Chinese Whispers, Redirected Traffic, and Stink Bombs: Which is the Lie?

Yes, all right, I’ll join in with this silly challenge.

Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash

I tend to be a bit of a curmudgeon about writing prompts, because when I am tempted to participate, it throws out my carefully planned writing schedule. The two-truths-and-a-lie challenge is presently infecting writers on this platform. Here’s a great example from The Celtic Chameleon, another from Sir Paul Combs (Knight of the Dillon Empire), another from PJ Jackelman, another from Mark Holburn… I could go on and on. Cases are increasing. It may not be at pandemic levels, but this writing prompt may yet go airborne. Anyway, enough of this waffling pre-amble. Here are my two truths and one lie from incidents in my life. You have to guess which is the lie.

A Chinese Whisper Fiasco

During a TV shoot in Washington DC, on my way back to our hotel (situated in what I was informed was a slightly questionable neighbourhood), a colleague and I passed a gang of youths who yelled at us aggressively from across the street. I ignored them, but when we got back, I could see my companion, Bob (not his real name), was shaken. I asked why, and he was concerned the gang might have had guns. Being from the UK, the gun thing hadn’t occurred to me, but I thought nothing more of the…