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Bureaucracy in Action | Questionable Judgment

News of the Weird

By News of the Weird

Published Jan. 19, 2018

Bureaucracy in Action | Questionable Judgment

Juana Escudero, 53, of Alcala de Guadaira, Spain, has been dead since May 13, 2010. Except she's still very much alive. FOX News reports that a Malaga, Spain, woman died on that date who shared Escudero's full name and birthdate. As a result, Escudero was pronounced dead by the government, which has given her headaches ever since. For instance, she can't renew her driver's license or go to the doctor. Finally, in April 2016, she tracked down the actual dead woman in Malaga, and in September of this year, she petitioned the courts to open the grave to prove that she is not the dead woman. She even offered to do a DNA test. "On the government's computers I am dead," Escudero said, "but for the banks I am alive and kicking." [FOX News, 9/27/2017]

Minnesota State Police nabbed a motorcycle rider on Aug. 31 who was weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 394 and performing stunts, all while wearing a panda suit, complete with an oversize animal head. The rider told police that the panda suit was meant to help his motorcycle videos "go viral," but police responded with a citation for reckless driving, and they confiscated the panda head. "A panda head will not protect you in a crash like a DOT-approved helmet would," police advised on their Facebook page. [United Press International, 10/3/2017]

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