Old Apple Joke

We used have an old Microsoft joke that we enjoyed telling when I worked at Apple.

One day, some Apple engineers and Microsoft engineers ended up at the same train station on their way to a conference. After each Microsoft engineer bought a train ticket, they watched and wondered as the Apple engineers only bought a single ticket for their entire group.

On the train ride, just before the train conductor came to punch tickets. The Microsoft engineers saw the entire group of Apple engineers pile into the lavatory. The Microsoft engineers watched as the train conductor knocked on the lavatory door and said, "Ticket, please." They were amazed when the lavatory door opened a crack with a hand holding out a single ticket which the train conductor punched, returned, and went on his way.

On the train ride back from the conference, the Microsoft engineers, never wanting to let an opportunity to pass without copying Apple, bought one train ticket for their group. But, this time, they were puzzled when the Apple engineers boarded the train without purchasing a single train ticket.

Just before the train conductor came to collect tickets, the Microsoft engineers all piled into the lavatory just as they'd seen their Apple counterparts do.

At this point, one of the Apple engineers knocked on the lavatory door and said, "Ticket, please."