#1 Skinny-dipping in the canals
There were two people in the water when the police heard the shouts near Piazza San Marco, one of the most visited parts of Venice. But instead of people in trouble, the carabinieri on boat patrol found two Czech tourists laughing, joking, and completely nude. The duo were made to get dressed and brought to the police station where they were each fined €3,000 (US$3,320) for “obscene acts” against public decency. Would you jump into polluted waters to gain superpowers (read as hefty fine)?
#2 Head-butting a gondolier
Venice again, but this time involving fisticuffs between a gondolier and an angry tourist in the area of Mercerie (between Rialto and Piazza San Marco). A video has been making rounds on local Italian social media involving a man in a blue polo shirt animatedly discussing, then head-butting, and even swinging a punch at the face of a gondolier in a classic striped shirt and hat. We wonder if it was over the price of a ride, or a reproach for a “selfie” in an area forbidden to the public. Translations anyone?
#3 This is your pilot speaking. Have you seen my passport?
A flight from Ho Chi Minh to Incheon was delayed for 11-hours after the pilot arrived at the airport without his passport! Just like passengers, flight crew need identifying documents and must go through security screenings before flying. Instead of taking off at 10:35 PM, the flight departed at 9:40 AM instead and the airline had to put passengers up in hotel rooms and feed them breakfast while waiting for a replacement passport for the pilot. Well, we’re always game for a trip extension, but… not at the airport.
#4 Two miles in two days
Neil Parker, a 54-year-old hiker from Australia survived a harrowing ordeal by crawling his way to safety. He was out near Mount Nebo just outside Brisbane when he fell, slid about 20 feet, slammed into a rock, cartwheeled, and then landed in a creek. His leg “snapped” in half but thoughts of his family and friends kept him going. Remaining calm, Parker used his first aid kid to tend to his leg and even managed created a makeshift splint. He carried his leg over rock and stone, and use his elbow and arm to struggle meter by meter for two whole days until a helicopter spotted him.
