So why on earth do people stll forward urban legends? Does it not seem somewhat implausible to read that microwaving food "...causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food"? If it were true, would there not have been mass poisonings throughout the microwave-prevalent reaches of the world, hospitals overflowing and doctors perplexed, with an accompanying public outcry and panic? Oh but "Sheryl Crow said that exact same thing"! OMG then it must be true.
I can't think of the number of times I have politely replied to perfectly sane folks, some of them my friends (referring them to urban legend sites like snopes.com or urban legends) who seemingly read this garbage with their critical faculties on hold. Perhaps there's a cachet about being first to "pass it on". They just don't seem to get it. It must be like a drug - the racing heart, the thrill of discovering the world is conspiring against us, full of wild-eyed villains lurking like goblins.
Let's see, what have people in my networks informed me with a completely straight face? That Bill Gates wants to give me some money (lots). That I should look out for men in shopping mall carparks inviting me to sniff samples of perfume so they can knock me out and do unspeakable things. Or to look out for flyers under the windscreen wiper when I look in the rear vision mirror - oh, but don't get out of the car! It's a trick, and there are villains lurking who will leap into the driver's seat and steal your car! It happened at the mall just down the road! True!
I feel better now.
