So how do I not get people confused when I tell them what my Bus is ~ ? ~

[Laurianne]

So, I'm just gettin' into the whole Bus thing..after not having any kind of Volks. for something like ...uhhmmm...ok, more years than I want to admit.  But, the weird/off-the-wall thing is, where I live, most people just look at me & my Bus, and they either totally get angry, and glare like I should evaporate in 2.30 seconds.

Or, they just sorta smile and wave ~ OR ~ like the other day ~ I'm gettin' gas at a local gas station, an this girl comes out from behind the cash register to ask me, ~ "What is that you're drivin? I int seen nothin' like that before..." ~ So, I did politely tell her what I've got..an' she was totally cool about it.

But it's just some of the other people that really sorta freak me out ~ It's just that whole glaring-like-I-should-be-dead thing that just gets under my skin...Guess I just gotta go with the flow an' see what tomorrow brings..

But for now, I', goin' out on the deck an' enjoy some warm weather for a change..an' have a nice cold Landshark...

[Swiftriver]

Wow... don't get that kind of reaction myself. Is your bus all hippied out with wild paint and stickers? Some parts of the country trip out on that. Most people either don't give my bus a second look, or they are all "Whoah! Sick Bus Man!!!" I used to get more extreme attention both ways when my bus had allot of stickers. Still have some classic deadhead stickers.... Just more low profile these days:-)

[Laurianne]

No, the Bus isn't all hippied out ~ That's the one thing that I'm not goin' overboard with ~ I have put in some nice curtains, hung new beads on the rear view mirror, an' have some beads and baskets inside at different places. It's just that the Bus isn't a common vehicle, like the standard chevy, ford, etc., etc. ~ I do have a couple Dead stickers on my other vehicle, but it's such a bland station wagon, that people tend to ignore it like the plague. Guess I just need to try an' keep a low profile an' let the people make their own decisions on the Bus. At least when getting gas yesterday, I did have a check out girl tell me at least 4 times how much she liked it. Hey, one good for every 18 bad is doin' pretty good!!

[Kathleen Hines]

there probably saying " damm Hippy!" LMAO!

Just Kiding

I get it all Mostly Big smiles, Kids just love it there eyes light up with excitement.
We 've had teens teen's yell out that it was a piece of crap :(
we've had rock on, Cool bus, Love your bus! ... We get lots of thumbs up , peace signs, waves and honks. I love driving in our bus. Don't care what people think. I yelled at one guy oh ya my bus is 35 yrs old and still going, your car on the other hand will be in scrapyard in another 8 :)


Enjoy your bus. What year do you have. Where do you live?

I have a 73 westy Orange currently under restorations :)

Kat

[Laurianne]

Ha ~ ! ~ Speakin' of scrapyard...The Husband has been haulin' loads of scrap metal off an on for the last couple months...an you got it ~ ! ~ mostly 80's era cars piled up on those big giant heaps..I always laugh & tell him, "Oh Nooo~ ! ~ There's our old '90 Metro!!" ~~

Kathleen Hines said:

there probably saying " damm Hippy!" LMAO!

Just Kiding

I get it all Mostly Big smiles, Kids just love it there eyes light up with excitement.
We 've had teens teen's yell out that it was a piece of crap :(
we've had rock on, Cool bus, Love your bus! ... We get lots of thumbs up , peace signs, waves and honks. I love driving in our bus. Don't care what people think. I yelled at one guy oh ya my bus is 35 yrs old and still going, your car on the other hand will be in scrapyard in another 8 :)


Enjoy your bus. What year do you have. Where do you live?

I have a 73 westy Orange currently under restorations :)

Kat

[Swiftriver]

Just realized you are from the East coast. I noticed a lack of old cars in general when I was road tripping out there. I guess rust is the reason? Here in N.Cali, there are still vw buses on the road. Less and less every year, for sure. Not as common as old Ford trucks, but I usually see several on any road trip. Their scarcity is all the more reason for me to enjoy, and make my bus last forever. I get way more thumbs ups and peace signs than one finger salutes!

Laurianne said:

No, the Bus isn't all hippied out ~ That's the one thing that I'm not goin' overboard with ~ I have put in some nice curtains, hung new beads on the rear view mirror, an' have some beads and baskets inside at different places. It's just that the Bus isn't a common vehicle, like the standard chevy, ford, etc., etc. ~ I do have a couple Dead stickers on my other vehicle, but it's such a bland station wagon, that people tend to ignore it like the plague. Guess I just need to try an' keep a low profile an' let the people make their own decisions on the Bus. At least when getting gas yesterday, I did have a check out girl tell me at least 4 times how much she liked it. Hey, one good for every 18 bad is doin' pretty good!!

[Laurianne]

yeah ~ I guess that with as much rain and humidity as we have here, there's no way that a lot of buses can make it for too long ~ Both The Husband & I are originally from So. Cal., an' I've noticed that most of the Buses for sale on Samba are from there ~ Dry climate goes a long way to "preserving" buses ~ ! ~ I'm just gonna go along my way & see how this all works out ~ An' believe me, I am enjoyin' the Bus like there's no tomorrow ~ ! ~ Nothin' like it ~ !! ~

Swiftriver said:

Just realized you are from the East coast. I noticed a lack of old cars in general when I was road tripping out there. I guess rust is the reason? Here in N.Cali, there are still vw buses on the road. Less and less every year, for sure. Not as common as old Ford trucks, but I usually see several on any road trip. Their scarcity is all the more reason for me to enjoy, and make my bus last forever. I get way more thumbs ups and peace signs than one finger salutes!

Laurianne said:

No, the Bus isn't all hippied out ~ That's the one thing that I'm not goin' overboard with ~ I have put in some nice curtains, hung new beads on the rear view mirror, an' have some beads and baskets inside at different places. It's just that the Bus isn't a common vehicle, like the standard chevy, ford, etc., etc. ~ I do have a couple Dead stickers on my other vehicle, but it's such a bland station wagon, that people tend to ignore it like the plague. Guess I just need to try an' keep a low profile an' let the people make their own decisions on the Bus. At least when getting gas yesterday, I did have a check out girl tell me at least 4 times how much she liked it. Hey, one good for every 18 bad is doin' pretty good!!

[westywoman (Melissa)]

The young woman who cut my hair today (approx 27 YO) wasn't sure what a "bus" was, let alone a "camper". She didn't even register after I mentioned "LIttle MIss Sunshine". So, some 20-somethings have no idea and others OWN them. I can't explain. I am confounded.

Laurianne said:

yeah ~ I guess that with as much rain and humidity as we have here, there's no way that a lot of buses can make it for too long ~ Both The Husband & I are originally from So. Cal., an' I've noticed that most of the Buses for sale on Samba are from there ~ Dry climate goes a long way to "preserving" buses ~ ! ~ I'm just gonna go along my way & see how this all works out ~ An' believe me, I am enjoyin' the Bus like there's no tomorrow ~ ! ~ Nothin' like it ~ !! ~

Swiftriver said:

Just realized you are from the East coast. I noticed a lack of old cars in general when I was road tripping out there. I guess rust is the reason? Here in N.Cali, there are still vw buses on the road. Less and less every year, for sure. Not as common as old Ford trucks, but I usually see several on any road trip. Their scarcity is all the more reason for me to enjoy, and make my bus last forever. I get way more thumbs ups and peace signs than one finger salutes!

Laurianne said:

No, the Bus isn't all hippied out ~ That's the one thing that I'm not goin' overboard with ~ I have put in some nice curtains, hung new beads on the rear view mirror, an' have some beads and baskets inside at different places. It's just that the Bus isn't a common vehicle, like the standard chevy, ford, etc., etc. ~ I do have a couple Dead stickers on my other vehicle, but it's such a bland station wagon, that people tend to ignore it like the plague. Guess I just need to try an' keep a low profile an' let the people make their own decisions on the Bus. At least when getting gas yesterday, I did have a check out girl tell me at least 4 times how much she liked it. Hey, one good for every 18 bad is doin' pretty good!!

[Laurianne]

> Ha! < I know what your sayin' ~ I think what made me wonder where some younger people have been hiding their whole life, was when one of the neighbor "kids" (probably the same age as the one who cut your hair..) just stood in his driveway and stared at the Bus before I started it up to go over by our community club house...Makes my head ache an' my brain go into freeze mode...

westywoman said:

The young woman who cut my hair today (approx 27 YO) wasn't sure what a "bus" was, let alone a "camper". She didn't even register after I mentioned "LIttle MIss Sunshine". So, some 20-somethings have no idea and others OWN them. I can't explain. I am confounded.

Laurianne said:

yeah ~ I guess that with as much rain and humidity as we have here, there's no way that a lot of buses can make it for too long ~ Both The Husband & I are originally from So. Cal., an' I've noticed that most of the Buses for sale on Samba are from there ~ Dry climate goes a long way to "preserving" buses ~ ! ~ I'm just gonna go along my way & see how this all works out ~ An' believe me, I am enjoyin' the Bus like there's no tomorrow ~ ! ~ Nothin' like it ~ !! ~

Swiftriver said:

Just realized you are from the East coast. I noticed a lack of old cars in general when I was road tripping out there. I guess rust is the reason? Here in N.Cali, there are still vw buses on the road. Less and less every year, for sure. Not as common as old Ford trucks, but I usually see several on any road trip. Their scarcity is all the more reason for me to enjoy, and make my bus last forever. I get way more thumbs ups and peace signs than one finger salutes!

Laurianne said:

No, the Bus isn't all hippied out ~ That's the one thing that I'm not goin' overboard with ~ I have put in some nice curtains, hung new beads on the rear view mirror, an' have some beads and baskets inside at different places. It's just that the Bus isn't a common vehicle, like the standard chevy, ford, etc., etc. ~ I do have a couple Dead stickers on my other vehicle, but it's such a bland station wagon, that people tend to ignore it like the plague. Guess I just need to try an' keep a low profile an' let the people make their own decisions on the Bus. At least when getting gas yesterday, I did have a check out girl tell me at least 4 times how much she liked it. Hey, one good for every 18 bad is doin' pretty good!!

[Aaron Bromberg]

I've lived all over the country, and I've always had buses. The most common reaction that I get is "my friend/cousin/dad/girlfriend/uncle had a bus and we used to have so much fun in that thing. It caught on fire/broke down one time in..."

My favorite part of being a vw owner is that it is a conversation starter. People will take time out of their day to approach you and ask questions. When I do get a weird look, I usually assume that the person dishing it out is remembering something from their past that is either really great or really bad. I just smile and wave.

As for the kids who are too you to have prior VW experience, most of them will think it's pretty cool. The kids in my neighborhood used to make fun of my buses. Now that they are in high school, many of them have asked me if I can help them find one and or fix it it up.

Love your bus and everyone else will too. Treat it like a member of the family (I expect Regis to chime in and ask if I would sell a member of the family b/c they don't run well). It will bring you much joy and memories.

[Laurianne]

~ Ha! ~ It's so true about the catching fire bit ~ The Husband & I used to live up in Idyllwild Ca., an' there were so many times that people were trying very, very hard to climb Hwy. 74 in their Bus ~ Sometimes they'd make it without a problem...but other times, there'd go the fire department to go down the mtn. part way to put out (or at least clean up) a Bus that'd caught fire. I'm thinkin' that along the Shore here, climbing our "hills" isn't going to make the Bus catch fire..after all, the 10' climb shouldn't be a problem... I am really beginning to feel completely Over The Moon about having this Bus ~ and the more I add inside, it just makes it more of a family member than EVAH ~ ! ~ And as for the people with the really Bad Looks...Whoo, I really DON'T want to know what that could harken back to..what's that old commercial ~ ? ~ with Dennis Hopper.. "Bad things man, Bad Things..." ~

Aaron Bromberg said:

I've lived all over the country, and I've always had buses. The most common reaction that I get is "my friend/cousin/dad/girlfriend/uncle had a bus and we used to have so much fun in that thing. It caught on fire/broke down one time in..."

My favorite part of being a vw owner is that it is a conversation starter. People will take time out of their day to approach you and ask questions. When I do get a weird look, I usually assume that the person dishing it out is remembering something from their past that is either really great or really bad. I just smile and wave.

As for the kids who are too you to have prior VW experience, most of them will think it's pretty cool. The kids in my neighborhood used to make fun of my buses. Now that they are in high school, many of them have asked me if I can help them find one and or fix it it up.

Love your bus and everyone else will too. Treat it like a member of the family (I expect Regis to chime in and ask if I would sell a member of the family b/c they don't run well). It will bring you much joy and memories.

[Craig Rockhold]

We've got Splits, Bays, Vanagons and EV's all around here. But what surprises me is when we go camping - even just here on the Calif coast, there's always someone who has never seen a Westy before.

[Laurianne]

> Huh! < You'd think esp. up in the part of Cali. where you live, that there'd be people who'd seen one of those type of Buses ~ That really suprises me ~ ! ~ But, seems like everytime I think I've heard/seen-it-all, then somethin' else comes along an' dope-slaps me upside the head, an' I'm stumped all over again...

Craig Rockhold said:

We've got Splits, Bays, Vanagons and EV's all around here. But what surprises me is when we go camping - even just here on the Calif coast, there's always someone who has never seen a Westy before.