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I was driving in the North Carolina highlands near Grandfather Mountain yesterday when I spotted a car.....Volvo station wagon actually....with one of those white oval window stickers that were all the rage a couple or three years ago.
The message?
"Bagpipes: 24/7"
zephyr Member # 1651
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I'm not surprised, Pony Boy. Across the country, people are clamoring for an onboard (or is it on-board, or on board?--help me, grammar gestapos) entertainment alternative. What could be better than bagpipes 24/7??? I get all flushed just thinking about it.
And here's something for you equestrian fans. Two weeks ago, my wife and I were on the Empire Builder. During wine tasting, they played a trivia game with winners getting a free bottle of wine. My wife won a bottle by correctly answering this question: What measurement distinguishes a pony from a horse?
notelvis Member # 3071
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What measurement distinguishes a pony from a horse?
Gee.....no clue. A cubit maybe?
zephyr Member # 1651
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A "cubit?" A "c-u-b-i-t?" Wrrrr-ong!!! (I just love using hyphens after that earlier thread about the mis-use of dashes).
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All this talk of ponies reminds of my childhood days. When I was young, anytime myself or my two sisters would take a trip in the car with my Aunt, she would tell us that she would give us a quarter if we saw a white horse. But the trick was we had to see it first. But then she would have to see it to, to make sure we weren't making it up. Of course we didn't make very many quarters this way! But it was all in good fun, and when we get together we still make jokes about all the white horses we did or didn't see.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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What distinguishes a pony from a horse?
Horse: 1965 Mustang Pony: 1975 Pinto
BTW, in an effort to keep the thread rail oriented, aren't the bagpipers supposed to go on a flatcar?
Banjos go in the lounge car.
Of course, the hard surfaces of a Sightseer Lounge would make a thrilling acoustic environment for either instrument.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Musicfan, my wife and her 3 sisters also played whitehorse on trips. It could also be used on a train to entertain kids and get them looking out the window.
Now that we have determined where bagpipes and banjos should be placed on the train, we should dicuss the placement of the ponies. I suggest the lower level of the superliner coaches. Getting a pony up the steps to the upper level might present too much difficulty. Putting ponies in the diner or lounge may violate health regulations, at least in the US.
With the ponies on board, the old smoking lounges could be converted to a Petting Zoo. I suggest adding penguins, as they provide an excellent role model for successfully walking on the train.
When the kids get back home, they will tell all their friends about the ponies and penguins and pipers on the train (real, not a video). Then all the neighbor kids will start begging their parents for a train ride. Soon a groundswell of support will emerge for more Amtrak funding.
Discussion of ponies and bagpipes on this forum is never off topic. It is our shared vision for the future of Amtrak.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Congratulations TwinStar for being the first to successfully integrate the serious discussion of penguins on this forum.
What a pity that Amtrak has removed the video monitors. A safety video featuring penguins demonstrating how to walk on a moving train shown upon departure would have been ideal.
As for the live penguins in our Amtrak Petting Zoo, would they spend the night downstairs in the diner.......perhaps in the icebox?
Ira Slotkin Member # 81
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quote:Originally posted by notelvis:
As for the live penguins in our Amtrak Petting Zoo, would they spend the night downstairs in the diner.......perhaps in the icebox? [/QB]
As I understand it, from a posting at AARP: The penquins will be housed in a chilled tank car placed between the lounge and the diner and connected by a large diameter tube which will allow them to swim to, and then jump into the refridgerator (nee icebox) of the diner.
Penquins will have first priority for any fish available in the diner.
There will be small fish available for children to feed to the penquins (for an additional charge to coach passengers, but included in the fee for sleeper passengers.) Swimming in the tank car will also be a luxury option available for the new Grande Luxe service soon to be added to many of the long distance trains, prior to their complete elimination.
PETA/HSUS/AHA are combining to represent the penquins union so that they are only required to make presentations at major station stops, and only between certain hours.
Hey - I heard it through the grapevine.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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quote:Originally posted by Ira Slotkin: Penquins will have first priority for any fish available in the diner.
They can have it. The fish Amtrak is serving these days is horrible!
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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After they have at the fish, please, please let them have the Country Fried Steak or whatever else is available as the "special."
Is there any truth to the rumor that the penguins have already formed a union called the Brotherhood of Independent Railway Denizens (BIRD)?
notelvis Member # 3071
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Gee.......I think that for eating the Country Fried Steak you would need a creature more fierce than penguins.....
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