Disastrous proposal idea in the news

[Cleo]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKL1490261220080314?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

LONDON (Reuters) - It is the one moment every man wants to get right -- and which London floor-fitter Lefkos Hajji could hardly have got more wrong.

The luckless 28 year-old''''s dreams of giving his sweetheart, Leanne, 26, the ultimate proposal have literally vanished into thin air.

Hajji, of Hackney, east London, had concealed a 6,000-pound engagement ring inside a helium balloon. The idea was that she would pop the balloon as he popped the question.

But as he left the shop, a gust of wind pulled the balloon from his hand and he watched the ring -- and quite possibly the affections of his girlfriend -- sailing away over the rooftops.

"I couldn''''t believe it," he told The Sun newspaper.

"I just watched as it went further and further into the air.

"I felt like such a plonker. It cost a fortune and I knew my girlfriend would kill me."

Hajji spent two hours in his car trying to chase and find the balloon, without success.

"I thought I would give Leanne a pin so I could literally pop the question," he said.

"But I had to tell her the story -- she went absolutely mad. Now she is refusing to speak to me until I get her a new ring."

He is hoping the ring will still turn up.

"It would be amazing if someone found it," he added.

 

[oldminer]

My initial impression in reading this was that is some HUGE engagement ring. What a strong wind to lift it up and away like that. Of course, then I realized we are reading about British Pounds in currency and the ring was much lighter since you don''t get a pound for a Pound when it comes to diamonds.

I hope someone finds the ring and gives it back to the poor guy. I have a pretty good idea of what a "plonker" is from reading this article.....

 

[MikeRato1]

ouchhhhhhhhh i hope an honest person finds that and returns it

 

[baby monster]

Sounds like urban legend to me. I think I''ve heard this story before.

 

[Gr8fulDave]

The funny thing is that before I heard this story I was getting the "Will You Marry Me" balloons that I had ordered over the Internet filled up with helium this past Friday and the saleslady asked me if I was going to tie the ring to the balloons. I guess I had more sense than the poor guy in the story because I said, as visions of the ring floating away were floating around in my mind, "No, I don''t think that is a good idea."

 

[niceice]

Date: 3/17/2008 2:07:37 PM
"I felt like such a plonker.

If this is true, it is truly tragic, but the guy provided the perfect summary of what I was thinking "what a plonker!" okay, I wasn''t exactly thinking "plonker" but by the sounds of it, it sounds like it means the same thing...

I wonder whether this type of loss would be covered by insurance? A few years ago one of our clients proposed during a group dinner party which was held on the balcony of a restaurant that overlooked the ocean. His fiance accidentally dropped the ring while passing it to one of her friends and it dropped through the spaces in the deck down to the ocean below. Our client had insured the ring with State Farm the day before and they covered the loss - of course there were more than a few witnesses.

 

[Independent Gal]

If it indeed came over the Reuters wire, it''s highly unlikely that it''s an urban legend. That''s pretty much the most respected new service in the world. It''s unlikely they''d publish a rumor and just make up quotations.

I think someone else posted about this story a few days ago on PS, Baby Monster, and that''s why you''ve heard it before.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/17/2008 7:05:50 PM
Author: niceice

Date: 3/17/2008 2:07:37 PM
'I felt like such a plonker.

If this is true, it is truly tragic, but the guy provided the perfect summary of what I was thinking 'what a plonker!' okay, I wasn't exactly thinking 'plonker' but by the sounds of it, it sounds like it means the same thing...

I wonder whether this type of loss would be covered by insurance? A few years ago one of our clients proposed during a group dinner party which was held on the balcony of a restaurant that overlooked the ocean. His fiance accidentally dropped the ring while passing it to one of her friends and it dropped through the spaces in the deck down to the ocean below. Our client had insured the ring with State Farm the day before and they covered the loss - of course there were more than a few witnesses.

LOL!!! 'Plonker' originates from a popular UK TV series called Only Fools and Horses. The charater Del Boy often refers to his younger brother Rodney as a plonker, when he makes a mistake ( frequently), " you plonker Rodney"!

Plonker is a most descriptive saying

and is commonly used in the UK, no wonder folks on the other side of the pond find it amusing!