Posted 7/18/2011 3:08 am
Mid-80s due to superbike legislation, as the zipperheads were making crazy bikes only sold in North America but not in their homeland.
But that was only the first time. Such things happened later as well, but I wanted to capture the initial hysteria.
Nitwits always buy more motorcycle than can be handled. Or get a stupid tattoo.
Posted 7/18/2011 3:11 am
Late 90's, very late 90's into 2000 would be the earliest that cell phones were "mainstream" and parents were buying them for their kids, or younger people could afford them and afford to pass the credit check that companies required you to take before you could sign up for service (no "go" phones). I had a pager from 95 till 97 when I got my 1st cell phone (moto star-tac) and I knew very few people then who had a cell. Every few months though, I kept seeing more and more and more people get them until Nokia came out with the 5120 (the changeable faceplates one) in 1998 did younger people start to get them en mass.
Posted 7/18/2011 3:13 am
Thanks for chiming in. I know I'm wasting too much time here, but (sorry!) want to take advantage of the knowledge pool for my script regarding this very important plot device.
Posted 7/18/2011 3:14 am
That's already part of the story, but the need is to communicate with someone at home via their landline. Thanks for that, but I already have it to a point as a newfangled thing.
Had a marine VHF phone on the boat in 1978---free to get a phone ID #, but cost per minute was high ($1??). Also required operator assistance.
First cellular car phone I had was in 1987. It cost $550 installed and 15 cents/minute in area, 25 cents in roam. Worked OK except there were areas on the highway where it would always drop calls (such as near the Nut Tree on HY 80).
Had a friend with a portable cell phone in a bag in 1987. Heavy because of the batteries.
I think I got the first flip phone about 1990 or so. Analog, of course, so the talk time was < 1 hour on a charge. Had to carry a spare battery and charge every night.
Posted 3/24/2012 4:17 am
Just a quick update, as I bookmarked this a while back, it seems that the script is actually being considered as something original to put to film.
Thanks again for helping me! Look for the PB credits if this thing ever hits the theaters in a few years.
