“Yeah, I’d like to cash a cheque…”

This story made me and my officemates laugh out loud. Here’s how I imagine this man’s internal dialogue leading up to the event:

Hmmm. I really could use a joint. But I don’t have any money. I’ve heard that some people write up fake cheques and then cash them. Sounds like a plan. Let’s see, I need a couple hundred dollars. I’ll write a cheque for, say, $500. That ought to cover it. Hey wait. While I’m getting money for free, why don’t I get lots of money for free. What’s a lot of money? Ummm, a number with ten zeros behind it sounds like a lot of money. Why don’t I write a cheque for 340 billion dollars? That way, when I cash the cheque, I’ll never have to write another one. I’m so dumb. I should have thought of this sooner.

Obviously, it never occurred to him that there are many countries in this world that don’t even have that much money, never mind individuals who walk through the door wearing tanktops and shorts. Did he come to the bank with a 3 ton truck? Or did he think he could carry out that much cash in his pockets. I can see the mental machinery at work:

This will be so cool. I’ll get to see some of those billion-dollar bills. I wonder what they look like. Oh, and I’ll be able to start that record company I’ve always wanted to start. Wait, how much does it cost to start a record company? I’d better make that cheque a little bigger. Why don’t I write one for 360 billion dollars. I hope 20 billion dollars is enough to start a record company.