Falcon Heene
Historians will identify the end of last week as the moment when a question asked through the ages – has the world gone mad? – was finally and categorically answered in the affirmative by the Heene family of Colorado.
Authorities now say Richard Heene and his wife plotted to hoax the world into thinking their six-year-old son Falcon was stuck inside a runaway balloon contraption in order to increase their chances of getting on a reality TV show.
But instead of getting on TV Heene could be going to jail, possibly depriving the children who were central to the alleged plot a father for a good deal of time. And all because, apparently, he wanted a little bit of money and fame.
The worst - or maybe just the most memorable - thing about getting in trouble as a kid is that split second when you get sprung by your olds and the game is up.
America’s “Balloon boy” Falcon Heene will surely remember for the rest of his life the moment he first saw his dad after hiding for hours in the attic, fearing he would be yelled at after tampering with the balloon.
Most of us have a story about the worst things we did when we were kids but very few of them will be of Falcon’s order: “I started a national panic and a desperate mid-air chase of a balloon that was covered live on the network television for hours. People worried I was dead but I was just hiding in the attic.”
Continue reading "Sprung tales: the worst things you ever did as a kid" »
Latest 2 of 29 comments
View all comments-
Nic says:
When I was about 4 my mum had decorated a cake for a christening and left it on the dining table before it was to be delivered. Me being very jealous that my mummy hadn’t made us one, took a very nice bight out of the front of the heart… Read more »
-
Never again says:
I didn’t receive a scolding for this, but I certainly learned my lesson… Back when I was six or seven years old, I decided to try floating with a parasol, like I’d seen in a cartoon. i only jumped off a kiddy-chair, thank goodness. Mum kept telling me to knock… Read more »
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
To damage your reputation, hire Max Markson
``How do you start a small business? Give Warwick Fairfax a big one’‘, should be reworked… Read more
Most commented
The talk of the town
- Why there is no International Man’s Day 174
- I am woman, no comment. 130
- Art is the not the enemy in the fight against child porn 127
- Uncovered meat, Facebook and a simmering melting pot 114
- Even for angels a warm inner glow ain't hard cash 114
- Abbott slams Rudd team's robotic lipservice 37
- Former army chief says 'make love, not war' 18
- One small step for Kennedy, one giant leap for Obama 11
- To damage your reputation, hire Max Markson 3
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Gentle jabs to the ribs
Breaking news: Something is going on
Is this the greatest ever send-up of 24-hour news? Warning: contains strong language and hilarity. From… Read more

Latest 2 of 31 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment