Dumb things people say......

Paul Steinberg

Paul Steinberg

PCS Life Member Past President 2010-2012 2020-2024
Staff member
Super Site Supporter
If you think the ghost buster yelling is annoying, consider this...... A middle aged woman (40's or 50's) walked up to the Chrysler ambulance while it was on display at the 2009 Chrysler Convention in Vernon CT, and asked me if the squad bench, which she referred to as "the large cooler" was where they put the bodies of the people that died in the car. I explained that it was a bench for the attendants, and had storage space underneath. Somehow, I think that she still thinks that it is a storage cooler for the bodies... and just think... she probably voted in the last election... :D
 
Not all dumb comments are hearse related

I was at a local show recently with my hearse and was parked next to a friend with his 55 and 62 Thunderbirds. One 40-ish woman was admiring the 55 Bird and when she read the window card that described it as a "1955 THUNDERBIRD", she exclaimed to her companion "Ohhhh, its a Thunderbird. I always thought these were T-Birds!".....She must be related to Pauls cooler lady!
 
And yet I overhear a couple discussing my Lifeliner and the man asks me, "Why did you make this hearse into an ambulance?" The things you hear people say when you don't have your gun!:thumbsdown:
 
still remember the farmer in Mt Carroll Il that was admiring the 86 as we came out of the grocery store. when I opened the trunk he asked, Did that use to be a limo? he must have been married to the chy lady.
 
I was at a car show and a guy was looking over my ambulance. I have the front part of the headliner out, and I had someone tell me the two big holes on a double-walled section near the roof were there for optional spotlights. He was so sure of himself, I didn't have the heart to tell him they were where I unbolted the sunvisors from.
 
And probably for Obama.

Paul Steinberg said:
If you think the ghost buster yelling is annoying, consider this...... A middle aged woman (40's or 50's) walked up to the Chrysler ambulance while it was on display at the 2009 Chrysler Convention in Vernon CT, and asked me if the squad bench, which she referred to as "the large cooler" was where they put the bodies of the people that died in the car. I explained that it was a bench for the attendants, and had storage space underneath. Somehow, I think that she still thinks that it is a storage cooler for the bodies... and just think... she probably voted in the last election... :D
Click to expand...
 
Thank God we don't share DNA

I have a dent in the front left fender where it looks like someone hit it with a ball pein hammer at some point. I love the folks at shows who like to help me out by saying,"Did ya know you had a dent in the front fender?" I just answer the with a look of surprise and say "No, really?!! where?!!" and let them point it out to me. They seem so satisfied with themselves. I just play along and grin (and thank the good Lord that we don't share DNA - LOL)
 
I am constantly amazed at the remarks people make when referring to antique cars in general and professional cars in particular, a few examples;

1 We had the '56 Meteor ambulance on display at a 50TH anniversary party of a local squad, upon seeing the ambulance, I heard an elderly female squad member ask intellectually "Where did you get the tricked-out hearse?

2 I was showing a friend of mine my '67 Miller Meteor Classic 48 and it's pull-up window shades, that seem like they were never used. Mind you, he has some knowledge of professional cars, but he asked me if I thought my ambulance was originally a hearse, imagine?

3 How many times do you hear "Are you the original owner?" Once as I was standing by my '61 Eureka combination, I was asked that question. Being born in 1956, I promptly said "Yes, when I was five years old, I went to the dealer and picked it up."

4 Is it all original? As you are pulling out of MAACO.

I guess we've all heard this stuff, but sometimes you've just got to laugh!
 
Window Cards

Since my car is a bit more mobile now, I too am plagued by the "Ghostbusters" shouts. In fact, I just downloaded an iPhone app called "DashCam" just so I can try to capture some of these on my rides.

Anyone willing to share what they have on their window cards for shows, etc? I am pulling together data for my '72 Pontiac Superior.

Paragraph one: Not Ghostbusters.....

Any samples of your window cards would be great.

Thanks, and Happy New Year!
 
I actually had a lady walk up to my car at a show and say to her husband, "Oh, look, it's a hearse, how creepy!" and then run off. Uh, does my car look ANYTHING like a hearse? And just were in the world would the casket go anyway?? Makes you wonder about some people.....:bonk:
 
I have a 3-ring binder that I put out at car show and cruise ins. I have different pages, engine info, hearse article out if magazines, and a few other pages. But the page I turn it to when I put it out is "the question page. I have gotten the same questions so many times that I made a page for people to read before they ask me. Here is a picture of it. It has some glare on the picture, but you can still read it. There are a couple of misspelling, but most people don't notice them, not even me.

 
Shawn Blyler said:
I actually had a lady walk up to my car at a show and say to her husband, "Oh, look, it's a hearse, how creepy!" and then run off. Uh, does my car look ANYTHING like a hearse? And just were in the world would the casket go anyway?? Makes you wonder about some people.....:bonk:
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Your car doesn't look like a hearse, but would look great with a hearse. :thumbsup:
 
When showing my Criterion

Q - Is this a real ambulance?

A - As opposed to what?

Q – Has anyone died in it?

A – No one dies in an ambulance, they die in the hospital.

Comment – The floor in your ambulance looks just like what my grandmother has in her kitchen.

Replies – She must really love ambulances.

I’ve never heard that before.

Thanks; I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that.

Q - Is this a hearse (hurst)?

A - Yes; and the red lights and sirens are there for those who are in a hurry to get to the memorial park.

A – Yes.

Comment – This looks just like the Ghostbusters car.

Replies – Yes; 1959 and 1975 Cadillac’s do look exactly the same.

In what way?

Q – Are the curtains closed when you carry dead people?

A – Only for the ones that are shy.

Q – How long did it take you to build it?

A- It was a long process; I started out with a VW bug and just kept adding on.

Comment – Cadillac never made ambulances.

Reply – You are correct.

Q – Is this ambulance still in service?

A – Yes, for the exclusive use of one family.
A- Yes, it is a reserve ambulance.

Comment – Everything in it looks so real.

Reply - It takes a lot of effort to make it appear that way.

Q - Is this a Hurst?

A - No, it's a 3 speed automatic.
 
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When I had the '78 Transport, I had a card that told the brief history of Cadillac based ambulances and I used some wording similiar to, "Contrary to what many people comment on, this ambulance was never a hearse. It was built as a straight Cadillac based ambulance and has a much higher roofline and other structure that a hearse did not have..." That helped a little, but still many looked at it with the GB comment. I will admit to wishing the movie had never been made or that they had used something else as the car.
I even overheard one person say, "He did a piss poor job of making it look like Ghostbusters...", at the time I didn't have my concealed weapons permit, unfortunately.
I think over the years the oddest comment I would get about any of my older cars was, "Well, what are you going to do with it? sell it?"... (To whom? can I not have and enjoy one?)
 
I think window signs telling about the car are a great idea. I know that when I come across what strikes me as being an interesting car, I'd like to be able to read and educate myself about it, but that appears to be a concept that few people understand.

My 1985 Bayliff Packard combination is doubly "cursed" in that regard. People both have no idea what an 80s-era Packard is, and then have no idea what a combination is. And since only two were ever built, it literally is a car that most people have never seen before, and had no idea even existed.

So I have a window sign that I place in one of the rear side windows at shows that gives three brief histories, one on the Bayliff company and the 80s-era Packards, one on combination coaches, and one on my car in particular. You would not believe the number of people I see who put their hands around their eyes to shield glare off the window, and then look all around the sign to see the interior, and then come over to me and say "so tell me about this car". I also have to love the people who ask about the car, listen to my story, and then feel the need to argue with me about it. Um, if you're so smart about a car you've never seen before, why did you have to ask about it? One particularly vivid memory I have took place at a cruise night, when a gentleman asked about the car, and then asked more and more, and ended up spending about ten minutes with me going around the car with him, pointing out and explaining various things, only for him to suddenly turn rather gruff and exclaim "you can't bull**** me, I know a customized Pontiac when I see one" and stomped off.

I still very much enjoy attending car shows and displaying my cars, but I feel like I'm increasingly enjoying walking around the show to see the other cars, rather than hanging around mine and hearing all these dumb*** people.
 
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those people

Yes, they vote. Think about this. They also breed. So the comments will come for the next generation of 'hurst' owners. Maybe a book with pictures of the transition from car to hearse would help.
I get lots of the GB comments too. I just tell them that the GB car was a 59 and mine is a 61. Some never get a clue that there IS a difference. How many dead people have been in there always gets the same answer...One at a time. I also get the comment that it is creepy or scary to think about driving something a dead person has been in.
If people are asking questions at a show or cruise in I try to keep the answers simple. More than once someone has asked a question or recognized the logos on my coach. Then they proceed to tell me about a family member that worked at the M-M plant. Those are the best ones.
We can't educate them all but we can keep trying. I also put a sign up sheet on the windshield. I ask that if you are interested in more info on professional cars give me an email or mailing address. It has only ever gotten 3 names but I keep putting it out there.
Mike
 
Robert Shepard said:
Q - Is this a real ambulance?

A - As opposed to what?

Q – Has anyone died in it?

A – No one dies in an ambulance, they die in the hospital.

Comment – That floor looks just like what my grandmother has in her kitchen.

Replies – She must really love ambulances.
I’ve never heard that before.
Thanks; I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that.

Q - Is this a hearse (hurst)?

A - Yes; and the red lights and sirens are there for those who are in a hurry to get to the memorial park.

A – Yes.

Comment – This looks just like the Ghostbusters car.

Replies – Yes; 1959 and 1975 Cadillac’s do look exactly the same.

In what way?

Q – Are the curtains closed when you carry dead people?

A – Only for the ones that are shy.

Q – How long did it take you to build it?

A- It was a long process; I started out with a VW bug and just kept adding on.

Comment – Cadillac never made ambulances.

Reply – You are correct.

Q – Is this ambulance still in service?

A – Yes, for the exclusive use of one family.
A- Yes, it is a reserve ambulance.

Comment – Everything in it looks so real.

Reply - It takes a lot of effort to make it look that way.

Q - Is this a Hurst?

A - No, it's a 3 speed automatic.
Click to expand...

Robert, you have some very funny stories! Geez, I have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.
 
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