# Train Halted for Giant Toy Penguin **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438 "2005-12-13T17:36:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/1 "2005-12-13T17:36:43Z")
[Story](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1610807.html?menu=news.quirkies.quirkygaffes). > [@](#): > > A train driver caused delays on a German rail line after mistaking a giant toy penguin for a dead man in a tuxedo. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/2 "2005-12-13T18:25:58Z")
I believe you are almost right on the translation: A train driver caused delays on a German rail line after mistaking a giant toy penguin for Burgess Merideth. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/3 "2005-12-13T18:35:07Z")
> [@](#): > > A Neuwied police spokesman said: “We are at a loss to explain the presence of this very large penguin.” I’m not sure why, but that line cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/4 "2005-12-13T18:37:18Z")
Fucking Linux. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/5 "2005-12-13T18:42:29Z")
My god! They killed Opus! ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/6 "2005-12-13T18:47:32Z")
It’s a good thing they were able to stop the train in time, or they might have all been krilled. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/7 "2005-12-13T18:50:06Z")
Incidentally, filming on the sequel to _March of the Penguins_ halted yesterday… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/8 "2005-12-13T19:34:31Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > My god! They killed Opus! Those bast#rds! 😉😃 ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/9 "2005-12-13T21:52:43Z")
I was on a train a couple of weeks ago in Northern Ireland, travelling from L/Derry to Coleraine, which was delayed because of a trampoline on the line. Well, it was a very windy day. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/10 "2005-12-13T22:12:21Z")
Sobering evidence of the long-ignored statistic that 1 in 10 “traditional” toys contemplate suicide during the holidays. The pressures to compete with today’s PSPs and mobile phone packages just end up being too much. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-halted-for-giant-toy-penguin/335438/11 "2005-12-14T04:34:51Z")
> [@seosamh](#): > > I was on a train a couple of weeks ago in Northern Ireland, travelling from L/Derry to Coleraine, which was delayed because of **a trampoline** on the line. Well, it was a very windy day. The Irish are such a genteel people. Here in the States we just call 'em sluts.