Planetizen’s Friday Funny stories are often satirical, but this nutty story from Reuters is 100 percent genuine.

When the announcer said “all aboard” on the 8:54 a.m. service from Reading in southern England to Gatwick Airport last week, a wider range of local residents than likely intended took them at their word. “While pets such as dogs often take trains in Britain, rodents are a less frequent passenger,” a Reuters article said of the incident.
"We can confirm that the 0854 Reading to Gatwick was terminated at Redhill after a couple of squirrels boarded the train at Gomshall without tickets, breaching railway byeclaws," a spokesperson for the railway told Reuters. Railway staff was able to remove one of the “furry freeloaders” from the train at Redhill, but one refused to leave, forcing them to cancel the service and return the train to Reading, which was the second squirrel’s final destination.
FULL STORY: UK train cancelled after squirrel refuses to get off

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals
Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade
To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.
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