Watercooler Stories

Library book returned after 60 years

TOLEDO, Ohio, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- An Ohio library said someone returned a missing copy of a Napoleon Bonaparte biography with a letter apologizing for taking the book 60 years ago.

The Maine Library in downtown Toledo said "Napoleon," a biography of the French leader by Emil Ludwig, was taken from the collection without being checked out in 1949 and appeared recently in the mail along with a letter bearing a Beverly Hills, Calif., postmark, The Toledo Blade reported Wednesday.

"Carrying guilt for 60 years is a terrible thing," the letter read.

"I removed this book from your stacks in 1949 and did not check it out. I apologize. It's an excellent book and in good condition," the mystery patron wrote.

The letter was signed: "Sorry, An ex-Toledoan."

Library officials said it was a rare incident.

"We have late books returned to the library. We do not have 60 years late," said Rhonda Sewell, spokeswoman for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.

NYC tour group plans train 'Tea Party'

NEW YORK, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A New York tour-guide company said it will be holding unauthorized "Vintage Tea Parties" on a 1930s-style subway train being run during the holiday season.

The Levys' Unique New York tour group said employees plan to board the 1930s train, which is being run by NYC Transit every Sunday during December, this coming Sunday at 2 p.m. to host tea parties with dainty teacups, cookies and period costumes, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

"Dandy up in your finest petticoats and top hats, and bring your favorite finger foods," tour guide Matt Levy said.

Levy said the event will not cost anything other than the $2.25 fee needed to board the train.

Transit agency spokeswoman Deirdre Parker said the event is not sanctioned by the city and open beverage containers, including dainty teacups, are not permitted on trains.

"As Queen Victoria is fabled to have said, 'We are not amused' ... by the idea of beverages, even tea, in open containers," Parker wrote to the Daily News. "All customers, including ones in fancy dress, must abide by the Rules of Conduct, which states, among other things, that open beverage containers, no matter how dainty, are prohibited."

British road sign 'only' has it backwards

CAMBRIDGE, England, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Town council members in Cambridge, England, say they were red-faced after contractors misspelled the word "only" on a sign along a $189 million bus route.

The 3-foot-high lettering at the entrance of a route on Milton Road, Cambridge was supposed to read, "Guided bus only," The Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

The "n" in "only" was written backwards by the guys hired to paint the road markings, the newspaper said, even though the sign writer had several examples of the letter "n" painted yards away on the road.

Liberal Democrat highways spokesman Killian Bourke was not too happy about the contractors' mistake on top of the existent delays for the busway, which was due to open this past spring. He added: "The Russian letter is also interesting. Are they thinking of adding an eastern bloc to the track?"

"The contractor is already aware of this mistake and will be putting it right," said Bob Menzies, head of delivery at Cambridgeshire County Council.

80,000 caught in Facebook bait-and-switch

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A 20-year-old Swedish man revealed he was behind a prank turning a Facebook group devoted to heart research into a group denouncing women's right to vote.

The founder, whose name was not revealed, told Swedish news agency TT he created the group, which originally promised to donate 42 cents to heart research for every member who joined, to teach people a lesson about being skeptical.

The group shocked its 80,000 members when it abruptly changed its stated purpose to revoking the right to vote from women and listed arguments against women's suffrage.

"The point was to be provocative. We want to show that people shouldn't always be so trusting of the things they join. We did it in a rather provocative way," the founder said.

"There's also humor in it. I wanted people to realize they shouldn't believe everything they read, and they should check how truthful something is before signing up or joining a group," he said.