So there I was - new Barthmobile member (and new Barth owner) driving my girlfriend's and my new (to us) 22' Regal back from Boston along I84, planning to get off at 17K and visit a friend a few days before continuing the trip West toward Warren, PA. and thinking that I might have a chance to post a thread on that Barthmobile.com site and see if I might actually get that guy Bill N.Y. to respond and see if I couldn't get him to come out and look at the Barth. Since I would be hanging out close to Newburgh for a few days and it just might be possible. The coach was running fine, although I'd had to pull over once to locate and fix a strange knocking noise outside the door (rubber strip worked loose). I thought I had enough fuel to reach my friend's house in Bullville and I'm just about to the Rte.9 Fishkill exit when this big black diesel pulls up alongside of me (I had the window open) and blows his air horns to get my attention. Got my attention... yes, definitely. The driver is waving for me to pull off... which I do - thinking that something else has come loose on the Barth and I'm dragging Lord-knows-what down the interstate OR this guy is some kind of highway patrol truck used to inspect and ticket rigs w/out proper inspection tags, etc. So I get parked on the shoulder along the off-ramp and before I could get my butt out the door, this guy is standing there (the big black truck had followed me off and was now parked behind me) telling me of his "Barth sighting" and wondering if I am familiar with Barthmobile.com. I reply with a confirming "Yes, I am"... but continued to wonder what the heck was dragging behind my coach, possibly throwing sparks and necessitating this particular highway stop... maybe especially since we were BOTH now parked in an emergency break-down spot on the exit ramp of a major state highway. I think I even managed to get out of my mouth that I had recently signed on to Barthmobile.com as a member before I was enthusiastically informed that he was "Bill N.Y."

Talk about your chance meeting. It was like I had driven past Carroll Shelby's house in a Mustang and Carroll himself had flagged me down at the corner. "Bill N.Y.".. I say... "...aren't you 'the guy'?" and he grins real big and says "Yeah... I'm 'the guy'". I had to grin real big back at him, because I confessed right there that I was hoping that I could somehow meet him knowing he lived in the area... I just didn't know you only had to drive by Newburgh in a Barth and he'd pull you over!

So we get formalities out of the way fast, Bill takes a quick peek at the interior (especially the tag) and then we agree to get off the ramp and go take a photo of both rides together at a gas station. I'm sure I needed to fill up anyway, and we got to shoot the bull a little bit more... and of course I tried to pick Bill's brain about my new Barth as much as I could without becoming obnoxious. He had to run to be with his family and I was running late to my buddy's house, but now I could put a REAL person together with all these posts and have a great introduction story to boot! Thanks Bill! Lots more to follow.

Moved Reply:

Nice story.

Seems were all on the look for another Barth.

Moved Reply:

Looks like BillNY is going to start making house calls...........................

I confess, right here and now, he must have thought I was some kind of clown.

Apparently, Kirk doesn't like "The Seuss"

Anyway... After I showed Kirk I wasn't completely insane (or maybe I just proved it) I had him follow me to a Mobil Gas Station just up the road.

He said that he thought I was some old guy (octogenarian) that just sits behind his computer posting to Barthmobile.

Maybe, to my 2 kids it might look like that, but at Barthmobile? Perhaps I've been giving off the wrong vibe or something.

I believe he was happy to have a mental/makeup image of me for his future dealings on Barthmobile. I guess he was happy I wasn't a "Stick In The Mud" type of person.

So, if you're driving through NY on I-84, you just might see me on the road. Don't worry, I don't bite.

Actually, it was a little surreal - but I like surreal and welcome chance occurances. To think that somehow, on my "maiden voyage" home with this new machine, I had crossed paths with my online Barth 'mentor'. I am still amazed at the timing of it all. And yes, Bill is much younger and way more active than online perceptions conjure. I guess if I'm going to get 'pulled over' driving the Barth, Bill's going to be my first choice. This community seems like a pretty tight-knit and special group and (both Elise and I) are very happy to have arrived.

Kirk

p.s. Proper photo of Elise and I with Barth coming soon, but it's monsoon season (apparently) here in N.Western PA and the 4th is turning out to be quite soggy.

quote:

Apparently, Kirk doesn't like "The Seuss"

The guy in the truck with the lights and the horn, he's got my attention, do I need to be warned?

So I pull it on over to the emergency shoulder and step out to meet someone I thought to be older.

Why it's BillNY, it's him having fun, flagging me down coming back from a run.

We come face-to-face, right there on the road. And my coach is all fine, no need to be towed.

Did I get a treat, it's Bill that I meet and I'm happy to spend some time with a friend.

So if you're going to Newburgh and those air horns a-ring... be driving a Barth for you might see the king!

Well then, let me be the first to say it: WELCOME ABOARD KIRK!!!

Sorry - can't help myself.

Me thinks you'll fit right in at Barthmobile. So, how about that data tag then?

Data tag forthcoming. Right now I'm summoned to cut up a watermelon for fruit salad. Data tag tonight, I promise.

Wow, somehow out of the only 89,609 messages I missed this message.

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So I check my profile like I Did yours Kirk before asking for the data tag. Mine is not right either. I will fix it right now unless I get side tracked again.

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So I ask EVERYONE if you have a Barth, put that data tag completely and entirely in your profile. I am not sure how to put it at the bottom of each post. Adding data tag information to a post is on the only other page that I missed.

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I have read all the pages or at least they were in front of me while my head was laying asleep on the desk.