SPY: Funny bank robbery stories

Bank robberies are no laughing matter. Or are they? Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

As staff hooted with laughter at the bare-chested robber who fled a Hamilton bank this week after first demanding $10, then 50 cents, we look at some other bank robberies gone bad and chortle at the stupidity. Have you got any funny bank robbery stories to share?

1. Last year a bank robber in America accidentally left his wallet at the scene after fleeing with cash. It didn't take long for the cops to find him. He'd left his driver's license, a social security, even a criminal registration card.

2. A robbery suspect who accidentally left his mobile phone at a bank after running off with the loot, was swiftly traced by the police thanks to the man's mobile phone provider, who charged him for roaming. He was out of state.

3. A man went into a bank, pulled a gun, announced a robbery, and pulled a brown paper bag over his face as a mask, but only then realised he'd forgotten to cut eyeholes in the bag.

4. In San Francisco a bank robber apparently walked into a Bank of America branch and wrote, "This iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag." But then he panicked that someone had seen him write the note and would call the cops. He walked out, crossed the road to a Wells Fargo bank and walked up to the teller with the note. She told him she couldn't possibly accept his stick-up note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Defeated, he said "OK" and left. She called the cops who found him in the queue at the Bank of America.

5. OK, this isn't set in a bank, but it's funny nonetheless. A gun-toting robber in Colorado Springs demanded cash from a corner store. When the clerk followed his demand, the robber then demanded a bottle of scotch from behind the counter on the shelf as well. The clerk refused because he didn't believe the thief was over 21. The robber insisted he was, but the clerk still refused. Fed up, the robber showed his driver's license to prove he was of age. The bottle of scotch went in the bag and the robber fled. But the police arrested him two hours later when the clerk gave up the name and address of the robber from the license.

6. An Ontario man robbed a Bank of Montreal branch but was arrested a few hours after the robbery when he attempted to deposit his loot into his account at the same bank.

7. A Massachusetts man held up a bank and claimed he had a bomb in his bag, but when he was arrested by police they found the bag actually contained books, including a phone book that had a mailing label with the man's full name and address details.

8. A thief covered his face with a pair of blue women's underwear and used a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter in a botched robbery. The cashier refused to hand over the money and the robber fled to his car parked out front. But the cashier gave a full description of the make and model of the car, including the license plate, and the cops quickly caught up with him.

9. After robbing three banks in Tennessee, a man took his clothes to a dry cleaners with the hold-up note still in the pocket of his shirt.

10. A bank robber was left behind at the scene of the crime when the getaway driver panicked and drove off. Thinking on his feet, he attempted to steal a nearby car, but discovered it was an unmarked police car with by two cops inside.