Opinions about visiting a site that was on U.M. - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

yost · 07-12-2005, 11:44 AM

I have a dilemma and was wondering what some other people might think... a few weeks ago i was talking with some friends and the conversation somehow got to me talking about, in my opinion, the scariest U.M. story ever:the blind river, ontario rest area murder. after i told the story, one of my friends said he would give me $500 if i drove to blind river and spent one night at that rest area in my car. i don't think i'll do it for two reasons; first, i feel like it would be making a game out of a situation where two people were brutally murdered, and second, i don't think i'd have the guts to go through with it.

i was wondering if others would take that offer if someone gave it to them. i'm a student so $500 is a lot of money to me..blind river is about 400 miles from my home in michigan so we're talking about $100 in gas which would equal a $400 profit for about 24-36 hours of my time. not bad at all...but am i right to question the ethics of the offer? and, would anyone here have the courage to actually spend a night, alone, at that rest area? i'd appreciate anyone's 2 cents, thanks...

crystaldawn · 07-12-2005, 11:49 AM

I wouldn't spend a night at any rest stop because the thrill of doing it wouldn't be worth your life and you never know who is lurking there. I'm sure Gordon McAllister regrets that they chose a rest area that night as well.

I assume your friends are just trying to see if you have the guts to do it. I personally think it would be in poor taste. I mean the fact that you're pretty far away. It would be different if you lived nearby and wanted to drive there just to check it out, but the fact you would be doing it for a lot of money and spending the night as some of the victims did would be making light off of what those poor people went through.

Just my two cents though.

Opal · 07-12-2005, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yost

i was wondering if others would take that offer if someone gave it to them.

NO WAY!

Goofyman · 07-12-2005, 07:21 PM

$500 to stay at a rest area where people were murdered? I mean, unless you have terribly bad luck, it sounds like a good way to make money. I'm sure your friends would even break your door down in the middle of the night and pretend (or really) kill you.

Just doing it because they were murdered though is kind of wrong.

KyooMac · 07-12-2005, 07:22 PM

I say you should do it! Take a OUIJA board!

dynoguy88 · 07-12-2005, 08:56 PM

I live in Michigan as well. I think the major question is - is your friend REALLY going to give you $500 for doing that? Because my friends and I often joke with each other saying things like "I'll give you $$$ if you do this and that. I'd hate to think you made that long trip for nothing. I would make sure your friend is serious about paying you before you decide on what you're going to do.

I actually don't think it's in too much poor taste to do it. I mean, all you would really be doing is spending a night at a rest stop. It's not all that different from the kinds of dares teens and younger folks have been doing for years and years. 400 miles is a really long trip, however.

I myself wouldn't have the courage to spend the night there all by myself but I think I would be O.K. if I had some of my friends with me. No way I would go by myself though.

Side note - Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot of posters on here from Michigan? Nice to know there are other Michiganders here on the forum.

yost · 07-12-2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

I think the major question is - is your friend REALLY going to give you $500 for doing that? Because my friends and I often joke with each other saying things like "I'll give you $$$ if you do this and that. I'd hate to think you made that long trip for nothing. I would make sure your friend is serious about paying you before you decide on what you're going to do.

actually, i do trust him, and we got into specifics about what the course of action would be...we'd drive up together and go straight to the rest area...he'd show me the $500 in cash, he'd note the mileage on my odometer, and then he'd get a cab to take him to the nearest hotel or motel...the next morning, he'd get a ride back to the rest area and we'd drive home. if my odometer hadn't changed since the previous night, i 'd get the money.

thanks for everyone's thoughts...the chances of me actually going through with this are pretty slim but i was just curious as to what other U.M. fans would think...

justins5256 · 07-13-2005, 12:41 AM

I say do it. What do you have to lose aside from gas money and time?

KyooMac · 07-13-2005, 06:41 AM

Amd the major points you'd get for not being a "chicken!" You could always say to your friend, "Well, we know I'm not yellow!"

Awsi Dooger · 02-02-2007, 10:26 PM

I missed this interesting thread two years ago. Apparently yost didn't go through with it, due to lack of a followup post.

I wouldn't have contemplated five seconds, especially at student age and financial situation. Try to negotiate every aspect more toward your favor, then do it. I guess it's because I love the nonsense that something is more likely to happen there than a different area or rest stop, which is the main reason the friend would make the proposal in the first place. He's basing it on a sample of one. Yeah, you could weigh the factor of profiting at a scene of such a tragic event, but in my case the knowledge that I was getting much the best of it due to my friend's stupid dare would trump that a thousand times over.

I spent several nights in my car at rest stops while driving cross country in the '80s, and also on Friday and Saturday nights during a period I was visiting Las Vegas on weekends from Los Angeles, before moving here. No way I was paying the ripoff weekend hotel rates.

The way yost described it in his second post in this thread, sounds like he had it made. You could just stay up listening to the radio, or whatever.

Regarding the Blind River case, it strikes me that it's another where the initial age estimate was way off. A sharp poster on Websleuths emphasizes frequently that it's a very common problem, people unable to correctly judge age and therefore the authorities improperly narrow the field. When I saw the UM segment I remember saying out loud that the computer generated likeness looked more like 45, even though Robert Stack was saying the perpetrator was believed to be about 30. If Ronald Glenn West was indeed responsible, he would have been about 44 in 1991.

Mr. Fuji · 02-02-2007, 11:49 PM

I'd definitely do it for $500. You know what would be really scary though, is if his friend snuck up to his car at around 2 o'clock in the morning and started banging on his door or something like that. Now that'd just about scare the pi$$ right out of me. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so bad.

SP4CE INV4DERZ · 02-03-2007, 12:27 AM

The only place I have entertained visiting from UM boardcasts is spending a night at the St. James Hotel. Hell I'd do to for free if someone would pay my airfare. I wish I had the means to do it and if I where living in the US, that's something I'd love do in my life.

Dislimb · 02-03-2007, 01:14 AM

I'd spend the night there for 50 bucks and a 12 pack of Coors Light.

Kane · 02-10-2007, 03:13 PM

If this topic includes visiting filming locations, I suggest visiting some in my hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts.

A bank robbery reenactment was filmed there for the 1989 segment about then-wanted fugitive Katherine Power. Although the actual bank robbery and fatal shooting of Boston police officer Walter Schroeder occurred in Brighton, both crimes were filmed on Massachusetts Avenue. The robbery scene was filmed at Arlington's Coolidge Bank, and the shooting of Officer Schroeder is reenacted just outside the bank, near the adjacent parking lot. The Coolidge Bank was located on Massachusetts Avenue, on the corner of Mystic Street. That bank is no longer there, so it made sense to describe the filming location. That way, should you consider visiting the filming location, you'll know where it is.

Another UM segment has some scenes filmed in Arlington, MA: the segment on Ira Einhorn (even though it was a Pennsylvania case). One of the reenactments in the segment was shot in Arlington's Regent Theater.

swtgrl4321 · 02-10-2007, 05:40 PM

I don't see any difference in staying the night at that rest stop and people staying in places like the Borden Bed and Breakfast. Considering I can't watch UM and sleep without all of the lights on, though, I would take $100 and give it to someone to stand guard with a cell phone and a can of mace.

07-12-2005, 11:44 AM	#1
yost Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Jul 11, 2005 Posts: 4	Opinions about visiting a site that was on U.M. I have a dilemma and was wondering what some other people might think... a few weeks ago i was talking with some friends and the conversation somehow got to me talking about, in my opinion, the scariest U.M. story ever:the blind river, ontario rest area murder. after i told the story, one of my friends said he would give me $500 if i drove to blind river and spent one night at that rest area in my car. i don't think i'll do it for two reasons; first, i feel like it would be making a game out of a situation where two people were brutally murdered, and second, i don't think i'd have the guts to go through with it. i was wondering if others would take that offer if someone gave it to them. i'm a student so $500 is a lot of money to me..blind river is about 400 miles from my home in michigan so we're talking about $100 in gas which would equal a $400 profit for about 24-36 hours of my time. not bad at all...but am i right to question the ethics of the offer? and, would anyone here have the courage to actually spend a night, alone, at that rest area? i'd appreciate anyone's 2 cents, thanks...

07-12-2005, 08:56 PM	#6
dynoguy88 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 01, 2000 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 3,675	reply I live in Michigan as well. I think the major question is - is your friend REALLY going to give you $500 for doing that? Because my friends and I often joke with each other saying things like "I'll give you $$$ if you do this and that. I'd hate to think you made that long trip for nothing. I would make sure your friend is serious about paying you before you decide on what you're going to do. I actually don't think it's in too much poor taste to do it. I mean, all you would really be doing is spending a night at a rest stop. It's not all that different from the kinds of dares teens and younger folks have been doing for years and years. 400 miles is a really long trip, however. I myself wouldn't have the courage to spend the night there all by myself but I think I would be O.K. if I had some of my friends with me. No way I would go by myself though. Side note - Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot of posters on here from Michigan? Nice to know there are other Michiganders here on the forum.
	Last edited by dynoguy88; 10-21-2010 at 01:37 PM.

02-10-2007, 03:13 PM	#14
Kane Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 07, 2001 Location: MA, United States Posts: 3,367	If this topic includes visiting filming locations, I suggest visiting some in my hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts. A bank robbery reenactment was filmed there for the 1989 segment about then-wanted fugitive Katherine Power. Although the actual bank robbery and fatal shooting of Boston police officer Walter Schroeder occurred in Brighton, both crimes were filmed on Massachusetts Avenue. The robbery scene was filmed at Arlington's Coolidge Bank, and the shooting of Officer Schroeder is reenacted just outside the bank, near the adjacent parking lot. The Coolidge Bank was located on Massachusetts Avenue, on the corner of Mystic Street. That bank is no longer there, so it made sense to describe the filming location. That way, should you consider visiting the filming location, you'll know where it is. Another UM segment has some scenes filmed in Arlington, MA: the segment on Ira Einhorn (even though it was a Pennsylvania case). One of the reenactments in the segment was shot in Arlington's Regent Theater.
	Last edited by Kane; 02-10-2007 at 05:58 PM.

07-12-2005, 11:49 AM	#2
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	I wouldn't spend a night at any rest stop because the thrill of doing it wouldn't be worth your life and you never know who is lurking there. I'm sure Gordon McAllister regrets that they chose a rest area that night as well. I assume your friends are just trying to see if you have the guts to do it. I personally think it would be in poor taste. I mean the fact that you're pretty far away. It would be different if you lived nearby and wanted to drive there just to check it out, but the fact you would be doing it for a lot of money and spending the night as some of the victims did would be making light off of what those poor people went through. Just my two cents though.

07-12-2005, 07:21 PM	#4
Goofyman Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 18, 2005 Posts: 136	$500 to stay at a rest area where people were murdered? I mean, unless you have terribly bad luck, it sounds like a good way to make money. I'm sure your friends would even break your door down in the middle of the night and pretend (or really) kill you. Just doing it because they were murdered though is kind of wrong.

07-12-2005, 07:22 PM	#5
KyooMac Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 05, 2005 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 123	I say you should do it! Take a OUIJA board!

07-13-2005, 12:41 AM	#8
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	I say do it. What do you have to lose aside from gas money and time?

07-13-2005, 06:41 AM	#9
KyooMac Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 05, 2005 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 123	Amd the major points you'd get for not being a "chicken!" You could always say to your friend, "Well, we know I'm not yellow!"

02-02-2007, 10:26 PM	#10
Awsi Dooger Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2003 Location: Miami Posts: 1,537	I missed this interesting thread two years ago. Apparently yost didn't go through with it, due to lack of a followup post. I wouldn't have contemplated five seconds, especially at student age and financial situation. Try to negotiate every aspect more toward your favor, then do it. I guess it's because I love the nonsense that something is more likely to happen there than a different area or rest stop, which is the main reason the friend would make the proposal in the first place. He's basing it on a sample of one. Yeah, you could weigh the factor of profiting at a scene of such a tragic event, but in my case the knowledge that I was getting much the best of it due to my friend's stupid dare would trump that a thousand times over. I spent several nights in my car at rest stops while driving cross country in the '80s, and also on Friday and Saturday nights during a period I was visiting Las Vegas on weekends from Los Angeles, before moving here. No way I was paying the ripoff weekend hotel rates. The way yost described it in his second post in this thread, sounds like he had it made. You could just stay up listening to the radio, or whatever. Regarding the Blind River case, it strikes me that it's another where the initial age estimate was way off. A sharp poster on Websleuths emphasizes frequently that it's a very common problem, people unable to correctly judge age and therefore the authorities improperly narrow the field. When I saw the UM segment I remember saying out loud that the computer generated likeness looked more like 45, even though Robert Stack was saying the perpetrator was believed to be about 30. If Ronald Glenn West was indeed responsible, he would have been about 44 in 1991.

02-02-2007, 11:49 PM	#11
Mr. Fuji Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 23, 2004 Posts: 235	I'd definitely do it for $500. You know what would be really scary though, is if his friend snuck up to his car at around 2 o'clock in the morning and started banging on his door or something like that. Now that'd just about scare the pi$$ right out of me. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so bad.

02-03-2007, 12:27 AM	#12
SP4CE INV4DERZ 40-0 0WN3D Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 06, 2004 Posts: 630	The only place I have entertained visiting from UM boardcasts is spending a night at the St. James Hotel. Hell I'd do to for free if someone would pay my airfare. I wish I had the means to do it and if I where living in the US, that's something I'd love do in my life.

02-03-2007, 01:14 AM	#13
Dislimb Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 23, 2006 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 431	I'd spend the night there for 50 bucks and a 12 pack of Coors Light.

02-10-2007, 05:40 PM	#15
swtgrl4321 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 09, 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 14	I don't see any difference in staying the night at that rest stop and people staying in places like the Borden Bed and Breakfast. Considering I can't watch UM and sleep without all of the lights on, though, I would take $100 and give it to someone to stand guard with a cell phone and a can of mace.