Just took a brief leg-stretch around the car park at work. (There's very little going on inside because of some men-in-shorts event.). It's a warm day here in West London and I noticed half a dozen convertibles parked with their roofs ostentatiously down.
Now there's an ancient prank that involves emptying the contents of a dustbin into such a vehicle, but that's been done and, in any case, is a bit aggressive for my taste. I wondered whether leaving a potted palm on the passenger seat, or maybe an inflatable doll dressed as the policeman from the Village People (I have, naturally, ready supplies of both) might be more appropriate. What might the panel here suggest?
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Confetti? Would be quite fun when they put the roof back up and they were showered with it. Non toxic and safe. One of those springy snake things in the glove box might be good for a laugh. As long as they don't open it while driving along!
Inflatable doll idea is quite fun too.
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>>Confetti?
>>
In the old days chads from ticker tape type machines.
They are so small it is said that you never get them all out.
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I'm sure I've a jar full of those somewhere that I got from work about 30 years ago.
Southwest London look out. :-)
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>> >>Confetti?
>> >>
>> In the old days chads from ticker tape type machines.
>> They are so small it is said that you never get them all out.
>>
I forgot to say that the chads always seemed to have a a tiny smeer of oil on them which increased their " stickability".
they were always good to put in a brolly.
Last edited by: henry k on Wed 23 Jun 10 at 17:08
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I recall being told to be very careful with chads. Because they're punched out, they're curved and can fit an eyeball, needing medical attention to remove them.
This may be apocryphal!
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The thing about chads is that they are from a quite heavy duty card. They should not be used like confetti.
They were great for shoppnig lists. :-(
JH
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I still have a box load of 80 column punch cards, immensly useful things.
I dont have any chads tho (either the square chads from punch cards or the round chads from 5 bit murray code teleprinter tape)
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>> The thing about chads is that they are from a quite heavy duty card. They should not be used like confetti.
>>
The chads I am referring to are round and come from from paper tape so are very light and much smaller than typical puched chads from IBM type "punched cards"
tinyurl.com/3af64c2
from kit like this.
museumvictoria.com.au/collections/itemimages/256/074/256074_large.jpg
Quite a few years ago our team had an interesing conversation with New Zealand customs.
Customs wanted to charge import duty on some boxes of punched cards (that had computer programs on them). It was just cards they were interested in.
Stating that the cards were used so therefore not fit for sale did not work.
The next tactic was to say the cards were being transported to protect the holes. "We only really want the holes so can we go away , use the holes and then give Customs back the cards?"
How data transfer has changed
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Strangely enough, I've got a bag of Chads that are at least 40 yrs old.......what is it with C4Players and chads ?
Mine came from the teleprinters in the old Manchester City Police information room when i worked there.
I had an idea that they would make good leaves on model railway trees.......and they did, 30 odd yrs later.
They may be of historical value, so £1 for ten, anybody ?
I've got about 4 million left so no need to ruch !
Ted
( plus P & P, of course )
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>> I had an idea that they would make good leaves on model railway trees.......and they
>> did, 30 odd yrs later.
You stuck chads on to model trees by hand?
Good Grief, it wil be sewing 40 million sequins onto your ball gown next.
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>> >>Confetti?
>> >>
>> In the old days chads from ticker tape type machines.
I remember Mr Chad during the days of rationing. What no confetti?
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>> Now there's an ancient prank that involves emptying the contents of a dustbin into such
>> a vehicle
I suggest reading Carl Hiaasen's 'Sick Puppy' if such an idea causes you to smile, although the object is a dustbin lorry and the target is a BMW
Last edited by: borasport on Wed 23 Jun 10 at 17:03
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How about a fake doggy do do on the passenger seat.
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Didn't an orangutan named Clyde leave a notification of his visit in cars? Or was that only a specific type of car?
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>> A single red rose.
>>
That depends on the gender of the driver! In my case anyway. :-)
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and mine - know your audience....!
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I once worked at the seaside (Dover, for P&O) and a parked open convertible there had a pot of white paint dropped in it by the building maintenance guys. Given the size of the seagulls there, and their outpourings, I'm surprised the guy left the top down anyway.
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Isn't there a colour code for single roses?
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Oh yes - here we go.
The color of a rose can have a very different meaning from what you intend. To ensure that your love understands what the roses you bestow mean, check this guide to rose colors and their meanings:
Red Roses
Red roses proclaim "I love you." They are the ultimate symbol of romantic love and enduring passion.
Yellow Roses
Yellow roses indicate friendship and freedom -- so don't send them if your intentions are romantic and long-lasting. Yellow roses are also appropriate for sending congratulations to newlyweds, graduates, Texans, and new mothers.
Pale Pink Roses
Pale pink roses connote grace, gentleness, and gratitude.
Light Pink Roses
A joy to behold, light pink roses express fun and happiness.
Deep Pink Roses
Deep pink roses say "Thank you." They have also come to be associated with the fight against breast cancer. Buy Deep
Lilac Roses
Lilac roses indicate the sender has fallen in love at first sight with the recipient and is enchanted.
White Roses
Pure white roses symbolize truth and innocence. They also send other messages: "I miss you" and "You're heavenly."
Peach Roses
Peach roses speak of appreciation and gratitude.Buy
Coral Roses
Coral roses express one thing with their passionate color: Desire.
Orange Roses
Orange roses communicate enthusiasm and desire on the part of the sender.
Dead Roses
Regardless of the original color, dead roses say "It's over" loud and clear.
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An 8-track of Elvis' greatest hits on the passenger seat.
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An invitation to join the cloud appreciation society (.org)
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A fresh mackerel under the seat. With this week's weather forecast.......
Edit - or if it belongs to someone you really hate, breadcrumbs. Seagulls like breadcrumbs.
Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Wed 23 Jun 10 at 20:36
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The last time Mrs Boxsterboy left the roof down on her car whilst parked, a passing bird left a white deposit on one of the seats. Supposed to be good luck?
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If it was my convertible, I'd like to find that someone had left Rachel Riley in it when I got in
Dream on....old timer !
Ted
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Careful, Ted - today she'd have melted before you got back. And when those sparkly frocks get too hot, the ooze gets everywhere.
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a hosepipe? Might be a bit cruel though...
JH
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Lovely day today - working in our local office in Reading - so took the Z3. I thought of leaving it hood-down in the office car park, then put the hood up in case the sun made the leather seats too hot.
It never occurred to me that someone might do what you lot are thinking of.... :)
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>> It never occurred to me that someone might do what you lot are thinking of.... :)
>>
I have seen a car "chadded" on the last day that a fellow worker was a free man.
There were always buckets of chads from the teleprinter room so very little effort to do the deed.
The good news is that chads are no longer easily obtained but the bad news is that rice is available and flying rats like rice :-)
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If it's possible to eject the CD from the stereo, how about replacing it with something dire like Bros, Spice Girls, The Cheeky Girls, Crazy Frogs greatest hits, etc and making sure the volume is set on max. Obviously the stereo will have to automatically switch on with the ignition for the best effect.
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"how about replacing it with something dire like Bros"
YMCA blasting out from a convertible would be quite funny...
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Ready mixed concrete.
This really happened somewhere, either as revenge or by accident.
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>> Ready mixed concrete.
>> This really happened somewhere, either as revenge or by accident.
>>
Something close
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAPGR23SUqw
however
www.snopes.com/love/revenge/concrete.asp
Last edited by: henry k on Thu 24 Jun 10 at 08:57
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"Something close
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAPGR23SUqw"
They should do that to all VW Beetles old and new. And all VW Transporters - why are they always driven at 5mph below the limit no matter what the limit is? I hate them.
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Not water as I came close to on Saturday!!!
Got the sprinkler going on ornamental bed. Realised after about 10mins it was spraying over wall and into neighbour's drive. Only another nano second to remember Warren next door has a BMW convertible!!!
Tap off; run round than barely dare peep round corner of house - fortunately he was 'done for the day' & had put the roof up earlier on!!!!
PHEW!!!!!!
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I don't quite get this. Is everyone saying that it's necessary to punish someone for what they choose to own? I often park my convertible with the top down, even in city centre streets, without any idea of ostentation. It's just convenient. But then of course, I don't live in the UK or suffer the effects of its dreadful envious society.
Why not just tip a load of dung over every Mondeo/Vectra/Laguna, etc, etc, in the car park, to create an appropriate visual effect?
And two loads over any Prius?
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You're right - I thought my red rose set the right tone though.
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I'm sure you and mike will be very happy together, do we get an invite to the "civil ceremony"?
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When I was a student. we used 3 week old mackerel....
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>> When I was a student. we used 3 week old mackerel....
we used slide rules, tho the first sinclair calculators were just appearing.
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I wasn't intending to punish anyone, Mike, which is why I was aiming at the surreal, the cryptic or the merely incongruous rather than the purely unpleasant. But on the other hand you don't have to be motivated by envy to look at someone whose actions or choices say 'look at me!' and not think what that someone hoped you would. Or something like that.
}:---)
Just out of interest, Madf, where did you keep the mackerel for three weeks until it was ready to use?
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>> Just out of interest, Madf, where did you keep the mackerel for three weeks until
>> it was ready to use?
>>
Isn't it standard student fridge content?
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>> standard student fridge content?
... in a fridge not on for much of the time owing to wrangles about whose turn it is to put shillings in the meter and turn the little butterfly thingy...
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>you don't have to be motivated by envy to look at someone whose actions or choices say 'look at me!' and not think what that someone hoped you would.<
I dunno. I don't do car shows or tours or that sort of thing but it seems a bit sad if I can't potter round the countryside or go shopping (as I do) without attracting attention. Maybe I'm unrealistic.
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Yes, Mike, but that assumes that all convertibles are created equal, and send out the same message. In fact, as you know, there's a world of difference in perception between, say, a wine-red XJS or a blue 1978 450 SL, and the typical black TT, 320d or Peugeot 30-whatever. Others can probably contribute their own views but I'd put it this way: is it the kind of car you'd expect to be driven on your bumper through a residential area by a driver holding a mobile phone? If so, it's ostentatious; if not, it's an honest-to-goodness mid-life-crisis car and no trouble to anyone.
};---)
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How about a load of balls like you find in a kiddies ball pit. They're quite cheap, but would take a while to empty from the car without causing any damage.
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>it's an honest-to-goodness mid-life-crisis car and no trouble to anyone. <
Ok, I'll go with that! ;-))
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Excuse me BBd....I ran a LWB High Roof Transporter for nigh on 10 years and take great exception to that allegation.
Far more accurate to say that it was driven at 5mph below its maximum speed for most of its working life. And...utterly reliable with its 2.4 5cyl engine.
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What to put in someone else's convertible? - teabelly
