Local legends

I saw this article the other day about debunking 'scientific' myths and it got me thinking about urban legends. You know, the stories that went round when you were a kid about well known people, or the tales that served as a warning not to do something. Here are some of the ones I remember:

• The one about the guy who took drugs that caused him to think that he was a carrot and he grated himself to death - the mental picture of this was pretty disgusting....and I never questioned it at the time, but how exactly would this happen? Did he just rub himself up against the grater? Please tell me someone else remembers that one.


• That the guy from the IHC ads, Roly Heihei, drowned in the swimming pool that featured in the ad he appeared in.


• Chewing your hair gave you hair balls....thanks Mum.


• When you 'pash' someone, their saliva remains in your system for 3 months - I remember being told this one in a 4th form science class, and everyone turning to look at the girl who had 'got with' about ten guys at the school dance the week before and seeing her expression of horror.


• Another one from tv - Vesi, the guy from the stay in school ad - at leasst I think that's what it was for - ("Vesi's chicken eh", "Give him another ten", "Yeah, another ten") - committed suicide because he got so many hassles for doing that ad.


• The chain letters that went round - I always felt compelled to send them to the eight people I was required to so I would avoid the impending doom that would result if I didn't. And this was the days before computers were mainstream so I had to write each one out by hand. I remember once being really panicked that I'd never manage to write out all the copies and get them posted before the three day bad luck deadline.


• The rumour Jason Gunn was a crack head. I'm still not sure that one's entirely false. Especially after that Jason's Tinny House sketch he did.

Do you have any that you remember from when you were a kid?

Picture source: www.liveupdater.com