CLASSIFIED AD
Back in 1978, Paul Harvey reported the following true story from Pretoria, South Africa:
A newspaper tried to correct a classified ad. Because the ad, as it was first printed, said, quote: The Rev. A. J. Jones has color TV set for sale. Telephone 555-1313 after 7 P.M. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him, cheap.
So…the next day the Pretoria paper printed a correction, quote: We regret any embarrassment caused to Rev. Jones by a typographical error in yesterday’s editions. It should have read, ‘The Rev. A. J. Jones has color TV set for sale, cheap. Telephone 555-1313 and ask for Mrs. Donnelly who lives with him after 7 P.M.’
Then the next day…the paper said: The Rev. A. J. Jones informs us he has received several annoying telephone calls because of an incorrect advertisement in yesterday’s paper. It should have read, ‘The Rev. A. J. Jones has color TV set for sale. Cheap. Telephone after 7 P.M. 555-1313 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who loves with him.’
ONE DAY LATER…: Please take notice that I, the Rev. Jones, have no TV set for sale. I have smashed it. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Donnelley. She was until yesterday my housekeeper.
Yesterday one more ad: WANTED a housekeeper. Telephone the Rev. A. J. Jones 555-1313. Usual housekeeping duties, good pay, love in.
End quote.