Jeepney Popemobile

wayoflife

wayoflife

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Don't know if any of you caught it in the news but, during Pope Francis visit to Manila, Philippines, the Jeepney Popemobile was what he rode in. And, for those of you who don't know, a Jeepney is a Philippine Jitney bus converted from a Jeep (jeep + jitney = Jeepney) and the first known use of one was 1949. Amazingly, it's even a playable word in Scrabble - check it out! :crazyeyes:

papaljeepney.jpg
 
That's so cool! My supervisor was just in the Philippines about a month or so ago now and brought me back this shirt from when she was there. She was telling me about how they are taxies there.
ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1421691116.050799.jpg.
I forget what it says exactly but it's something along the line of "pay up" lol
 
I have ridden in Jeepney's in the Philippines when I was there in the late 80's early 90's. The best part was dropping Peso's in the drivers tip pan to make him go faster. It is even better when you are three sheets to the wind.
 
cozdude said:
View attachment 120181.
I forget what it says exactly but it's something along the line of "pay up" lol
Click to expand...

"if you're sexy, it's free!" ;)

Jeepney's are a critical part of mass transit in the Filipeans. It's pretty cheap to ride, and often PACKED with people. If it is full, you hang off of the back like a fireman and wait for a spot to open up for you to take a seat. If you are stuck riding on the back for your whole trip, then the ride is free also. :thumb:
 
Can anyone still recognize what make / model vehicle this was before it got converted? The body is so heavily converted that it's hard to tell anymore...
 
OK, that's kinda what I was thinking too. Most of the newer Jeepneys are scratch built (and from the sounds of it probably in someone's back yard) with an eclectic collection of "shiny" junkyard parts slapped on, so it can be hard to tell what the donor vehicles were.

Interestingly enough, it looks like the last unarmoured Popemobile was another Jeepney from Pope Jean Paul IIs visit to the Philippines in 1981. That one was a converted CJ-3B:

Pope Jean Paul II.jpg

Also, it sounds like the first of the white, open topped Popemobiles was another CJ-3B used by Pope Paul VI's visit to India in 1964:

PaulVIBombay600.jpg

I hadn't realised there had been a few Jeeps as Popemobiles until I looked these up. Pretty interesting.
 
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