Dubious Distinction

My hometown got a shoutout on the radio this a.m.

Well, kinda sorta.

When I tell people where I'm from, I usually say "It's an itty bitty town on the Delaware River, just across from Easton, PA. You might have heard of Bethlehem, PA? Or Allentown, in the Billy Joel song? Lafayette College, Lehigh University?"

Notice I don't say anything about the town itself. One, because no one's really heard of it. Two, because we're really only famous for one thing.

The BoxCar.

The BoxCar no longer exists. But back in the day, it was a strip club, conveniently located adjacent to a bridge, with all the law enforcement avoidance that suggests. It was not a nice place. They did not serve alcohol, you had to BYOB. They didn't have many famous dancers, most came from the ranks of my high school. But it was famous.

About ten years ago, the BoxCar showed up in the Darwin Awards. Apparently, a patron was enjoying the, um, nectar of the gods, and choked on a pastie. Brilliantly done.

Today, "'Lil Jimmie Norton" referenced the BoxCar as the worst ever venue for a comic, ever. At least no one died in that version.

In case you're wondering, I've never been there. But it's where my ex-husband had his bachelor party.

Is it any wonder I don't go home very often?