I don't mind tattoos, but they always seem kind of odd when covering a person who doesn't look like she would have even a single tattoo. Cognitive dissonance or something.
@Ash78 is going POLAR...: Like the cute looking girl at the check out that can’t be much older than eighteen that has a huge dragon tattooed on her forearm. It just shocking,....Afterwards, while walking through the parking lot my little girl asked if I saw the tattoo, "Yes" I answered, I couldn’t help but see it. But then I asked my daughter," why did that woman get that on her arm" and she answered, "Because she wants people to look at her".
@Flathead Smith Prefers the Days of Danger: My brother (hardcore musician type) went through a phase in his late teens where he'd do his hair color in multiple colors, like tiger stripes or geometric patterns. Then he'd get pissed off when people stared at him, insisting that these people were just intolerant of those different than them.
One day, many years later, I explained to him how profound that comment was with respect to MANY people who feel marginalized in society. Staring at two guys kissing, you must be a homophobe! (ad infinitum)
@Ash78 is going POLAR...: My theory is that there are certain segments within of our society, maybe like your brother*, who actually want folks to stare at them in disgust. They receive a certain satisfaction from the insult, whether they wish to admit it or not.
*I have a sister, who acts like your brother, but the sad thing is she is in her early thirties, and I don’t know when she will ever grow up. She has moved from her small town to a huge city where it requires even more bizarre behavior to shock the masses.
Redeeming quality: Roller Coasters! Damn I wish you guys would do a story about Top Thrill Dragster, Intimidator 305, Xcellerator and Intimidator (not to be confused with Intimidator 305)
Best bumper cars in the country are at Knobel's Grove in the middle of nowhere PA. They are metal and gain some pretty decent speed. Being metallic they don't absorb the shock whatsoever like boring fiber-glass ones. They still have the requisite rubber bumper though.
@jodark: Seconded! They are the best. Also, no park admission or parking fees. Costs about $2 per person to ride the bumper cars. You can go in and just pay your $2, ride once and go home if you were so inclined.
The only safety feature they have is a worn-out velcro seatbelt that they don't enforce for people over a requisite (and fairly moderate) size, which is good because the belt ends up causing more pain if you use it. It is possible to get wheels off the ground with them, too. They're rated by someone who does such things as being the best bumper cars in the US.
@gman1023: I could spend hours riding them. I weigh about 250lbs, so once I get up to speed theres nothing I love more than swinging full speed another unspecting bumper-car driver.
@jodark: Those are fantastic bumper cars. I've ridden them a few times and on a slow day with an easy going operator, you can get quite the extended ride.
@jodark: I remember going to Knoebel's in early high school, when I lived in Central PA. It's nice to see that some of the old-school, non-corporate theme parks still exist in this country.
@jodark: I weigh about 230-240, so we're in the same boat there. One of my favorites, personally, is not immediately turning at the apexes, but rather continuing straight ahead into whomever is turing the corner on the outside of me. A full-speed T-bone is always fun.
@Cue the Coupé Coup: The garage filled up, I guess. It was supposed to be a 50-car garage. I think we should have a "attainable fantasy garage" now, filled with 50 of the most awesome sub-$10k cars in existence.
Then we can collaborate to make sure that at least one example of each is owned by a member Jalopnik commentariat somewhere in the world, and each will post photos of it and provide running commentary on what it's like to live with.
Wow, there's more than one? Cool. I know a guy who is a CHP officer out in Fallbrook area and he sent me a photo of one of these out on the road years ago. Seriously cool.
Edited by Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it at 08/25/09 4:22 PM
Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it was starred
Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it was unstarred
@Goes Like Stink:
*begin temporary thread-jack*
Sid and Marty Krofft had more shows on TV than most people probably realize... some of their concepts were off-the-wall bizzarre, of course, and they they had to be smokin' some of the good stuff on some of 'em, that's for sure; but they also had some more conventional shows that you might be surprised to find they were involved in, if you mostly know them from their crack-inspired Banana Splits, Lidsville, or H.R. Pufnstuf , too... Wiki them for an interesting read.
*/end temporary thread-jack*
In a time when the world looked dark, and it appeared that petrolheads everywhere were being shunned, persecuted and driven to hide their habit in dark corners; a time when the average person started to see any old classic as a candidate for $4500 in government money; a time when the world seemed to turn its back on the romantic notion of powered transportation that had so transformed our entire civilization, you have provided us with some hope.
This man, this glorious human being, this Tom Wright, Jalopnik Saint, has had the courage to stand up and show the world that there can still be joy in motoring! That we need not be constrained by the oppression of Toyota Soulless Automotive Appliances, Inc.! That there is a way to remember the day when motoring was fun, beautiful, slightly insane, and more than a little dangerous!
Ben Wojzilla, I thank you for this, and Tom Wright, I salute you, and I only wish there were more men like you.
09/28/09
09/28/09
My little girl is sharp.
09/28/09
One day, many years later, I explained to him how profound that comment was with respect to MANY people who feel marginalized in society. Staring at two guys kissing, you must be a homophobe! (ad infinitum)
09/28/09
*I have a sister, who acts like your brother, but the sad thing is she is in her early thirties, and I don’t know when she will ever grow up. She has moved from her small town to a huge city where it requires even more bizarre behavior to shock the masses.
09/28/09
09/28/09
Redeeming quality: Roller Coasters! Damn I wish you guys would do a story about Top Thrill Dragster, Intimidator 305, Xcellerator and Intimidator (not to be confused with Intimidator 305)
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
The only safety feature they have is a worn-out velcro seatbelt that they don't enforce for people over a requisite (and fairly moderate) size, which is good because the belt ends up causing more pain if you use it. It is possible to get wheels off the ground with them, too. They're rated by someone who does such things as being the best bumper cars in the US.
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
Free Pop and Free Sunscreen.
10/03/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
That was a fun and educational feature that created some interesting discussions.
09/28/09
09/28/09
09/28/09
Then we can collaborate to make sure that at least one example of each is owned by a member Jalopnik commentariat somewhere in the world, and each will post photos of it and provide running commentary on what it's like to live with.
08/25/09
08/25/09
08/25/09
Well, that, and maybe boobs, but there's not much better than Le Mons, old engines and stubby weird cars
08/26/09
08/25/09
08/25/09
[jalopnik.com]
08/25/09
It's like deja vue all over again.
08/25/09
08/25/09
Over the hill the Banana bugies go!
Nah-Nah-Nah, Nah-na-na, Nah!
08/25/09
08/25/09
08/25/09
and it is still on the Cartoon Network at night. Plus new episodes.
08/25/09
08/26/09
*begin temporary thread-jack*
Sid and Marty Krofft had more shows on TV than most people probably realize... some of their concepts were off-the-wall bizzarre, of course, and they they had to be smokin' some of the good stuff on some of 'em, that's for sure; but they also had some more conventional shows that you might be surprised to find they were involved in, if you mostly know them from their crack-inspired Banana Splits, Lidsville, or H.R. Pufnstuf , too... Wiki them for an interesting read.
*/end temporary thread-jack*
08/25/09
08/26/09
Fear not - those were all part of the late-50's "Cash For Bathtubs" program. Now you can build 'em as you like... carry on.
08/25/09
In a time when the world looked dark, and it appeared that petrolheads everywhere were being shunned, persecuted and driven to hide their habit in dark corners; a time when the average person started to see any old classic as a candidate for $4500 in government money; a time when the world seemed to turn its back on the romantic notion of powered transportation that had so transformed our entire civilization, you have provided us with some hope.
This man, this glorious human being, this Tom Wright, Jalopnik Saint, has had the courage to stand up and show the world that there can still be joy in motoring! That we need not be constrained by the oppression of Toyota Soulless Automotive Appliances, Inc.! That there is a way to remember the day when motoring was fun, beautiful, slightly insane, and more than a little dangerous!
Ben Wojzilla, I thank you for this, and Tom Wright, I salute you, and I only wish there were more men like you.
Also... how much for one of the bumper cars?
08/25/09
08/26/09
Funywud? Isn't that somewhere near Anaheim?