An Iowa gas-station attendant has drummed himself right out of a job.
Avid "air drummer" Christopher Garcia started work at a Cedar Rapids Sinclair service station (search) last summer, but his hobby soon drew customer complaints, reports the Des Moines Register.
The problem? While most air drummers use imaginary drumsticks to flail away at invisible drums, Garcia's sticks were real.
"My customers were feeling threatened by it," manager Judi Moorman testified at a recent unemployment-benefits hearing. "They didn't feel comfortable that these sticks were flying around. And, you know, he would get rather close to people."
Moorman played security tapes to show Garcia, 46, drumming while behind the register or walking around the store, headphones constantly on. Shoplifting soared during his solos, she added.
"My drums are not a joke; they are a part of me," Garcia protested. "People used to come into the store and say, 'Dude, you're so good with those drumsticks.'"
Moorman said she fired Garcia after he refused to leave the sticks at home.
"I never go anywhere without my drumsticks," Garcia added. "I guess the best way to put it — and it's going to sound silly — is that they're like my pacifier. I always have them in my hands. I do. I do."
One judge already refused Garcia's claim for unemployment benefits, which he is appealing.
— Thanks to Out There reader Ben F., Bryan S. and Aaron Z.
'TIPSY' License Plate Proves Justified
MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — Having a vanity plate that reads "TIPSY" may not be such a great idea after all.
Josiah Johnson, 23, said his license plate might have tipped off the Clay County sheriff's deputy who pulled him over Friday after he left Coach's Sports Pub (search) in Moorhead.
Now he faces third-degree drunken driving charges after his blood-alcohol level allegedly registered twice the legal limit.
Johnson said he bought the personalized license plate for his Jeep to describe the way it rode — then kept it as a joke when he got a Chevy Silverado because he likes to party.
"It doesn't mean I drink and drive," he said. "It just means I have a good time."
Johnson, who was slated to appear in court March 22, said he'll never drink and drive again.
"I feel really stupid," he said.
— Thanks to Out There readers Micki J., Eric A. and Shawn W.
Cookie Monster Steals Cash From Girl Scouts
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A Girl Scout troop stood in disbelief as a man came to their booth at a supermarket and ran off with an envelope containing $320.
One of the five girls from Troop 4180 had recommended a box of Thin Mints (search) when the man reached into the cash drawer and grabbed the envelope. An adult with the girls chased the thief but couldn't catch him.
Troop leader Jeri Smith said the third- through fifth-graders were in disbelief.
"It was a bad experience. They were really shook up," she said.
The girls were working their stand inside a Kroger store (search) around 2:30 p.m. Saturday when the man came by and said he'd never bought Girl Scout cookies before, Smith said. He handed one of the girls $3, then said he wanted a second box but only gave her $2 more.
When the girl pointed it out, the man snatched the envelope.
Smith said the money would have paid for the girls to go to summer camp. Kroger employees took up a $25 collection, but Smith said the girls won't sell from a booth anymore.
— Thanks to Out There readers Laura J. and Christina S.
Police Chief Busted Twice in One Day
STRASBURG, Va. (AP) — The police chief of a Virginia town got busted for drunken driving — twice in one day.
Middletown Police Chief Roger Ashley, 41, was ordered held without bail Monday after spending the weekend in jail.
Officers responded to the first incident Saturday after Ashley's unmarked police car had run into a vehicle.
His blood-alcohol level was 0.29, according to the arrest warrant — more than three times Virginia's 0.08 legal limit. His driver's license was suspended.
Five hours later, he was arrested a second time, in his personal vehicle, Strasburg Police Chief Marshall Robinson said. Police said he had a 0.25 blood-alcohol level.
Ashley's trial was scheduled for April 11.
Middletown officials expressed sadness over Ashley's arrests.
"Roger has done so much for the town over the years," Mayor Gene T. Dicks said of the man who has been with the town's police department since 1987. "It's a shame he has to ruin his life and throw everything away over something like this."
Man Falls Asleep Before Robbing Store
QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — It's never good to fall asleep on the job, but when you're a robber the consequences can be severe.
Police arrived at a CVS pharmacy (search) early Tuesday morning to find Steven Jakaitis, 42, sleeping in his idling car with a nylon stocking over his head and a cap pistol in his pocket.
By his side was a note that read: "I have a Gun DO NOT Press any Alarms or let Custermors (sic) know Empty the All the register."
A customer called police after seeing Jakaitis, who was also wearing a black wig and a scarf.
On the back seat of his car, officers found a plastic bag containing 36 unused hypodermic needles. He spoke incoherently after the officers woke him, Capt. Anthony DiBona said.
He never actually went into the store, police said.
At his arraignment Tuesday, Jakaitis pleaded innocent to attempted armed robbery, possession of a hypodermic syringe and receiving a stolen car. He was ordered held on $1,000 bail and ordered to appear for a pretrial conference on April 12.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (AP) — Earl Daniel and Joel Butcher will probably stay off their feet for a while.
The men from this Caribbean island walked for six days without sleep in a bid to set a world record for the longest non-stop hike.
The hike lasted 144 hours and seven minutes. They began March 8 and ended Monday as they entered the capital to a siren of horns. It was not immediately clear how many miles they had walked.
"We said we were going to do this, and we have done it and have made all of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (search) proud," Daniel said.
The duo got some bad news Tuesday: Guinness World Records won't recognize the feat.
Guinness World Records Ltd. confirmed that the men had contacted the company but said the category would not be recognized, because it is "impossible to compare" one person's performance with another's.
"Individuals often walk at different speeds" and "some individuals may choose a more demanding course" while "the time people take for necessary breaks may vary," Guinness spokeswoman Laura McTurk said.
Compiled by FOX News' Paul Wagenseil.
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