A mystery man has bewildered residents of a Virginia county in the United States, by randomly leaving old cathode ray tube (CRT) television sets on their doorsteps.
More than 50 households in Henrico County were bequeathed a set from the pre-flatscreen era from pranksters who, naturally, wear an old TV set on his head during the unrequested delivery.
Doorbell cameras from the likes of Nest and Ring – usually in place to capture thieves rather than the old TV version of Santa Claus – captured the random act of kindness for posterity. The identity of the man (or men, it looks like there’s more than one) is completely unknown and the residents aren’t quite sure what to make of it.
“Everyone started coming out of their houses, walking around the neighbourhood looking at the TVs there on the doorstep,” Hampshire resident Jeanne Brooksbank told the Washington Post. “It was very ‘Twilight Zone.’”
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Law enforcement was called, but the cops have determined the deliveries were harmless pranks which posed no threats to the residents. “We determined there was no credible threat to residents and that this was strictly an inconvenience,” Lieutenant Matt Pecka said.
There are no further plans for investigations or charges. The residents don’t seem inclined to pursue the issue either, and the only possible offence could be related to leaving an unwanted item on someone’s property, or perhaps littering or trespassing. The TVs themselves will be recycled.
However, we have some questions of our own for the givers of the old TV sets. Where’d you get them from? Do they work? (If so there are some retro gamers out there who’d love a new CRT TV to play their old consoles) And why in the blue hell are you wearing them on your heads?
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
