“CHiPs” reruns

[FredandJeannesRacer]

Ive been watching reruns of CHiPs due to winter boredom.

The series basically sucks, but I like to see the old classic cars and bikes.

Ive noticed that the stars of the show usually mount their motorcycle from the right, as sitting on the bike.

Is this a west coast thing, like the choice of Beta over VHS?

I have always mounted from the left.

Much easier.

 

[El Toro Joe]

Ive been watching reruns of CHiPs due to winter boredom.The series basically sucks, but I like to see the old classic cars and bikes.

Ive noticed that the stars of the show usually mount their motorcycle from the right, as sitting on the bike.

Is this a west coast thing, like the choice of Beta over VHS?

I have always mounted from the left.

Much easier.

Fred...sounds like you need to go for a ride

 

[Pterodactyl]

In the past when the mounting from the right practice was discussed people who claimed to be in the know said it was a safety practice. Keeps the officer on the side away from traffic and affords him/her a better view of what may becoming down the road; or so they say.

Fred, you should seek help. Watching old CHIPS shows is scraping rock bottom. Show a bit of class and watch The Andy Griffith Show marathons, like we kool guys do.

 

[Bugnatr]

It's ok Fred, better than old Dynasty reruns...or not. I only know one guy who gets on (mounts just sounds to kinky) his bike from the right so it may be an old chp thing but no one does that today. Can't speak for the Chp as I tend to stay away from those guys with the ticket book.

 

[Millrat]

As a kid a good friend got to meet Michael Pena who played Pinch. Friend says he was a prick to everyone.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Um, Ponch. But not in the old ones--Estrada. Who also seems like he might be kind of a dick, but who knows?

That old series bugged the hell out of me. They were so freaking polite. Can you imagine Zilla being that polite? Me neither. But what really bugged me was how they managed to lose pretty much everybody they chased. Luckily, they pretty much always saw them again later in the show and caught them then. In Los Angeles!

 

[El Toro Joe]

Um, Ponch. But not in the old ones--Estrada. Who also seems like he might be kind of a dick, but who knows?
That old series bugged the hell out of me. They were so freaking polite. Can you imagine Zilla being that polite? Me neither. But what really bugged me was how they managed to lose pretty much everybody they chased. Luckily, they pretty much always saw them again later in the show and caught them then. In Los Angeles!

Pinch, Ponch...what's the difference? And as for Zilla...very polite

 

[Uncle Hud]

The difference between Pinch and Ponch -- at least on my Mac -- is the half-inch between the "i" key and the "o" key. (One cm for you rational-thinking metric guys.)

 

[dcarver]

Mounting from the right has one distinct safety advantage. If you fail to get your fat foot over the seat, and tag the seat, the bike is secured from tipping over by the side stand. I'm a bi-mounter!

 

[Knifemaker]

My favorite part of the show is they never drew their guns....compared to newer cop shows where they apparently draw their gun 3-4 times a day...not to mention fire them.

The mounting from the right side bugged me, but I was told it was a safety issue due to them always parking rear wheel to the curb, so the bike was between them and oncoming traffic.

 

[SacramentoMike]

The difference between Pinch and Ponch -- at least on my Mac -- is the half-inch between the "i" key and the "o" key. (One cm for you rational-thinking metric guys.)

The difference between Pinch and Ponch is critical. Ponch is too close to "Punch," and I'd rather have a pinch anytime.

On a more important subject, the side of a horse you mount from matters--to the horse. Some of them only let you get on from the left. You don't want to get kicked in the head by a horse, and I don't either. Ever again.

I park my bike in a fold-up motorcycle tent thing that's up against my driveway fence.

(not me)

I can only get on or off the bike from the right side, otherwise I'd be standing between the bike and the fence and I'd have to climb back over the bike to go in the house. I get on the bike in other circumstances depending on which side of it I walk up to. Doesn't matter much to me, and the motorcycle doesn't mind either way.

 

[Hudson]

I had the occasion to work with Larry Wilcox (Jon) on a few projects and I found him to be a decent, rather humble guy. I grew up watching CHiPs so it was fun to meet someone you admired when you were a kid.

The new remake movie was funny but wasnt anything the original cast would be proud of.

 

[HotRodZilla]

1st: Loved CHiPS. I'm sure I saw every episode. I loved the shifting in the opening sequence.

2nd: We were never trained to get on from the right but that was in 1999 and not in CA, so don't know if that was an actual thing. FWIW, a MC between me and a car is just another 700lbs with the potential of landing on me. I'd rather land on it.

3rd: I'm SUPER polite. I have a tendency to garner complaints because I don't sugar coat stuff. It has actually been a very long time, but video and audio recordings are my friend. However, never confuse kindness with weakness. Every one of those that did has gone to jail and a few had to go to the hospital first.

4th: Even after seeing every episode of CHiPS, I never realized they never drew a gun until someone pointed that out a fee years ago. Today's shows where they shoot someone every week, never do any paperwork, never go to IA, never get put on leave, never see the psych, never get hammered by the DA's office for getting in multiple shootings, is nuts. It's very entertaining though. Lol.

5th and last: Horses: It is proper form to mount and dismount a horse from the left side. Good horses will let you mount on the right, but depends on the horse. Here's the problem: Roping horses are trained to back HARD to stop a calf and tension the rope when the rider gets off the right side. If you get off a roping horse improperly on the right side, said horse is gonna run backwards at about Mach 7, locking your foot in the stirrup and dragging you. NEVER dismount a horse you don't know well, on the right side. I honestly don't think I've ever had to get off on the right unless a calf was attached to my rope and saddle. My personal horses are well trained and probably wouldn't drag me. The ranch horses we had were great ropers, but very utilitarian. They'd break your leg before they stopped.

 

[saread]

The thing I've always liked about that show was that it was bascally done by gear heads. They were always running dune buggys, or dirt bikes, or stock cars, or figure-8's, or some form of motorsport. Not to mention their obligatory opening car crash. The last season had Bruce Penhall in the cast after he'd won the world speedway motorcycle championship. Bruce couldn't act for shit, but he could definitely wheel a motorcycle. The girls were always cute and we got to see Michael Dorn before he became a Klingon. The writing sucked and the production values weren't always the greatest. But still, it's a nice nostalgic look at SoCal motoculture in SoCal in the '70's. The scenes shot at Ascot Park always make me smile.

 

[Knifemaker]

Remember this commercial? (Quick glimpse of Erik Estrada...)

https://youtu.be/uUJYtO7u0dg

I think there was a rock group called 7-Mary-3, Ponches call number.

I didn't watch the last season or so, but didn't miss the early ones. Good guys on motorcycles in prime time? Yeah I'll be there.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Knifemaker posted: I think there was a rock group called 7-Mary-3, Ponches call number.

There absolutely was (is?), but I could never figure out where their name came from. Thank, you Knifemaker!

 

[Knifemaker]

I stand corrected then, it was Larry Wilcox's call number. Ponch's call number was 7 Mary 4.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Well, I didn't intend to point out a mistake; only wanted to say thanks for solving a long-time mystery. I've seen "7 Mary 3" on an Atlanta license plate, and the reference has been bugging me for years.

 

[PJ4863]

I took a safety class given by Asheville PD Motor officers. They said they were trained to mount/dismount with the left hand on the brake, and crossing over the bike. Brake keeps the bike from moving, and the left hand keeps the right hand free for firearm use. Also, if they neglected to put the kickstand down in an urgent situation, the bike won't fall on top of them, but rather away.