Photo: "Round About" by tomms, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Thursday August 21th, 2008:

You've seen the ad campaigns telling you that tap water rocks, but now the city is taking the war on bottled water one step further: by banning plastic water bottles altogether. London has already taken the first step; should Toronto be next?

Before you crack open that package of salami for lunch, check the label: meats packaged at Maple Leaf's Toronto plant has been recalled because of a listeriosis outbreak that has already claimed one life here in the province.

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An elderly woman has passed away after a fire in Scarborough at a house with no smoke detectors. Take a moment to go and check to make sure your detectors have working batteries. If you don't have a detector in your home, add it to today's shopping list.

I've seen people do some seriously odd things on the subway — clip their nails, fold their laundry, heat up instant noodles with a lighter, etc. — but this seems a bit too disturbing to be true at first: police are on the hunt for a man who has been ejaculating on women on the TTC.

Expect Paris' successful rent-a-bike system to come to Toronto next year, at least if the city's cycling committee has its way. Then again, if bus companies can sue carpooling services, who knows what big business might be able to do to squash a good bike service. Don't hold your breath.