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[GlytchMeister]

There are some vehicles many people would love to see in the real world... which would actually most likely be a herald of a very bad day...
a black ‘67 Chevy Impala, ECTO1, The Mystery Machine, an out-of-place Police Call Box... those are just the ones off the top of my head.

Even worse is seeing a combination thereof... and far, far worse is seeing more than one out-of-place Police Call Box.

[lake_wrangler]

and far, far worse is seeing more than one out-of-place Police Call Box.

SHHHHH!!!! Don't give anyone any ideas...

[Catawampus]

There are some vehicles many people would love to see in the real world... which would actually most likely be a herald of a very bad day...
a black ‘67 Chevy Impala, ECTO1, The Mystery Machine, an out-of-place Police Call Box... those are just the ones off the top of my head.

Even worse is seeing a combination thereof... and far, far worse is seeing more than one out-of-place Police Call Box.

Maybe an out-of-place San Dimas telephone booth inside of an out-of-place Police Call Box, which has landed on an Impala?

[AnotherFairportfan]

In 1975 - 76, i had been working phone support, so i knew that NCR's new PCs for 1976 had been codenamed "Ren" (desktop) and "Stimpy" (tower)...

Ren and Stimpy predated Kricfalusi's 90s cartoons? Hadn't heard that before.

Now I'll be hearing "Happy Happy Joy Joy" in my head all night . . . .

Arrgh.

"1995 - 96"

[AnotherFairportfan]

Ren and Stimpy?

I don’t geddit...

Ren = short and wide = desktop PC

Stimpy - tall and thin = tower PC

[Alkarii]

There are some vehicles many people would love to see in the real world... which would actually most likely be a herald of a very bad day...
a black ‘67 Chevy Impala, ECTO1, The Mystery Machine, an out-of-place Police Call Box... those are just the ones off the top of my head.

Even worse is seeing a combination thereof... and far, far worse is seeing more than one out-of-place Police Call Box.

There was someone in the Benton, AR area who had an old van painted like the Mystery Machine (hub caps included), but they eventually put it up for sale. I thought it was pretty cool to see that.

[TazManiac]

Just last night I was explaining the time when the big telcos of the late 80's & early 90's all followed behind Compaq with their IBM PC Clone, coming out with desktop computers. Companies competed head to head for a time, like ATT & ITT, etc. ('PC by Olivetti' was a trip, to say the least...).

[Warrl]

There was someone in the Benton, AR area who had an old van painted like the Mystery Machine (hub caps included), but they eventually put it up for sale. I thought it was pretty cool to see that.

Quite a few years ago, probably near Seattle, I saw a little Toyota pickup that was painted a certain shade of yellow, and on the tailgate in big black letters it said "TONKA".

[lake_wrangler]

There was someone in the Benton, AR area who had an old van painted like the Mystery Machine (hub caps included), but they eventually put it up for sale. I thought it was pretty cool to see that.

Quite a few years ago, probably near Seattle, I saw a little Toyota pickup that was painted a certain shade of yellow, and on the tailgate in big black letters it said "TONKA".

Funny thing is, ever since they came out, I've always thought that the Toyota FJ Cruiser looked like a giant Tonka truck... (Particularly the yellow ones, of course...)

[TazManiac]

There are some vehicles many people would love to see in the real world... which would actually most likely be a herald of a very bad day...
a black ‘67 Chevy Impala, ECTO1, The Mystery Machine, an out-of-place Police Call Box... those are just the ones off the top of my head.

Even worse is seeing a combination thereof... and far, far worse is seeing more than one out-of-place Police Call Box.

'Christine'..., (indeed; a Fury all her own)

[AnotherFairportfan]

There are some vehicles many people would love to see in the real world... which would actually most likely be a herald of a very bad day...
a black ‘67 Chevy Impala, ECTO1, The Mystery Machine, an out-of-place Police Call Box... those are just the ones off the top of my head.

Even worse is seeing a combination thereof... and far, far worse is seeing more than one out-of-place Police Call Box.

'Christine'..., (indeed; a Fury all her own)

You know, they didn't make that model in that colour that year...

Also, several of the cars used in the movie were actually Dodges with cosmetic changes.

I think they had something like twenty-six cars.

[TazManiac]

yeah, I know. Buuuut, when it came out I recalled seeing it and liking the film- but incorrectly recalling it as a '57 Chevy. go figure.

[Catawampus]

Quite a few years ago, probably near Seattle, I saw a little Toyota pickup that was painted a certain shade of yellow, and on the tailgate in big black letters it said "TONKA".

That's around the same area where I saw the pink tow-trucks with giant severed toes hanging from their towing rigs.

[lake_wrangler]

I still can't, for the life of me, understand what makes people think its "OK" to get on the bus without paying, if they happen to not have refilled their bus pass for the month...

Every month! They can refill their bus pass from the 20th of the month onward. Every month, they get one day's reprieve, as their pass will work until 11:59pm on the first of the month. Every month, they get on the bus on the second day of the month, and realize their bus pass is no longer valid. Every time, they'll ask if it's OK to go to the subway station to pay.

NO! IT'S NOT! YOU GET ON THE BUS HERE, YOU PAY HERE!

Try going to the grocery store, getting all your food, and then telling the cashier that you don't have any money until you go to the bank to cash your check, and that you'll come back to pay for the food then (but you still want to take the food with you now, of course...) See what they have to say about that...

Some people, I will "allow" to stay, AFTER I have told them that if they do choose to stay, and that an inspector catches them, they will have to pay a $250 fine. This is after having tried to convince them to pay the $3.25 in cash (or to go back home to get said money), and they genuinely don't seem to have it. (Some people sound more honest than others, while others are just arrogant and unrepentant in the least...)

But if the first thing they say, when they get on, is "I'll take my chances," this tells me this is not the first time you do this. You know your chances of getting caught while not nil, are pretty low (not enough inspectors). That's when I put my foot down (figuratively speaking... it's already down on the brake pedal, after all...) and insist that they either pay or get out. Some do. Some don't care, and go sit down. I try to convince them that I won't leave until they exit. Sometimes, I even turn off the bus. Some people then exit, but other still don't care. They'll let everyone be late, rather than get out or pay. Eventually, I do have to leave, but that pisses me off.

Although at times, other passengers have told off the person and made him leave (usually only verbally, but one time, physically, as well!)

I get freeloaders all month long (particularly late teenagers, but sometimes adults as well, some of whom will try it every single time I meet them... ) But on the 2nd of the month (or 3rd, if the 2nd falls during a weekend or on a holiday), it happens a lot. It is simply bothersome. I still manage to keep my good humor (I won't let idiots like that bring me down), but it still bothers me.

[jwhouk]

The problem is, at least in a metro area like PHX (where the Valley Metro runs between several area cities surrounding Phoenix), it's not your job to prosecute or reject "freeloaders". That is the job of the Metro Transit police and/or local authorities.

There is, at least in AZ, the added issue that said freeloader may not have cash, but he (or she) may have large quantities of .38 ammunition...

EDIT: Oh, and we do have cameras in most buses that can be used to ID freeloaders. (Or so I've heard; I have yet to take VM anywhere.)

[Catawampus]

But if the first thing they say, when they get on, is "I'll take my chances," this tells me this is not the first time you do this. You know your chances of getting caught while not nil, are pretty low (not enough inspectors). That's when I put my foot down (figuratively speaking... it's already down on the brake pedal, after all...) and insist that they either pay or get out. Some do. Some don't care, and go sit down. I try to convince them that I won't leave until they exit. Sometimes, I even turn off the bus. Some people then exit, but other still don't care. They'll let everyone be late, rather than get out or pay. Eventually, I do have to leave, but that pisses me off.

You know how in some spy movies, the hero's car will have switches that the driver can use to selectively launch the other seats out through the roof. . .

[jwhouk]

You know how in some spy movies, the hero's car will have switches that the driver can use to selectively launch the other seats out through the roof. . .

That would put a huge damper on bus ridership as a whole. Especially if the switch was hit accidentally, which (considering the ride quality of many buses) is more likely to happen than in 007's DB5.

[Dave]

Some people, I will "allow" to stay, AFTER I have told them that if they do choose to stay, and that an inspector catches them, they will have to pay a $250 fine. This is after having tried to convince them to pay the $3.25 in cash (or to go back home to get said money), and they genuinely don't seem to have it. (Some people sound more honest than others, while others are just arrogant and unrepentant in the least...)

Do you ask them the three questions?

• What is your name?
• What is your quest?
• What were the seven political bodies that broke away from the Zhou Dynasty during the Warring States period?

[AnotherFairportfan]

You know how in some spy movies, the hero's car will have switches that the driver can use to selectively launch the other seats out through the roof. . .

That would put a huge damper on bus ridership as a whole. Especially if the switch was hit accidentally, which (considering the ride quality of many buses) is more likely to happen than in 007's DB5.

They made the mistake of testing that thing with a 150-pound sandbag in it where the stunt men could see.

For the movie a dummy rode it.

It was built from an actual aircraft ejection seat mechanism...

[lake_wrangler]

The problem is, at least in a metro area like PHX (where the Valley Metro runs between several area cities surrounding Phoenix), it's not your job to prosecute or reject "freeloaders". That is the job of the Metro Transit police and/or local authorities.

There is, at least in AZ, the added issue that said freeloader may not have cash, but he (or she) may have large quantities of .38 ammunition...

EDIT: Oh, and we do have cameras in most buses that can be used to ID freeloaders. (Or so I've heard; I have yet to take VM anywhere.)

Our official policy, given to us right in the original job training, and reinforced again through later safety classes, is that "we ask, but we don't insist..."

I still insist anyway. Doesn't always work, though. And some people know that I'm not "allowed" to insist, and they waste no time in letting me know... (I still try, anyway...)

Essentially, I take it on a case by case basis. It will depend a lot on the attitude of the person. The more arrogant and/or entitled the person, the less likely I'll budge on the subject. The more genuinely distraught and caught in a tight spot the person is, the more likely I'll just inform them of the risk (i.e. possible $250 fine), and not insist any further.

In these last 13 years, I have never felt in danger while doing so. In fact, in the first 5 years, I have actually physically "forced" people out 6 times (though never touching them at any point in time: I merely stood up, as they were still in the doorway, and advanced towards them, with my hands behind me all the while, so no one can accuse me of laying a hand on them, and by reducing the space in front of them, they had nowhere to go but outside...)

Only once, did someone catch me by surprise: after arguing with him for a couple of minutes, he ended up paying. When he exited later, he threw his lighter in my face and ran.

That happened a couple of years ago, already. Still has not stopped me from insisting on payment, though.

I just see it as an insult to all the people who have paid.