Burglary suspect's getaway in pedal boat is foiled, deputies say

By Dominick Tao, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, January 26, 2010

PALM HARBOR By pedal boat and bicycle, a fleeing burglar clad only in boxer shorts couldn't get away quite fast enough, authorities say.

Pinellas County sheriff's deputies arrested Christopher L. Schaumburger on Monday morning 200 yards offshore in Lake Tarpon after witnesses said he burglarized two homes on the 3000 block of Marian Drive.

"We've had suspects try to jump in the water before, but never before have I seen a pedal boat used as a means of escape," said sheriff's spokesman Thomas Nestor, who has more than 23 years in law enforcement.

The Sheriff's Office says Schaumburger, 20, first broke into the home of Mary Vogelsberg, who heard breaking glass around 9 a.m. and found a pair of sunglasses on her windowsill.

She did not see anyone suspicious around. But not long after, someone did.

Vogelsberg's neighbor, Nicholas Hammond, awoke to use the bathroom and found Schaumburger, a transient, ransacking his home, the arrest report said.

Deputies said that when Hammond confronted Schaumburger, the man fled and jumped on a bicycle he had hidden a block away. Hammond gave chase on foot and eventually caught up with the fleeing suspect.

But Schaumburger was armed with a pocket knife. Hammond backed off and called authorities.

Deputies said Schaumburger fled down a street with a dead end at Lake Tarpon. With nowhere to go, authorities said he hijacked a docked pedal boat and tried to escape across the lake.

A Sheriff's Office helicopter was called in. According to the arrest report, the helicopter crew reported that "there was a lone male pedaling the boat dressed only in boxer shorts, and the boat appeared to be taking on water."

Deputies enlisted the help of resident Robert Putnam, whose pontoon boat was docked at the lake, to intercept Schaumburger.

Schaumburger was charged with armed burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted burglary of an occupied dwelling. He is being held in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $65,000 bail.

That Kaba Kick thing is totally f-ed up! What are these manufacturers thinking?!!

That's just stupid.

Cowboyfan wrote:

---

Watch this idiot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x-Ud55x6zY push pull wow

---

LOL!  Think he was a bit panicked?

 

Do they have something in their dress code about underwear too?  Sheesh!


Ambulance chiefs threaten to sack paramedics who wear novelty socks

Ambulance chiefs are threatening paramedics with the sack if they insist on wearing novelty socks.


Published: 11:25AM GMT 04 Feb 2010

Uniformed staff have been barred from wearing socks with images of cartoon characters, jokes and garish patterns after bosses branded them "unprofessional".

The strict uniform policy, issued by North West Ambulance Service, also bans wrist watches, visible body piercing, excessive make-up and certain tattoos.

Staff have been warned they could be disciplined and ultimately even sacked if they flout the dress code which forms part of their terms of employment.

However, the move have been condemned by critics who have dismissed the novelty sock ban as a step too far.

Jonathan Fox, a spokesman for the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel, said: "I am a firm believer in having a dress code but this is stretching the rules too far. The majority of staff wear boots so their socks can't even be seen.

"North West Ambulance Service should be addressing more important issues like why paramedic training has been stalled for months."

Mr Fox, a serving paramedic with 30 years service, continued: "We have been fighting to have knee pads in our work trousers, which has been a sad omission, and pushing forward the provision for frontline staff to have body armour.

"To concentrate on socks seems fairly innocuous - it's not like there's been an epidemic of novelty sock wearing! Perhaps this is just something to divert our attention from the bigger issues."

Management insist the code is designed to ensure health and safety standards are met, and includes bans on clinical staff wearing wrist watches and some jewellery because they can carry germs or injure patients.

Jon Lenney, NW Ambulance Service Director of Organisational Development, said: "We would expect our staff to wear uniforms provided and do not feel that novelty socks with slogans and images are appropriate for presenting a professional image to patients and members of the public.

"The trust does provide full uniform, including plain dark socks, and as the role of frontline staff requires physical movement socks can be visible."

Along with Punxsutawney Phil bringing us 6 more weeks of winter, he brought us 7 months of campaign season. No matter which part of the political spectrum you occupy, I bet we can all agree that this campaign ad is just weird and creepy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRY7wBuCcBY

I just don't understand why anyone would be pulling out this kind of ad at this juncture. This is more like a last ditch, desperation ad. I sure hope its not the harbinger of things to come.

Looks like the Primary will be June 8.

I know! That's what I thought the first time I saw it on the morning news. They kept playing it because it is laughably creepy. I have to say that I lost some respect for Carley Fiorina on this one.

July 15, 2009
A Well-Planned Retirement - From The London Times:

Conman

Outside the Bristol Zoo, in England , there is a parking lot for 150 cars and 8 coaches, or buses.

It was manned by a very pleasant attendant with a ticket machine charging cars £1 (about $1.40) and coaches £5 (about $7).

This parking attendant worked there solid for all of 25 years. Then, one day, he just didn't turn up for work.

"Oh well", said Bristol Zoo Management - "we'd better phone up the City Council and get them to send a new parking attendant . . . "

"Err . . . no", said the Council, "that parking lot is your responsibility."

"Err . . . no", said Bristol Zoo Management, "the attendant was employed by the City Council, wasn't he?"

"Err . . . no!" insisted the Council.

Sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain (presumably), is a man who had been taking the parking lot fees, estimated at £400 (about $560) per day at Bristol Zoo for the last 25 years. Assuming 7
days a week, this amounts to just over £3.6 million ($7 million - or $280,000 every year for 25 years)!

And no one even knows his name.

I'm just wondering why I never thought of such a thing. Pretty clever scheme.

Woman gives birth three hours after finding she was pregnant
A hairdresser gave birth to a baby girl - just three hours after being told she was pregnant by doctors.

Belinda Waite, 21, had been to her local hospital several times during the past nine months and says she was told she had a severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and gout.

In fact she was pregnant with a healthy baby girl who arrived a month ago.

Miss Waite, known as Billy, from Bampton, Devon, said:"You read about these stories in magazines but you never think they happen to real people and I certainly never thought it would happen to me."

Miss Waite was staying with her partner Wyane Boyles, 28, when she unexpectedly went into labour.

Their baby daughter Louise Boyles was born at home weighing 8lb 14oz by Wayne's mum Syliva.

Miss Waite said:"It was obviously a hugh shock for us all but you have to get on with these things and we are really enjoying it."

She said she had not felt well for some months before the surprise birth.

"I did feel like something was moving inside me as the months went on. But I never considered I was pregnant and it doesn't seem to have crossed the doctors' minds."

Miss Waite went to her local hospital in Tiverton and doctors said it was likely to be IBS.

On Christmas Day she was taken to hospital again after her hands and feet swelled up and doctors assured her she was suffering from gout or an allergy.

On February 6th - the night before Louise was born - Miss Waite again went to hospital with pains throughout her body.

At 10pm doctors confirmed she was three months pregnant - in fact she was nine months pregnant - and Louise arrived four and a half hours later at 2.30am.

Miss Waite said:"I was really shocked. I don't think Wayne could believe it was happening.

"We hardly had time to think about it. No one believed us when we told them we suddenly had a child."

The hospital, run by NHS Devon, have not been available for comment.

Hee hee!