What ever happened to the swimmobiles?

**GPCharles** · January-10-20, 01:30 PM

Vague memory. I think they were sponsored by a local tv station.

**Ray1936** · January-10-20, 01:38 PM

What in heaven's name ever made you think of that topic in mid-January?

**GPCharles** · January-10-20, 01:56 PM

I saw a picture of one in New York from the 1950s online somewhere.

**Honky Tonk** · January-10-20, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

What in heaven's name ever made you think of that topic in mid-January?

In the Winter they became "Skatemobiles..."

**Wheels** · January-10-20, 02:23 PM

Ambulance chasing layers are the reason we don’t have a lot of things anymore!

**jackie5275** · January-10-20, 02:26 PM

https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...tml?1203298545
http://blogs.detroitnews.com/goingho...d-swim-mobile/
According to these 2 sources that are more than 10 yrs old, the swim mobiles are long gone & were already in storage in the late 2000s.

I do remember the Book Mobile too. That was a library on wheels.

**Zacha341** · January-10-20, 04:14 PM

Or the ACLU! Hah!

Originally Posted by Wheels

Ambulance chasing layers are the reason we don’t have a lot of things anymore!

**Ray1936** · January-10-20, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Or the ACLU! Hah!

Oh, the left-wingers on DY will getcha for that one, Zacha!

**Zacha341** · January-10-20, 04:36 PM

I recall them. I was terrified of water until I learned to swim as an adult so it was not my thing!

Originally Posted by GPCharles

Vague memory. I think they were sponsored by a local tv station.

**jcole** · January-10-20, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...tml?1203298545
http://blogs.detroitnews.com/goingho...d-swim-mobile/
According to these 2 sources that are more than 10 yrs old, the swim mobiles are long gone & were already in storage in the late 2000s.

I do remember the Book Mobile too. That was a library on wheels.

There are still bookmobiles all over the country; I think Detroit's are long gone. The library that I work at takes books to senior living homes a couple times a month for outreach and refers to them as "bookmobiles"

**rickbak** · January-10-20, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

There are still bookmobiles all over the country; I think Detroit's are long gone. The library that I work at takes books to senior living homes a couple times a month for outreach and refers to them as "bookmobiles"

I have very fond memories of the bookmobile that would park at Meyers and Orangelawn in the early '60s. Think it was Thursday evenings. I can remember picking through the stacks, the floor slightly quivering as the vehicle idled, and bringing home and then devouring books about Davey Crockett, Kit Carson, etc. Definitely launched my lifelong love of history. It'd be wonderful to bring bookmobiles back, but jeezus, who reads books anymore these days, especially kids?

**Hamtragedy** · January-10-20, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

What in heaven's name ever made you think of that topic in mid-January?

Funny you should mention that but I remember those things being ice cold, like they just filled it up from the nearest fire hydrant cold.

Funnier though, is I remember being in them but I have no idea how we actually got into them. They were kind of gravel hauling type trailers, but I'm assuming we probably climbed a ladder, not much unlike the ladders we climbed up to those massive heights of those ass burning aluminum slides. But I honestly have no recollection of how we got in or out.

Oh, and I always thought they were brought to us by Detroit Parks and Recreation, and have a vague recollection of them [[it) being parked over next to Butzel Playfield on Meyers near Lyndon.

**softailrider** · January-11-20, 03:25 AM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Funny you should mention that but I remember those things being ice cold, like they just filled it up from the nearest fire hydrant cold.

Funnier though, is I remember being in them but I have no idea how we actually got into them. They were kind of gravel hauling type trailers, but I'm assuming we probably climbed a ladder, not much unlike the ladders we climbed up to those massive heights of those ass burning aluminum slides. But I honestly have no recollection of how we got in or out.

I thought there were steel ladders attached to the sides, not movable, like regular width ladders though.

**Zacha341** · January-11-20, 07:40 AM

As an Indy --

-- I'm pretty teflon Ray!

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Oh, the left-wingers on DY will getcha for that one, Zacha!

**65memories** · January-11-20, 10:04 PM

https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...tml?1203298545

**ASilvaman** · January-12-20, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

There are still bookmobiles all over the country; I think Detroit's are long gone. The library that I work at takes books to senior living homes a couple times a month for outreach and refers to them as "bookmobiles"

Detroit Book Mobiles are still alive and active. They don't park at the end of your block but they service every community still.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-13-20, 06:28 AM

Just one of the many things that was eliminated from Detroit's budget, when it's finances went south, like street sweeping and city park maintenance.

**jcole** · January-13-20, 06:46 AM

You would be very surprised; I work at an inner ring suburban library and we are ALWAYS busy when school lets out. Sure, some of it is so kids can use the PCs, play games, engage in our after school activities etc, but all the kids have library cards and use them. Last Weds, our book delivery for inter library loans was 9 crates full. Our 4 times yearly book sales are big sellers and our tiny tot and young kid programs draw many young children as well as our family nights. We have a very active Teen program also. Libraries are NOT dying and neither are books.

Originally Posted by rickbak

I have very fond memories of the bookmobile that would park at Meyers and Orangelawn in the early '60s. Think it was Thursday evenings. I can remember picking through the stacks, the floor slightly quivering as the vehicle idled, and bringing home and then devouring books about Davey Crockett, Kit Carson, etc. Definitely launched my lifelong love of history. It'd be wonderful to bring bookmobiles back, but jeezus, who reads books anymore these days, especially kids?