You think you have troubles when stuck in a bad contract? How about these "truth is stranger than fiction" tales of people stuck where they shouldn't be.

A three-year-old climbed into a claw machine and spent an hour there before rescue. And where was his father? In the pub next door. "He's always been a mischievous boy," dad said, showing little concern.

A man thought it might be fun to put an orange traffic cone on his head, and got stuck. It took two hours for someone to finally call the police to help him.

Then there was the Melbourne guy who climbed into a top-loading washing machine, planning to surprise his partner. The washer had to be disassembled around him to get him out. "My advice," said a first responder, "would be for people to not climb into appliances." Ya think? These people vote and have children!

But I digress. We need to sharpen our skills to avoid the bridge equivalent of being trapped in a washing machine.