Page 4 - Other Facts

Warsaw radio mast was the tallest structure in the world until it's collapse

The Warsaw radio collapsed in August 1991. Before this, it was the tallest structure in the world. The mast was designed by Jan Polak and stood at 2,120 feet tall.

It was completed in 1974 in Poland and was used by the Warsaw Radio-Television for longwave radio broadcasting.

On August 8, 1991, an error was made while changing the guy-wires on the highest stock and the mast collapsed. The mast bent and then snapped about in half. An investigation determined that blame lay with the company that built the mast, Mostostal Zabrze.

The construction coordinator and the chief of the division that built the mast were sentenced to 2.5 years and 2 years in prison respectively.

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Picher, Oklahoma is considered the most toxic place in the United States.

The town of Picher, Oklahoma has been ravaged by industrial mining; so much so that a majority of it's inhabitants have fled and it's current population is 20. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the little town is the most toxic region in all of the United States.

There have been numerous reports of sinkholes appearing overnight as mine shafts collapse. Often, underground water, highly acidic and concentrated with heavy metals, come bubbling into these sinks and turns them into toxic ponds.

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In 2004, Pizza Hut fired a delivery driver who shot and killed a robber while on the job!

Ever since pizza became mainstream in the United States, there have been increased efforts to cook and deliver pizza in the fastest way possible. Most times this includes a driver, which is one of the most common jobs in America, yet many people don’t think about the potential dangers pizza delivery drivers can face!

Because drivers are required to approach the door of those who ordered, it can often be dangerous in sketchy neighborhoods, and sometimes people are even deliberately called to be a target. Delivery drivers have been assaulted, kidnapped, robbed, or even raped or killed on the job and so many carry guns to protect themselves!

In 2004, Pizza Hut decided to fire one of their employees who was being robbed and shot and killed his assailant! The reason they cited was because it had a company policy against employees carrying guns, yet had he not had one he could have been robbed. What do you think about their ruling? Tell us in the comments!

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The insanity plea is almost never used in real life.

Oh, we've all seen those shows. The defendant is pushed into a corner, he/she's so obviously guilty, and then suddenly they announce that they weren't in their right state of mind when they did what they did. Dramatic music plays in the background, and then cut to a Burger King commercial.

However, like most of the legal stuff/stuff in general that you see on TV, this is highly inaccurate. First and foremost, a psychiatric hospital is just about as fun as prison, especially if you're sane.

Secondly, acting like you're crazy in the court room, does not prove that you weren't in the right state of mind at the time of the crime. You must prove that you were mentally impaired in some way at the time you committed the crime, which is extremely difficult to do. Three states in the US have actually banned the insanity defense all together.

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI doesn't know how to drive and never got a driver's license!

Pope Benedict XVI never learned how to drive a car in his life. He never saw the need for driving around in a car, because he grew up in areas where cars could not be used well. Accordingly, he always relied on other people to drive him.

However, Pope Benedict XVI is a licensed pilot who can legally fly small-engine planes or helicopters. He is one of the oldest licensed pilots in the world. He puts the license to good use by way of flying the Vatican’s official helicopter to official functions and official residences.

He is also a well-read scholar who has published forty books on spiritual matters. Holds a doctorate degree and a habilitation qualification in theology studies that demonstrate his ability to do serious scholarly research. This scholarly ability made him very popular in and among European religious scholars. He made quite the mark in his field of study.

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