Urban Legends

[Justanormalguy]

ACTUAL transcript of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. This radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on 10-10-95.
Americans: "Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision."

Canadians: "Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision."

Americans: "This is the captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course."

Canadians: "No, I say again, you divert YOUR course."

Americans: "THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH. THAT'S ONE-FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."

Canadians: "This is a lighthouse. Your call."

 

[LancsLad]

Thats an oldie but a goodie.

 

[Aardvark154]

ACTUAL transcript of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995.

Its a very active lighthouse - I've seen it move from Newfoundland to B.C., to Scotland, Ireland, and even Norway.

 

[glaeken]

It's an urban legend that has been "floating" around since the 60's. The name of the ship keeps changing suggesting that the story is fabricated.

http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthse.htm

 

[Hockey_MLnut]

seems like something that would happen.

 

[oldjones]

seems like something that would happen.

But pretty much all lighthouses were automated in the last century. Canada keeps one (not in Newfoundland) staffed "for sovereignty reasons".

So maybe it might have been plausible twenty or so years ago, if you can imagine the bridge crew being so unaware of the sort of dangerous local shoals and rocks lighthouses were built to mark. But not in 1995, and even more unlikely w/ an entire carrier group.

As well, the Lincoln appears to have spent most of its time working from Pacific bases and most of 1995 in the far East and the Arabian Gulf. Ain't Gooogle great.

But the punchline's still a hit.

 

[Questor]

It's an urban legend that has been "floating" around since the 60's. The name of the ship keeps changing suggesting that the story is fabricated.

http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthse.htm

Maybe the captains of US naval ships just haven't figured out how to tell the difference between a lighthouse and a ship. Hence multiple incidents have been reported.

 

[blackdog]

I read a variation of this one i think in an old issue of Esprit de Corps mag. It could of been from the 80s when it was more of a newsletter than a magazine. I have it somewhere in a box of junk from my military days. It was in the pacific involving americans comming south headed for a stop at CFB Asquimalt.