A truly amusing way to enforce social distancing

After successfully slowing the spread of the pandemic, Germany is now one of many countries attempting to reopen cafes and restaurants. But life is far from normal, since these businesses must adhere to hygiene and social distancing rules. Cafe & Konditorei Rothe in the city of Schwerin has come up with a fun way to ensure safe distancing among diners.

Cafe owner Jacqueline Rothe came up with the idea of using pool noodles to keep her patrons apart. Each customer is asked to wear a straw hat with a pool noodle (or "fun noodle") attached to the top. The unusual policy not only keeps people apart, but it's hard not to laugh at how ridiculous it looks. Rothe says "it's a pleasure to make others smile."

Pass the catsup, please. Oh, not you.

Just like many public places around the world, Izu Shabonten Zoo in Shiznoka, Japan, had to temporarily close due to the pandemic. But on May 16 it reopened with several new measures to keep customers and staff safe. The measure taken in the zoo restaurant is bringing many smiles to diners.

Here, the zoo staff placed stuffed toy animals on some of the seats, encouraging diners to space out among the tables. Several plush creatures are seated throughout the restaurant, but the zoo is especially fond of a native American giant rodent called capybaras. These are at almost every table.

A crumb from Raleigh, North Carolina

This post is taken directly from Facebook on social media, where Becky Chapman writes, "My daughter Rachel has been nanny for Curtis for over a year. When he realized her senior prom was cancelled, he wanted to throw one for her.

Complete with her favorite foods, flowers and dancing, Curtis (and his mom) pulled off the best socially distant prom ever. Thanks, Curtis, for making my girl smile. 

A unique way to celebrate graduates

The transportation department at Loveland High School in Ohio arranged 22 of their busses to spell out "2020" when viewed from above. Jim Barrett, the school's art and photography teacher, then used an aerial drone to take this photo.

The school published it on social media to pay homage to the 392 graduating seniors, many of whom the drivers have known since kindergarten. Loveland drive Jennifer Bowman said, "The one thing we all have in common is love for our students."

A lesson in honesty these kids will never forget?

In May, schoolteacher Emily Schantz and her family were driving through Caroline County, Virginia, when the car ahead of them swerved to avoid hitting a large bag someone had left on the road. Assuming it contained trash, Emily stopped and threw it into her truck for disposal at home. She found a second bag beside the road and took it too.

It was only after returning home and opening the sacks that they found dozens of plastic packages filled with cash. Rather than keep the money, they turned it over to the police, hoping to teach their sons a valuable lesson in honesty. Police believe the postal service was delivering the bags to a local bank. In total, they contained about 1 million dollars in cash.

Empty hotel still has hope

Noon approached as Ken Kruger pulled his cart down the darkened hallway of the empty hotel. After checking a map, he entered room 1207 to close the blinds and shut off the lamp. Then he rechecked his homemade map for his next stop in the DoubleTree Hotel (shown below) in Crystal City, on busy freeway 395 connecting Washington D.C. and northern Virginia.

Kruger moves quickly, doing a highly visible part of his job. He creates a design displayed by windows on the hotel's north tower.

First there was a giant heart. And then the word HOPE, followed last month by LOVE. Hotel workers hope the messages will inspire people, however briefly, in a region still reeling from the pandemic. "This next room we'll leave open," says Kruger as he works his way down the hallway consulting a color-coded map along the way. "All right, 12's done!" he said. "Only nine more floors."

FedEx driver goes the extra mile

Jodan Price, a FedEx driver, came to Liz Paternoster's home recently to deliver a package. Six-year-old daughter Emma always answers the doorbell when it rings, and was expecting a gift, since it was her birthday, but Price only delivered some boring stuff for her dad.  Liz offhandedly mentioned to the FedEx driver that it was Emma's birthday, and....

...less than an hour later, Price returned with cupcakes from Dairy Queen for the birthday girl. The family was floored by his kind gesture, and when they raved about Price online, everyone who knew him said they were not surprised at all. He's always going the extra mile.