Danish Air Force Compensates Santa After Killing Rudolf The Reindeer…

[BigBearJohn]

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The Danish Air Force said Thursday it paid 31,175 kroner ($5,032) in compensation to a part-time Santa Claus whose reindeer died of heart failure when two fighter jets roared over his farm.

The animal, named Rudolf, was grazing peacefully at the central Denmark farm of Olavi Nikkanoff, when the screaming F-16 jets passed overhead at low altitude in February.

The reindeer collapsed and died, leaving Nikkanoff with the prospect of only one animal pulling his sleigh next Christmas.

He complained to the air force, which agreed to compensate him for the cost of the reindeer and veterinary expenses

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2005/09/29/danish-air-force-compensa_n_8089.html

[Rick Myers]

1. Thanks!! I needed a laugh this afternoon!!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. A laugh?

It is so sad! Rudolf wasn't just ANY reindeer. What's Santa going to do without that guiding beacon?

[Historic NY]

4. Sniff poor Rudolph...............

http://hopeinaworldofhate.com/blessings/holiday-rudolph.html

[CottonBear]

3. Poor reindeer.

I hope the poor animal didn't suffer too much.

I had a fighter jet buzz me at low altitude once. I was laying on the beach on an extremely remote portion of the Northern CA coast. The jet was flying up the coast and turned inland right over me (on purpose.)

[dhinojosa]

5. What were you wearing to attract jets on a beach?

[CottonBear]

6. Just a t-shirt and shorts. This beach was ultra-remote. We were napping

leaned up against a giant drift redwood trunk. The drift redwoods were thrown about like straws on the sand. There were huge sea lions on the beaches and on rock outcrops too. Beautiful.

My travel partner and I had been hiking up and down the coast for three days and saw no other people. It's a region where Highway 1 goes inland for about 60 miles because the coast is so rugged. It's about 6 hours north of SF. The start of the hike is at the mouth of the Matole (sp?) River. The closest (tiny) town is called Honeydew.