(FORTUNE Magazine) – Steve Jobs never tires of reminding people that he is a busy guy, what with his responsibilities at animation house Pixar and his masterminding Apple's every move, such as the "Think Different" ad campaign. So one can understand the temptation he faced to park his silver Mercedes in a handicapped spot near the front door of Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Cal. Employees, however, were not amused. One day, the story goes, a brave soul put a sign on Jobs' car that read PARK DIFFERENT. Get it? Apple PR neither confirms nor denies the story, but one way or another Jobs eventually did get the message. He now parks with all the other able-bodied Apple employees, but with his own twist, as usual: To protect his car from dings, he likes to take two parking spaces. Jobs' real problem, however, is that he no longer has time for commutes and parking lots. In order to travel more quickly to Pixar, which is in Richmond, Cal., across the bay from Apple and his Palo Alto home, he is mulling over an insanely great idea: Why not a helicopter? A bit flashy for Silicon Valley, but better than getting cussed for abusing the handicapped parking zone.

--Edward W. Desmond