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Old 10-04-2017, 07:20 PM   #1
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Have you ever been mistaken for a tour guide?

This summer we were staying at the KOA in Moab, Utah. In the morning, we (2 adults, 3 kids) were waiting in the van for the 4th kid to finish in the bathroom. A couple women came over and looked in the passenger window and said "oh, good, we have a driver". Well, that's kinda strange.

They kind of hung around and walked back and forth talking with themselves. About 5 minutes later, one of them poked her head through the open rear passenger door and asked if we were with Moab Adventure Tours. We couldn't help but laugh. We politely told her no, this was our personal vehicle, but they were welcome to join us on our adventure.

I guess you had to be there to fully enjoy the comedy.

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Old 10-04-2017, 09:47 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Wanderlust Bus View Post
This summer we were staying at the KOA in Moab, Utah. In the morning, we (2 adults, 3 kids) were waiting in the van for the 4th kid to finish in the bathroom. A couple women came over and looked in the passenger window and said "oh, good, we have a driver". Well, that's kinda strange.

They kind of hung around and walked back and forth talking with themselves. About 5 minutes later, one of them poked her head through the open rear passenger door and asked if we were with Moab Adventure Tours. We couldn't help but laugh. We politely told her no, this was our personal vehicle, but they were welcome to join us on our adventure.

I guess you had to be there to fully enjoy the comedy.
You should of collected the fees and thrown them in the back with a cold drink(more $$ van projects)..
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Old 10-04-2017, 11:24 PM   #3
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I took some friends down to a river to try some fly fishing and I was the only one dressed the part. A lady pulls up and starts grilling me about where we are fishing and so on and I was kind of short with her. She kept trying to place me but we had never met. Later I realized she thought I was a guide and my friends were clients.
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Old 10-05-2017, 12:22 AM   #4
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I was driving through the Pismo dunes one time and got flagged down by a guy who was clearly stuck on his rental quad. I drove over to him and he was trying to show me his rental contract (he didn't speak English) and kept pointing at the quad that was stuck at the top of the dune (he panicked when he came to the slip face and tried to reverse out.) I gave him a thumbs up, put on the helmet that was sitting on the quad, and proceeded to bomb down the dune, turn around, and ride back up to where he has standing. During that time, my wife talked to the guys son and figured out that they thought I was driving a shuttle bus for the rental company. She explained that it was just our personal vehicle and we were out for a family drive... as I handed him his helmet back. He still looked confused while I was driving away. Sometimes it's easier to just go with it!
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Old 10-05-2017, 12:13 PM   #5
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It's happened to me at several National Parks, and multiple times at Red Rocks in Nevada. It happens less now that the van isn't white. That was part of the rational for the re-paint. When it was white, I was questioned nearly 100% of my visits.
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Old 10-05-2017, 05:23 PM   #6
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My SMB has been mistaken for Search and Rescue, an Ambulance, and AAA Services. While parked with the side doors open I've had several people get in the van uninvited and sit in the couch seat. So I guess I've also been confused with a roadside attraction or a rest stop.
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Old 10-05-2017, 05:51 PM   #7
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My SMB has been mistaken for Search and Rescue, an Ambulance, and AAA Services. While parked with the side doors open I've had several people get in the van uninvited and sit in the couch seat. So I guess I've also been confused with a roadside attraction or a rest stop.
Hey Mac, those orange recovery boards of yours DO look totally Baywatch!

By the way, speaking of search and rescue/ambulance type duty for an SMB...

....last week on my drive home from work (here in Orange County, CA), I randomly ended up following a nicely-built-out white Ford RB 4x4 Sportsmobile for a good part of the route. When we drew near to Irvine Park, we came upon a police/fire roadblock (the firefighters were using the park as a temporary base of operations to fight the big Corona/Anaheim hills fire last week). The park had been officially (temporarily) closed to the public to facilitate the fire and rescue responders needs.

So of course all traffic was being forced to take a left and carry on past the park....but the roadblock guys waved him and his big white Sportsmobile right on through into the park!

Either he actually IS a local fire/rescue guy....or even the roadblock guys were fooled into thinking he was. His looks-ready-for-anything, CB-antenna-topped white supervan could be easily construed as government issue.

(Btw --- I want to guess he's a forum member....his rig looks a lot like one that pops up in the regular slide show of photos here at the top of the forum main page. (And seems kind of notable for its painted-white Aluminess-looking front bumper that matches his white van....

EDIT: I'm pretty sure it was this guy! Forum Member "NRL".....
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...cture5531.html
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Old 10-05-2017, 06:04 PM   #8
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I've been mistaken in Moab for a tour operator too, but not in connection with the van. I had been rafting the daily section of the Colorado through Castle Valley and had tan shorts, a grey(ish) tan t-shirt and a large brim tan hat. Some people started to gather around me on the beach. When I started toward my boat some one said, "Hey aren't you the Moab Adventure guide?" I had to break their heart and let them know they were following the wrong shepherd.
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Old 10-05-2017, 08:16 PM   #9
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No, but I've been mistaken for an "Amber lamps" (Ambulance).
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