To not point out story is an urban legend?

[StingLikeA]

I was in a group earlier of parents of DC's friends at a party. We were chatting away and one of them told an urban legend story (stealing a penguin from the zoo if that's relevant). I just went 'oh really ha ha' and moved the subject on as it felt really awkward.

Would you have politely pointed out that the story was a crock of shit to avoid them repeating it again? AIBU to have ignored it and presumably let them keep on telling it?

Has anyone else been told one of these face to face?

There was even an entire spoof newspaper, which we sort of believed when young, spoofing the population. I can’t remember the title, not the Daily Sport as I don’t think there was any smut in it.

I helped a friend who was new to contact lenses (this was a hard lens, years back) remove one that was stuck - she was on the point of ringing for help. We got it to float off using an eye bath.
I don't know about penguins, but I knew a guy who stole a (non-poisonous) snake from a zoo (he was somewhat drunk at the time). His girlfriend was very angry and told him to take it back, but I heard he simply let it go in the street.

Jeezo... please dont tell me your in Central Scotland because I have heard this one too 😬

Was it an Oor Wullie story? 😂

Shame you weren’t aware of the BBC article linked on this thread. You could acted have really believed her and said how cruel, you assume it died poor thing. Then say - did you say your sister? What’s her name? I’ll have to check if reward is still on offer and report you so you can give police full details.

Mine is the mum who was staying with her daughter, and was off to the doctors for a pap smear so sprayed some nice smelling stuff down below and headed off tp the doctor. Whilst he was doing the pap smear the doctor commented "you are looking very jazzy today". She was confused but went home. Went to the the bathroom and checked the bottle and it was glitter hairspray.
I was told the exact same story a month later by someone who was from a different group of friends. Very funny though

I think that would be pretty diffficult physiologically speaking, but nerves can get trapped when reducing a dislocated joint

There's also this case.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-54248020

... and I saw someone once with of six of them (wrapped in cellophane) in a trolley in Tescos.

Love a good urban legend! The one that went around on WhatsApp a year or so ago about the joint stag and hen do in Amsterdam is probably the worst 🙈

An urban legend I heard lots of was that homeless people got extra benefits for their dogs, hence so many had dogs with them. I worked for DHSS at the time, writing the cheques, I knew very well they didn't. People argued with me that the homeless got double if they had a dog.

I wouldn’t say anything in this case as it’s harmless. Some urban legends are nothing more than scaremongering however, in which case I may speak up. It would depend on what was being said.

His knackers must have been the size of the rugby ball for that to happen.

Our shiny new KFC(it was so long ago it had its full name) was built at the side of a sea water lake so the animal ending up battered in ours was seagull. No one questioned why the population wasnt decreasing or how they were capturing enough birds without anyone is seeing.

I once called out someone retelling the snake urban legend, they were adamant it was their friend which I found crazy, a few years later I was called out for retelling the David Beckham paying off someone’s mortgage story and felt totally humiliated. I’m normally quite cynical but the story was from an uncle who lived not far from the beckhams so seemed legit!

Snopes has a “Penguin in backpack” section

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/birdnapped/

I often check Urban Myths on Snopes … the “classic” section is full of stuff

Kentucky Fried Rat https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/critter-fritter/

I remember that one

and one about someone buying a Doberman puppy in a pub, taking it to the vets because it wasn’t eating dog food and it turned out to be a Black and Tan guinea pig. Love that one.

I’m a HCP and have been told countless times about the elderly, toothless patient from whom a nurse accepted and ate some Brazil nuts, only to be later told by the patient that he had sucked the chocolate off them.

Oh and about someone who had a party trick of putting a snooker ball in their mouth, but one day did the cue ball instead (which is either bigger or smaller I can’t remember) and then either had to have all their front teeth out or died… I can’t remember the ending

Lutz Pfannenstiel ‘borrowed’ a penguin.

Its unlikely she is the one. Involved but multiple penguins have been stolen from zoos. And if she said something smaller chicks and ducking get robbed from pet farms daily.

I saw that one recently on insta so scary

Yeah, well, obviously it wasn’t true, hence me feeling stupid. What can I say, I was young and gullible and the guy was a former paramedic who told a convincing story. 😆

I remember the KFC one except it was a mouse not a rat and the spider one!

In primary school back in the 90s, one girl said her and her sister said "the candyman" three times into a mirror and he appeared in it and started slashing her.
Absolute bollocks obviously but a few believed her.

Aw, don’t say anything. It can make people feel a bit shit. I can be quite gullible I must admit. I’m not stupid (I don’t think😆) but I do tend to take things at face value a lot. I’ve showed DP quite a few videos, only to have hm say ‘That’s AI. It’s really obvious.’ Not to me apparently. I suppose his scathing comments have helped me spot fake stuff. But it makes me feel very small. Maybe I’m too sensitive.