Outbreak: I'm glad I'm not the only one who habitually tells made-up stories to strangers I meet when traveling. I always used the excuse that I'm a novelist and I need to see if my characters stories' are legit, but really, it's just fun to mess with people.
I have a friend who, once, had the lady next to him on the plane convinced he was a stand-in NASCAR driver. He said that ever since Dale E. died, the sponsors won't risk their famous drivers anymore. So right before the race starts the celebrity driver switches places with a stunt driver, who then drives the race in secret.