Berkley Parade of Cars 2011 **pic heavy**

The Parade of Cars is the official kick off to the Woodward Dream Cruise.  This is the first year that I volunteered to help with it.  Randy works it & the Dream Cruise every year, being Net Control for all the hams helping out with communications. We're there as extra eyes for the police & sheriffs & medical peoples.

The bad part is dealing with morons. 
"Yes, 12 Mile Rd. is closed until I hear otherwise & no, I don't know why there is traffic out there. They didn't come out of my road!!" 
"I understand that you're registered in the parade, but I don't know how you're going to get there because 12 Mile is already closed.  Besides you just heard the staging guy say over my radio that it is closed, they're not taking any more cars." 
"Yes, drunk lady, I assume what you're asking is if I am a real amateur radio operator.  Females are allowed to be licensed.  I would not be wearing this classy vest, hat with call sign or carrying a radio if I weren't."  

Oh yeah - and I learned the hard way that Canadians call the port-a-potty "portables".  He was wearing a Richmond FD ballcap (there IS a Richmond MI, btw) so I assumed he meant portable radio, since I was messing with mine at the time.  Talk about feeling like an idiot!!  When he turned around, I saw the little Maple Leaf flag on his cap.  Oh well.

The good part is (besides the awesome buffet spread before it started) is being along the parade route to see all of the 420+ classic cars entered in the parade.

When I was going to leave the Berkley FD - this was parked next to me....do you think they would have minded trading vehicles with me???  I mean it's a Ford for a Ford !!!

This is the emblem on the front of a Berkley Motorcycle unit.  Awesome!!

Aww!  Aren't we cute??