Watercooler Stories

Bees cover restaurant door

NEW YORK, June 1 (UPI) -- New York police said they do not know why a swarm of hundreds of bees clung to the entrance of a popular Italian restaurant.

The bees descended on the metal and glass door Monday morning, leading police to cordon off the area at 11:45 a.m. to keep passersby safe from stings, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

A city-contracted beekeeper used a suction device to trap the bees for relocation.

Police said no one was stung.

Couple born same day,same hospital to wed

FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa., June 1 (UPI) -- Pennsylvanians Amy Singley and Steven Smith, whose mothers shared a hospital room on the day they were both born, said they are now planning to marry.

Singley and Smith said they were born on April 17, 1986, and their mothers, Janis Singley and Jacqueline Smith, shared a room at St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill, The Express-Times, Easton, Pa., reported Tuesday.

The two families knew each other through church, and the children grew up familiar with one another.

"I basically just knew she was the girl with the same birthday as me," Smith said.

Singley and Smith went on their first date in high school and have been together more than seven years. They said they are planning to get married June 12.

Hot pink jail uniforms draw criticism

NORMAN, Okla., June 1 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma sheriff said his county's jail uniforms, which critics contend are designed to embarrass, are meant to make fugitives easily identifiable.

Some critics said the uniforms approved by Cleveland County Sheriff Joe Lester, which feature hot pink shirts and yellow-and-white striped pants, are meant to embarrass prisoners, The Oklahoman reported Tuesday.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the intent was to humiliate them," attorney Fred Shaeffer said. "A lot of innocent people get arrested and go through that jail, and everyone is supposed to be presumed innocent until they are found guilty. It's bad enough to be arrested, but to then be humiliated by having to wear a costume like that is wrong."

Undersheriff Rhett Burnett said the uniforms are designed to help positively identify escaped prisoners with a glance. He said the old orange uniforms were too similar to medical scrubs, which have become a popular fashion in the area.

"It's become popular to wear those green or blue medical uniforms, and you can also buy similar orange ones. Particularly, in Norman, orange is a popular color because it's one of Norman High School's colors," Burnett said.

Soccer flu expected in Britain

LONDON, June 2 (UPI) -- Britain's employers can expect a surge in soccer flu during the upcoming World Cup if a survey of workers holds true.

YouGov said its survey of nearly 2,500 people found about 5 percent of full-time British workers between the ages of 18 and 45 say they will call in sick for work so they can cheer on their team. Another 23 percent said they will arrange for time off from work, SkyNews reported Wednesday.

Some worker unions are urging companies to be flexible, letting their staff take time off to watch the matches, which run June 11 to July 11 in South Africa, and then make up the time lost later.