Government work is often serious business, but let’s not forget — the halls of power are not immune to the weird, chaotic and downright absurd.
Every year, we uncover some of the most eccentric and unexpected stories from around the globe and share them with the Apolitical community.
It’s time to spotlight a few of the year’s most bizarre and delightful tales, from banned cacti to AI-generated electoral candidates. Let the strangeness begin!
Did we miss a story in your part of the world? If so, let us know by leaving a comment. ⬇️
Would you hire a whale as a spy? 🕵️
Hvaldimir, a beluga whale, spent years gliding through the oceans with a GoPro camera with the label “Equipment of St. Petersburg.” Animal rights groups raised concern when the beluga was found dead — presuming the its/his death to be an act of political retaliation against the Russian government. A police autopsy performed on Hvaldimir though concluded that the creature did not die at the hands of humans.
Even government has that annoying coworker 👝
A Vermont lawmaker kept pouring water into her legislative colleague’s work bag over a period of five months. The incident was caught on video and the guilty party claimed she did not know why she kept sabotaging her colleague’s bag.
Your local neighbour running for election – an AI bot 🧑💻
The UK city of Brighton decided to let an AI-generated candidate run for MP in its election. AI Steve Endacott ran the campaign as a “capitalist with a socialist conscience.”
A new government every six months 👉 👈
Pheasant Island (human and pheasant population: 0) is passed off between French and Spanish leadership every six months. The Treaty of the Pyrenees laid out ground rules in 1659 that enabled the tiny island to change governments bi-annually.
Bananaphobia — do you have it? 🍌
A Swedish minister’s phobia of bananas resulted in the fruit being banned from any meeting rooms. The minister let the public know that she was “getting professional help with” her deep phobia of the yellow fruit.
The greatest threat in a government office – the cactus 🌵
In Plettenberg, Germany, the mayor’s office banned cactuses from town halls, schools and nurseries after a prickly incident left a man injured. What is the weirdest thing you are banned from bringing into your government office?
Does your city have a map of toilets? 🚾
New York City has a huge problem with a lack of public bathrooms. Now you can download a city-maintained Google Maps that shows access to your nearest free, public restrooms. What other maps should cities create to help citizens live a better life?
A newly appointed UK lawyer used a new online divorce portal created by the UK Court and Tribunals Service and accidentally clicked on the wrong couple’s name in a dropdown menu. The divorce finalised 20 minutes later. Whoops?
The Public Service Department of Rock 🎶
Who says public servants are a dry bunch? The Australian Public Service formed a battle of the bands and competed with one another to see who performed the best. Highlights included a rendition of the Ramones punk anthem I Wanna Be Sedated changed to I Wanna Be Seconded, and IT specialists covering Cyndi Lauper with Girls, They Wanna Write Code.
Ten polling officials had to travel two days to the remote Gir forest in Gujarat state in India to set up a polling booth for a lone Hindu monk. The polling officials had to put in the effort to meet Indian electoral laws that dictate that voters must travel no more than 2km (1.2 miles) to cast their ballot.
So, what are the key takeaways?
Next time you go to work, remember to follow the three cardinal rules of working in government:
Leave your banana at home
Your colleague’s bag is not a water jug
Click the correct option in a dropdown menu (but, really)
Anything else? What are your key takeaways from this list? Share them with us in a comment below.
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