That got their attention. They did their best, and were relieved when he left, taking money but without detonating anything.
What they did not know -– but what the police quickly discovered -– was that his "bomb" was actually a road flare.
The police officers also found that the nifty new car in which both man and flare had exited the scene was one he'd taken out for a test drive just before his expedition to the bank.
They unearthed this information at the same time they ran down the getaway car itself: The bank robber had immediately returned it to the dealer's showroom, then gone quietly away.
If you have any stories of stupid criminals, e-mail me or leave them on my MB, k?
