News of the Weird: Week of June 19, 2025

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Unclear on the Concept

At Chicago's O'Hare Airport on May 17, a lost DoorDash driver made it past a security gate and onto the tarmac, driving a significant distance before being stopped by airport personnel, WKRC-TV reported. The 36-year-old driver stopped near a grounded aircraft and showed the food receipt and meal he was trying to deliver; he was released without any citations. However, the security employee at the gate was relieved of her duties after letting the car pass through her post.

That's Punny

In London's Brockwell Park, the annual Lambeth Country Show kicked off on June 7 with livestock competitions, sheep shearing and, most notably, a vegetable sculpture contest, the Associated Press reported. "Every year, this is what we get so excited about, is the vegetable sculptures," said fairgoer Maddy Luxon. "We love the political ones." And, her friend Marek Szandrowski added, "The puns." For example, one sculpture featured Catholic cardinals made of corn: "Cornclave." Another called "Cauli Parton" was shown in a scene from "9 to Chive." President Donald Trump was depicted in butternut squash form.

To Your Point

Lake of the Isles, a neighborhood in Minneapolis, marks the start of summer by sharpening a pencil -- a 20-foot-tall wooden pencil sculpted from a tree damaged in a storm several years ago. The Associated Press reported on June 7 that residents John and Amy Higgins wanted to give the tree new life, so they enlisted wood sculptor Curtis Ingvoldstad to fashion a No. 2 pencil. "Why a pencil? Everybody uses a pencil," said Amy. Every year, they sharpen it with a custom-made sharpener carried up to the point on scaffolding, taking off 3 to 10 inches. The Higginses know that one day, their pencil will be a stub, but they're OK with that. They just want the ritual to pull the community together. The party includes entertainment and music, and people dress as pencils or erasers.

The Golden Age of Air Travel

At Milan's Malpensa Airport on June 8, a Chinese woman went full-on toddler tantrum after being told her carry-on bag was too heavy to fly, news.com.au reported. The woman was boarding a flight when staff tried to check her carry-on suitcase, but when they told her it was over the weight limit, she hit the floor, rolling around, stamping her feet and yelling. Authorities eventually removed her from the flight, and she later rebooked after calming down. Videos of her antics have since gone viral, provoking comments such as "This is shameless and disgraceful behavior" and "This is so embarrassing."

Questionable Judgments

              -- Well, it's that time of year again, when people with less sense than animals head into the wild and carelessly approach large, dangerous wildlife. So it was in Yellowstone National Park this month, when 1) a 30-year-old New Jersey man was gored by a bison on June 10 after getting too close, and 2) bystanders caught a video of a woman walking a toddler right up to a grazing bison at the same park on June 2, according to KDVR-TV. The New Jersey man was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The bison, thankfully, ignored the adult and toddler. "Bison will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal," wildlife officials said.

              -- Fox2-TV in Detroit reported on June 9 about a Zoom court hearing that went viral. The hearing was overseen by 36th District Court Judge Sean Perkins, who was talking with Asja Outerbridge about her misdemeanor open container violation. On the Zoom video, Outerbridge could be seen wearing a robe and making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while she spoke to the court. "Put whatever you're trying to prepare down," Perkins instructed her. "Put your proper dress on. I don't do robes." Outerbridge explained that her 3-year-old daughter was home sick from school and the sandwich was for her, then showed the judge that she was dressed in a T-shirt and pants. But he wasn't having it: "Bye, Ms. Outerbridge!" he said before booting her off the call. Outerbridge said she "could have came dressed better and more prepared. I do genuinely, with a serious face, apologize to the judge."

But Why?

A woman shopping "in aisle 18 at Sam's Club" in Orlando, Florida, got an eyeful on May 30 when she caught Patrick Mitchell, 70, urinating on two pallets of canned Spam and Vienna sausages, The Smoking Gun reported. Police said the witness snapped a photo and reported the incident to store employees, who confirmed that the pallets, worth $10,584.54, had been "contaminated with bodily fluids." After relieving himself, Mitchell strolled around the store and tested some patio furniture before checking out and leaving. Mitchell was arrested at his home in The Villages, a retirement community, and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

Kindness Counts

A woman stopped an Osceola County (Florida) Sheriff's deputy on June 9 to report that her brother had been stabbed with a machete, WESH-TV reported. Oh, also, that the assailant was driving the victim to the hospital. Sure enough, officers found Angel Ramos-Arce, 35, at the hospital, where his truck yielded the victim's blood and the machete. The two men had gotten into an altercation over Ramos-Arce repeatedly harassing the victim's sister at the Circle K where she worked. He was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon; it's unclear whether he'll get any Brownie points for transporting the victim to the hospital.

Bright Idea

Tiron Alexander, 35, of Florida is facing up to 30 years in federal prison after being found guilty on June 5 of wire fraud and unlawfully entering a secure airport area under false pretenses. CBS News reported that between 2018 and 2024, Alexander falsely claimed to be a flight attendant with seven different airlines to take advantage of free flights. He created about 30 different badges and boarded 34 flights without paying. He will be sentenced on Aug. 25.

Heh, Heh, They Said 'Naked'

At a public bathhouse in Incheon, South Korea, stickers in the elevator direct guests to the men's or women's baths, which are on different floors. The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that on May 27, a woman in her 20s entered the elevator around 2 a.m. and pressed the button corresponding to the women's bath, but when she exited the elevator, naked, she entered the men's bath. CCTV footage showed two men, believed to be in their 20s, switching the stickers in the elevator around 11 p.m. Police said they are tracking the suspects.

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