PRPG:

A Very Strange Valentine's Day

February 14, 2017

You could go the old flowers-and-candy route, of course…or you could go for a gift as unique as the one who love.
Unusual Valentines Gift

You Bug Me, Valentine!

Each year, the Bronx Zoo in New York City holds a Valentine’s Day tradition. Anybody with just $10 and a good intention can purchase the “naming rights” to one of its many Madagascar hissing cockroaches. While the roaches stay at the zoo, they are officially named after your one true love. (Naming the roach costs $10, but it’s $50 if you want to throw in a box of chocolates and a plush roach toy.)

Hot Wings for Cold Hearts

It’s probably not an exaggeration to stay that a lot of guys out there will wind up at Hooter’s on Valentine’s Day. The restaurant chain is famous for its chicken wings, as well as its female waitstaff in skimpy uniforms. This year, Hooter’s is holding a promotion on Valentine’s Day in which the broken-hearted get 10 free chicken wings. But first, they have to buy an order of 10 wings. Oh, and they also have to bring in a picture of the love that did them wrong…and send it through a paper shredder. This is the second annual “Shred Your Ex” event—last year 25,000 ex pics got shredded in exchange for free chicken.

Stupid, Cupid

Thousands of people will receive a silvery, shiny, heart-shaped Mylar balloon on Valentine’s Day. It’s a statement of love and affection in lieu of flowers—they’re usually cheaper and last a little longer, too. They’re also dangerous. Arizona Public Service, an electric company in Phoenix, recently launched a public awareness campaign about the very real threat to public safety and comfort posed by balloons. A representative of APS said that in 2016, the company attributed 81 power outages affecting 55,000 people—caused by loose Mylar balloons. What happens: a Mylar balloon comes in contact with a power line, generating a quick shot of blue lightning over the balloon, causing it to both catch fire and knock out the power line.