I met Peter Jennings at a Gas Station once - Whom have you met

[The Straight Story]

that was well known/famous?

I was driving across country with my best friend and his partner. We took a wrong turn but finally found our way through death valley on the way to Vegas (I had lived in that area for sometime but was used to taking the Barstow route).

We got to Beatty, Nevada, and decided to stop at a Gas station and hit up the restrooms.

I was walking out of the gas station and as I exited Peter Jennings walked in past me. I stopped for a second and though I recognized him and proceeded to my car. I stood out there with my friends and as it turns out he had parked next to us (large black SUV with keypad on locks).

He came out and we talked and I shook his hand. He was in town to see his son Over the thanksgiving holiday. He seemed pretty laid back and like a pretty nice guy. This was during the 2000 election debacle, the day before Thanksgiving.

I also met Paul Lynde at the Columbus Airport many many years ago, nice as hell guy.

So whom have you met and how/when?

[MrScorpio]

1. Check this out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2384824

[jobycom]

2. I worked for Ralph Yarborough, and met Ann Richards

I've also brushed paths with Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins, Edie Brickell, Too Tall Jones, Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, Emmit Smith, Michael Irvin, Nate Newton, and a few actors and actresses, mostly while working in a hotel near the Cowboys training camp.

Oh yeah, and I met George W Bush once, not long after he bought the Rangers.

Except for Yarborough, these were all minor encounters.

[Borgnine]

3. Bob Saget.

No, I'm just kidding. I can dream though, can't I? I can dream...

[NYCGirl]

22. The dirtiest mouth in show business. Saget rules! NT

[Montauk6]

4. Michael McDonald, also at a Gas Station

[proud patriot]

5. Abbie Hoffman , Medea Benjiman , Country Joe McDonald

1) I was told to shake Abbie Hoffman's hand
and thank him by my dad . Abbie was a speaker
at a UC Berkeley Extension called "the 60s leading
figures and legacies" Abbie was great he wanted
to keep talking to all of us after the thing
was over , so I was able to shake his hand and thank
him . At the time I had no idea who and what he did
that had my dad in such awe , but now I know .

2) Medea I met at a peace event in Santa Rosa ,
I shook her hand and thanked her . I'm still very
proud of my vote for her .

3) I watched country Joe's amps backstage at a peace event
my dad did sound for . He thanked me and I said "anytime"

[SheilaT]

6. I once flew from Hawaii

back to the U.S. with Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. Didn't really talk to them, as I was sort of intimidated by their celebrity. This was at least thirty years ago.

When I was in Iowa in January of last year, right before the primary Jeff Greenfield was staying in the same hotel where I and some friends had breakfast. We chatted with him and he was quite friendly.

I worked at National Airport in DC for a number of years, and waited on or saw many, many famous people, mostly politicians, but quite a few others. I waited on Dan Rather once (he was going to Philadelphia) and was quite nice.

The absolutely nicest politician ever was Jay Rockefeller.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

9. Who was a jerk? Especially the politicians.

:popcorn:

[SheilaT]

17. A lot of politicians are self-important

jerks. The worst, quite honestly, are the aides to various officials, who expect you to recognize them, quite magically. I can no longer recall his name, but whoever was in charge or protocol at the Nixon White House was one of the rudest passengers ever. He clearly thought we existed only on his sufferance.

George Will was quite rude, well, maybe not rude so much as incredibly tight-assed. He seemed to think we were of the servant class, and had the sourest face I've ever seen on a living human being.

Admiral Rickover could not be bothered to purchase his plane tickets himself, but sent an aide to do it for him. And when the aide insisted I write the ticket at the military fare, I wrote on it in large letters: Must show green military ID card. Which is what an active-duty member of the military needed to show to get the military discount. Remember, this is in the days before everyone needed to show some picture ID to get on a plane.

Ralph Nader, while not exactly rude or a jerk, was ALWAYS running late for his flights. This is back before the need to be at the airport two hours ahead of time, so I wonder if he ever makes his flights these days.

One time Jackie Kennedy Onassis was in front of my counter (she was seeing off a former member of JFK's administration on a flight to White Plains) and I have never recognized anyone (including my own mother) so quickly in all my life.

Working at DCA meant I saw pretty much all the Kennedys at one time or anther (this was back during the 70's). Mostly they were pretty nice. No different from anyone else, I'd say, except that I'd recognize them.

On the other hand, because I wasn't a sports fan, I never recognized any of the Redskins players when they came up to the counter.

Another time I was hassling a young scruffy looking guy who had three or four guitars with him (he needed to check them as luggage but was going to have to carry them to the gate because I didn't trust the drop down the bag chute not to damage them) and he was remarkably patient with me. When he walked away, a fellow agent came over and said, "Didn't you recognize him?" No, I didn't, he looked like some long-haired dope smoking kid to me. Turns out it was Arlo Guthrie.

Another time an older gentleman with an accent I could not place was being quite charming to me (I was a gate agent at the time) while waiting for his morning flight to wherever. I finally looked at the name on the ticket and saw it was Victor Borge.

One totally sweet person was Helen Hayes, who stood in line like everyone else and bought her ticket and didn't act as if anyone should recognize her.

A lot of not famous regular passengers were wonderful to wait on, especially the ones who flew every week. I still miss some of them.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

7. Saw Steve Allen at a book reading. Talked to Don Johnson and

Cheech Marin. Have seen Timothy Hutton, Meg Ryan, Nicholas Cage, Neve Campbell, Scott Wolfe, Bob Sarlot. I talked to someone who was a Baywatch Lifeguard while I was having coffee one time - she was very nice. I see the comedian Mike Prichard once in a while - hell of a nice guy.

[LibDemAlways]

8. Met Jimmy Carter at a book signing.

I was holding my then two-year-old daughter and he touched her arm and told me how beautiful she was. Also met Al and Tipper Gore at a book signing. They were both gracious and friendly, too.

[WCGreen]

10. Lot's

Bill Clinton
Al Gore
Hillary Clinton
Chuck Dodd
Dennis Kucinich
Bob Taft
Jerry Springer
Kathy Mattea
Kenny Kesney
Dave Jacobs, the fomrer owner of the Indians
Every Political and press celbrity in Cleveland
Dione Sanders
John Glenn
George Voinovich
Marci Kaptur
Howard Metzenbaum
Sherrod Brown Steve Lautorette
Betty Mongomery
Jim Petro
Jimmy Carter
Patrick Kennedy
Michael MCDonald
Micky Mantle
Mike Fratelo

I know there are more. Just can't remember them all

[LosinIt]

11. Abbie Hoffman/Barry Freed when he was having a beer with my cousin

and a bunch of other river rats in a bar in Clayton, NY. Of course at the time I didn't know he was Abbie Hoffman, it was when he was living as Barry Freed on an Island in the St. Lawrence River.

[TheMightyFavog]

12. Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings

He was in Stevens Point last April for the big trivia contest to do research for a book he's writing. I was working for our campus television station, and my brother-in-law (whose team he spent a good amount of time with) introduced him to me before the parade started.

[In_The_Wind]

13. I spent an evening dancing

with Donald Trump, years before he became 'The Donald'.

[chaska]

30. That's it??? Surely, there's more to the story. How did this come about?

Is he as big an ass as he seems to be?

[KitchenWitch]

14. I met David Durenberger (former R Senator from MN)

flying back from Washington National Airport to Minnepolis.

[datasuspect]

15. saw bill murray at an atm in chicago

[dbt]

16. That Clinton fellow.

Of course, everybody in Arkansas knows him personally, especially the girls!

:smoke:

[youspeakmylanguage]

18. Duff McKagan...

Very cool cat. I spent an evening in his entourage.

[trackfan]

19. I've met Taj Mahal on several occasions.

John Mayall once came to my house when I was a kid, and played my piano.

I talked to Minnie Driver on the phone. (She wanted to know what a Visigoth was, and was referrerd to me, as one who would probably know).

I drove David Carradine to his house once, when I was working as a gopher on a movie.

[Taverner]

20. Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Isaak, Dave Lowery, Kurt Cobain and Kris Novoselic

Ask me anything!

[flamingyouth]

21. I waited on Robert Bork once.

It was about 15 years ago and he came into the store I was working in in downtown Seattle. I recognized him right away and got creeped out, but he was actually decent to me, amazingly friendly. I was surprised.

[Taverner]

23. Oh and I almost forgot, Herbert Lom and G Gordon Liddy

Beleive it or not, Liddy is actually a nice guy, albeit a VERY VERY strange guy...

[Richardo]

24. Dyan Cannon in an elevator in Century City

This was in the 70s, so.... Hootchie Mama! :wow:

[noonwitch]

25. Sinbad, before he was famous, and Eddie Harysch of the Black Crows

I met Sinbad once in K-Zoo, when I was in college. He was just David back then.

I hung out at a party once where Eddie Harysch (keyboard player on a couple of their albums) was-he's from Detroit.

[dajoki]

26. bruce springsteen...

college freind's brother produced concerts in NJ back in 70's, he also graduated HS with bruce. bruce was playing a week long gig in small theater near his hometown. he inveted us up to see him and got to go to party after show.:woohoo:

[Obamarama]

27. Hubert Humphrey, while visiting Washington D.C. as a kid...

My dad was pulling into a parking space and from the car in front of us exited Hubert Humphrey. I barely remember it, as I was very young, but I recall my dad speaking to him and he came over and greeted my brother, my mom and I. I remember my dad telling me and Ian we had just met a very important, very good man.

When I was old enough to read/learn about him, I concurred.

[djeseru]

28. Peter Coyote at a record store.

He was in North Texas filming, I sold him a cassette at the store. (pre-CD days) He was incredibly nice, quiet-spoken.

[malta blue]

29. I babysat for Peter Jennings' kids

Also have met David Crosby, Stephen J. Gould, and Isabel Sanford, of The Jeffersons...she yelled at me when I was 7 for asking fo her autograph in line at the DMV in LA.