Watercooler Stories

Seven-person bike for rent in Scotland

EDINBURGH , Scotland, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A Scottish entrepreneur has started an unusual business -- renting out a seven-person bicycle he shipped from Germany.

Iain Urquhart said he decided to bring the multi-rider bike -- which he renamed a "cozy bike" -- to Edinburgh after seeing it in action in Germany, The Scotsman reported Monday.

"Its real name is a conference bike, but it seemed a bit too formal. I call it a cozy bike as it's a very friendly and sociable bike to ride," Urquhart said.

He said the bike was designed by an American artist living in Amsterdam but has been streamlined and made "a bit more elegant" by a German company. He said his is the first in Edinburgh and there are only four in Britain, though there are about 200 around the world.

Urquhart said he plans to rent it out for events.

"It's great fun for parties and weddings, as well as festivals and parades," he said. "It's also very good for team-building.

"The only disadvantage of Edinburgh is it's not great for hills, but the city is a lot more cycle-friendly than Glasgow."

Bear interrupts honeymooners

PORTAGE CREEK, Alaska, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- An Alaska couple taking an 18-mile horseback ride to their honeymoon cabin survived a close call with a grizzly bear.

Amy Shaw Hartlieb and David Raiche, who met while Hartlieb was working as a cook and Raiche was serving as a big-game hunting guide at Rainy Pass Lodge in the Alaska Range, were headed for a cabin in Portage Creek, Alaska, when the bear confronted them, the Anchorage Daily News reported Monday.

Raiche, who had some experience with grizzlies, got off his horse and walked toward it.

"I'm trained to get close to bears and control the situation," he said. "Bears aren't mean, but they're curious. If they can't smell you, they're more curious."

However, the bear wasn't deterred by Raiche's yelling and approached the couple.

"I shot my .44 Magnum off once over his head, and that provoked his curiosity more."

A second warning shot scared off the bruin.

"I at least held my composure," Hartlieb said. "I held my horse there so it didn't run and got my gun out, ready to protect my husband."

Man proposes during Broadway show

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A New York lawyer took his beloved to a Broadway stage for a surprise proposal during "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

David Stier conspired with his family and the staff of the musical to ensure that his girlfriend, Jennifer Abrams, was one of the audience members chosen to participate in the show, The New York Daily News reported Monday.

Abrams was brought to the stage of the play, where she correctly spelled "jihad" but failed to correctly guess the spelling of "kumiss," a word meaning camel's milk. She returned to her seat but was called back to the stage during curtain call and asked to spell "matrimony."

Stier then joined Abrams on the stage and popped the question, prompting applause from the audience and an enthusiastic "Yes, yes, yes" from his intended.

"I wanted to do something related to Broadway because it's been an important part our lives as we've been dating," Stier said of the proposal.

Peat bog race takes place in Wales

LLANWRTYD WELLS, Wales, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- One of the most bizarre yearly competitions has taken place in the Waen Rhydd Peat bog in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales, the smallest town in Britain.

Entrants raced to complete two lengths of a 60-yard trench while wearing snorkels and flippers, The Daily Mail reported Monday.

The competition has taken place ever year since 1985 on August Bank Holiday Monday and some people even dress up.

This year, 11-year-old Ellie Jones dressed up as octopus for the race, and another entrant braved the peat in a Borat costume.

Proceeds from the bizarre sporting event go to a local charity.