NEWS OF THE WEIRD

Obsession

Chen San-yuan, 69, of New Taipei City, Taiwan, has taken his gaming obsession to another level. “Uncle Pokemon,” as the Feng Shui master is known around town, has mounted 11 smartphones on the handlebars of his bicycle so that he can better play Pokemon Go. United Press International reported that Chen sometimes stays out until 4 a.m. playing the virtual game. His habit costs him $1,300 per month, but he’s not daunted: He hopes to expand his phone lineup to 15.

Bold

In Columbus, Ohio, workers repairing a street on Aug. 8 hit an unmarked water main, causing homes along the road to lose water. One man couldn’t be deterred from finishing his shower, though: WCMH TV reported that after screaming from his porch, “I was in the f------- shower!” the unidentified resident finished his morning toilette on the street, in the geyser from the pipe. Facebook user Cody Vickers took a picture of two astonished crewmembers as Mr. Clean rinsed off nearby.

Solving the Wrong Problem?

In Paris, the designer of a recently installed “urinoir,” a sidewalk urinal, on the Ile Saint-Louis, says the new device offers “an eco solution to public peeing.” But Reuters reports that nearby residents and business owners are unhappy about the urinals, saying they are “immodest and ugly” and will “incite exhibitionism.” The “Uritrottoir,” a mashup of the French words for urinal and sidewalk, looks much like a plastic trash receptacle, and local mayor Ariel Weil says they’re necessary: “If we don’t do anything, then men are just going to pee in the streets.”