QUIRKY WORLD ... A daily look at some of the world’s stranger stories

Don’t bank on getting hold of your own cash

England: If you bank at HSBC in England, don’t plan on making any large cash withdrawals. At least not without a good explanation. Or, maybe even a permission slip.

That’s because a previously unannounced change in banking policy is blocking some customers from making large withdrawals without “evidence” explaining why they need the money.

The policy affects customers attempting withdrawals for amounts as little as £5,000 (€6,033).

HSBC says it’s all done in the name of customer protection. “The reason being we have an obligation to protect our customers, and to minimise the opportunity for financial crime.

“However, following feedback, we are immediately updating guidance to our customer facing staff to reiterate that it is not mandatory for customers to provide documentary evidence for large cash withdrawals and, on its own, failure to show evidence is not a reason to refuse a withdrawal. We are writing to apologise to any customer who has been given incorrect information and inconvenienced.”

Frigid temperatures couldn’t stop this delivery.

USA: Abigail Cain was in labour and about to leave for the hospital early Friday morning when she had no choice but to give birth while standing in the driveway of her Gray home — in wind chills that reached -13 degrees.

After the second contraction she felt she had to push — her father. Steve Bronish of Rumford, told the Sun Journal (http://bit.ly/1mGLJRg). She had the car door open and was leaning on the seat when she gave birth to a 7-pound, 5-ounce healthy baby girl named Danica AnneMarie Cain.

Her husband, who was inside the house getting a bag to take to the hospital, came out to hear a baby crying.

The couple, who have a two-year-old son, called an ambulance and mother and the baby were taken to hospital.

Italy: The creativity of Italians in parking their cars and scooters — on traffic islands, the pavement or simply in the middle of the street — knows few limits.

But now police in Rome have enlisted the power of social media to help them get to grips with the problem.

Citizens who spot illegally parked cars can alert a dedicated police Twitter account, @PLRomaCapitale. The police then reply to say when they have taken action — typically in a matter of hours.

The new head of the urban police force Raffaele Clemente says that the initiative aims to create a cultural shift.

“Sharing, such as on social networks, is needed to fight certain patterns of illegality and rule-breaking, and also of crime,” he said.

Britain: Social notworking, deja brew and blue sky drinking all rank among the most irritating new work jargon, according to a new study.

Researchers asked 2,000 people about their opinions on office jargon and the phrases they find most irksome.

Over a quarter of Brits (26%) cited the term ‘social notworking’ — the art of appearing to be hard at work while messing about on Facebook and Twitter as the most irritating new jargon term.

It was closely followed by ‘deja brew’, the seemingly kind offer to make a colleague a cup of tea, when you know that they have just had one and are, therefore, likely to decline.

The top three is completed by ‘blue sky drinking’, a term used to describe an unlimited free bar at a work party.

The study reveals that men are most likely to use jargon on a regular basis (43% compared with 11% of women). The sales team is the most likely department to use office jargon (51%), followed by marketing/ creative (37%) and IT (29%).