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New York Times prints Net hoax

[UPDATED Jan. 4] Steven L. Lubetkin, a veteran public relations practitioner, writes in his blog that The New York Times was fooled by an Internet hoax.

In the lead item in the Metropolitan Diary Column in Monday's New York Times, a reader named Dorothy Seeber recounts her experience in a public restroom answering questions posed by the occupant of the adjoining stall.

Seeber writes:

I had barely sat down when I heard a voice from the other bathroom stall saying, "How are you?" I don't know what got into me, but I answered, somewhat embarrassed, "Doin' just fine." And the other person said, "So what are you up to?" (What kind of a question is that?)
At that point, I was thinking, "This is too bizarre," so I said, "Uh, I'm like you - just traveling." At this point I was just trying to get out as fast as I could when I heard another question. "Can I come over?" O.K., this question was just too weird for me, but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I answered: "No. I'm a little busy right now."

Then I heard the person say, nervously: "Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the next stall who keeps answering all my questions."

Lubetkin writes:

The only problem is, this isn't a first-person story. It's a joke that's been circulating on the Internet for years!
A simple Google search of the words "idiot next stall answer questions" brought up several references to this joke, and it's frankly surprising that the editors of the Metropolitan Diary column never received an email from a friend including this joke (look at Joke #2 under September 30). I've gotten it several times over the last several years, including from my Mom (sorry Mom, but your friends sent it to you)!

Some other references to the same joke:

http://www.snowbirds.org/csanews/issues/42/41.html

University of California, Berkeley Commencement Convocation: Faculty Address by Professor Alan Dundes, Professor of Anthropology and Folklore, 17 May 2002, where Professor Dundes claims it happened to him.

Bathroom Conversation at JokesEveryDay.Com

UPDATE [Jan. 4]: The New York Times ran this correction today: "A reader's contribution in the Metropolitan Diary on Monday misstated the origin of an anecdote about a cellphone conversation in a restroom that ended: 'I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the next stall who keeps answering my questions.' It has circulated for years; it was not based on the contributor's personal experience."

Discussion

3 comments about 'New York Times prints Net hoax'

Ok. A joke does not equal a hoax. Lubetkin never even called a hoax.

If you want to dump on the Metropolitan Diary for slumming it, go ahead. *All* of the contributions could be confused for B-grade material, the stuff given to talk show guests when they have nothing to talk about. The person who couldn't walk to a Doctor's appointment during the strike-- because the doctor is a podiatrist?

Posted by Jon Garfunkel at January 3, 2006 10:25 PM

In October from last year, a lot of media in Mexico was fooled by an urban legend (i don't know if can be considered a hoax).

The story said that you had to be aware of cars without lights, because it was part of a gang initiation ritual, in which they had to kill everyone in the first car that made the change of lights to them.

This urban legend can be found also in several parts in Latin America.

Posted by Netwalker at January 3, 2006 11:42 PM

New York Times published a Correction today (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/pageoneplus/corrections.html) that says: "A reader's contribution in the Metropolitan Diary on Monday misstated the origin of an anecdote about a cellphone conversation in a restroom that ended: "I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the next stall who keeps answering my questions." It has circulated for years; it was not based on the contributor's personal experience. "

Posted by Steve Lubetkin at January 4, 2006 7:34 AM

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