And other stories from the stranger side of life
A record number of on-the-spot fines were issued by councils for “seemingly bizarre” offences including feeding birds, picking up stones and napping in public, said The Guardian. The fines for what have been dubbed as “busybody offences”, has seen the total numbers of fines increase to 13,433 in 2022, up from 10,412 in 2019. Shouting in public has been banned by four councils, as well as making noise, which has been banned by four councils.
Woman receives postcard sent in 1969
A woman in the US was surprised to receive a postcard that turned out to have been sent from Paris, France, in 1969. “At first I thought it must have been meant for one of my neighbours,” she told Bangor Daily News, “but then I realised it was addressed to the original owners of my house”. The postcard, sent by someone called Roy, began: “Dear folks, by the time you get this I will have long since been home.”
Bath residents ‘baffled’ by parking lines
Locals in Bath are “baffled” by new parking lines, including a small curved space around a corner, said The Telegraph. Residents in Denmark Road said they cannot fit a car inside the lines. To add to the confusion, parking spots cover the entrances to driveways with people fearing they will block neighbours into their homes and white “H bars” telling people not to park painted within parking bays. A local councillor said planners had to contend with some very narrow residential roads.
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