A new species of commuter joined the crowd heading south across the Golden Gate Bridge during morning rush hour Tuesday.
A young deer scampered by cars driving onto the bridge from Marin County at about 8:50 a.m., reports KTVU-TV of Oakland, Calif.
Drivers slowed down to give the animal plenty of space, said bridge spokeswoman Mary Currie, but efforts to get it to turn around amounted to nothing.
The deer seemed determined to head to San Francisco. Authorities blocked off northbound traffic and used bridge maintenance vehicles to slow down the southbound lanes.
"Those two vehicles escorted the deer south across the bridge," Currie said.
Only a line of traffic cones, which get shifted according to the time of day, separate northbound and southbound drivers across all six lanes of the Golden Gate Bridge (search).
The deer didn't even slow down at the toll plaza at the south end of the bridge.
"It violated the toll," laughed Currie.
Bridge personnel tried to get the deer to take the first exit off the bridge, but it kept going south on Highway 101 well into San Francisco.
Finally, just before a tunnel, it took a sharp right and headed into the Presidio (search), the wooded, massive former army base that is now a national park.
"It safely made its way off the roadway," Currie said.
No accidents were reported, and efforts were under way to find the deer to make sure it was okay.
— Thanks to Out There reader Don W.
Snake Triggers Nationwide Blackout
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — A boa constrictor triggered a 15-minute nationwide blackout when it slithered into a generator at a major hydroelectric plant, officials said Wednesday.
The boa was electrocuted Tuesday after entering El Cajon, a plant that supplies 60 percent of Honduras' electricity.
"The snake was responsible for leaving the country in darkness," said Rosario Castillo, president of the National Electric Energy Company.
"The reptile got itself into the area that supplies two enormous generation units. It was electrocuted, causing a short-circuit that shut off the emergency system," Castillo said.
Power outages are common in Honduras. A failure at the same hydroelectric dam left the entire nation without power for three hours in September.
— Thanks to Out There reader Don F.
Cop Arrests Man Who Robbed Her Years Ago
NEW YORK (AP) — It took four years, but Police Officer Nicol De La Rosa finally got her man.
De La Rosa, 22, was on patrol Friday afternoon with her partner when they got a call to check out a suspicious person hanging around a Broadway building in the Theater District.
As the two approached, De La Rosa recognized the suspect as the man who demanded her jewelry as the then-18-year-old civilian ate in a McDonald's in Chinatown on May 25, 2000.
At the time, Steven Santos, 39, allegedly went up to De La Rosa and threatened, "Give me the jewelry or I will hurt you real bad."
Santos had been identified in police photos, but he remained free until De La Rosa nabbed him.
Santos allegedly put up a struggle as De La Rosa and her partner Marykate Donohue, both rookies, tried to cuff him. Additional officers were called to the scene and, after a brief struggle, Santos was taken into custody.
He was arrested on charges including robbery, assault and resisting arrest.
CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) — Plenty of lawyers have dogs — but how many dogs have lawyers?
At least one. His name is Cabic, and for him, it's a matter of life and death.
A judge appointed attorney Priscilla Herochik on Thursday to represent Cabic at a hearing to determine whether he is a wolf-dog hybrid (search).
Cabic bit one of his owner's neighbors, Mark Schilling, in the thigh on April 18 when Schilling came to borrow a power tool. The dog's owner, Nancy Armalius, does not dispute that.
But Schilling became ill a few days later when the bite wound became infected. Animal Control authorities put the dog on a 10-day quarantine to determine if he has rabies.
However, the 10-day waiting period does not apply to wild animals, which wolf-dog hybrids are under Indiana law.
"The incubation periods vary in wild animals, so you can't determine how long it takes for the disease to surface," said county health administrator Nicholas Doffin.
If the judge rules that Cabic is a hybrid, the animal's head must be removed and sent to a lab to be tested for rabies.
Schilling believes that Cabic is a German shepherd-wolf mix. Armalius' former husband said the dog was the offspring of a German shepherd and a wolf, but Armalius is not certain, said Herochik.
Schilling is receiving a series of rabies vaccinations that likely would keep him from contracting the disease, but he said he wants to know for sure whether the dog could have given him rabies.
"Everybody's talking about statistics but I say, 'Screw the statistics.' Does it have rabies or doesn't it? My peace of mind is more important than any animal," Schilling said.
NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer who barked like a dog at a witness has been fined $8,500 for misconduct and harassment of opponents, according to a decision released Thursday.
The lawyer, David Fink, made false statements, failed to comply with court orders and engaged in frivolous conduct during a breach-of-contract suit, a Manhattan state Supreme Court justice said.
During a deposition on January 2002, a man being sued by Fink's client referred to letters he'd received from Fink as threatening, "mad dog lawyer" letters, according to the man's lawyer.
The next day, the other lawyer said, Fink started barking like a dog when the man being sued was asked about the letters.
The opposing lawyer said Fink "behaved in a very mocking manner, making the witness feel intimidated, speaking over other people and making it difficult for the court reporter to record much of anything."
He complained to Ramos about Fink's behavior.
"Mr. Fink was barking up the wrong tree," the lawyer quipped as he recalled the deposition. "I don't know what motivated him to bark."
Fink had already been assessed another $1,400 for previous misconduct in the case. He also lost the civil case.
Conviction Thrown Out Because Crime Doesn't Exist
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Miami woman cannot be convicted of attempting to poison her boss simply because there is no such crime, a state appeals court ruled.
Femesha Foster, a former technician who worked for optometrist Mark Caruso at the Pembroke Pines Wal-Mart, was caught on a surveillance video tape putting the poison in her boss's can of Dr. Pepper in January 2000.
Caruso decided the soda didn't taste right and drove himself to the hospital, where he was treated for poisoning and released.
Foster, 36, was sentenced to 20 years in prison — 15 for attempting to poison Caruso and five for grand theft after she admitted to writing checks to herself from Caruso's account.
But the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach overturned Foster's conviction for attempted poisoning on Wednesday because it is a "nonexistent crime." The crime is poisoning, the court said.
Prosecutors can retry Foster on the charge of poisoning.
Put Your Money in the Pink Potty
WHITEHOUSE, Ohio (AP) — Residents are throwing money down the toilet — and feeling good about it.
A bright pink potty with artificial flowers sprouting from the bowl is being placed in yards in and around this northwest Ohio city as a way to raise money for cancer research.
The roving latrine belongs to a team of 15 people competing in the American Cancer Society's (search) Relay for Life. They move the toilet after dark, parking it in yards along with a sign that says "Help flush out cancer."
A note instructs residents to leave a check in the tank along with the address where they would like to see the toilet taken.
"The toilet is really quite ugly, but almost everybody has been really nice about it," said team member Carolyn Strayer.
The team has raised about $800 with the stunt.
Whitehouse is 15 miles southwest of Toledo.
Compiled by Foxnews.com's Paul Wagenseil.
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