[ZonaWrangler]

Tell the best true story where you were there.

This would never go the same way in modern times, it was like 1987, A friend of mine, who was 21 drove us down to Nogales from Tucson ... for a pre party. We smuggled a bottle of Tequilla across the border. Well, I did, mostly because we got pulled over on the way back and I smuggled the bottle, wrapped up in a cheap Corona poncho out of the car and into the back of a cop car. The cops never found it, and left us by the side of the road by a pay phone while they arrested our friend for DUI and impounded his car.

Feeling pretty psyched about my stealthly maneuvers, I called my brother who had a Porsche 911, and was going to be at the party that night, would come pick us up. I was like, "He'll be here in half an hour." and when I finally got him on the phone he was like, "Sorry, Dude ... you shouldn't have gone to Mexico."

I was so upset, I slammed the phone down, and yanked away my cheap Corona poncho, and the bottle of tequilla shattered at my feet. I had forgot about it. Those 2 guys were ready to kill me, but it was myself and the driver who had paid for it, so they really couldn't complain. One dude called his Mom, and she came and got us. And we went to the party.

The dude, who was driving and got the DUI ... was already there. He got back to Tucson faster than us.

[ZonaWrangler]

I've got better stories, that's just an example.

[ZonaWrangler]

First week, Sophomore year of High School, like 1985 ... I'm one of the only punk rockers a public school in Tucson where I'd be a minority, just being white. My fellow students are 70% Mexican.

So, I'm sitting on a curb in the parking lot smoking a cigarette before PE. I've got it timed where if I dress out fast, I can sneak in a butt. Some Mexican kid is riding around on a little BMX bike, and did a powerslide, showering me with dirt and rocks, and I just ignored him. Granted, if you measured me from my combat boots to the tip of my mohawk I was like 6 foot 9, and I weighed 175 pounds, I was a big 15 year old.

Anyway, I just kinda ignored this kid, he was tiny, and he did it again. Clearly to instigate me. I was actually in all kinds of advanced classes and had a good 30 pound backpack full of books slung over my right shoulder, and I said, "I've got no reason to fight you. I'm gonna walk away ... I suggest you do the same." and I was really pretty scared because his gangster looking friends had started to gather around, and the kids in my PE class were starting to come out to the field, and like slow motion, I remember to this day thinking, "Welp ... I can't be held responsible for my actions at this point. My back is to him, I'm walking away, if he hits me .." and he did, a glancing blow, and the adrenaline shot through my body, I spun around with my right fist, as if I had calculated exactly where his face was without seeing him, and my backpack full of books, and I got him right in the eye and put him down.

Then, one of his gang member friends stepped up and I acted all bad-*** "You saw what I did to your fried ... you want somma this!" and I got in like one blow before there was a big crowd, and the monitors were running over, so I ducked into the crowd that was my PE class, and acted like I was just late to dress out, and as the monitors ran up to me saying, "What happened? What happened?" I responded, "Those 2 Mexican kids got in a fight and I broke it up."

I figured I was a marked man from there on out. First week, got in a fight. Gotta just be cool, nobody should get in trouble over it. Well, it turned out they WERE gang members, from a different school though. Different Barrio.

Nobody at Tucson High ever started a fight with me again. I was a hero. PE teacher even counted me as dressed. He called me Spike, cause of my hair. "Spike! Why aren't you dressed out?"

Me: "I got in a fight."

Coach: "Did you win?"

Me: "Yes."

Coach: "Ok ... you get a pass for the day then."

ETA: "Can't Buy Me Love" was filmed at Tucson High, my Junior Year. I was SAG eligable and they wouldn't pay me scale, so ...I'm not in it.

[ZonaWrangler]

Oh, I gotta tell this one.

In like 1992 I bought a 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertible. It was pretty much straight, 1 owner, the interior was fried from the AZ sun and the top hydraulics were busted. 289, AT on the column ... a boat. Well, I bought new hydraulics for the top, replaced the whole interior, including carpet, all red (was a factory red/red car), painted it for the first time, back to it's glory ... 1966 Ford Red and new whitewalls. and before I had it insured, before I ever even had the chrome rockers back on, I drove over some railroad tracks and got stuck, like 1994.

Welp, you guessed it, a train came and there was nothing I could do but watch that Galaxie get destroyed by a freight train that couldn't stop in time. I remember I was torn between the Galaxy, and a CJ5 for my project. Sure, that'd be a all numbers matching, $10,000 car today ... but if it had been a Jeep, I woulda made it over the railroad tracks.

No problem, in a 4WD .... bad news in a boat.

ETA: Turns out, I needed glasses and didn't know it. Fully cooperated with police, didn't think I was drunk, but blew over the limit and did 26 hours in jail (sentence was 24, but I was there for 26, that's a whole 'nother story), I was not a happy camper. Had to pay a $400 fine too. No insurance, I got $50 at the junk yard for the car.

Seriously, I'm just glad nobody got hurt. Drinking and driving is stupid, no matter how cool your car is. Call a cab.

[JeepinSoldier]

Tucson High eh? Santa Rita High School Class of 1984. Been in the Army since 19 days after graduation. I spent alot of time in my H.S. days hunting / camping / 4 wheeling in my best friends K5 Blazer. Nothing like a good 4x4, pretty girlfriend, campfire, and a zillion stars in the sky. Never missed Tucson until recently, sure wish I was back there now......

[ZonaWrangler]

It's not the same. It's not like 1985 when I bought my first car, a 1969 Mustang for $500. Times have changed. But you remember when they built McKale right, when they filmed Revenge of the Nerds there? You remember when a couple astronomers from the U of A named Schumaker and Levy said, "This comet, #9, is going to impact Jupiter!"

Or when Steve Kerr, Anthony Cook and Sean Elliot led that team to the final 4, and we became a real powerhouse in college hoops, thanks to Lute.

Or Sabino Canyon, or Gates Pass, or Tanque Verde Falls? Mount Lemon?

Yeah ... Tucson is a great city. Just a little short on industry. Poverty with a nice view.

Phoenix area aka "The Valley" .... blows. I can't understand why anyone would live here. It just ... blows. 4 degrees hotter than Tucson, and 20 IQ points stupider.

[ZonaWrangler]

It's not the same. It's not like 1985 when I bought my first car, a 1969 Mustang for $500. Times have changed. But you remember when they built McKale right, when they filmed Revenge of the Nerds there? You remember when a couple astronomers from the U of A named Schumaker and Levy said, "This comet, #9, is going to impact Jupiter!"

Or when Steve Kerr, Anthony Cook and Sean Elliot led that team to the final 4, and we became a real powerhouse in college hoops, thanks to Lute.

Or Sabino Canyon, or Gates Pass, or Tanque Verde Falls?

Yeah ... Tucson is a great city. Just a little short on industry. Poverty with a view.

Phoenix area aka "The Valley" .... blows. I can't understand why anyone would live here. It just ... blows. 4 degrees hotter than Tucson, and 20 IQ points stupider.

[ZonaWrangler]

Still .... Tucson in 1984 .... I remember bands like All Perry and The Cattle, Civil Death, UPS, What Went Wrong ... but I wouldn't expect you to remember that scene. Mosta those poeple OD'd a long time ago.

Melvin Beastie lives in Brooklyn now, prolly making 6 digits. He's pretty much a genius though. I've known him since we both grew up in Sam Hughes. Real name is Matt Mairs. Brilliant bass player. Works as an IT guy. Db management for a hospital in Manhattan.

I also knew Joey, the bass player from Civil Death, he played in my brothers band Ipso Facto. And of course, everyone knew Lenny.

Old school Tucson "punk scene". The ones that got into heroin are all dead already. Sad.

About 1996, I was sitting on the sidewalk outside CBGB's in New York, and Lenny Mellow, from UPS walked past me. He looked hardcore enough, I thought maybe it wasn't Lenny. He stopped, and backed up, and looked at me, and knew my older brother and said ... "You are from Tucson, huh?"

And I went and smoked a joint with them before they jumped in their van and headed off to Philly.

Last I ever heard of Lenny ... or any of them. I think they mighta been made into cheesesteaks.

It's possible.

[bono426]

i took an upper decker at a party once

[JeepinSoldier]

I was just home for awhile last December. It does look like all the 'Belly Button' (Evreybody has one) 69 Mustangs, 68 Camaro's, and the like are disappearing. Snowbirds from the rustbelt buying em all up and hauling them off. I did see a cherry black Jeep Commanche 4x4 for $3,500.

Yeah, I remember alot of that stuff, Sabino Canyon, Gates Pass, Mt Lemon, Hang gliding off A mountian, checking out Kitt peak, trips to Nogales and blasting stuff out in the desert with guns.....

Not having been there for awhile it seems in some ways that Tucson is better than it was back in the mid eighties. More pride in the place, less graffiti, widened roads with nice planters, etc.

My brother moved to Phoenix and I cannot understand why either. Allways snobbily badmouths Tucson. Good riddance I guess.

Now I just got to convince my snowbird wife to move back there when I retire.

Hoist a Corona and blast a milk jug for me OK? Iraq sucks.

[ZonaWrangler]

Yeah, well I'm stuck up in "The Valley". I'm a graphic designer. There's just not enough work for me in Tucson. There's not enough work for me in Phoenix either. This whole area just shuts down when it hits 110 plus. I turn nocturnal. Still like 104 now, and gas prices are higher than California .... I'm outta here (again, did 10 years in NYC) asap!

Originally Posted by JeepinSoldier

I was just home for awhile last December. It does look like all the 'Belly Button' (Evreybody has one) 69 Mustangs, 68 Camaro's, and the like are disappearing. Snowbirds from the rustbelt buying em all up and hauling them off. I did see a cherry black Jeep Commanche 4x4 for $3,500.

Yeah, I remember alot of that stuff, Sabino Canyon, Gates Pass, Mt Lemon, Hang gliding off A mountian, checking out Kitt peak, trips to Nogales and blasting stuff out in the desert with guns.....

Not having been there for awhile it seems in some ways that Tucson is better than it was back in the mid eighties. More pride in the place, less graffiti, widened roads with nice planters, etc.

My brother moved to Phoenix and I cannot understand why either. Allways snobbily badmouths Tucson. Good riddance I guess.

Now I just got to convince my snowbird wife to move back there when I retire.

Hoist a Corona and blast a milk jug for me OK? Iraq sucks.

[JeepinSoldier]

Never really was ito Punk or Alternative in High School. Mostly listened to the standard stuff that is 'Classic Rock' now. ZZ Top, Foreiner, Styx, Scorps, AC/DC, Van Halen, etc. I did get an appreciation for other music when my roommate in Germany was a Punk/Alternative guy.
Black Flag, Boomtown Rats and others. I still pick up the MP3 player and jam to a little 'I dont like mondays' when I feel like going postal. Into a little edgier stuff now like Linkin Park. Drives my wife crazy. She was raised rich in Mass.

[ZonaWrangler]

You might have known some of my brothers friends, he was class of 82 ... Devo, The Cars, David Bowie, Peter Gabriels first solo album called ... Peter Gabriel. The Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Aerosmith. Floyd, Zepplin sure ...

Tad Woods, Jeff Freeman, Randy Downer ... Barrio Sam Hughes? White punks on dope? Tad, my older brother, was the lead singer and keyboard player for Ipso Facto.

[ZonaWrangler]

Of course, Senior year (88) at Tucson High, I was just the man. In the best shape of my life, had a weight lifting class for credit ... same as my junior year, and I got pretty strong. Some of those muscles, in my shoulders, I swear I never lost. Natural delts and triceps, still to this day, and I haven't lifted in years.

I used to hang out with John Petrocious, Joe's little brother, and those guys knew the Bates brothers, Michael and Mario had NFL careers. Anton and Larry Medlin?

I pledged Arizona Delta Chi fall of 1990.

Was born at Tucson General in 1970.

[creature]

more with the punk stories... I used to have a band called "Routine Chaos" based just outside of DC. Before a gig in Tacoma we were loading up my XJ with amps and drums and the neibor walks over and says "You guys play music?" and we are like "Uh, we just like carrying this heavy -=-=-=-=" and then we laughed and he out of no where gives us 2 1980something marshall fullstacks....FREE.

Most of the shows we would play would get us just enough money to get back home if not less.