"Dude, Where's My Car?" - April 22, 2022

[rosiegirl]

I just got started this morning. Busy week and weekend. The solution seemed so straightforward but I’m having coffee with Isaac, nonetheless.

My favorite lost car story: my husband and kids and I were running errands. Husband went inside a building to pick something up while the rest of us waited in the car. A few minutes later he returned and we all watched him as he tried to open the car next to ours. It was also a white SUV, but it had a keypad on the drivers side door (ours did not). He looked at the empty car and the keypad, then looked back at the building, obviously flustered. Meanwhile the three of us were 2 feet away from him in his car trying not to laugh and wondering how long it would take him to see us. He later told us he thought he was in the twilight zone and his family had disappeared.

This has happened to me...too many similar cars/similar colors. Was happy that someone did come running yelling "Stop, thief!" when I stood by their car trying to open it.

[ALS]

Very lost. Not even looking for the path at this point.

Alas.

ALS

[Deb F]

Nope. It's not coming to me. Looked at the title, the clues, finished the grid and thought, "Oh, how hard can this be?". I should have known. Driving myself nuts thinking I'm making it mush harder than it needs to be. I have a Hail Mary, but that's about the best I can muster. On the ship I will stay.

Good luck, Muggles.

[michaelm]

All the time with Isaac and fellow cruisers this weekend, Dude, even if I could find my car, I could never drive it.
Please count me on the ship, Mr. Cruise Director

[Schmeel]

Got to this puzzle very late. Post-Passover turnover took precedence.
I have an answer. A bit farfetched I think, but it's consistent so I'll stick with it.
Ashore!

[Tom Shea]

Since we are on mistaken car stories, I was running a test program at the Navy's China Lake facility in the early 1990's. The range was about 40 miles away from the base area where we had meetings. At the time Hertz at LAX was renting Ford Tempos, mostly white. One day I came down to the base facility for a meeting. When I came out, I found my Ford Tempo and even checked the first three letters on the license. I opened the door and got in. When I started the car, the radio was on which was unusual. I also checked that my up range pass was there, which is was. As I started to up range, I checked the gas and found that the car needed gas. By then I was suspicious so I checked in the back seat where there was a tool box and I knew it was not my car. So I went back to the base area and found my white Ford Tempo three spots away from there I had picked up the same rental with enough of a similar key that mine started the other car. I parked the other car in a spot about a dozen spots away from where I picked it up.

I always have wondered what the other person thought when they came out and found their car in a different spot, backed in and with different radio stations on.

Late 90's, Greenville, SC. Hampton Inn. Leaving hotel to go to the plant, I'm trying to open the door of the white Taurus. Guy behind me laughing hysterically. Identical car with plate one digit off, parked right next to mine.

The days before "boop, boop" when you locked your car. Practically stone age.

[ship4u]

"Quo usque tandem abutere, Gaffney, patientia nostra?" Flashbacks from 7 years of latin

Wow, 7 years of latin. Were you studying for the priesthood? I went to a Catholic High School and only had 2 years of latin.

[ship4u]

2574943C-507D-446B-B111-4BC69E3A7B37.jpegEven my husband is stumped!

If a good cigar can't help you, nothing will!

[Trey]

Marion and I are late arrivals to the beach - I was clearly the boat anchor this week. She did most of the heavy lifting!

[Flying_Burrito]

"Quo usque tandem abutere, Gaffney, patientia nostra?" Flashbacks from 7 years of latin

Wow, 7 years of latin. Were you studying for the priesthood? I went to a Catholic High School and only had 2 years of latin.

No priesthood aspirations. I grew up in Italy so 7 years of Latin and 4 years of old Greek was a pretty common studying path. And no Fiats or Alfa Romeos in this grid

[Flying_Burrito]

Ashore. Inspiration came in the person of my son who is visiting us. Natasha and I followed many rabbit trails, and it took him only 5 minutes to suggest the answer after seeing what we had produced. Genius, both he and Matt.

What if we made this meta more difficult than it really is and Matt is laughing his keaster off at our expense? There is a valid pageant answer that may have crossed most mugglers' minds and that's what I decided to turn in

[ship4u]

Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby
Can’t buy a thrill

It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry.

My favorite is:
Oh, God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe said, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God said, "No" Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want, Abe, but
The next time you see me comin', you better run"
Well, Abe said, "Where d'you want this killin' done?"
God said, "Out on Highway 61"

I saw Dylan in concert in 1965 at the Baltimore Civic Center.
A fantastic experience

[Hidden in 3D]

Looks like I'll be staying on the ship this weekend. Just haven't devoted a lot of time to the meta since Mr. Hidden and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary in the beautiful NC mountains. Lots of great restaurant meals and fantastic hiking trails. Here we are with our favorite hiking pal:

[C=64]

Solved, after a "you're so close!” nudge from @Laura M. I won't submit because I never would have gotten any further without the help.

[Hammertime]

Ship bound as well. Didn't see anything on Friday and just revisited to see if time helped. It didn't.

[ship4u]

The best car movie ever was Ford vs. Ferrari. We've watched it 5 times!

[ZooAnimalsOnWheels]

I have what must be the answer, so I will declare myself on shore. I just flew home this morning and finished most of the puzzle on the plane and the last little bit now. I'll be reading through the rest of the comments to see if anyone else has misgivings.

I will be around at 5PM and check into the Zoom room in case people want to do a Last Call at Isaac's bar. @BarbaraK

[KFB]

I and my family have owned a sorry fleet of crappy American cars in the last many years (Chevy Vega, Chevette, Citation / Ford Granada / Early Chrysler mini-vans to name a few) and now I'm getting further abuse from a mystery American jalopy! A jump from someone with a better battery would be welcome to nudge my low horsepower brain.
Thanks in advance!

[Homer Buckle]

Ashore with very little time to spare on a Sunday!

[hcbirker]

Shoved to shore. Ugh! It was right in front of me!