Smile Plz...

We shall never know the identity of the man who in 1976 made the mostunsuccessful hijack attempt ever. On a flight across America, he rosefrom his seat, drew gun and took the stewardess hostage. "Take me toDetroit," he demanded. "We're already going to Detroit," she replied."Oh good," he said, and sat down again.

In August 1975 three men were on their way in to rob the Royal Bank ofScotland at Rothesay, when they got stuck in the revolving doors. Theyhad to be helped free by the staff and, after thanking everyone,sheepishly left the building. A few minutes later they returned andannounced their intention of robbing the bank, but none of the staffbelieved them. When they demanded 5,000 pounds in cash, the headcashier laughed at them, convinced that it was a practical joke. Thenone of the men jumped over the counter, but fell to the floor clutchinghis ankle. The other two tried to make their getaway, but got trapped inthe revolving doors again.

During the firemen's strike of1978, the British Army had taken overemergency fire fighting and on 14 January they were called out by anelderly lady in South London to retrieve her cat which had becometrapped up a tree. They arrived with impressive haste and soondischarged their duty. So grateful was the lady that she invited themall in for tea. Driving off later, with fond farewells completed, they ran over the cat and killed it!!

This is the best lawyer story of the year, decade, and probably thecentury. A Charlotte, NC, lawyer purchased a box of very rare andexpensive cigars, then insured them against fire among other things.Within a month having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigarsand without yet having made even his first premium payment on thepolicy, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In hisclaim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of smallfires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason:that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyersued .. and won!In delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance companythat the claim was frivolous. The Judge stated, nevertheless, that thelawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that thecigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure themagainst fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptablefire, and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy andcostly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling andpaid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the"fires."

After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had himarrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim andtestimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer wasconvicted of intentionally burning his insured property and wassentenced 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.