Traffic wardens compete for car
London traffic wardens have an incentive to slap tickets on cars - a prize Vauxhall Corsa. National Car Parks Ltd., which has the contract for the recently-privatised parking enforcement services in Westminster, has organized the incentives scheme for wardens, as "an acknowledgement and recognition of their work." Productivity is not, apparently, the only criteria on which the awards are judged; the wardens' appearance, customer service, attendance and disciplinary record is also taken into account, and a spokesman stressed that the competition will be strictly monitored. (ananova.com).
F1 star banned from driving
Grand Prix driver Juan Pablo Montoya has been banned from driving - though luckily for the BMW-Williams team, the ban only applies to road driving in France. Montoya was clocked doing 127 mph in his BMW X5 on a motorway near Frejus in the South of France. The ban will run for four months, and Montoya has been fined £850 - a negligible amount for an F1 driver.
Woman charged for breastfeeding baby on motorway
An Ohio woman has been charged with child endangerment after police saw her breastfeeding her baby whilst driving on a motorway. She refused to stop for police, and then argued that doing this was no more dangerous than talking on a mobile phone whilst driving (not an offence in Ohio) - and was then charged with further offences, including improper child restraint, failing to comply with a legal order, driving while under suspension and obstructing official business. In a bizarre twist to the tale, her husband, a minister in a small independent chapel, has asked to be tried instead, saying that under the terms of religious beliefs, only he has the right to judge and punish his wife. The prosecutor has dismissed these claims as "a fantasy." (ananova.com).
Councillor buys speed camera, gets fined
A Staffordshire county councillor bought a speed camera on behalf of the local council - and then it snapped him speeding. Robert Marshall was caught doing 42 mph in a 30mph zone, and said that he was happy that the equipment was working properly. He bought the camera with local authority money in response to concerns of local residents.
Cow arrested on motorway
German police had to formally arrest a cow which strayed onto a motorway. The animal was wandering in bushes besides the A7 near Neumuenster, and it took police and a local farmer 30 minutes to catch it. But since there was no suitable vehicle to transport it in, the police had to formally declare it "arrested" in order to summon a prisoner transport van. The cow's owner has not yet come forward. (ananova.com).
Council official caught painting cars
A French civil servant has been arrested for vandalism - he was allegedly daubing cars parked illegally with black paint. Michel Pacallin, deputy secretary general at the town hall in Villeurbanne, said that he was upset that people just parked where they liked, and that they had no civic responsibility. He will be charged with criminal damage (ananova.com).
Crash driver blames bee
A driver claimed he lost control of his car and caused £7000-worth of damage - because a bee flew up his trouser leg. The man, from Mockmuhl, Germany, swerved into oncoming traffic and hit two other cars. No-one was injured. Police are investigating the incident, but no trace has been found of the bee. (ananova.com)
Lawn-mower drink-driver charged
A German man has been charged with drink-driving - doing 4mph on his John Deere sit-on lawnmower. The Dusseldorf man, 57, was slightly over the legal drink-drive limit, and police pressed charges despite his unorthodox vehicle, because he was on the public roads. He was fined £270 and banned from driving for three months. (ananova.com).
