Tag Archives: advice
Rules for Bank Robbers — For Your Amusement!
RULES FOR BANK ROBBERS
According to the FBI, most modern-day bank robberies are “unsophisticated and unprofessional crimes,” committed by young male repeat offenders who apparently don’t know the first thing about their business. This information was included in an interesting, amusing article titled “How Not to Rob a Bank,” by Tim Clark, which appeared in the 1987 edition of The Old Farmers Almanac.
Clark reported that in spite of the widespread use of surveillance cameras, 76 percent of bank robbers use no disguise, 86 percent never study the bank before robbing it, and 95 percent make no long-range plans for concealing the loot. Thus, he offered this advice to would-be bank robbers, along with examples of what can happen if the rules aren’t followed:
1. Pick the right bank. Clark advises that you don’t follow the lead of the fellow in Anaheim, Cal., who tried to hold up a bank that was no longer in business and had no money. On the other hand, you don’t want to be too familiar with the bank. A California robber ran into his mother while making his getaway. She turned him in.
2. Approach the right teller. Granted, Clark says, this is harder to plan. One teller in Springfield, Mass., followed the holdup man out of the bank and down the street until she saw him go into a restaurant. She hailed a passing police car, and the police picked him up. Another teller was given a holdup note by a robber, and her father, who was next in line, wrestled the man to the ground and sat on him until authorities arrived.
3. Don’t sign your demand note. Demand notes have been written on the back of a subpoena issued in the name of a bank robber in Pittsburgh, on an envelope bearing the name and address of another in Detroit, and in East Hartford, Conn., on the back of a withdrawal slip giving the robber’s signature and account number.
4. Beware of dangerous vegetables. A man in White Plains, N.Y., tried to hold up a bank with a zucchini. The police captured him at his house, where he showed them his “weapon.”
5. Avoid being fussy. A robber in Panorama City, Cal., gave a teller a note saying, “I have a gun. Give me all your twenties in this envelope.” The teller said, “All I’ve got is two twenties.” The robber took them and left.
6. Don’t advertise. A holdup man thought that if he smeared mercury ointment on his face, it would make him invisible to the cameras. Actually, it accentuated his features, giving authorities a much clearer picture. Bank robbers in Minnesota and California tried to create a diversion by throwing stolen money out of the windows of their cars. They succeeded only in drawing attention to themselves.
7. Take right turns only. Avoid the sad fate of the thieves in Florida who took a wrong turn and ended up on the Homestead Air Force Base. They drove up to a military police guardhouse and, thinking it was a tollbooth, offered the security men money.
8. Provide your own transportation. It is not clever to borrow the teller’s car, which she carefully described to police. This resulted in the most quickly-solved bank robbery in the history of Pittsfield, Mass.
9. Don’t be too sensitive. In these days of exploding dye packs, stuffing the cash into your pants can lead to embarrassing stains, Clark points out, not to mention severe burns in sensitive places–as bandits in San Diego and Boston painfully discovered.
10. Consider another line of work. One nervous Newport, R.I., robber, while trying to stuff his ill-gotten gains into his shirt pocket, shot himself in the head and died instantly. Then there was the case of the hopeful criminal in Swansea, Mass., who, when the teller told him she had no money, fainted. He was still unconscious when the police arrived.
In view of such ineptitude, it is not surprising that in 1978 and 1979, for example, federal and state officers made arrests in 69 percent of the bank holdups reported.
On Becoming Seventy! A Few Reflections (Part 6 of 7) T=TRUSTING!
Groundhogs’ Day. February 2nd. That’s my birthday! Now, I think that Groundhogs’ Day ought to be declared a national holiday. This furry creature comes out of its comfortable underground home to prognosticate about the next six weeks of weather — Surely that deserves to be honored as a national holiday!
But it’s also my birthday. My 70th birthday. And as it approaches, I want to think about a couple of issues before it is “here.”
We’re using the acronym SEVENTY as our guide. We’ve thought about the letter “S” (survival), the letter “E” (for engagement), the letter “V” (for victory), the letter “E” for (evangelism), and the letter “N” (for newness). Let’s think about the letter “T” for TRUSTING!
Linda and I are in the stage where TRUSTING the Lord has become very real. And sometimes quite difficult. When our children (or our grandchildren) face challenges, we want to rescue them, fix all their problems, help them (with godly advice, of course) to overcome all their obstacles. but sometimes all we can do is . . . TRUST.
So, after almost 49 years of marriage, we are getting much more serious about praying together. So after we’ve both had our coffee in the morning, we sit on our couch and we pray. We lift up our children and their families to the One Who is worthy of our TRUST. But it’s a lot easier to give advice (when it’s not asked for) or to worry in silence about circumstances and situations. I’m not sure it’s easier to TRUST when one gets older, but, in some sense, the options get more limited as time goes on.
Would you pray this prayer with me? “Lord Who Is Worthy of My Trust, please forgive me for relying way too much on my wisdom, foresight, advice. Help me and my wife to TRUST You in all circumstances ‘as long as we both shall live.’ In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Good advice — from Kids!
Never trust a dog to watch your food. Patrick, Age 10
When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents. Matthew, Age 12
Never smart off to a teacher whose eyes and ears are twitching. Andrew, Age 9
Wear a hat when feeding seagulls. Rocky, Age 9
Sleep in your clothes so you’ll be dressed in the morning. Stephanie, Age 8
Never try to hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. Rosemary, Age 7
Don’t flush the toilet when you dad’s in the shower. Lamar, Age 10
Never ask for anything that costs more than five dollars when your parents are doing taxes.
Carrol, Age 9
Never bug a pregnant mom. Nicholas, Age 11
Don’t ever be too full for dessert. Kelly, Age 10
When your dad is mad and asks you, “Do I look stupid?”don’t answer him. Heather, Age 16
Never tell your mom her diet’s not working. Michael, Age 14
Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat. Joel, Age 12
When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she’s on the phone. Alyesha, Age 13
Never try to baptize a cat. Laura, Age 13
Never spit when on a roller coaster. Scott, Age 11
Never do pranks at a police station. Sam, Age 10
Beware of cafeteria food when it looks like it’s moving. Rob, Age 10
Never tell your little brother that you’re not going to do what your mom told you to do. Hank, Age 12
Remember you’re never too old to hold your father’s hand. Molly, Age 11
Listen to your brain. It has lots of information. Chelsey, Age 7
Stay away from prunes. Randy, Age 9
Never dare your little brother to paint the family car. Phillip, Age 13
Forget the cake, go for the icing. Cynthia, Age 8
Dr. Larry Dixon
larrydixon.wordpress.com 