Parts were stolen from the bus and put on Ebay...

[erikhalfacre]

1) I would certainly be up for a trip out there to patch up the bus. I wouldn't be able to go until either this coming winter, or summer of 2012 either though.

2) When I said Dermot Cole was swell I meant it with a lot of sarcasm. He wrote an editorial once, where he used one of my friend's videos from our trip, to showcase the 'underprepared pilgrims who don't know they're risking their life out there." I got into it with some folks in the comments. There are a lot of ignorant, arrogant jackasses out there that think because they drive their fourwheeler off a trailer and out into the sticks to shoot a moose and drag it back that they know everything there is to know about the Alaskan Wilderness. I'm not saying that's what Cole is (but some of the folks who left comments are.) But Cole definitely has the attitude that since he sees no value in Chris' story, that no one should, and because he can't convince you that Christopher McCandless was an idiot, he wants to try and do his part to just erase the story altogether.

Everyone on this board who has an opinion should be blowing up the Anchorage Daily News and the Fairbanks News Miner with letters to the editor. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Get heard!

Anyway... here's a link to Cole's piece that really pissed me off: http://newsminer.com/pages/full_story/push?need_to_add=true&content_instance=9174457&id=9174457#cb_post_comment_9174457

[bobenns]

1) I would certainly be up for a trip out there to patch up the bus. I wouldn't be able to go until either this coming winter, or summer of 2012 either though.

2) When I said Dermot Cole was swell I meant it with a lot of sarcasm. He wrote an editorial once, where he used one of my friend's videos from our trip, to showcase the 'underprepared pilgrims who don't know they're risking their life out there." I got into it with some folks in the comments. There are a lot of ignorant, arrogant jackasses out there that think because they drive their fourwheeler off a trailer and out into the sticks to shoot a moose and drag it back that they know everything there is to know about the Alaskan Wilderness. I'm not saying that's what Cole is (but some of the folks who left comments are.) But Cole definitely has the attitude that since he sees no value in Chris' story, that no one should, and because he can't convince you that Christopher McCandless was an idiot, he wants to try and do his part to just erase the story altogether.

Everyone on this board who has an opinion should be blowing up the Anchorage Daily News and the Fairbanks News Miner with letters to the editor. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Get heard!

Anyway... here's a link to Cole's piece that really pissed me off: http://newsminer.com/pages/full_story/push?need_to_add=true&content_instance=9174457&id=9174457#cb_post_comment_9174457

A repair trip to the bus might just be a very worthwhile adventure. I'd certainly be in to it. Some people are talking about going this year and they could take measurements and photos. Who knows it might be possible to locate the actual same bus windows and get them hauled out by someone with a big dodge truck who likes going out there.

I read and commented on Cole's article. Basically said that by his logic Mt McKinley should be leveled to save people who might die climbing it and all automobiles should be banned and all roads closed because thousands of unprepared motorists die every year.

[SteveSalmon]

~SS

[solovoyager]

Sadly in October of 2007, parts disappeared from Bus 142, by way of a thief's hand, and were listed on Ebay. One man, Bernie Maletsky, a banker from PENNSYLVANIA, was outraged enough, when he discovered the Ebay listing, to alert the proper people about the auction. The instrument panel was sold for 177.50 but, I dont know if the part was ever sent back. I can tell you that I was in the bus 5 months ago and it was certainly not put back.
The Ebay seller's profile name is "KCMTBIKE". I dont know of too much more as of now, but, I did follow the link posted in Mr. Maletsky's letter to a YouTube profile named "MTCAVING". He's posted a lot of videos that I've enjoyed and I never knew until tonight that he was responsible. The ebay profile is still active as well and that can be found using the second link. I have not confirmed yet if the two profiles belong to the same person.

Here is the link to a copy of the letter Mr. Maletsky wrote.
http://aprn.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/maletsky-letter.pdf

The link below will show an image of the actual ebay listing as well as the profile name KCMTBIKE which as I stated is still active. I would like to know more about what "MTCAVING" has to say about it. I will be trying to contact him to find out more.
http://aprn.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/listing.png

I'd like to know what you have to say about all of this.

This makes me think that maybe I'd have preferred that a movie of Chris McCandless' life had never been made. I'm willing to bet that the vandalism and number of visitors to the bus has increased greatly since the film version of Into The Wild.

[SteveSalmon]

~SS

[erikhalfacre]

Didn't you try to get ahold of Kasey Cory once, Steve? I wonder if he knows who actually purchased the panel anymore. It would be interesting to see if the buyer would be willing to sell it back so it could be returned to where it belongs.

Also, I have to wonder what became of the more recently vanished steering wheel. I checked ebay for it and never saw it. Maybe it made it to craigslist or perhaps it's decorating the wall of whoever took it.

[ellisd]

that is pretty ironic Steve. good eye on pointing that out. also steve, did i ever share those email i exchanged with him? if not ill send them over to you. i gotta admit though. even though his actions kinda brand him as a jerk, he is quite nice to speak with.

[solovoyager]

Same guy was apparently selling a piece of the mattress that Chris slept on in the bus. As the article in the link below points out, if this person was cleaning up the bus, then why did he then not throw the stuff out? Instead he sells it on ebay?

And who would take Chris' boots? These items were largely left alone for like 15 years, and now it seems all these people are selfishly taking things, destroying the bus and other items.

www.extremeadventurenews.com/2007/10/07/chris-mccandless-piece-of-mattress-from-bus-142-also-put-up-on-ebay/

[Lisasupertramp]

It is so sad to me that people would destroy this bus but I suppose thats what the world is coming to... its just such a shame. I respect Chris and so fully understand what he was thinking when he set out on his journey. I have often wondered whether Chris had read stories about Peace Pilgrim as he sure seemed to share her nature. I wish I had the chance to go up and fix the bus and maybe even live in it. Chris is alive in the hearts and minds of the people who care about him and continue to honor his legacy. I am one of those people.