Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Global Bizarre

By Jim Webster, Times Staff Writer
Published February 13, 2008

Flames and fares

Cupid cabbie sets couples up for a ride

Ahmed Ibrahim, above, offers a fairly unique service out of his Brooklyn cab. He takes you where you want to go, and for no additional fee, he'll set you up with a date. "I've organized so many dates, and it really makes me feel good," Ibrahim said. "I've not had one complaint." He says he has set up more than 70 dates over the past few years, and 19 of his matches have led to relationships that lasted more than a year. He evaluates the passenger, then asks a few questions. If he's convinced the person is looking for love, he takes a phone number and e-mail address. "I want to know if they're the real deal or just a player. If you're a player, then forget about it." The cupid cabbie plans to celebrate Valentine's Day by decorating his yellow cab with red and white hearts and roses.

Stash drop

Credit union won't accept meth deposit

An 18-year-old woman in Bremerton, Wash., was being very responsible with her money and making a deposit in her credit union account. But the part that wasn't very responsible was when she also included a bag of methamphetamine in the envelope. Her credit union does not accept deposits of illegal drugs, so when they found it the next morning, they called police. Police had no trouble finding her, since the envelope had her name on it. She assured police that she didn't mean to deposit the drugs, but they didn't really care, and arrested her.

Public service

Fireman plans to be hero when needed

London firefighter Joe McMahon used to be a paramedic, but got a new job as a firefighter. So when he was sent to the scene of an accident with multiple injuries, his training came in handy, letting him help paramedics get the injured ready for transport to the hospital. You might think his bosses would say, "Way to go, Joe!" But actually, they said, "Do that again and you're fired, Joe." As a firefighter, McMahon does not have insurance coverage to provide medical service. "It seems to be my bosses' opinion that it is better to let someone die than upset their insurance brokers," he told the Sun newspaper. After his disciplinary hearing, McMahon responded to a call where a 4-year-old girl was bleeding. He helped her.

Town wears its recycling on sleeve

Muncie, Ind., will take its recycling program to the next logical level this spring, outfitting its sanitation department workers with uniforms made of 100 percent recycled materials. The T-shirts are made of clothing scraps from manufacturers, and when bought in bulk will cost about $8 each, the Indianapolis Star reports. And the new fleece jackets made from recycled soda bottles "are some of the warmest I've ever worn," said Lina Gordy, who works for the district. In addition to the Muncie Sanitary District logo, all the clothing will include a "100 percent recycled" logo on the sleeve.

Compiled from Times wire services and other sources by staff writer Jim Webster, who can be reached at jwebster@sptimes.com.

[Last modified February 12, 2008, 22:37:00]