The Odd Truth, March 8. 2005

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.

Cops Need Law School

BANGKOK, Thailand - Motorists in the Thai capital are having the last laugh: More than 600 policemen have temporarily lost the right to issue tickets after failing a test on traffic law.

The police department last month tested 4,475 officers on their knowledge of traffic law, and almost one in seven failed to show adequate knowledge, said Maj. Gen. Montree Jamroon, a deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

"A total of 665, accounting for about 14 percent of the traffic policemen in Bangkok, failed the test on traffic law and they will not be allowed to issue tickets until they pass," he said.

Those who failed the test would have to take it again within six months, said Montree.

Bangkok drivers have long complained about the seemingly arbitrary enforcement of traffic laws.

Pay Up, Sinners

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - In the eyes of one Missouri legislator, the show-me state needs to tone down its image, as far as the adult entertainment industry is concerned.

"Travelers in our state are being sent a signal that Missouri is a porn-friendly state," said State Sen. Matt Bartle. To combat that, Bartle has sponsored a measure for a sin tax.

The proposal cleared the state Senate with little debate on Monday. The legislation needs another vote to move to the House.

Under the bill, tipping strippers would be illegal, as would any physical contact between exotic dancers and their customers. Total nudity would be banned, and no one under 21 could work in such businesses.

The legislation also would impose a $5 per customer charge for sexually oriented businesses, from strip clubs to adult bookstores, and a 20% tax on revenues. The provisions are similar to what casinos in the state already must pay.

Bartle, a Republican, said the restrictions and taxes are necessary to combat problems such as prostitution, juvenile delinquency and declining property values.

You Say Tomato, I Say Vegetable

TRENTON, N.J. - The humble tomato may technically be a fruit, but lawmakers here consider it a vegetable.

Members of the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Monday approved a measure designating the Jersey tomato as the official state vegetable. A similar proposal is pending in a Senate committee.

Sponsors of the measure get around the fact that the tomato is considered a fruit by using a century-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that slapped a vegetable tariff on tomatoes, similar to the tax placed on cucumbers, squashes and beans.

In squeezing tomatoes into the vegetable category, justices on the 1887 high court reasoned that if it's typically served with dinner, and not as a dessert, it must be a vegetable.

"Botanically it's a fruit, legally it's a vegetable," said Sen. Ellen Karcher, who is co-sponsoring the Senate version of the bill. "Any of these bills that promote statewide pride is something we should embrace."

CSI: Petty Theft

FORT SMITH, Ark. - Police in Fort Smith got to the bottom of a burglary at city offices by peering into the criminal sole.

Apparently, footprints left by the burglars came from shoes popular with skateboarders. Officers discovered that only one store in Fort Smith sold the shoes, and the shoe with the unique tread was sold to only a handful of customers.

That led police to Christopher Calvin and Eric Skelton, both 23. The men were arrested last week on suspicion of commercial burglary and theft of property. The duo works together at a mall restaurant near the store that sold the shoes.

City officials said about $3,000 worth of computers and other equipment was taken.

Claws Out In Claw Dispute

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - A group of California animal doctors is suing the city of West Hollywood over its ban on declawing.

The suit by the California Veterinary Medical Association says the law conflicts with the state's professional veterinary code.

But the mayor of West Hollywood, a city with a history of adopting pet-friendly ordinances, says the 2003 law prohibits animal cruelty.

The city attorney is also preparing a law banning other "noncurative" animal surgeries, including tail docking, ear cropping, defanging and debarking.

West Hollywood designates its residents as pet "guardians" rather than pet "owners."

Newsflash For Charles

WELLINGTON - A woman in New Zealand had something to get off her chest, during a visit by Britain's Prince Charles. The blond stripped to her waist and shouted "shame, shame" as the heir to the British throne arrived at an official function in Wellington. It was an apparent protest against the monarchy. The woman had the message "get your colonial shame off my breasts" written across her bare chest and stomach. Reporters say the prince appeared to look in the woman's direction and smiled as he entered an art gallery.

Balloon's Long, Strange Trip

SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The airmail sent by some California school kids didn't have a stamp -- but it did have a balloon. Fifth-grade students at Richland Elementary in the San Diego area launched a red balloon in December to learn a little something about weather patterns. They figured it would land somewhere in Southern California. But the kids were astonished to hear it had been found by a farmer in North Carolina last month. The balloon had information on how to contact the school. The farmer's wife, Carla Queen, reported the find. At first, teacher Gary Nash didn't believe her. Now, Nash figures the jet stream carried the red balloon clear across the country.

On The Phone? Dump The Pump

HARTFORD, Conn. - You can't talk and drive in some areas. Now, one Connecticut lawmaker wants to make it illegal to talk and pump. Senator Andrea Stillman wants drivers to hang-up their cell phones when they fill up their cars. She says warnings on gas pumps say using a cell phone could cause an electrical discharge that might ignite gas fumes. But there are no teeth in the warnings. Stillman's bill would set a $250 fine for talking while pumping. Her proposal now awaits action in the state Senate Judiciary Committee.

Tanks Very Much

OSLO, Norway - Talk about a rude awakening. Norwegian homeowner Odin Viken woke with a bang, when a 26-ton tank slammed into his house. He says he thought it was an earthquake. The Norwegian military vehicle was taking part in NATO exercises involving 15 nations. No one was hurt in the accident, but Viken says he was very afraid and very angry. It hasn't been a very good week for the Norwegian tank jockeys. Last Wednesday a 40-ton Leopard tank flattened a nearly new Mercedes-Benz on a road.