UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Seniors flock to strip club for flu shots

CASSELBERRY, Fla., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The offer of free flu shots was enough to entice hundreds of Florida senior citizens into a strip bar for vaccinations, the owner says.

Jim Veigle, owner of Rachel's in Casselberry, Fla., says he offers the free flu shots as a public service to the neighborhood's elderly, and after going through 300 vaccinations in one day, procured more for another round Tuesday, The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported.

"People need the help," Veigle told the newspaper, adding that twice as many seniors showed up for the shots as in past years, indicating the times are getting harder.

The shots weren't administered by Rachel's dancers, however. Instead, nurses did the job, and the only thing they were flashing were needles, the newspaper said.

Couple gets $9.5 million parking ticket

GLENCOE, Ill., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A suburban Chicago couple received a $9.5 million parking ticket for leaving their car in downtown Glencoe, Ill., for more than two hours.

Barbara and Lee Mitchell say the ticket explained they were entitled to a hearing on the matter or could plead guilty and simply pay the fine, The Glencoe News reports.

If they chose to forgo a hearing, the instructions advised them "do not send cash."

Deputy Chief Mike Volling of the Glencoe Police Department said he's at a loss to explain the ticket.

"Obviously somebody messed up when it was entered into the computer." He said.

The Mitchells say the dollar amount of the ticket, $9,501,071, coincides with the license plate of the car.

Taser doesn't work on wild boar

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A Florida sheriff's deputy discovered that a Taser is useless when it comes to trying to stop a 450-pound wild boar.

Joseph Tibor of Hernando wrote in his incident report for Tuesday that a Taser has no effect on a pig," the St. Petersburg Times reported Wednesday. Tibor was sent to a subdivision to check out reports that an "extremely large pig" was tearing up a resident's yard.

When he arrived, he found a 450-pound boar rooting up shrubbery and threatening to overturn a water fountain.

Tibor tried shocking it with his electric stun gun after the animal appeared headed toward a crowd of onlookers. Fifty thousand volts of electricity didn't phase the animal which was eventually captured by being coaxed into a trailer.

There was no word on where the boar came from.

Wisconsin car wash polling favors Obama

MADISON, Wis., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The owner of car washes in two Wisconsin cities says his amateur attempt at electoral polling has favored Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Businessman Dan Foor said he conducted an unscientific poll at his car wash locations in Madison and Middleton by designating one of his touch-less wash bays for Obama and another for Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain, the (Madison) Wisconsin State Journal said Wednesday.

Tallies of the use of the labeled wash bays as of Tuesday found Obama ahead of McCain, 324 washes to 281 in Middleton and 486 to 421 in Madison.

The promotion began in September and usage is determined by payment machines next to each wash bay.

Despite his amateur polling, Foor admitted to the State Journal that he doesn't know yet which candidate or corresponding wash bay he would chose.