This year’s list of genius proves the point of why people need life insurance.  These people walk amongst us and the ones that didn’t die; it is just a matter of time. If you know a friend or relative it is up to you to encourage the purchase of life insurance for the sake of the family before it is too late. Don’t punish the loved ones for the actions of an idiot.  Here is this year’s top 10.

10) When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home’s sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he’d ever had and the perp had been punished enough! This guy just wishes he would have died. Talk about bad breath.

9) The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 5 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 frustrated gunman walked away. I hate when fast food has rules like that. No wonder Burger King’s sales are down.

8) As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, “Yes, officer, that’s her. That’s the lady I stole the purse from.” Got to admit he was cooperative and stupid.

7) Seems an Arkansas 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. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape. The first clue was an “Arkansas guy”.

6) A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer… $15. Do they teach math in Louisiana schools?

5) An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police “that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit”. And now we will never know!

4) Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long flashlight he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor. Ever heard of a light on a hat?

3) A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her. This seems justifiable somehow. Who won the award?

2) Our Runner-Up: The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out a claims adjuster to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef’s claim was approved. Talk about dedication to his job! He is a keeper for some insurance company.

1) And the Winner is:  When his .38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked. I’ll bet the runner up claims adjuster could prove this really happened as well and he could win two awards.

The good news from these Darwin Awards, some will no longer be able to reproduce. Enjoy your day and smile.

“Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do.”–Bertrand Russell

Special thanks to www.darwinawards.com and www.joeforamerica.com for the image.

yourfriend4life.com

Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 26 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.