The Golden Age of Air Travel
Yeah, yeah, another flight diverted because of unruly passengers. This story gets bonus points: On Dec. 5, just before a Breeze Airways flight took off from Orlando, headed to Providence, Rhode Island, a couple on board got into a heated argument, News4Jax-TV reported. It seems the man was unhappy because he wanted to get off the plane — which wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but during the discussion, the word “bomb” came up. Passenger Rachael Corrigan said, “The people were talking about or claiming the other person had a bomb. … The people around them … reported it to the airline, and they’re obligated to land the plane.” The pilot diverted to Jacksonville, Florida, where the man and woman were met by FBI agents and arrested. Breeze Airways canceled the flight. [News4Jax, 12/6/2023]
News You Can Use
In Stenlille, Denmark, a vehicle fire damaged a nearby house on Dec. 2, InShort reported. Police issued a warning to the community after the fire, cautioning people against using toasters under the front of cars to keep EV batteries warm. While there were no injuries, the car was heavily damaged, and the owner likely will have to pay a fine. [InShort, 12/5/2023]
Least Competent Criminal
A 62-year-old woman from Haslett, Michigan, picked a poor time to dash through the self-checkout at Walmart with $700 worth of merchandise in her cart, WJRT-TV reported. On Dec. 2, as the store participated in a Shop with a Cop event in Genoa Township, a clerk notified one of about 75 police officers on hand about the shoplifter. “I do have to say it surprised me,” said Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez. “When you see 75 cops in the store, I mean, I don’t know if maybe they thought we were too busy.” The alleged thief was detained in the parking lot and taken to jail. [WJRT, 12/5/2023]
Nah, I’m Done
Joshua James Pinquet, 21, of Orlando, Florida, made an apparent sudden decision on Nov. 28 to quit his job, Iredell Free News reported. As he was driving a van with four prison inmates locked in the cargo area, Pinquet contacted his boss at the inmate transport company and said he was done. He was supposed to deliver the inmates to Hickory, North Carolina, but instead he kept going; when Iredell County sheriff’s officers caught up with him, he was arrested and charged with second-degree kidnapping and larceny. [Iredell Free News, 12/3/2023]
Saw That Coming
In Venice, Italy, on Dec. 3, tourists once again behaved badly — and this time they ended up all wet. The Guardian reported that travelers from China were riding in a gondola through the city’s canals, shifting around and standing to take selfies, when the gondola capsized, dumping them in the cold water. The gondolier had repeatedly asked them to stay seated, but as he maneuvered under a bridge, the vessel became unbalanced. He, too, ended up in the water, where he assisted his passengers to safety. [Guardian, 12/6/2023]
Compelling Explanation
Michael Green, 50, and Byron Bolden, 37, were sentenced in December in Colorado’s 18th Judicial District for felony theft after they shoplifted about $2,100 worth of items from a Kohl’s store, The Denver Gazette reported. In Colorado, theft under $2,000 is a misdemeanor, which is why their defense counsel creatively argued that the store was having a sale, and the men had coupons, which brought the value of the items down below the threshold for felony theft. The DA wasn’t having it: “Just because an item is on sale doesn’t mean it’s free to steal,” said John Kellner. “Retailers in our community are fed up with theft, and my office will actively prosecute these offenders.” [Denver Gazette, 12/12/2023]
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
News of the Weird is now a podcast on all major platforms! To find out more, visit newsoftheweirdpodcast.com.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.
