Mr Rogers Impala

"Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken" (Gimmi)
12/08/2013 at 17:08 • Filed to: Fred Rogers

I have heard of this man, I don't think I ever saw the show, but he sounds nice.

According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”

DISCUSSION (8)

Burt > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
12/08/2013 at 17:28

What year Impala was it?

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Burt
12/08/2013 at 17:48

I can't find anything about the year. It just says he drove an old Impala for years, not buying a new car. The incident supposedly happened a couple years before he died so he had the car for quite a while. There aren't many details, this is the only picture of him I can find with any automobile.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
12/08/2013 at 22:15

I am more amazed that you've never seen the show. How old are you and where are you from?

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
12/08/2013 at 22:17

I'm 83, but not American. I only visited the states for races and more recently my daughter married a yank. I have seen photos of him and heard of him.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
12/08/2013 at 22:22

You're 83? And know how to use the interwebs? Kudos to you. Unless you meant to hit the 5 on the keypad.

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
12/08/2013 at 22:24

I have had to use computers as they were progressing, I'm an engineer and I worked on aircraft and then cars. So yes I can use a computer, I can also design sophisticated components or an entire electrical system for your jet or car.

imflyingdammit > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
12/09/2013 at 19:55

"Experienced" engineers rock! I've had some of the best lunch break stories listening to engineers and the things they've done places they've been. I wish more of them would write books. I've always thought if I struck it rich I'd like to start a company filled with engineers, metallurgists, and chemists over retirement age and pair it with a school outreach program. We'd take a company-wide vote every year and see what problem we could solve one at a time. It'd be great to see someone pull out a slide rule to double check a solution they used once 30 years before.

PostOMatic2000 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
12/11/2013 at 15:35

I have been in his office. He had this outer room before his actual office, and it was full of awards and gifts and plaques and stuff. Not bragging, just being nice and displaying some heartfelt things that he had received over the years. The list of dignitaries, world leaders, politicians and famous people was amazing! Most interesting to me is that he informed my religious opinions. He had a theology degree, and decided that TV was the best pulpit for him. But he never spoke of anything religious on the show. WHO you believed in or WHERE and HOW you prayed was not important...being a good person and doing the right thing were more important. That spoke to me as a young atheist, and to this day I can't stand the "church only on Sunday morning" folks who talk the talk and never walk the walk. /soapbox.