Category:
Bus

A search for love on the No. 94 bus

While visiting Los Angeles from Elk River, Idaho in May 1978, 33-year-old Zan Lawrence met a young woman on the No. 94 bus. They talked for about 20 minutes before she disembarked.

Lawrence was smitten, but he didn't know how to contact her. Or even what her name was. So he spent the following weeks riding the same bus back and forth, hoping to meet her again. He also put up signs and placed newspaper ads.

Eventually his search came to the attention of the media, and he was featured in articles. However, the publicity didn't help him locate the young woman. He never did find her again.

Of course, maybe she didn't want to be found.





Los Angeles Times - June 10, 1978



Los Angeles Times - Aug 14, 1978

Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 02, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: 1970s, Bus, Love & Romance

Soviet Bus Stops

Canadian photographer Christopher Herwig has been on a mission to raise awareness of Soviet bus stops. He feels that they're an under-appreciated form of architectural art, "built as quiet acts of creativity against overwhelming state control." But he warns that they're disappearing fast due to demolition.

He collected together over 150 of his photographs in the 2015 book Soviet Bus Stops. More recently, a documentary film, again titled Soviet Bus Stops, follows his years-long effort to photograph the bus stops.

More info: Soviet Bus Stops







Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 14, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Architecture, Mass Transit, Books, Documentaries, Bus

Worst bus service

The following story appeared in The Book of Heroic Failures by Stephen Pile (first published in 1979):

THE WORST BUS SERVICE
Can any bus service rival the fine Haley to Bagnall route in Staffordshire? In 1976 it was reported that the buses no longer stopped for passengers.
This came to light when one of them, Mr. Bill Hancock, complained that buses on the outward journey regularly sailed past queues of up to thirty people.
Councillor Arthur Cholerton then made transport history by stating that if these buses stopped to pick up passengers they would disrupt the time-table.



Versions of the story have subsequently appeared in other books, and have circulated online. However, all these other versions seem to rely on Pile's reporting.

And when I searched newspaper archives I couldn't find any confirmation that this incident happened. Which makes me wonder if it really did.

Of course, it might have been reported in a local paper that was never archived online. But some searching around the Internet reveals that I'm not the only one to have wondered if the story might not be true. Check out this comment by "skifans" in the CasualUK subreddit:

it would be great if anyone can prove me wrong but I can't find any record online of councillor Arthur Cholerton existing - let along from that area in that time frame. If you google the name all the results return varieties of this story, there isn't any other record of what they did other then this.
This PDF of Staffordshire County Council elections also makes no mention of anyone of that name. A Cholerton stood (and won) a seat in 1973, 1977, 1981 and 1985 - and did not stand in future elections. The seat they stood in for the first to is Stoke On Trent No. 19 (9630), maybe someone knows how to work out where this is but I can't, but for the last 2 it's called Great Fenton - thats in Stoke but not the right area for a route between Hanley and Baghall, on Google maps Great Fenton looks to be just south of the city center and Hanley just to the north, with Bagnall being a small village further to the north east. But the bigger problem, Councillor Cholerton has the first initial F, not A.
There was also an Arthur Cholerton in Stoke, but not as a counciler. Someone with that name was Lord Mayor - but they held the position between 1971 and 1972. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lord_mayors_of_Stoke-on-Trent) Alternatively maybe F. Cholerton and Arthur Cholerton are the same person? Between 1981 and 1989 Frederick Arthur Cholerton held the position of chairmen of Staffordshire county council, may they have gone under both names? https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Your-council-and-democracy/Civic-and-Ceremonial/The-Chairman-of-the-county-council/Past-Chairmen.aspx

Posted By: Alex - Wed Mar 11, 2020 - Comments (4)
Category: Mass Transit, 1970s, Bus

Bus Starts

Back in 1985, city officials in St. Louis decided that the term 'bus stop' sounded too negative, so they voted to rename them 'bus starts.' 1800 new 'bus start' signs were duly installed.

A year-and-a-half later, when it became clear that people were confused by what a 'bus start' was supposed to be, the city conceded defeat and went back to using the traditional term. This, of course, meant buying even more new signs.

St. Louis Post Dispatch - Mar 28, 1985





St. Louis Post Dispatch - Aug 24, 1986

Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 06, 2018 - Comments (4)
Category: Odd Names, 1980s, Bus

Brazilian bus driver training

In Cariacica, Brazil, part of the bus driver training is to have the drivers ride on a stationary bike while a bus zooms by them at top speed, to give them a sense of how cyclists feel.

It seems like with each pass the bus got closer.

via bicycling.com

Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 25, 2018 - Comments (3)
Category: Bicycles and Other Human-powered Vehicles, Bus

Bus Road Test



"Bus Tilter" is my new desired job.

Posted By: Paul - Sun May 20, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: 1950s, Bus

Follies of the Madmen #366



Our service is a dead artifact sealed off from all human contact.

Original ad here.

Posted By: Paul - Fri May 18, 2018 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, 1960s, Bus

An urge to conquer something big

1961: A 14-year-old boy commandeered a Trailways bus and drove it fifteen blocks because he "had an urge to conquer something big" and wanted to drive it "somewhere."

Compare this to Bronx bus driver William Cimillo who, in 1947, instead of following his daily route drove the bus to Florida because he was overcome by "that old spring-time urge."

There must be a name for the psychiatric condition of being overcome by a desire to drive a bus to somewhere far away.

Camden Courier-Post - Sep 2, 1961

Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 07, 2018 - Comments (2)
Category: 1960s, Bus

The Love Machine

Created in the late 1960s by Hollywood auto customizer George Barris, who's best known as the designer of the original Batmobile.

The Love Machine featured velvet upholstery, a revolving circular bed, psychedelic lights, entertainment console, mirrored ceiling, and a crystal chandelier. It did the rounds at auto shows until the mid-1970s, where it was promoted as the "world's first x-rated car."

via lastgasp.com





Hillsdale Daily News - Mar 17, 1972



In the late '70s, the Love Machine was rebranded and it went on to have a career in Hollywood. From Hemmings Daily:

Barris, ever the opportunist, managed to get the Love Machine cast as the lead vehicle in the 1977 vansploitation flick SuperVan. To do so, he simply gave the Love Machine a repaint and redid the interior with even deeper plush carpeting. Though technically known as Vandora in the movie, the Super Van moniker stuck, thanks to Barris’s promotional efforts.

Nor would SuperVan be the van’s only screen appearance. It also showed up in the 1986 made-for-TV movie Condor, repainted gold and black; then in 1989’s Back to the Future II as a Hill Valley Transit bus, painted green; in the 1990 movie Solar Crisis, painted white; and then on an episode of the 1990s TV show SeaQuest DSV, still painted white. Then, in about 2003, the Guild of Automotive Restorers began a restoration on the van that brought it back to its Super Van configuration.




via vanning.com



You can check out more of Barris's creations in the recent book King of the Kustomizers: The Art of George Barris.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 26, 2017 - Comments (5)
Category: Motor Vehicles, Bus, 1970s

Bus Driver’s Revenge

Today of course he would face federal charges for kidnapping, and many, many lawsuits.

Original article here.

See clean transcription below.

image
image

“They’re going to fire bus driver William F. Jackson today but he doesn’t care—he already quit in spectacular fashion.

"Passengers—phooey,” was his battle cry yesterday when he revolted against traffic jams, abusive drivers, supervisors and noisy children and took what someday may be known as “Jacksons’s ride.”

The Chicago Transit Authority driver was inching his bus through Loop traffic, swollen to three times its usual density by the Christmas rush, when he suddenly decided he was sick of it.

He slammed the doors shut and from then on nobody could get off.

“Passengers—phooey,” he muttered darkly.

He rolled out of the busy Loop on his regular route. But when waiting citizens pounded to get into his bus Jackson was aloof. When his angry passengers demanded to be let off he would not relent.

When a company supervisor tried to board the bus at an intersection Jackson ignored him too.

Finally he wheeled the big vehicle into one of the CTA barns, turned off the ignition, and hopped off the bus.

He headed straight for his boss, stared him straight in the eye and announced:

“I quit.”

Wounded CTA officials said, “He can’t quit just like that, but tomorrow we’ll fire him.”

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 12, 2016 - Comments (8)
Category: Annoying Things, Jobs and Occupations, 1950s, Bus, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust

Page 1 of 2 pages  1 2 > 




weird universe thumbnail
Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

Contact Us
Monthly Archives
October 2024 •  September 2024 •  August 2024 •  July 2024 •  June 2024 •  May 2024 •  April 2024 •  March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •