Number One Idiot of 2002
I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the
poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she
caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the
ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter in to
the hospital. She calmed down and at the end of the conversation happened
to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to
kill the ants. I told her that she better bring her daughter into the
emergency room right away. Here's your sign, lady. Wear it with pride.


Number Two Idiot of 2002
Early this year, some Boeing employees on the airfield decided to steal a
life raft from one of the 747s. They were successful in getting it out of
the plane and home. Shortly after they took it for a float on the river,
they noticed a Coast Guard helicopter coming towards them. It turned out
that the chopper was homing in on the emergency locator beacon that
activated when the raft was inflated. They are no longer employed at
Boeing. Here's your sign, guys. Don't get it wet.


Number Three Idiot of 2002
A true story out of San Francisco: A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of
America, walked into the branch And wrote "this iz a stikkup. Put all your
muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the
teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and
might call the police before he reached the teller's window. So he left the
Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few
minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it
and, surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light
in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because
it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either
have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America.
Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left. He was arrested a
few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America. Don't
bother with this guy's sign. He probably couldn't read it anyway.


Number Four Idiot of 2002
A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured
his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received, in the
mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent
the police department a photograph of $40. Several days later, he received
a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of
handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $40.
Another sign (though this guy might be onto something worth thinking
about)!


Number Five Idiot of 2002
A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all of
the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the
robber saw a bottle of Scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the
shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier
refused and said, "Because I don't believe you are over 21." The robber
said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he
didn't believe him. At this point, the robber took his driver's license out
of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over and agreed
that the man was in fact over 21 and he put the Scotch in the bag. The
robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called
the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the
license. They arrested the robber two hours later. This guy definitely
needs a sign.!


Number Six Idiot(s) of 2002
A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving
revolvers. The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved,
the startled first bandit shot him. This guy doesn't need a sign, he
probably figured it out himself.


Number Seven Idiot of 2002
Arkansas: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that
he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some
booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head
at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on
the head, knocking him unconscious. It seems the liquor store window was
made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape. Oh, that
smarts. Give him his sign.


Number Eight Idiot of 2002
Ann Arbor: The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into
a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 12:50 A.M., flashed a gun and
demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open
the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings,
the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated,
walked away. Sign please.

(Please note that all of the above people are allowed to vote.)