The Titanic Joke - 2001
Southern FM radio in Brighton (now Heart) announced
that a full-size replica of the Titanic (constructed by the
AFD Construction Company) would be visible from the
cliffs at Beachy Head as it sailed along the Sussex Coast.
Hundreds of people braved the windy, treacherous cliffs
to catch a glimpse of the sight. Many drove from as far
as 30 or 40 miles away. So many people showed up that
the cliffs developed a crack from their weight and a few
days later collapsed into the water (though by that time
everyone was gone). The radio station later apologised to
those who had been deceived.
The Deadline Joke - 2003
Glenn Howlett, an employee at London
City Hall was on holiday when he received
a memo from his co-workers informing
him that a deadline for a big report he was
working on had been brought forward.
Without a second thought, he cut his
holiday short to make the deadline.
However, in his panic he suffered heart
palpitations and collapsed from stress.
Whilst recovering, he decided finishing the
report wasn’t worth the risk to his health
and so filed for early retirement. After being
told of the ‘joke’ he sued the company for
damages which later resulted in London
City Hall banning employees from pulling
any more pranks.
By Jason Edge
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