Meh. (Photo credit: Patrick Haney)
You’ve heard it all before. My brothers cousins friend, knows a man who knows a man, who swears – Insert particularly gruesome hilarious story here…. Are there ever occasions that in these myths or allegorical tales or lessons, there is some small shred of truth, a nugget of reality?
Yes there are. – Here’s my urban not so myth!
I used to work for an international airline with a very famous owner and a red uniform. I did this for the early part of my twenties and like any type of job, there were always the stories. Ghost stories that kept you awake on long night flights, crash tales that were complete baloney, usually involving some element of fate and the pranks and naughty stories that get more and more exaggerated.
Recently I was on the tube in London and two young women with their suitcases are discussing an airline urban myth, the one about the woman who slept-walked naked in a New York Hotel on Lexington Avenue on the 12th floor and is caught on security camera’s.
“Oh, I’ve heard that story before” – Air Hostess one said
“I am sure half these stories are made up” – Air Hostess Two said.
They were completely oblivious to the middle-aged woman sat next to them with her kindle upside down and a bright red face and whilst the security camera bit and the tape being handed to the Captain is false, the sleepwalker and the naked bit are most definitely true.
I remember getting off the flight and feeling dog tired after landing in Newark. The coach dropped us off and in NYC, we only got a single night layover. I got into my room, had a shower, wrapped myself in a towel and sat on the bed to watch some cable. The next thing I knew I was on the twelfth floor wearing nothing but a confused expression and minus the towel. I ended up finding a security guard who lent me his jacket so I could go down to reception and get a new key card. I told a friend of mine what had happened on the flight back to Heathrow the next day and the story has gone into legend, with multiple versions and some quite intriguing embellishments.
So next time you hear, one of those, y’know stories…. Don’t automatically write it off…..
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who knew? I never once considered the stars of Urban Myths…what an awesome skew to something droll already…now go put some clothes on!!
When I first woke up, I clearly remember thinking I’m dreaming this can’t be real. Lol, it really got me thinking though, how many more of these “myths” have some grain of truth to them?
That’s me in the corner…that’s me in the spot.. light…. 😜
Probably the most embarrassed, I have ever been. The security guard was almost as embarrassed as me too.
Wow. That must have been horrifically embarrassing, and to have it retold… even more so. BUt i think a little part of me would have been secretly proud and thought “hey, i’m an urban legend!”
An ex colleague of mine told me once of the night he woke up outside his house naked and looking at his locked front door. Luckily his parents lived only quarter of a mile away but it must have seemed like a marathon as he ran through the streets, through the night to wake them…
Made me laugh out loud, your poor friend!. Some memories are much stronger than others and this is one that I really don’t want. I do think it’s funny now though. Time, does some amazing things! P.S I think your wrong about a couple of things on your list…. Marriage, Children and the house….. Never say never.
Well, today’s disaster is tomorrow’s dinner party story
I’m maybe exaggerating with the marriage – that’s only unlikely. But the house – not gonna happen unless i come by enough cash to buy outright; and kids… well, that’s definitely a never!