Guess the story and win a Y Strap.

[popstar]

I know some of the Saviem bus models have luggage racks on top, so I figure that is what the rack item is on top.

My guess for the story is that the sides have mirrors, probably for some type of promotion. It just seems there is too much light around the nose and mouth of the driver of the second scooter, especially when the rest of the light is coming from the rear of the bus. It seems like there might some sort of reflection cast, such as a mirror on the side.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I think:

This is a bus from Reunion Island (an overseas region of France) and it's somehow on the streets in Paris. A hopelessly old vehicle and likely lost too.

 

[antiquark]

They're filming a movie?

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Another try:

At the RFF meet in Paris some members chartered a bus to go and see yanidel.

The bus driver didn't know where yanidel lives, so she asked the people on the scooters who were shocked and surprised that anybody would want to see that guy yanidel with the weird cameras.

 

[rolleistef]

The Bus is an old Saviem of the CRS, the French riot police, it has been taken here because it was the 40th anniversary of May 68 and they were using that kind of bus at that time, the people on the motoscooters are wondering what a blue bus full of CRS with old-style helmets is doing here.

 

[yanidel]

Well, still not close though the last couple of posts contains hints to the solution ... still some brainstorming needed 🙂

 

[blw]

Well, it would appear to be a 1964 model- judging by this picture I found:

So I would think Rolleistef is closest thus far. But I have to admit that Pitxu's seemed like a very good guess. There's obviously some signifigance in a 44 year old bus loaded and running on the streets of Paris.

Beyond the fairly decent guess that something is happening off the right hand side of the street, I don't have any more than that.

 

[MickH]

Right, I think the scooterists are pee'd off with the driver as her bus is blocking the road - look at the faces of the two in the foreground. The bus is too old to still be used for public transport and is too scruffy to be part of a 'classic transport' collection, so my guess is that it is in use by a bohemian art collective who have stopped to disembark and begin their next performance or exhibition, much to the dismay of the local populace.

Incidentally, that may be either an unfortunately distorted reflection of Yanidel in the buses windscreen - caught in the act of taking this snap - OR it's a member of the troupe in some sort of costume ready to hit the street and make some art.

 

[Soeren]

When reversing out of the garage in the morning the bus hit a VW beetle that was still stuck under the rear bumber and draged along while the young couple in the beetle havn't noticed yet and still having s..
kind regards

Edit. Just read that its a french bus so maybe it should read Citroen 2CV and not VW Beetle

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I think Pitxu sounds the front runner for the Y Fronts prize.

 

[infrequent]

the collective disgust at the shooting of "speed 3" is self-evident. they are hoping that it's a straight to DVD release.

 

[yanidel]

Two days left and one more hint : the solutions come from guessing who is in the bus and how it is an absurd situation related to some of the facts stated earlier.

 

[Rodluvan]

As for what is a Y Strap : http://figitalrevolution.com/y-strap/
Stéphane, try 😉

HAHA. then I invented that myself a long time ago. One could simply connect both ends of a regular strap to one side of the camera and voilá - a "Y-strap". The things people make money of.

 

[oscroft]

the solutions come from guessing who is in the bus

Vaclav Havel? Iggy and the Stooges? Peter Higgs? Avril Lavigne? Reginald Bosanquet? Lionel Blair? Jay Leno? The London Symphony Orchestra? Accrington Stanley FC? Serge Gainsbourg? Lionel Hampton? Ed Witten? Alessandra Mussolini? Kim Jong Il? The Boston Red Sox? Arthur (Two Sheds) Jackson? Barbara Windsor? Jacques Chirac? Doug and Dinsdale Piranha? Vanessa Mae? The East Cheam British Legion Darts Club? Dame Helen Mirren? Monica Lewinsky? Hugh Hefner? Harry Hill? The Chuckle Brothers? Peter Bogdanovich? Arnold Schwarzenegger? Evonne Goolagong? The British Board of Film Censors? King Juan Carlos of Spain? The Ting Tings? Lily Tomlin? Archbishop Desmond Tutu? Mitzi Gaynor?

Have I got it yet?

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

From the BBC website today:

Singer Carla Bruni, the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has given a rare performance, appearing alongside rock bands Metallica and Kings of Leon.

This must have been their tour bus, to demonstrate frugality.

 

[Arvay]

I think the police bus violate the traffic rules and ran into the street where bus traffic is prohibited or stopped where the stop is prohibited...

 

[popstar]

Maybe they're filming the next Pink Panther movie and are waiting for it on set around the corner. Too bad Peter Sellers isn't still around for another shot at Inspector Clouseau...

 

[yanidel]

So the contest is over and here is the real story :
As some have noted, the Saviem is an old bus from late sixties. It was parked on the side of the road loading its passengers. When the driver started the engine, a huge cloud of black smoke got out so it explains the reaction of the first scooter driver as well as the third who is trying to recover and get fresh air. The passenger of the first scooter looks like "what the hell?" Why? because the bus is loaded with anti-nuclear supporters of an ecologic movement that just returned from a manifestation and have signs such as "save the earth". Due to the absurdity of the situation, the bus driver looks away in shame. The walkers by (which you cannot see) laugh cynically and comment "do as I say, not as I do". To add on the absurdity and as noted too, this bus was used in the past to drive police forces to go beat up the May 68 demonstrators that wanted to change society. Hopefully, this time they escaped (see them in the picture below)
So the winner is : MickH. The most logical reasoning that taken a bit further could have lead to the solution.. thanks to all that participated.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Well done MickH, wear those Y-fronts with pride.

 

[MickH]

Thankyou yanidel

Thankyou yanidel

Wow! What a surprise! I never expected...

Well... I suppose I'd better say a few words...

First of all I'd like to thank yanidel for setting up this competition. It is a noble and honourable thing for him to have done.

Secondly, I want to say thanks to my wife who's support has meant so much to me over the years.

Thirdly, Mum. You were always there when I needed you.

And finally: Mr Gandy, I thank you for maintaining this glorious site which gives such pleasure to so many.

😉😉😉😉

Seriously tho yanidel. Thanks alot. I'll pm you my details and have a think about starting a similar thread myself.

Cheers.