Just wondering if anyone else saw this last night. Was on More 4 at 10, and was a road trip in a 1970 Ford Torino estate to see if it was possible to drive across America spending money only in independant "Mom and Pop" outlets.
Only watched it by chance as was a film by Dave Gorman, whose work I have always liked as seems to act out ideas thought out in the pub after quite a few drinks, but does go through with.
The attitude to the customer was astounding to see. As they were not buying fuel from the chains, inevitably it meant running out of petrol (especially as the fuel tank was not as big as they had been told by the seller). In one case the owner of a fuel station drove out 5 miles with a can of fuel to get them into town to fill up, and expected no money whatsoever for this. The car also broke down a lot, and in one case the owner of a diner called the garage owner on thanksgiving weekend, who came and opened up the garage just to fix the car, with no hint of additional charges for the inconvenience. As this breakdown also meant staying in the town, the motel owner invited them to his family thanksgiving meal. On a later breakdown they were even towed 10 miles by a passing pick up driver who took pity on them, and continued to do so even after it appeared the Torino accidentally hit the back of his pick up as the Ford brakes were not that efficient.
Personally is a film would recommend to other backroomers, just to witness the complete change of attitude between the UK and USA in customer service, and treating complete strangers as old long lost friends. The look of shock when they realised there were no call out charges was quite funny to watch. There was also some stunning scenery as they took to the backroads as the service stations on the highways were mostly chain outlets. Be warned though, there was quite a bit of strong language when things went wrong!
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My Brother in Law is married to an American and lives there. (In Georgia). Small town America is just about the most pleasant, polite and relaxed place I've ever been. Even the tourist traps of Florida are leagues ahead of the UK when it comes to customer service and politeness. It was so nice to go into a service station and actually be 'served'.
I'd be over there in a shot, but 'er indoors is a stick in the mud (she doesn't read this forum, so I can say that)
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Missed it though Ford Torino as in Starsky & Hutch, the TV series?
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Missed it though Ford Torino as in Starsky & Hutch the TV series?
The Starsky and Hutch car was a 1974(?) Gran Torino.
The 1970 Ford Torino was a more muscular (engine wise) machine, compared to the post-Nader, fuel-crisis-era, Gran Torino..
Didnt see the OP's programme, it sounds interesting I'll have to see if/when its repeated.
Edited by Rich 9-3 on 08/10/2008 at 17:24
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It's true about small-town middle America, like going back 50 years in a time-warp to a more human (if slightly foreign) era. God's own country and very pleasant.
Not exactly hip though. That's why it will vote for the corpse/moron ticket in the upcoming election. Fortunately however it should be outvoted by the coasts and the gutted, bankrupt, savagely repressed former industrial inner cities. Fingers crossed.
As for the film, it was pleasant enough but a bit slapdash, with many wasted opportunities.
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Another one of these films led by a so-called celebrity that did not really achieve much, other than to indicate to me that scenically, once away from the coastal topography, cities and some inland ones, the majority of the landscape is very boring and ugly with its overhead cables and box-like dwellings and advertising hordings everywhere.
Just serves to make you appreciate the UK a little bit more.
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Ever been there og? The great plains don't look much on the small screen, true, although Hollywood can make a pretty good fist of putting them on the big one. But the American landscape is always imposing, in a lot of ways too. They call it 'the big sky', and it's really there.
It's true that any town of any size seems a bit like Dagenham or the outskirts of Birmingham, in large part. But the scale is very noticeably different.
The clamour of cicadas at night in summer in say Nebraska has to be heard to be believed, musical and hypnotic, overlapping waves of millions and millions of loud raspberries from around your feet to the distant horizon. Nothing like that here, although the morning chorus in May used to be all right in a miniaturist sort of way when there were still a few surviving blackbirds.
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And the colours and sights of 'The Fall' have to be seen to be believed.
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and those roadside diners - especially in the Atlantic states - Lobster for a fiver !
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For anyone that missed it I can recommend the accompanying book - Gorman is able to include more background detail than was in the program.
I agree the car was a fine old beast, and more relieble than you would expect for its age.
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Here is the link to the background behind the trip.
tinyurl.com/3aav8y
From what he says on the site, the film was a by product of something he wanted to do on his own, and was not done in normal 'celebrity' way. Insisted only one person accompanied him to do the filming to avoid people acting to camera, and to avoid having the route dictated in advance, and working to a film crews schedule.
Lud, if that is the case is probably why did miss opportunities, and did appear slapdash- was just a rambling make it up as you go along journey. Probably sort of thing that would be fantastic to do in person, but harder to convey on film. Certainly could empathise with the comments early in the film about having one of the best days of his life. In a way reminded me of my late teens, when would go for a drive in the early hours of the morning just for the sake of it and watch the sun come up, or just watch the stars with a good cigar.
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Proper American cars are incredibly strong and reliable over huge mileages. That one had obviously lived an idle suburban life and been neglected by its former owners. But all it needed was the odd consumable, and the efficiency of the American mechanic dealing with the traditional Yank tank is admirable.
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>the efficiency of the American mechanic dealing with the traditional Yank tank is admirable.
In the southwest they're now mostly Mexican and equally capable and efficient.
"Ah Señor, it ees piston slap and el cam lobes are worn. We fix, you come back una hora Si?"
For anyone visiting Texas who wants to get off the freeways there is an excellent book called "Backroads of Texas" which lists all the odd places off the beaten track that regular tourists never get to see.
TexasEscapes tinyurl.com/4u7lu9 is also very good.
I'm still trying to convince Mrs K that on our next trip back we should just rent a Hog and disappear for a couple of weeks.
Kevin...
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Just before I buy this (for 7.99 inc. p&p from a well known Jersey based website) can anyone confirm that this is Dave Gorman who filled the 6.30pm comedy slot on Radio 4 ?
Otherwise I'm buying it solely on the basis of what I've read here !
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Pretty sure was same one, just checked on line and said he had a program called Genius which went out in the 6.30 comedy slot.
Was the same Dave Gorman who did Are you Dave Gorman? a few years back, again from a drunken germ of an idea to track down as many people with the name Dave Gorman, followed up by Dave Gormans important astrology experiment.
Details from Wikipedia:
tinyurl.com/4czfz2
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Good enough me. Click to buy - If I hate it it'll go on e-bay with a suitable comment about the BR !
On a separate but connected note - this was going for up to 16.99 on e-bay. Seems a right bargain, new from the site I'm buying from ! Some people eh ?
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Think will have to get this too PU, and maybe go for the book too.
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You have mail. I'll buy the book if enjoy the DVD - but I do like his style.
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Thanks PU, and hope you enjoy the DVD. Funnily enough I only watched as also like his style, and previous works.
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