Comedian's humor disarms bandits
Sunday, January 26, 2003 Posted: 10:30 PM EST (0330 GMT)
TIRANA, Albania (Reuters) -- A famous Albanian comedian averted a highway robbery by making the bandits laugh, an Albanian newspaper reported Thursday.
The gangsters who aimed Kalashnikov rifles at Sejfulla Myftari's car recognized his shaved head and bulging eyes when he stepped out of it, the Shekulli daily said.
"Oh thanks, I haven't seen a Kalash (Kalashnikov) in ages -- will you let me hold it please," Myftari said, reaching to pat one of the guns as if it were a much-missed toy.
The bandits laughed and told Myftari and his friends to leave quickly so that they could hold up another car instead.
Armed hold-ups were common in Albania when the impoverished Balkan country plunged into anarchy in 1997, but they have become rare in recent years.
