oddly enough

oddly enough

Motorist sets lighter to spider at gas station, burns fuel pump

CENTER LINE, Mich.

A man with an apparent case of arachnophobia caused a fire at a suburban Detroit gas pump by putting a lighter to what he says was a spider near his fuel door.

WJBK-TV reported Saturday that he escaped injury and his vehicle suffered little damage, but the gas pump was destroyed. A clerk shut off the pump from indoors and called the fire department.

The motorist can be heard on the surveillance video at the Center Line station asking: “Is that a spider in there?” The video then shows flames erupting along the car’s side, the pump and the pavement.

The man darts to safety and later uses a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. A spider is not seen.

The clerk says he apologized the next day.

Escaped tarantula grounds plane

LINTHICUM, Md.

A tarantula that escaped in the cargo hold of a passenger flight from Maryland’s BWI airport to Atlanta grounded the plane before it could take off and sent passengers onto another flight.

Brian Kruse, spokesman for Delta Air Lines, tells The Baltimore Sun that baggage handlers noticed a baboon tarantula had gotten out of its container on Flight 1525 Wednesday night.

Kruse says the captain grounded the plane so it could be searched for any additional arachnids. Passengers were put on another flight.

Kruse says the spider was confined to the cargo hold and never entered the cabin. No other tarantulas were found.

Grilled-cheese truck wins street food award

NEW YORK

A New York grilled-cheese food truck whose proceeds go to help formerly incarcerated youths has won the top Vendy award for best street fare.

The Street Vendor Project sponsors the annual event. It announced this year’s Vendy Cup winner is Snowday, a truck specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches with a touch of maple syrup using ingredients from New York farms.

The half-dozen Vendy categories include the People’s Choice, which Snowday also won.

Vendy’s Rookie of the Year went to Coney Shack Tacos, Best Market Vendor to Home Frites, Best Dessert to Doughnuttery and Best Street Drink to Renegade Lemonade.

More than 2,000 people gathered Saturday on Governors Island, where eight food experts voted.

The Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center provides advocacy and legal services to vendors.

Associated Press