Video:Classic Urban Legends
with Jonathon E. StewartUrban legends aren't just a product of the 21st century - they've been around for as long as stories have been passed around. Take a walk down memory lane with nine classic urban legends.See Transcript
Transcript:Classic Urban Legends
Remember hearing about ol' Mikey, who'd try anything, suffering the lethal effects of combining Pop Rocks and Coca Cola? Or the time Tommy Hilfiger got booted off Oprah for spewing racist remarks? Or that particular brand of trouble Richard Gere ran into in an emergency room in the '80s? Well, settle in for a little history lesson on these classic urban legends, where we set the record straight.Car Headlights Urban Legend
If you see a car coming towards you at night with its headlights off, don't be afraid to flash your lights as a little reminder––no gang initiation on record involves following and hunting down good Samaritans like you.The Quacking Duck
Just because a duck's quack is relatively quiet, and is usually heard in wide open spaces like ponds or fields, doesn't mean the sound doesn't bounce. Quacks tested in the sound booth, do indeed make an echo.Groceries in the Back Seat
As the summer heats up, you may not want to keep your groceries in the back of your hot car for too long if the AC's not working, but don't worry too much about getting shot in the back of the head with a tube of biscuit dough––if that happened, it would be a first.Alligators in the Sewer
Finally, you can lay rest to any worries about alligators in the sewers of any major city in the US, least of all Manhattan––have no fear that your cat will secretly steal your baby's breath, or anyone else's, when you're not looking––and, if you're looking for a freebie 4.0 GPA this semester, don't count on it coming your way by any misfortune that happens to befall your roommate.Tommy Hilfiger and Oprah
And, for good measure, Mikey - the real life John Gilchrist - was last reported alive and well and working as a radio ad exec in New York City; Oprah recently had Tommy Hilfiger on her show for the first time to dispel the old racist rumors, and Richard Gere, well, turns out that even the very act of gerbiling is in fact an urban legend. And c'mon. Richard Gere. He's awesome.I'm Jonathon Stewart with About.com.
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