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Originally Posted by akv
If you ever get a chance to hit the Berlin Wall Museum, it's defintely worth it IMHO. Liberals and advocates of a socialist state might be shocked at the lengths folks went to escape " The Worker's Paradise."
Of note was the story of a young man who figured out a certain convertible would clear below the height of the checkpoint barricade. He practiced accelerating in a straight line in reverse while leaning over into the passenger seat. He put his girlfriend in the trunk, drove up to the checkpoint acted lost and then turned back, when the guards relaxed he leaned over into the passenger seat and floored it backwards to freedom. One cool customer.
The other interesting story was that of the border guard who astutely surmised the crowd of East Germans crossing the first day was larger than the capacity of his magazine. The guide revealed a consistent request from folks who crossed was for bananas and ketchup, apparently neither a priority in East Germany.
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You are correct AKV,
Some of the escape stories are incredible. The man who built a hot air balloon at home and then flew his family to freedom, the stunt pilot who did the same thing but with an airplane. How about the doctor who swam to Denmark? Another guy did it but with a kayak. The stories go on...