Strange but true
That was then: In October 1932 the Indianapolis Star reported a Seattle woman had complained that her phone never rang. Despite this she could tell when someone was trying to call her because her dog would start howling in the yard. The telephone repair guy investigated. Realised the dog wasn't psychic. Instead, there was a short in the line and the dog was chained to the ground wire.
This is now: Kirk Kelly was picked up in a traffic stop in Ohio. To avoid having his true identity revealed he lied about his name and then sat in the back of a cruiser and chewed off his fingerprints. The police subsequently identified him by a tattoo.
Perils of politeness
"Retail staff cannot win," writes a reader: "We were looking for a new fridge so did the rounds of the stores comparing prices. The continual 'chirpy chit-chat' drove me nuts. Sixteen times was the record in one large store - from the front door sofas, through the shop, past the TVs to the fridges at the back. At the final store I was over it, so ignored the swine who asked me how my day was going. Then hubby starting engaging with him, really? Looked up to see a friend's son, so had to apologise profusely and explain why I was grumpy. He understood and said they are instructed to engage with the customers that way, even though he knows it can be annoying."
