Mr. Goodwrench

Alan Pinto of Liverpool, England, bought a hamster for his son. But by the time he got home, the animal had escaped from its box, so Pinto took his 24,000 pound (US$36,000) Mercedes to his mechanic with orders to find it. The mechanics tore out the interior and started on the bodywork without finding it. “After four days and 25 mechanics working on it, it was turning into a farce,” said a spokeswoman for the garage, which charged 300 pounds for the service. That's when the service manager's wife suggested luring it out with a female hamster. “Within seconds, Hammy popped his head from the skeleton of the Mercedes and was caught as he scurried towards his furry mate,” a newspaper reported. “It is the scent of a woman which can trap the most elusive of men,” the spokeswoman said. (PA) ...At least, that's the story Pinto told his wife when she saw the 300-pound bill for “stripping services and one female baiter”.