Everyone’s heard about alligators living in New York City’s sewage system. But have you heard the story about the little girl who sent her doll away to be repaired, and got a macabre surprise? We tell each of these stories on episode 5 of The Myth Next Door. Sources for this episode include: “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” by Jan Harold Brunvand; “Can Alligators Live in Sewers?” by David Mikkelson, Snopes.com; “The Truth About Alligators in the Sewers of New York” by Corey Kilgannon, NYTimes.com; “Meet Eleonore, the crocodile found in the Paris sewers in 1984” by Oliver Gee, TheEarfulTower.com; “Yes, they really have found alligators in the New York sewer system” by Barbara Speed, CityMetric.com; “The Mexican Pet” by Brunvand; AmericanGirl.com; “Cabbage Patch Kids” on Wikipedia; “There’s a Psychological Reason Dolls Are So Spooky” by Shayla Love, Vice.com

You definitely remember the classic scary story about a menacing man with a metal appendage on the loose. But have you heard how a suspiciously low-priced car may be more than you bargained for? Both of these legends are covered in episode 4 of The Myth Next Door. Sources for this episode include: “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” by Jan Harold Brunvand; “The Hook” on Wikipedia; “The Hook” by David Mikkelson for Snopes.com; “Texarkana Moonlight Murders” on Wikipedia; “Psychiatric Illness and Criminality” by Ghiasi, Azhar and Singh; “Vroom with a Phew” by David Mikkelson for Snopes.com; “'I think it's a death car': Mysterious 1960 Lincoln may have gruesome backstory” by Brent Ashcroft for Freep.com; “Police: Customer at Des Moines used car lot finds body inside van for sale” by KOMO Staff for KOMOnews.com

We’re sure you’ve heard the story of the babysitter who received frightening phone calls while on the job. But what about the one where a cuckolded spouse takes his revenge on the apparent evidence? We cover both of these legends in episode 3 of The Myth Next Door. Sources for this episode include: “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” by Jan Harold Brunvand; “The Truth Behind ‘The Babysitter & The Man Upstairs’ Urban Legend” by Claire Linic, Medium.com; “Who killed Janett Christman?” by T.J. Greaney, Colombia Daily Tribune; “Cement in Lover’s Car Revenge?” by David Mikkelson, Snopes.com; “Furious husband fills wife’s car with cement after she legally changed her surname to a supermarket chain to promote the store where she works” by Mailonline Reporter, DailyMail.com

Have you heard the story of the driver who gave a lonely woman a ride, but couldn't get her to her final destination? Have you received a chain email with a valuable recipe attached? Both of these stories get covered in episode 2 of The Myth Next Door. Sources for this episode include: "The Mexican Pet" and "The Vanishing Hitcchhiker" by Jan Harold Brunvand; '“Supernatural” Beginnings in North American Folklore: The Vanishing Hitchhiker and La Llorona' by David J. Shewmaker, Artifacts Journal; 'Vanishing hitchhiker' article on Wikipedia; "Urban Legend: The Vanishing Hitchhiker" by Amy Giuffrida, Midnight Society Tales; "The $250 Cookie Recipe" by Barbara Whitaker, The New York Times; "The Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie," NeimanMarcus.com

Did you hear the one about the woman who smuggled home a street dog from Tijuana, only to get a nasty surprise? How about the one about the woman who tried to relieve herself on a ski trip and got more adventure than she bargained for? Both of these belief tales get covered in episode 1 of The Myth Next Door. Sources for this episode include: "The Mexican Pet" by Jan Harold Brunvand "Guy Tries to Buy Toy Poodles, Gets Fluffy, Steroid-Pumped Giant Ferrets Instead" by Ashley Feinberg, Gizmodo.com "How Skiing Went From the Alps to the Masses" by Andrew Denning, TheAtlantic.com "Scott Kennedy - Bathroom Break on Skis" from Comedy Central Presents Comment by sandra22 on 1/22/2011 on fmylife.com