Funniest Thing for July

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is GLENDA McMURRAY of Georgetown, IL:

The first time that I rode on the Paris Métro, I followed all of the safety advice people had given me. I carried a wallet with my money and credit cards around my neck, but I used my purse to carry my guidebook, camera and other things.

As I got into the very crowded car, I held tightly onto an overhead strap and kept my balance. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my purse strap. I pulled back, he pulled, I pulled back and so on. The car stopped, people moved out and I finally had enough room to see who was trying to steal my purse.

Turning around, I found a little old man with an umbrella with a hooked handle under his arm. At the same time we both burst out laughing because I realized he thought I was trying to steal his umbrella and he realized I thought he was trying to steal my purse.