The Odd Truth, Nov. 8, 2003

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.

LOS ANGELES - He's not the Governator - but he'll play him for $400. Northern California landscape designer Lyndall Grant's resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger is paying off. He's doubled his rate to $400 an hour - with a two-hour minimum. He used to play The Terminator a couple of times of month. But since Schwarzenegger's election as California governor, Grant has as many as two gigs a night. He's gotten requests for everything from taped birthday greetings for an 89-year-old woman - to a wedding appearance. He says people want Arnold's blessing, even if it's not the real Governator.

Where's The Beef?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A man who stole some meat from a market made off in a stolen pickup truck, but police are confident they'll catch him with some clues he left behind: his wallet and ID.

"That's pretty dumb," Memphis police Lt. Richard Granderson said Thursday. "We'll catch him. It's just a matter of time."

A man in shorts, T-shirt and sandals walked out of the Metro Market Wednesday without paying for some packaged meat.

"One of the clerks chased him out, and he had his truck running," store manager Howard Abdullah said. "It was like a planned operation."

The truck had been stolen from the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, police said.

After a brief scuffle with the clerk, the thief left his wallet behind. Police say they are looking for 40-year-old Willie Patrick of Memphis but didn't find him at home.

Patrick was on parole from a previous conviction for car theft, Granderson said. His parole term was set to expire Wednesday.

"It won't now, though," Granderson said.

Voyeur Dorm Girls Sue For Overtime

TAMPA, Fla. - You're paid to frolic in the nude - but should you be paid overtime? Models Laura Spell and Stephanie Piccolo used to work for a Tampa, Florida, Internet business called Voyeur Dorm. Subscribers would pay to gain access to the Web site, where they could watch young women who lived in the so-called dorm. Spell and Piccolo contend all that showering, sleeping and studying in front of the Web cams was work - and they should be paid overtime for it. More than a dozen models have joined the suit. A lawyer for Voyeur Dorm says the models were allowed to live in the mansion for free and were paid, too. Voyeur Dorm has filed a suit of its own, charging Spell and Piccolo, who now work for a competing adult site, in violation of their contracts.

Celebrity Files Cover-Up?

LOS ANGELES - A police officer has been fired for using department computers to review confidential records on celebrities, including Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston and Dylan McDermott.

Officer Kelly Chrisman, 35, said his superiors assigned him to look up the information as part of a project to map celebrity homes to help monitor potential stalkers and other problems.

The Los Angeles Police Department says no such project existed. Chrisman was fired Oct. 27.

One of his attorneys, Gary Casselman, said Chrisman was fired because the department "didn't want the embarrassment of admitting this project existed."

Investigators say they do not know what Chrisman did with the information he accessed between 1994 and 2000.

Information on the computers included criminal histories, driving records, Social Security numbers, restraining orders and, in some cases, unlisted phone numbers.

An attorney who represented Chrisman during misconduct hearings earlier this year said he plans to challenge the firing.

Federal and county authorities are investigating whether Chrisman or others can be prosecuted. The district attorney declined to press charges in 2001, saying a one-year statute of limitations had expired.

Police Chase, In Reverse

HAMPTON, Va. - "Police chase" took on a new meaning when a motorist angry about getting a speeding ticket decided to go after the officer who issued the citation, slamming her car into his cruiser several times.

As a result, authorities have added a charge of felonious assault to Devikia Donise Garnett's misdemeanor speeding violation.

"She turned a traffic summons into a felony charge," said police spokesman Jimmie Wideman.

Garnett, 20, was pulled over for speeding Tuesday when Hampton officer Chip Raines clocked her going 51 mph in a 35 mph zone, police said. Raines pulled Garnett over, and she accepted and signed the $90 ticket without complaint.

After Garnett pulled away, the officer got back in his cruiser to continue his shift. But as he turned onto a street, he saw Garnett's red Mazda speeding up behind him. Her car slammed into the back of his cruiser before he could react, Wideman said.

"She must have tracked around the block to get behind him," Wideman said. "It was no coincidence."

She accelerated again, rear-ending the police car three more times, Wideman said. Garnett made another run at Raines, but zoomed past after he pulled to the right side of the street.

As Garnett maneuvered to hit him head-on, the officer struck her vehicle, pinning her car to the curb, Wideman said.

"He should be commended on his restraint, because it could have come out a very different way," Wideman said.

Garnett was being held without bond in the Hampton jail on a charge of felonious assault on a police officer. Wideman said there was no indication of drug or alcohol use on her part.

Cross-Dressing, Police Impersonating Bandits

NEW YORK - Police say five young men dressed as women and impersonated police officers when they robbed men in Greenwich Village.

Police say the teenagers are implicated in six robberies between October Fifth and November Sixth. They are accused of handcuffing men and taking their wallets, stealing amounts ranging from $85 to $1,200.

In at least one case, the teenagers produced a "police-like badge" before robbing a 33-year-old man.

The five were arrested yesterday after plainclothes officers with a description of the suspects in the string of robberies saw one of the teenagers and took him into custody.

Police say they're charging the teenagers with robbery and criminal impersonation. They all attend the Harvey Milk School.

Paris Department Store Offers Free Strip Tease Lessons

PARIS - For France's biggest department stores, glitzy advertising campaigns urging customers to shop-'til-they-drop simply aren't enough these days.

So in a brash publicity stunt at a time of declining sales, one Paris store, Galeries Lafayette, is encouraging women to shop 'til they drop ... their pants.

On Saturday, hundreds of women are expected to flock to the venerable shopping hub for free striptease lessons. The store has hired two professional pole dancers to provide expert advice.

"It's about learning to undress yourself in an elegant way," said store spokeswoman Constance Dubois. "A way that draws attention to your underwear."

The idea has already been a hit. Phones have been ringing nonstop by women calling to sign up, and by Friday all 400 places for the one-day event were booked, company officials said.

"I'd never go to a strip club to take classes," Brigitte De Abreu, a 27-year-old who works in fashion, said as she tried to pick a thong. "But in a big department store like this it seems fine."

Learning the skill, she added with a coquettish grin, "could always be useful."

The strip-down is designed to help Galeries Lafayette promote its own dressing-up: its new lingerie department is being billed as the biggest in the world. The section will offer 30,000 square feet of brassieres, panties and thongs.

Highway Weenie Roast

DES MOINES, Iowa - There was a giant weenie roast on Interstate 380, but there was no mustard for many a mile marker.

A truck carrying 43,500 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey hot dogs caught fire about 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Trooper Tom Estrada of the Iowa State Patrol.

Instead of the aroma of roasting meat, troopers and firefighters had to endure black smoke and the acrid smell of burning rubber.

"Some type of mechanical problem caused a wheel to overheat," Estrada said. "The driver pulled over and opened the hood of the refrigerator power unit. That exposed hot oil to the air and helped ignite the fire."

The truck driver, Wayne A. Mathison, 60, of Cherry, Ill., was not injured.

The northbound lanes of the interstate near the small town of Urbana, which is between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, were closed for about three hours.

Red Light, Green Light

NEW YORK - Imagine having the power to turn a red light green? It's not a dream but a nightmare to authorities. For years, traffic signals in many urban areas have been equipped with sensors that are triggered by flashing infrared transmitters, called MIRT's. Emergency vehicles carried the MIRT's. But now, versions for a few hundred bucks are available on the Internet. Yesterday, e-Bay announced it was banning the sale of MIRT's. And Congress may turn the legal light red. There's legislation pending that would make unauthorized use of the traffic signal technology a crime.

Man Dragged, Kicking And Screaming

LAWRENCE, Kansas - It's not just an expression. A man had to be dragged kicking and screaming into a Kansas courtroom the other day.

Six officers in full riot gear dragged Scott Staggs into a Lawrence courtroom to be sentenced in a March kidnapping. Use of force was necessary after he refused twice earlier to appear for sentencing.

The judge sentenced him to more than 59 years in prison. Then Staggs was carried out the same way he entered, after screaming obscenities and threatening the judge, spitting on attorneys and kicking a table over.

Human Leg Found Outside Home

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A man discovered a human leg near his home.

Ernest Luera spotted the limb as he climbed into his van Tuesday afternoon. It was sitting in the grass next to a dirt road.

"I just finished eating," the 50-year-old resident of this Saginaw County community told The Saginaw News. "I started throwing up. This is the first time I (had) seen anything like that."

Darkness and fog forced police to call off a search for other remains about 7 p.m. Officers and tracking dog teams were to return Wednesday morning, said Detective Sgt. Sean Waterman.

Investigators suspect an animal dragged the limb out of the woods.

Investigators from the state police crime lab were to examine the leg. They could not immediately determine whether the leg came from a man or woman.

Luera said the limb was not there when he parked his van at 11:30 p.m. Monday. The leg was severed above the knee, the foot clad in a Nike shoe, Luera said.

Jesus To Rock High School Homecoming Parade

ORLANDO, Fla. - Young Republicans can topple Saddam Hussein and Christian athletes can let Jesus rock their night away at the homecoming parade after high school officials agreed Wednesday to let their floats roll.

Officials at Dr. Phillips High School raised concerns earlier this week that the floats might offend some people, but the students involved contacted the Liberty Counsel, an Orlando-based conservative civil liberties legal group.

"Schools cannot censor the message just because they disagree with the message," said Mathew Stover, president and general counsel of the Liberty Counsel.

Students dropped their plans to sue on First Amendment grounds after school officials agreed to allow the floats in Thursday night's parade.

The Young Republicans Club plans to have students in black T-shirts with the word "Evil" bowing before a statue of Saddam. Other students in club T-shirts plan to chase the "Evil" students away with silly string, then topple the statue.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes plans a float urging students to "Let Jesus Rock Your Night Away," in which students will tear up signs with the words "sex," "suicide," "depression" and "drugs."

Monk To Receive National Weather Service Award

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - At the Subiaco Abbey, Brother Anselm Allen has more than one reason to look skyward.

Brother Anselm is one of the National Weather Service's top volunteer weather observers and will be honored next week for his service to meteorology. For 38 years, his daily readings have included the Scriptures, thermometers and a rain gauge.

"The superior here pretty much assigned it to me," Brother Anselm said Wednesday. "I've enjoyed doing it."

Each day at 7 a.m. - after morning prayer and Mass - Brother Anselm notes the maximum and minimum temperature from the previous 24 hours, any rainfall and the average amount of snow on the ground.

When it's raining heavily, he must also trudge out at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

"They used to have a different person about every year," Brother Anselm said. "The weather service asked that we just pick one person."

The monks at Subiaco Abbey are Benedictines, a Roman Catholic order. About 55 men live and work at the abbey, which was founded in 1878 and is located in an Arkansas River Valley town that shares its name.

John F. Robinson, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service at North Little Rock, said the original monks noted the sky was "clear with plenty of stars" their first night at the site.

Man Who Shipped Himself Pleads Guilty

FORT WORTH, Texas - A former shipping clerk pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to shipping himself from New York to Dallas in a wooden cargo crate.

Charles D. McKinley, 25, pleaded guilty to stowing away on a cargo jet, a misdemeanor. Possible punishment ranges from probation to a year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine when he is sentenced Feb. 4.

McKinley declined to comment after the 20-minute hearing. His attorney Bill Glaspy said he advised McKinley to plead guilty because "he told what he did to every newspaper and television station in the country, I think."

The plea was not part of a plea bargain, said U.S. Attorney Fred Schattman.

McKinley's trial had been set for Monday. He had previously agreed to have U.S. Magistrate Charles Bleil hear the case rather than a jury or a federal district judge.

McKinley, who worked at a New York warehouse, journeyed overnight about 1,500 miles by truck, plane and delivery van before popping out of the box Sept. 6 at his startled parents' home in DeSoto, a Dallas suburb.

The shaken delivery company employee left the house and called police.

McKinley has said he made the 15-hour trip - eluding security at five airports - because he was homesick and thought he could save money by flying cargo.

'Spiderman' Ends Crane Protest

LONDON - An angry father in a Spiderman costume climbed down from a 120-foot crane Wednesday, ending a five-day protest that snarled traffic in London's busy financial district.

David Chick, 36, descended the crane beside London's Tower Bridge at about 4 p.m., cheered by a group of mostly male supporters. He was arrested by police when he reached the bottom.

Chick, a father of one from Sussex county in southern England, scaled the crane in a bid to draw attention to the plight of dads denied access to their children.

Police said he was a safety hazard, and closed the bridge, a busy traffic route across the River Thames. They reopened the bridge Tuesday after deciding it seemed unlikely Chick would jump or fall.

$2,500 For A Beer

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - How much would you pay for a beer in Hong Kong? A New Zealand traveler paid 20,000 Hong Kong dollars ($2,595) for his.

The man later told his bank he thought he was paying only about $2.45 for the single beer, and that he believes bar employees duped him by adding additional zeros to his tab and then pocketing a big tip.

The case surfaced Wednesday in the annual report to Parliament by Liz Brown, New Zealand's banking ombudsman.

The man, identified in the report only as Mr. B, asked his bank to stop payment after he returned to New Zealand weeks later. But the bank said "it could not intervene" because Mr. B had signed the credit card receipt and told him his dispute was with the bar, Brown said in her report.

Mr. B could offer no evidence that the sales voucher had been forged, and it had not "obviously been altered," Brown noted.

Brown, who mediates complaints between customers and banks, told the man to withdraw his complaint.

Wife Fails In Bid To Cut Off Husband's Penis

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A popular karaoke performer was hospitalized after his jealous wife tried - but failed - to cut off his penis while he slept Wednesday, Phnom Penh police said.

Kan Bun Hou, 26, was asleep when his wife, Ma Len, attacked him with a razor blade, said Touch Sarin, a Phnom Penh police chief. Police were looking for the woman, who fled after the attack.

"The injury is not severe. It could have been worse if she had used scissors," he said. "His wound is treatable."

The attack apparently stemmed from Kan Bun Hou's popularity as a karaoke performer. The couple had fought the day before.

"He's a handsome man and used to party a lot at night," Touch Sarin said.

In August, a man was allegedly killed by his wife after she squeezed his testicles until he fainted and then tied his neck to a bed with a scarf. The woman, who said her husband used to beat her, turned herself in to the police.

Two Lawyers Nabbed Naked In Laundry Room

MADISON, Wis. - Two lawyers nabbed in the nude found themselves on the other side of the courtroom.

David Burleson and Todd Buss pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct Monday in Dane County Circuit Court and were fined $200 and court costs.

The lawyers, both 40, were found in the laundry room of a downtown apartment building Oct. 11 after the University of Wisconsin's football victory over Ohio State.

They told police that rain soaked their clothes as they were celebrating the Badgers' win, and a building resident said they could dry off in the laundry room.

Burleson and Buss were charged with disorderly conduct for being "extremely uncooperative" with police.

According to police reports, the two were "extremely intoxicated" and loudly singing when officers arrived. Burleson and Buss tried to cover themselves with a skull cap and a mesh laundry bag, the police report said.

Neither lawyer returned a phone message left at their office Tuesday.

Partying: Where Do The Candidates Stand?

BOSTON - Rep. Dennis Kucinich would like to cut loose with Al Sharpton at a party, but the reverend said he'd prefer Sen. John Kerry's wife.

Asked by a young woman at Tuesday's Democratic debate who they'd most like to "party with," presidential rivals eager to take on George W. Bush gave answers that elicited whoops and hollers from the young crowd.

Kerry said he changed his answer after hearing that a fellow candidate would prefer hanging out with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

"I was going to choose Carol Moseley Braun," Kerry said to Sharpton. "But now I'm going to have to choose you so I can keep an eye on my wife."

Sen. Joe Lieberman joked he might not choose his wife, either.

"I hope my wife understands this," he said. "I'd like to party with the young lady who asked that question."

Asked whether they had ever used marijuana, Sen. John Edwards, Howard Dean and Sen. John Kerry said they have. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Wesley Clark and Al Sharpton said they had not. Sen. Joe Lieberman answered the same, although he apologized as he did so. Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun laughed and declined to answer.

A Store For The Left-Handed

BEIJING - In a communist country being overrun by capitalism, Ma Bo may be the most enthusiastic leftist of them all.

Ma, 56, an entrepreneur in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, has opened what the official Xinhua News Agency bills as the country's first shop for left-handed people.

"I just want to help the lefties with these special daily-use products, so they can lead an easier and more convenient life," Ma was quoted Wednesday as saying.

He also operates a Web site for the same purpose - with the slogan "Left is Best." It also "promotes understanding about problems concerning the left-handed," Xinhua said.

Ma's shop features myriad accessories for left-handers, from scissors to can openers. It's no small affair in a society where people who use their left hands are often scorned.

"I'm delighted to see that business people are beginning to show an interest in left-handed products now," said Zhang Heng, a Beijing left-hander.

Ma's only apparent problem? He can't road-test his products before he sells them.

It seems he's right-handed.

Brainless Romantic Shuts Post Office

CLEMSON, S.C. - A man trying to woo a woman with the scent of baby powder caused a scare at Clemson's post office.

The post office was briefly shut down after officials discovered some white powder. The substance was found by a postal worker Saturday, less than a month since the deadly poison ricin was found at a Greenville-area post office.

The mysterious powder was identified as baby powder.

Clemson Police Chief Jimmy Dixon said tests confirmed Monday that the powder did not pose a threat, but was meant to make the letter smell good.

"A gentleman who was infatuated with someone here in the city of Clemson had mailed her a card and was trying to be romantic," Dixon said.

The post office was closed for three hours Saturday morning.

"We had done a preliminary threat assessment Saturday and nothing indicated threat or malicious intent, so it was reopened," Dixon said.

Flower Power!

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A bunch of flowers has planted a man in jail.

All David Alan Waters had to do to stay a free man was plant 10 chrysanthemums in the yard of Minnie Becton, the 99-year-old woman whose home he vandalized in January.

Waters pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 to vandalism over $1,000, a felony, for throwing large rocks through the windows and doors of Becton's home, smashing her car windshield and gouging her yard with tire tracks.

Waters was given a two-year suspended sentence and two years of probation, provided he spiff up the yard by planting the flowers, among other provisions.

Somebody planted the flowers. Waters said he did it, but Becton claimed it was somebody else.

"There is no reason for a 99-year-old woman in a wheelchair to lie about who she saw on her property," Criminal Court Judge Carolyn Wade Blackett said in revoking Waters' probation. "This is an issue of credibility. Who has reason to lie? Mrs. Becton doesn't."

Waters stuck to his story.

"I planted these mums," he said. "She may not have remembered it. She's wrong. I was there. She was really nice when we were over there."

The judge was unmoved. Blackett on Friday ordered Waters to serve about seven months of his two-year sentence. He also has time to serve for an unrelated harassment conviction.

Asleep At The Wheel

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - If you're going to steal a car - you might want to check the gas gauge. Two men in California ran out of gas - and into the arms of the law. Deputies in San Mateo County say they found the alleged thieves asleep in a stolen car that was out of gas. After making the arrests, deputies say they searched the car and found a loaded handgun, a mask and a knit cap. The deputies feel they may have prevented another, more serious crime.

British Intelligence Baffled By Rubbing Ram

LONDON - A mysterious transmission that baffled British intelligence analysts for days was caused by a ram rubbing up against an aerial mast, a government agency said Tuesday.

Scientists at Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham, western England, an intelligence-gathering station, were baffled by strange high-frequency noises coming from Scarborough signal station in Yorkshire, northeastern England.

GCHQ's in-house paper, the Daily Observer, said the noises were unlike anything staff had encountered before and an investigating team initially thought they were coming from spies or aliens.

Their investigation found the signal only happened in the day time, went across all the high-frequency bands and only Scarborough aerials could pick it up.

Eventually, investigators discovered that a ram was rubbing its horns against the aerial masts "in between servicing some local ewes," the paper said.

"It's possible the ram was attracted to the mast which may have given off some kind of tingling sensation, but it was probably just a post to rub against," said GCHQ spokesman Bob McNally.

Defense Lawyer Caught Singing 'I Shot The Sheriff'

MONTREAL - The lawyer of a man convicted of murdering a Montreal police officer has apologized for singing Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" outside the courtroom.

Defense lawyer Christian Gauthier was heard singing the song in the corridor of the courthouse during the recent trial of Stephane Boucher.

The shooter in the song then goes on to say he acted out of self-defense.

Boucher also argued self-defense in last year's fatal shooting of Montreal Constable Benoit L'Ecuyer.

A jury rejected the claim and convicted the 26-year-old man of first-degree murder.

Gauthier says he regrets singing the song, adding he didn't know there were members of the victim's family outside the courtroom.

He says he never intended to hurt the family and offers his apologies.

The police union has indicated it might file a complaint against the lawyer with the Quebec Bar Association.

Rogue Crocodile Eludes Hong Kong Officers

HONG KONG - A rogue crocodile has captured the attention of Hong Kong but eluded conservation officers, who snuck up on it armed with tranquilizer darts just to see it slide into the water and slip free.

They later set traps baited with chicken but the croc didn't bite.

Hong Kong has no native crocodile species and local news media - who have had much better luck capturing the reptile on film - have speculated it might be an escaped or abandoned pet that had been kept illegally.

Newspapers ran big color pictures Tuesday that showed the croc's menacing jaws opened wide, although officials said nobody has been hurt by the 4-foot beast.

Conservation officers approached the crocodile in boats on Monday - with tranquilizer darts at the ready - but the crocodile slipped into the water and escaped, newspapers reported.

In Hong Kong's first recorded sighting of such a beast in the wild, the crocodile appeared recently in a suburban marsh, according to Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department spokeswoman Viola Kwan.

The officers continued their search for the crocodile Tuesday, Kwan said.

Monkeys On The Run

OMAHA, Neb. - It was the zoo equivalent of a cattle drive: Monkeys rounded up to be taken inside for the winter.

Only it wasn't a dry and dusty job Saturday for workers at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo because the 17 monkeys live on islands in an outdoor lagoon.

Human and primate alike got wet.

Several monkeys climbed an artificial tree that covers much of the main island. As three workers climbed the tree, the monkeys went even higher and moved onto the tips of the branches.

"It's a good environment for them, except on capture day," said veterinarian Doug Armstrong. "There are a lot of places for them to hide."

Zoo workers gently prodded one monkey to lower branches, but the creature quickly grabbed a rope to reach another island. Two zookeepers jumped into the lagoon and picked up the monkey from behind, just as another zookeeper in a rowboat closed in.

The monkey was placed in a pet carrier and quickly became quiet.

Monkeys may seem uncooperative on moving day, Armstrong said, but they do accept their capture.

"Almost all of them have been through this before," he said.

Cops Go Undercover For Halloween

LITTLE FERRY, N.J. - The Big Bad Wolf was really the fuzz - as were Little Red Riding Hood and the Grim Reaper. Police in northern New Jersey dressed the part to raid a costume party over the weekend. Officers charged that patrons at the Post Office Pub in Little Ferry could buy dope almost as easily as they could order drinks. The undercover officers infiltrated a Halloween bash at the bar - then called for reinforcements. Bergen County prosecutors say bar owner Steven Vogel and four of his employees were arrested. Authorities say they seized cocaine, marijuana, and some Ecstasy. Prosecutors believe customers could add a large tip to their bar tab which would cover the drugs, and could be charged to a credit card.

Helium-Huffing Giraffe Draws Anti-Drug Ire

WASHINGTON - A Toys "R" Us television commercial that featured the company's mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, inhaling helium from a balloon has drawn the ire of anti-drug advocates who say the ad sends a dangerous message to children.

"Any portrayal of inhalant use is bad, especially when we're reaching out to younger children who are at most risk of abusing inhalants," Charles Curie, administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said Friday.

According to a 2002 Monitoring the Future Study, 15.2 percent of eighth-graders have used inhalants in their lifetime.

The ad campaign has finished its rotation and will not be reintroduced, Susan McLaughlin, a spokeswoman from Toys "R" Us headquarters in Wayne, N.J., said in a statement.

"Toys "R" Us takes the safety of our guests very seriously," McLaughlin said. "We would never encourage any behavior that would be dangerous in any way."

Inhaling helium has the effect of distorting the human voice. It also can displace oxygen in the blood and lead to unconsciousness and, in rare occasions, death.

Advocates are also concerned about the portrayal of "huffing" helium in other commercials, television shows and movies.