Unwanted hood ornament; 'I want it spotless'; Bumper cars; Don't kiss and tell; The butt of jokes
Unwanted hood ornament
SAN FRANCISCO — Meter maids have a tough job. When handing out citations to tardy or careless drivers, they face the wrath of many. But one such traffic officer encountered a whole new type of abuse when he tried to put a parking ticket on a vehicle in San Francisco, according to KRON 4 News. Police say the driver, Bo Monsoumbath, got into the car and tried to drive away, so the officer jumped on the hood to avoid being run over. The woman drove for several minutes, even hitting a motorcycle, with the incident caught on camera by a passing motorist. Eventually, police caught up with the car and the officer landed safely. Monsoumbath was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanour in a hit and run. However, she claims she was sexually harassed by the officer and was terrified during the incident. “I never tried to run that meter maid over. It’s clear I’m at a stop in the pic and I made several stops,” she said.
'I want it spotless'
BRISTOL, U.K. — Cleaners, on the other hand, don’t typically face such aggression by the general public. But that was not the case recently when an employee at Double Tree hotel in Bristol, U.K., was mopping the floor. Thirty-year-old John Thornton decided the cleaner wasn’t doing a good enough job so he grabbed the mop and began “aggressively mopping,” according to the Independent. “(He) then began to mop the floor but became more aggressive and mopped over the employee’s shoes several times,” said police spokesman Donn Watson. “(He then) turned his back to the employee and forcibly backed into her, pushing her into a corner.” The cleaner, who was left “shaken” by the mopping attack, will be pressing charges; Thornton was also charged with breach of peace and “threatening in the second degree.” It’s rumoured the hotel’s floors have never been cleaner.
Bumper cars
ST. PAUL, MINN. — A city employee who ran into a parked car recently was understandably upset. The front-bumper damage was considerable and Megan Campbell was driving a supply van back from a city storage building when she hit the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, according to Pioneer Press. Now, the St. Paul Parks and Recreation employee is seeking US$1,600 to $1,900 from the city for the damage. Why? The parked vehicle was her own. “Because I was working for the city and driving the city vehicle, I feel they are responsible for paying for the damage done to my car,” she wrote in a notice of claim. The city receives around 400 claims from residents each year, said city clerk Shari Moore. “I can safely say this is a very unusual claim.” Complicating the matter is the fact the supply van was a rental but no damage was reported after the crash. “Our safety and security co-ordinator wasn’t made aware of the accident that occurred in early August until Sept. 25 so, based on established city accident reporting policies and Parks and Rec Department incident paperwork requirements, it seems protocols weren’t properly followed,” said parks department spokesman Brad Meyer.
Don't kiss and tell
DODOMA — Last year, Tanzania’s police force was ranked the most corrupt in the east African community, according to the East Africa Bribery Index (EABI) in the Independent. But it appears the force has bigger fish to fry — three Tanzanian police officers were fired recently after a photograph of two of them kissing went viral. Asumba Mwasumbi and Veronic Mdeme were sacked on the grounds of gross misconduct in the course of duty while the photographer, a third officer, Fadhiri Linga, was also dismissed for photographing the amorous couple. The image went against the moral principles of the force, according to regional commander of the police Henry Mwaibambe. While many Tanzanians considered the response to the image — apparently taken back in 2012 — heavy-handed, lawyer Masoud George at the Tanzania Legal and Human Rights Centre said the decision was fair. “It is according to their code of conduct so, from a legal point of view, we can’t say their dismissal was unfair.”
The butt of jokes
FRANKLIN, TN. — Two weeks after being named chair of the Williamson County school board, long-time board member Mark Gregory resigned as chair, according to the Tennessean. Gregory was one of the creators of the “ButtleOpener,” a bottle opener shaped like a female-shaped posterior that launched back in 2012. But when he became chair of the board, criticism arose. Brentwood parent Heather Carroll started an online petition against him a few weeks ago. “It just became something that really galvanized the community to ask questions,” she said. “‘Is this the best we can do for our school board?’” Gregory apologized for his participation in the business venture and sent an email to fellow board members explaining his decision to step down was “because of the incredible distraction that has taken us away from the very important commitments that we all have made to the boys and girls in Williamson County Schools. Let’s get back to this most important business.” Gregory remains on the board.
