STICK IT, YOU THUGS

A pair of wanna-be carjackers in Washington, D.C, found that their getaway was anything but automatic -- after discovering the vehicle had a manual transmission that neither one of them could drive.

The men forced the driver and passenger out of the car and into the trunk, but brought one out to drive when confronted with the stick shift. While he drove them part-way to their destination, he bolted the scene, leaving them to fend for themselves -- and leaving his female friend in the trunk.

The carjackers tried to master the stick in one easy lesson, but failed and took off themselves. A manhunt is currently underway.

Source: Washington Examiner

HIS PLAN DIDN'T FLY

A California man who tried to steal a small plane at gunpoint couldn't get his plot off the ground -- because he forgot to unchain the Cessna from the tarmac before attempting takeoff.

Troy Long went into the office at Compton-Woodley airport just outside Los Angeles and grabbed a fistful of keys, finding one set that matched a plane that struck his fancy. He got into the cockpit, fired up the engine and tried to take off, but found that something was holding him back -- not his conscience, but a thick chain used to hold the craft in place.

He was still revving the engine when cops arrived to yank him out of the pilot's seat and into the back seat of a cruiser.

Source: KNBC

HE FRAMED HIMSELF

Not all publicity is good publicity, as a British felon found out when cops were able to arrest him -- by waiting around the hideout he'd decorated with press clippings about his criminal history.

The man, whose name was not released due to British laws about such things, was found hiding in a closet of an apartment in which he'd nailed up framed stories about his crimes, complete with photos. He was hauled in on assault charges, and the guy whose apartment he was using was jailed for harboring a fugitive.

You might call it a picture-perfect bust.

Source: Mirror (U.K.)