "What are you delivering, pizza?"
The doctor delivered the baby 15 minutes after he got out of the handcuffs and was ticketed.
The officer has agreed to a 16-day unpaid suspension rather than being fired. A citizen board will review the case April eleventh.
Used Car's Value Skyrockets
SLIDELL, La. - The history of a used car could lead to legal problems for a previous owner.
A Slidell, Louisiana, family bought their 1996 Toyota Camry in 1997 and the vehicle ran fine until last week. That's when the owners started noticing a loss of power in the vehicle.
The mechanic hired to look into the problem found two bricks of cocaine in the gas tank. The drugs were wrapped around the vehicle's fuel line. Local authorities say the car's current owners are not involved in drug trafficking.
They're checking the vehicle's ownership records to determine who might have owned the drugs.
Blind Man Hits Hole-In-One
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A man who is legally blind was naturally skeptical when he was told he scored a hole-in-one while at a local golf course.
"They've said it before," said Joel Ludvicek, 78, of Cedar Rapids.
Only this time it was true.
Ludvicek aced the 168-yard No. 11 hole at Twin Pines golf course with a driver.
He had to rely on his three golfing partners to confirm the feat.
"A big fluke, it's just one of those things," Ludvicek said.
He's been an avid golfer for years and this is his second hole-in-one. It's his first since he lost most of his vision because of macular degeneration.
Ludvicek, who tees up his own ball, said although the ace was special, it's no different from other golfers.
"It's funny how golf goes," he said. "Most of the time I have a heck of a time getting on the green. It's a fun game."
Get Married ... Or Else
WILMINGTON, N.C. - A former sheriff's dispatcher is challenging North Carolina's law against cohabitation.
Debora Hobbs quit her job after her boss found out she lived with her boyfriend.
Hobbs said she was told to get married, move out, or find another job after her living situation was discovered.
The legal arm of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina filed the lawsuit Monday on her behalf.
The suit seeks to abolish the nearly 200-year-old -- and rarely enforced -- law that prohibits unmarried, unrelated adults of the opposite sex from living together. North Carolina is one of seven states with such a law.
Convicted offenders face a fine and up to 60 days in jail.
Dinosaur Droppings A Big Hit
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. - A display of prehistoric waste is turning out to be the big draw at an Oregon museum. Frank Callahan of the Crater Rock Museum, which houses the fossilized feces, is suggesting it be labled "coprolite," which he says is a "polite way of saying dinosaur dung." While the nonprofit museum also has dinosaur eggs and dinosaur bones, it's the "dino plops" that invariably bring a smile to visitors. Callahan says the first thing adults do is smell it, but he says "Of course there is no smell."
Lost Seal Far From Home
MIDDLEBORO, Mass. - A harp seal native to the Canadian Arctic has found its way to a yard in the landlocked suburban town of Middleboro, Massachusetts. A marine biologist with the New England Aquarium says the young seal swam about 30 miles up the Taunton River and two of its flood-swollen tributaries before setting out onto dry land. It crossed a road before being spotted by a homeowner, who called police. As the scientist put it, the suburban visitor "was a long, long way away from ocean." The critter's now safe but is expected to get a going over from marine scientists before being returned to the ocean.
French Women Do Get Fat
PARIS - All that rich food, coupled with those slim waistlines, has long stood as one of the wonders of France. But no more; the French are reportedly getting fatter. And a French lawmaker is proposing to attack the problem through legislation. He's seeking to impose sanctions for producers of products that go against public health rules as well as for those who advertise them. The measure seeks a penalty for ads amounting to 5 percent of the cost of the publicity for offending sugar drinks and products. And exercise-resistant kids are on notice. The legislation calls for a half-hour of daily workouts and a yearly weigh-in by a school doctor.
Botched Getaway
SWINDON, England - A British man's S.O.S. to police when he got stuck in a window proved costly after he was arrested for burglary. He admitted that he'd robbed a rail station snack bar of about three bottles and cans of beer. After his binge, he tried to escape through a window that proved too small. After getting stuck, he phoned police for help. The legal tight spot is costing the man the equivalent of about $900 in fines and compensation.
Turkeys Terrorize Kids
ELKHART, Ind. - They weren't looking for early Thanksgiving dinner. Police and animal control workers in Elkhart, Indiana, were using big nets to corral wild turkeys because they were allegedly harassing elementary school kids. But the quick birds eluded them. A teacher at the school said it was great so long as the kids could just look at the turkeys through the window, but then some of the birds turned hostile when the kids went outside to play. The authorities were called, but the fleet fleeing fowl were not to be caught. The chase ended about 25 minutes after it began without a single netted turkey. It wasn't the turkeys' first scrape with the law. A week earlier the wild bunch was accused of obstructing traffic on the road to the school. No arrests were made.