Etc.

In a hurry, are we?

John and Laina Tauranga, like many other newlyweds, hoped their marriage would get off to a fast start. It did, too – although not exactly in the way they'd imagined. The 20-something Sydney, Australia, residents tied the knot the Saturday before Christmas and then lingered at their reception until well into the evening. Finally, around 8:30, they climbed into the back of their chauffeured limousine for the ride that would begin their lives together. And, as young marrieds tend to do, found themselves in each other's arms, oblivious to all else. Alas, the bliss lasted only minutes. By 9 o'clock, they were standing alongside the highway, with police cruisers around them. Now don't jump to conclusions: They did nothing wrong. Well, except perhaps for hiring the wrong driver. At a red light, while the couple were – ah – distracted, their chauffeur accepted a dare from a teenage motorist for a drag race and was clocked at 81 m.p.h. in a 35-m.p.h. zone when the cops pulled him over. His license and the limo were confiscated on the spot. Amid all the excitement, Laina's parents happened by. Spying the young woman still in her gown, Bernadine McCully recalled saying: "My goodness, there must have been a lot of weddings today. Then I realized, that's our daughter!" Police ended up driving the couple to their destination for the night. Meanwhile, the racers have a date in court Jan. 21.