Buy a Flooded Schoolbus - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

maleficent · 03-29-2006, 07:06 AM

Need a flooded New Orleans school bus? Try eBay

Quote:

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Starved for cash, the New Orleans school district is taking a long shot and hoping to sell its flooded, unsalvageable school buses on eBay.

Some submerged to their roofs in the black flood waters, the yellow school buses were widely photographed in the days after Hurricane Katrina and have become an icon of the city's devastated school system.

School officials acknowledge the sale of the buses on the Internet auction site may puzzle some people used to more traditional school fundraisers like bake sales.

"There's no shame in it. Not one bit," said school board president Phyllis Landrieu. "This is a new mechanism for selling things. I think it's very upbeat what we're doing."

Only 23 of 117 Orleans Parish public schools have reopened. They face a $111 million shortfall -- about a quarter of the district's $430 million annual operating budget. The district also has $264 million in outstanding debt, carried over from before Hurricane Katrina.

A total of 85 schools flooded, and wind damaged many more. It took three months for the first public school to reopen. Now, the schools that are holding classes have around 9,500 students, about 15 percent of the 60,000 enrolled before the storm.

The school district plans to put one bus up for sale on eBay this week. If it succeeds, more of the 259 ruined buses will be offered.

"It's an example of how bad the situation is that we would have to come up with this idea," said Richard White, schools spokesman.

The district plans to contract out its student transportation.

Non flooded school bus

Flooded School bus

Ok -- so other than wearing polyester, getting a shag haircut, teaching your kids to play useless musical instruments like the triangle and cymbols. and travelling around as a family band... What exactly would a person do with a school bus? Park it in the backyard and use it to house the inlaws? a flooded schoolbus isn't all that good a deal..

What use would you have for a schoolbus?

Lucifer · 03-29-2006, 07:11 AM

yet, it's up to $2,195 as we speak, so I guess there really is a sucker born every minute.

cj2112 · 03-29-2006, 07:15 AM

i know a few people who have converted them into motorhomes

Carno · 03-29-2006, 07:19 AM

I met a French guy in Central America who had converted one into a motorhome and had driven it down from Canada.

CSflim · 03-29-2006, 08:50 AM

Quote:

This is a collector's dream come true.

Really?

yellowchef · 03-30-2006, 12:46 AM

ok the bid is up to 5500... damn

but the reserve isnt met?

Who do they think they are?!@

itch vaccine · 03-30-2006, 02:18 AM

i'd be needing one of those

*bids*

o_O

cyrnel · 03-30-2006, 02:42 AM

Does the price include a hazmat inspection? What a mess.

Sion · 03-30-2006, 07:21 AM

I'll bet there are LOTS of useable parts to be salvaged from those buses:

wheels, tires, body parts, etc.

for the right price, a junkyard could make some good coin from them.

Grasshopper Green · 05-08-2006, 05:25 PM

I love the comments posted in the ask the buyer section.

"I'm just trying to sell a worthless bus here, not make a political statement."

Worthless? They sure are asking a lot for a worthless bus!

DEI37 · 05-08-2006, 05:36 PM

It's at $6700 now. If they sold lower, that actually wouldn't be a bad deal for a platform for a motorhome. Engines would be easy enough to come buy...it's just a Ford Powerstroke 7.3 TD. Hence, the electrical systems shouldn't be that big of a deal, and if the guages are shot, it's a good chance to install some cool guages in it. Really would be kinda cool, but it's a tad spendy in this scenario.

CaliLivChick · 05-08-2006, 07:16 PM

No, that one didn't sell before time ran out... at $6,700 the reserve hadn't been met... here's the new listing... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4634748909

Toaster126 · 05-08-2006, 07:26 PM

I was under the impression that submerged vehicles become worthless. Was I wrong, or is this basically a sale of scrap metal?

CaliLivChick · 05-08-2006, 07:38 PM

Oh man, I've just finished reading the questions from the previous listing, and my cat was looking at me like I was crazy because I was laughing so much!

http://contact.ebay.com/ebaymotors/w...tion_VI&page=1

You've got to check it out!!!

CaliLivChick · 05-08-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toaster126

I was under the impression that submerged vehicles become worthless. Was I wrong, or is this basically a sale of scrap metal?

No, they're worthless. If you read the Q&A from the first listing, the lister tells people over and over how worthless it is. However, there are a lot of ideas as to how to use the bus, aside from just scrap metal. =)

CSflim · 05-09-2006, 01:49 AM

From the Questions section on the auction:

Quote:

Q: Does the horn on the bus go BEEP BEEP BEEP?
A: Actually, its GURGLE, GURGLE, GURGLE

Quote:

Q: Can you tell me how many miles per gallon this bus got. (that is gallon of fuel, not water)
A: I have no idea how many miles per gallon the bus got before it was flooded, but I pretty certain it gets no miles per gallon now.

03-29-2006, 07:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lucifer Husband of Seamaiden Location: Nova Scotia	yet, it's up to $2,195 as we speak, so I guess there really is a sucker born every minute. __________________ I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls. - Job 30:29 1123, 6536, 5321

03-29-2006, 07:19 AM	#4 (permalink)
Carno Junkie	I met a French guy in Central America who had converted one into a motorhome and had driven it down from Canada. __________________ http://how-to-spell-ridiculous.com/

03-30-2006, 12:46 AM	#6 (permalink)
yellowchef Addict Location: Shalimar, FL	ok the bid is up to 5500... damn but the reserve isnt met? Who do they think they are?!@ __________________ the voices in your head are not real--but they still have some really great ideas. always remeber you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. But..you CAN choose the insane asylum where you have them all put away!

03-30-2006, 02:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
itch vaccine Psycho Location: on my spinning computer chair	i'd be needing one of those bids o_O __________________ "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein

03-30-2006, 02:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	Does the price include a hazmat inspection? What a mess. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

03-29-2006, 07:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
cj2112 Unbelievable Location: Grants Pass OR	i know a few people who have converted them into motorhomes

03-30-2006, 07:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
Sion Dumb all over...a little ugly on the side Location: In the room where the giant fire puffer works, and the torture never stops.	I'll bet there are LOTS of useable parts to be salvaged from those buses: wheels, tires, body parts, etc. for the right price, a junkyard could make some good coin from them. __________________ He's the best, of course, of all the worst. Some wrong been done, he done it first. -fz I jus' want ta thank you...falettinme...be mice elf...agin...

05-08-2006, 05:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I love the comments posted in the ask the buyer section. "I'm just trying to sell a worthless bus here, not make a political statement." Worthless? They sure are asking a lot for a worthless bus! __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

05-08-2006, 05:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	It's at $6700 now. If they sold lower, that actually wouldn't be a bad deal for a platform for a motorhome. Engines would be easy enough to come buy...it's just a Ford Powerstroke 7.3 TD. Hence, the electrical systems shouldn't be that big of a deal, and if the guages are shot, it's a good chance to install some cool guages in it. Really would be kinda cool, but it's a tad spendy in this scenario. __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

05-08-2006, 07:16 PM	#12 (permalink)
CaliLivChick In Transition Location: Sanford, FL (between Daytona and Orlando)	No, that one didn't sell before time ran out... at $6,700 the reserve hadn't been met... here's the new listing... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4634748909 __________________ Don't trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die. Oh wait, that's me... nevermind... you can trust me.

05-08-2006, 07:26 PM	#13 (permalink)
Toaster126 Extreme moderation Location: Kansas City, yo.	I was under the impression that submerged vehicles become worthless. Was I wrong, or is this basically a sale of scrap metal? __________________ "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand) "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (M. Scott Peck)

05-08-2006, 07:38 PM	#14 (permalink)
CaliLivChick In Transition Location: Sanford, FL (between Daytona and Orlando)	Oh man, I've just finished reading the questions from the previous listing, and my cat was looking at me like I was crazy because I was laughing so much! http://contact.ebay.com/ebaymotors/w...tion_VI&page=1 You've got to check it out!!! __________________ Don't trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die. Oh wait, that's me... nevermind... you can trust me.