“Walkie Talkie” skyscraper melts car

20 Fenchurch Street, also known as the pint or the walkie talkie tower due to the concave shape is reflecting sunlight onto the street and has recently damaged a Jaguar XJ and several bicycles.

Martin Lindsay, the owner of the Jaguar parked his car for one hour opposite the building and returned finding crooked panels and melted plastic parts.

“They’re going to have to think of something. I’m gutted,” he told City A.M. “How can they let this continue?”

Developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf said in a statement: “The phenomenon is caused by the current elevation of the sun in the sky. It currently lasts for approximately 2 hours per day, with initial modelling suggesting that it will be present for approximately 2-3 weeks.

As responsible developers we are making every effort to keep local businesses informed and we have communicated with them regularly since the issue first appeared. While we investigate the situation further we have liaised with the City of London to suspend three parking bays in the area which may be affected. In addition, we are consulting with local businesses and the City to address the issue in the short-term, while also evaluating longer-term solutions to ensure the issue cannot recur in future.”

 

Metropolitan Police “dance off” at Notting Hill Carnival

Europe’s biggest street festival- the Notting Hill Carnival in London has attracted people from all over the world since 1966 to have a great time. And a party that size needs somebody to have control the chaos.

Police officers pleased the crowds at Notting Hill Carnival by dancing and jiving while on duty.
The three police officers, in full uniform, started a friendly dance off with an outstandingly coordinated ending.

Blind biker sets new world record

Stuart Gunn from Edinburgh became the fastest blind biker after reaching 167mph on his motorcycle.
The 39-year-old broke his back, fractured ribs and his shoulder in a road accident 11 years ago.

‘I hope this proves to people that just because you are blind or have a disability, doesn’t mean
it should change or limit your life,’ he said.

Stuart Gunn beat the previous fastest speed of 164mph at Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire.
‘I’m absolutely ecstatic and I don’t think the news has quite sunk in,’ said Stuart.

Norways Prime Minister moonlights as a taxi driver

Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg, became a taxi driver for a day, driving voters around Oslo to find out what voters really think. The video called ‘One Day in June’ was published on the Norwegian Prime Minister’s Facebook page last Sunday.

“They’re five ordinary people who were asked if they wanted to take part in a video for the Labour Party and who knew nothing else, except that they were going to be picked up in a taxi,” party spokeswoman Pia Gulbrandsen said. “Their spontaneity was real when they realized that the driver was the prime minister,” she said.

Stoltenberg, who has led Norway for the past eight years, said that the stunt was important to find out what people really think. “It’s important to listen to people’s opinions,” he said. “In taxis, people really say what they mean.”

 

Woman spectacularly fails her driving test

There are many ways to fail a driving test. Forgetting to check your mirrors? Fail. Driving too fast in a speed restricted area? Fail. However, a South Korean woman might hold the record for the fastest and most spectacular fail.
The woman turned on the car, forgot how to use the brakes, ran over a curb and flipped the car. The whole test lasted all of 10 seconds…

The video shows how the driving instructor orders her to use the brakes as she veers towards nearby hedges.
The woman, panicked, yells “Oh, my god, what do we do?” Her instructor replies, “That’s why I told you to press the brakes.” Needless to say, this woman didn’t get her driving licence.

Top ten funny excuses for not paying road tax

The Driver and Licence and Vehicle Agency (DVLA) announced the ten most absurd excuses made up by road tax dodgers.

The DVLA said that people could pay their road taxes online at any time, “It is easier than ever before for people to tax their car and our digital services are designed to be used any time of day or night to fit in with people’s lifestyles” said Carolyn Williams, head of digital services.

Top ten excuses:

1. My accountant told me I’m due a tax rebate so I didn’t think I needed to pay again this year.
2. I was on my way to the Post Office to tax the car and called into the betting shop – there was a horse running at Doncaster called Don’t Do It so I bet on that with my car tax money instead. It lost.
3. My mate said that if the cost of the tax is more than what the car is worth you haven’t got to pay it.
It’s not, so I didn’t.
4. I fell out of a tree picking plums and broke both my arms.
5. I took too much Viagra and couldn’t leave the house.
6. I’d forgotten the motorbike was in my garage – it was hidden behind the BBQ so it’s not my fault.
7. I had man flu and couldn’t go to the Post Office.
8. I’ve been out of the country for four months and I forgot where I parked my car.
9. My dog ate the reminder.
10.My reminder on my phone didn’t work so it’s not my fault.

Learner driver called 999 over his late instructor

Last Thursday, emergency services in West Midland received a surprising phone call from a flustered learner driver. The reason for his dismay was that his instructor was late.

After arriving only a few minutes late for the lesson, the pair rowed over the arrival time and then the tutor asked the learner to get out of her car.

The flustered learner wanted to go further and dialled 999 to request police intervention.

In the call he claimed the instructor asked him to get out of the car, stating he had an “attitude problem.” The time waster went on to say: “I need someone to complain to. Who should I complain to?” The operator told him to ask her employer or the people who regulate the driving instructors and not to call police 999 line to complain that your instructor is late.

West Midland Police have released a recording of the conversation to emphasize one of the “ridiculous” phone calls that they receive each year. You can listen to the clip below:

 

 

Bicycle made from recycled cardboard goes into production

This is probably the coolest eco-friendly bicycle and you will see it hitting the streets soon. The bike, created by cycling enthusiast Izhar Gafni, is entirely made of recycled cardboard and will only cost around £7 to make. Cardboard Technologies, the company behind Gafni, now announced the launch of their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to be able to get the bike into mass production.

The idea for the eco-bike builds on the principles of Japanese origami; cardboard, used plastic bottles and used car tires are being bended and folded into strong structures – this doesn’t only bear the weight of a 180 kg person, it also looks like a stylish ride.

The idea originated when Gafni read about a canoe that was made of the same material. The bicycle shares the same features like the canoe, it’s fire- and waterproof and very light so that one person can carry it easily.

LEGO Tube maps mark 150th anniversary of the London Underground

LEGO Tube maps mark 150th anniversary of the London UndergroundAt five London Underground stops you can now find tube maps made of LEGO bricks! To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, the world’s oldest underground rail network, Lego created five different versions of the tube map including versions from the past, present and how the tube map should look like in 2020.

Duncam Titmarsh, a certified LEGO professional, worked around four days and used over 1,000 LEGO bricks for each map of the five maps. The sequence of the maps starts back in 1927 and shows how the tube network evolved over the time.

Here’s a closer look at the current map from 2013:

The five maps are on show throughout the Underground at the following stations: South Kensington, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Stratford and King’s Cross St. Pancras.

South Kensington: 1927 Stingemore (pre-Beck) map

Piccadilly Circus: 1933, Harry Beck original

Green Park: 1968 map

Stratford: 2013 (current) map

King’s Cross St Pancras: 2020 futrure map with Crossrail, Croxley Link and Northern Line to Battersea

 

 

Be careful if your partner drives an Audi!

The car we drive often says a lot about our personality. That is why IllicitEncounters.com decided to figure out what car drivers are more willing to cheat on their partners.

Perhaps the final result is not surprising, the most likely to cheat were linked to high-class car brands, such as Audi (22.2%), BMW (13.8%), Mercedes-Benz (8.7%), Volvo (7.6%) and Wolkswagen (5.7%)

According to Mike Taylor, spokesman of IllicitEncounters.com “all the cars in the top five represent our members, they are typically successful, motivated, high-achievers who are less likely to settle for something they find unsatisfying, be it a car or a relationship.”

Below you can see a graph about the distribution of percentages within top 5 car brands in terms of affairs.

This survey also questions the stereotype of the romantic French affair. The fewest number of cheaters correspond to French manufacturers Peugeot and Renault.