That's Some Lesson

From an article here:

LONDON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Officials in a London borough said police have been instructed to remove valuables from unlocked cars to teach the owners about safety.

David Williams, the Richmond council's cabinet member for community safety, said the borough council agreed to the plan after statistics showed a sharp increase in thefts from vehicles between April and July, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

"We have the lowest level of crime per head of any borough," Williams said. "However, one problem we have got is too many thefts from motor vehicles. The main reason for this is sheer thoughtlessness and carelessness by car owners."

He said police are removing items including purses and satellite navigation devices from cars with unlocked doors or open windows and replacing them with notes informing the owners which police station is holding their property. He said police will only resort to taking custody of the items if they cannot find the owner of the vehicle.

Williams said motorists who leave their doors unlocked but don't have any valuables on display will only receive notes asking them to be more careful.


Can't imagine anyone would take advantage of that situation.

Government Stupid

Not exactly said, but I'm sure someone in a meeting had to have said it:
Mo bans wrong plastic from rivers

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A law taking effect this week could make criminals out of those who bring Tupperware onto many Missouri rivers.

The law was intended to reduce the floating debris from abandoned foam coolers in the state's waterways. But lawmakers, apparently a little rusty with chemistry, barred the wrong plastic.

The white foam coolers commonly called "Styrofoam" are made from expanded polystyrene. But the law bars polypropylene. That's a plastic found in things like dishwasher-safe plastic containers but not usually used to ferry drinks down a river.

The mix up means river floaters can use foam coolers without fear. But someone caught with a dishwasher-safe plastic container could risk up to a year in jail.

Forced Friendship

From a 2nd grade teacher:

If children bring invitations for their birthday parties to pass out, they must invite either all of the girls in the class or all of the boys in the class or everyone.

Great idea. Now the kids who are already left out can get excited about going to a birthday party only to be excluded in an even more cruel way with no overbearing teacher to protect them (not that she's likely doing anything towards that in her classroom). Good job.

Perhaps instead of forcing people to be "friendly" you should teach them about inclusiveness and what it feels like to be excluded or help the kids who don't have friends to improve their social skills to a point where they can make friends. Just a thought.

Also, thanks for forcing parents to have huge birthday parties just so their kids' buddy at school can come or forcing your kid to sneak around their teacher and undermine her authority so you can invite only the kids you can afford to invite. FYI, this is a pretty low income neighborhood we're talking about. A 2nd FYI, teachers have no authority past their classrooms despite what they lead your kids to believe.

And Stupid Things Other People Say

Consider this blog a study in the every day absurd, and consider this it's first entry:

A grandmother, mother and grandson sit down at the table next to me in a local Mexican food restaurant.

The grandmother's cell phone rings and she answers it. She is talking so loud that everyone in the restaurant can hear her. Suddenly, she says (loudly), "No, I'm at the doctor's office." All of us look at each other. Is she joking, senile or a liar? She finishes the phone conversation and hangs up, then turns to her grandson and starts lecturing him on how his telling the truth the day before damaged some of her plans and how he needed to learn to keep his mouth shut. The waitress, apparently unable to restrain herself, came over and told the grandmother the doctor would see her now. The grandmother grew embarrassed and said her husband was very controlling and wanted to know where she was all the time.

If I was her husband I would want to know, too, given her history of lying.