VENICE GONDOLA STOLEN

Two French tourists in Venice were arrested for stealing a gondola. The two men hopped into the gondola parked at the Accademia station around 1:30 a.m. last Thursday, tossed the cover, cushions, and decorations into the water and paddled off for a late-night joyride on the Grand Canal. The boatjackers were apprehended when three locals in a passing boat noticed the gondola zigzagging back and forth across the canal, and realized something was amiss (* Oh, it looked fishy, eh?). Gondolas cost about $60,000, and require around $3,000 a year in repainting and maintenance.
* Not to mention a constant supply of stripey shirts and flat hats. Plus voice lessons! ♪♫ O sole mio….♫
* It must be tough to get the catalytic converters off those things.
* I guess they were caught after a high-speed paddle.
* Next time bring a small outboard motor.