oddly enough

oddly enough

Fake parking tickets ‘rickroll’ North Carolina motorists

ASHEVILLE, N.C.

Motorists in North Carolina who tried scanning fake parking tickets ended up getting “rickrolled.”

WLOS-TV reported that the fake tickets in Asheville included a code that could be scanned with smartphones and pulled up a music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The practice of having that video pop up is known as rickrolling.

Asheville’s transportation director said the tickets that appeared Friday were clearly fake. The tickets were for $100. The city’s normal parking fine is $10.

Police said whoever handed out the tickets could be charged with littering.

Parking Services Manager Harry Brown said the fake tickets caused extra work and aggravated those who got the tickets, and at least one person tried to pay.

The city is not collecting those fines.

Vienna burp leads first to fine, then to expenses-paid trip

VIENNA

A sonorous burp after a doner kebab led to a fine for Vienna bartender Edin Mehic. But the belch also had its benefits – an all-expenses paid trip to Istanbul, compliments of a chain famed for the Turkish specialty.

A policeman ticketed and fined Mehic last month asserting the belch was too loud – and too close for comfort. But many took his side, including an Istanbul-based company serving the sliced meat sandwich that saw Mehic’s punishment as a downer for the doner.

The chain confirmed Monday that it picked up the tab for the flight, hotel and a sightseeing tour during Mehic’s two-day visit last week.

And there’s more to what Mehic calls his “dream trip.” The chain’s CEO wrote him a check reimbursing his $77 fine.

Teens say burning of ex’s love letter led to school fire

ANCHORAGE, Alaska

A case of burning love caused thousands of dollars in damage at a school playground in Alaska.

Anchorage police said a fire from lit paper ignited rubber mulch and spread to two pieces of playground equipment, destroying both.

After speaking to witnesses and reviewing surveillance video, police interviewed two 18-year-olds.

The teens told investigators that they burned a love letter last week from an ex-girlfriend on the playground at Bowman Elementary School and left.

Police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said investigators recommended charges of criminal mischief, criminal negligent burning and failure to control or report a fire.

Online court documents did not indicate that formal charges had been filed.

Associated Press