Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for September 22, 2010

Rover is so excited to tell Miss Chris he will forget he doesn’t have tools and will loosen the nuts by hand and lift the bus up himself as he pulls off the tire.

Rover drives around carrying a hydraulic floor jack sufficient to jack u a school bus? …a torque wrench equal to cracking the lug nuts off the wheels? …a supply of plywood with which to to provide a stable base for jacking?

None of which solves the brake problem which went hand-in-hand with the flat, as a couple of posters pointed out days ago.

(wonders when some of the readers will remember that this is a COMIC STRIP, and not a slice-of-life novel with pretentions of strict 24-7 realism)

Someday Boog will run the Gasoline Alley garage.

Someday Boog will be mayor!

“DUH! Oh boy oh boy, I’m a genius!”

How is this even Rovers problem? The school district has mechanics I’m sure, and they also could send a proper wrecker to get that thing off the edge first. Besides, if those are Budd wheels, they nuts are torqued to 800 ft. lbs, and require a 33mm socket. If Daytons, he’ll have to mount the flat tire on back to take up the space of the missing rim, so he’ll need a jack stand. Not to mention a jack big enough. You carry that stuff around, Rover?

now he has learned a valuable lesson about life and the existence of people who steal credit

I think the point is that Rover is too taken with the cute driver to think straight, and his attempt to show off will cause further disaster.

This story arc is heading in a very different direction, Rover and the driver (Ms. Chris) getting involved would be a dramatic departure for GA in a very long time. The existence of Skeezix refers back to a dalliance.

I sort of enjoyed the cartoons and didnlt need the detailed ‘anaylsis of whatever….

I think that even a comic strip, if it pretends to have a story line, should be reasonably internally consistent. And this one, because it also pretends to represent a community of realistic people–that is, it is not a fantasy–should be reasonably consistent with reality. Instead of pretending we’re in Narnia and there is no towing service to call, for example. And certainly instead of ignoring the laws of gravity. (I would give it a pass if it were both farcical and funny.)

Since the cell phone is dead and apparently no one else has one, Rover should go for help. Chris should keep the children calm and safe. Where are they anyway? I agree with comictator’s assessment. This is not Superman, and Rover is being ridiculous, which doesn’t mean funny.

Miss Chris should watch out. Rover’s wife Hoogie is a ranger and may be packing a gun.

Hoogie doesn’t need a gun.

Problem solved, everybody! Let’s just use the spammer as a jackstand!

rmbdot– one of the best comments ever!