2009 Darwin Awards.........My Favourite Time of the Year!!
Disco Duck said
03:21 PM Jan 4, 2010
TWO bank robbers who blew themselves up trying to make a sizable withdrawal from an ATM have been declared the 2009 winners of the Darwin Awards.
Organisers say the annual "prize" is given to "those doing the most to improve the human gene pool ... by removing themselves from it".
This year the dubious first place went to the pair of bungling thieves in Belgium who wildly overestimated the amount of dynamite they needed to rob a bank.
They both were killed when the blast demolished the entire building the ATM was housed in.
Police only found the body of the second robber some twelve hours after digging through the debris. They had initially assumed he had made a getaway.
The bankrobbers just edged ahead of Florida man Shawn Motero, who was stuck in a traffic jam when nature called.
He got out of his car and jumped over a concrete wall to find a more secluded spot.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old had not realized he was on a bridge and fell 65ft (19.8m) to his death.
Award organisers said the accident proved you should "look before you leak".
Police revealed Mr Motero had been drinking at a bar in Pompano Beach before his tragic death, adding: 'He probably thought there was a road, but there wasn't.'
The first woman to be nominated for the award came in at third place.
Rosanne Tippett drove her moped through a police road block - straight into a flooded river.
After being rescued by police she jumped back into the water to rescue her vehicle - and drowned.
Before embarking on her final journey the 50-year-old had phoned her mother and told her: "My moped has two rubber wheels, Mom, I'll be fine."
Her mum later admitted: "She loved that thing."
Other nominees for the 2009 awards included an armed robber who used gold spray paint to disguise his face as he raided a convenience store.
The paint released toxic fumes and Thomas James, from South Carolina, collapsed and died shortly after the robbery.
To add insult to injury, the disguise didn't work - with witnesses having no problem identifying the 23-year-old.
JRH said
03:27 PM Jan 4, 2010
Bet they didn't have their alfoil beanies on Ducky............... :):) :)
Disco Duck said
03:57 PM Jan 4, 2010
No Bet ........JRH. LOL
I love reading them. I make a point of getting them for every year. I don't know who does it. I think it is some Uni or other. They do a top twenty and when you read them you wonder how they survived that long!!
Some of them are an absolute scream !!
JRH said
04:03 PM Jan 4, 2010
Such is human nature DD, if there is a right way and a wrong way some will choose the wrong way every time, maybe Murphy's Law has something to do with it, that Irish bugger has a lot to answer for.............. LOL :) :) :)
And before I get accused of racism I am part Irish on my old man's side.
pricey43 said
08:21 PM Jan 4, 2010
I'd better get my alfoil beanie made before we head off in February, or who knows what will happen.
clazandaza said
08:26 PM Jan 4, 2010
Back in 95 (sounds like old fart talk eh?) I was working in Capalaba (Brisbane South) CIB. A local 17 year old idiot walked into the local Post Office with a kitchen knife and declared "This is a hold up". He should have declared it to be a 'Stuff up' as his next door neighbour was working in the office and said something along the lines of; "Piss off Adam. Gimme that knife and go and sit in my office until I can get the coppers here." Adam dutifully did what he was told and later admitted to me that he had not really planned the escapade to any length and he just wanted some money to buy a new fishing rod. His mother was not pleased. Magistrate let him off with probation due to the good laugh he gave the court upon the reading of the brief.
Ian
Terro said
10:19 PM Jan 4, 2010
Good story Ian. Reminds me of one of our frequent flyers. Sadly this boy is "behind the eight ball" when it comes to brain power. One day not so long ago he was on a railway station playing up, pretending to have a seizure. Of course the station attendant called us and met us at the tunnel leading to the platform. The young lad playing up had told the station attendant that if he doesn't call an ambulance he will sh*t his pants. Of course when we arrived we did everything we could to facilitate his wishes but the desire to defecate, nice word eh? was gone. We love this kid, he gives us hours of fun and keeps us very happy. Not! He would definitely be a candidate for the local chapter of the Darwin Awards.
Terro.
clazandaza said
09:50 AM Jan 5, 2010
Cheers Terro. Learned a good trick from the ambos when I first started in the job. This was to do with loonies faking unconsiousness for attention etc. The ambos showed me how to hold the idiots (sorry, client's) arm up over their face and let go. If they were truly out of it they would smack themselves in the face. If not the hand bent away from the face to hit the floor. At that point the police or ambos or both would stand up and boot (gently) said client in the ribs and abuse same for wasting our time etc etc. Some onlookers sometimes found this to be disturbing however.
What great jobs we have for the collection of great human interes stories. Also lots of fun.
Ian
Disco Duck said
11:31 AM Jan 5, 2010
I love the "Darwinites".........I probably shouldn't, but I think anyone who goes to such extremes to prove a point.......in this case STUPIDITY........deserves a mention!!
If you can keep your cool......then cops and ambos can get a real giggle out of their jobs.
TWO bank robbers who blew themselves up trying to make a sizable withdrawal from an ATM have been declared the 2009 winners of the Darwin Awards.
Organisers say the annual "prize" is given to "those doing the most to improve the human gene pool ... by removing themselves from it".This year the dubious first place went to the pair of bungling thieves in Belgium who wildly overestimated the amount of dynamite they needed to rob a bank.
They both were killed when the blast demolished the entire building the ATM was housed in.
Police only found the body of the second robber some twelve hours after digging through the debris. They had initially assumed he had made a getaway.
The bankrobbers just edged ahead of Florida man Shawn Motero, who was stuck in a traffic jam when nature called.
He got out of his car and jumped over a concrete wall to find a more secluded spot.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old had not realized he was on a bridge and fell 65ft (19.8m) to his death.
Award organisers said the accident proved you should "look before you leak".
Police revealed Mr Motero had been drinking at a bar in Pompano Beach before his tragic death, adding: 'He probably thought there was a road, but there wasn't.'
The first woman to be nominated for the award came in at third place.
Rosanne Tippett drove her moped through a police road block - straight into a flooded river.
After being rescued by police she jumped back into the water to rescue her vehicle - and drowned.
Before embarking on her final journey the 50-year-old had phoned her mother and told her: "My moped has two rubber wheels, Mom, I'll be fine."
Her mum later admitted: "She loved that thing."
Other nominees for the 2009 awards included an armed robber who used gold spray paint to disguise his face as he raided a convenience store.
The paint released toxic fumes and Thomas James, from South Carolina, collapsed and died shortly after the robbery.
To add insult to injury, the disguise didn't work - with witnesses having no problem identifying the 23-year-old.
And before I get accused of racism I am part Irish on my old man's side.
Ian
Terro.
What great jobs we have for the collection of great human interes stories. Also lots of fun.
Ian