I've heard this story before and never figured whether its true or not.

[dipsydoodle]

It amuses me anyway.

Mr Singh walked into a bank in Central London and asks for the loan officer. He says he is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow £5,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for such a loan, so the Mr Singh hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checks out, and the bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. An employee drives the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there. Two weeks later, the man returns, repays the £5, 000 and the interest, which comes to £15. 41. The loan officer says, "We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled sir. While you were away on business, we checked you out and found that you are a multi-millionaire! What puzzles us is why would you bother to borrow £5, 000?" Mr Singh replied, "Where else in Central London can I park my car for two weeks for £15 ?

[Shrike47]

1. See Snopes on this one.

[dipsydoodle]

3. There's an even funnier urban legend here

Email tale about 'a very pleasant attendant" who, for 25 years running, showed up every day at Bristol Zoo and collected parking fees from visitors, then one day simply vanished with all the cash. Turns out the zoo had never hired a car park attendant.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/humor/a/bristol_zoo_car_park_attendant.htm

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. I suspect it's false.

It's a nice story, though.

I am reminded of another story, almost certainly apocryphal, that my father -- a former engineer officer in the Royal Navy -- told me. In the RN, promotion to certain ranks requires one pass an oral exam before a board of three officers. A man is being examined for promotion to Chief Engine Room Artificer, and is asked: 'You are standing on the engine room flat in this ship, and the high pressure, superheated steam line overhead ruptures. What do you do?' The man replies, 'Pray that God will forgive my sins while dying horribly.' The other two officers agreed that this was the correct answer.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Fairly sure it's an urban myth; a good one, though!