SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

" I Got to Ride in the Real Batmobile!" (me!) sandra, tvgp

from the archives.  article written for Pleasanton patch.    -inspired to repost story/pictures because..  every time I see a child wearing a t-shirt with the batman logo [CH] I want to share..  "I got to drive in the batmobile!"     -but I never have any pictures on me.. and, no child is going to go online and "then in the google search, type..   tully's corner, Anthony Bettencourt..."    so, I think i'm going to have these pictures printed and keep them in the kiosk..  anyway, "thank you!" again Anthony Bettencourt!  -great memory.

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Introducing the beautiful people I randomly (and sometimes intentionally) meet at Tully's Corner
— downtown Pleasanton's No. 1 people watching hot spot.
by Sandra Harrison Kay,  AKA WriteousMom


I'm very excited to introduce all of you to my new superfriend, Anthony J. Bettencourt III. He is a husband, married to the lovely Karin Bunnell, president of the board for Valley Dance Theatre; a father of four, with beautiful 23-year-old triplet daughters, Candace, Ashley and Jessica, and a beautiful 14-year-old daughter, Tory, a freshman at Amador High School.

Bettencourt is a 14-year Pleasanton resident and world traveling president, CEO and chairman of Coverity, an international software company that does...something really important, I don’t remember.

But let’s be honest. Who cares about software! The man owns and drives a real life, Gotham City, flame-shooting, lights-flashing, custom-designed and entirely rebuilt BATMOBILE! Like, straight out of the comic books, straight out of the legendary 1960s television series and onto the downtown streets of Pleasanton.

It is impossible for me not to project on him all of the wonderful crime-fighting, justice-seeking, super-power characteristics of Bruce Wayne himself. Impossible not to hear the theme music and envision the “Pow!” “Bang!” “Boom!” speech bubbles that assured all of us Batman and Robin were conquering the villains and saving our world.

The very sight of the Batmobile triggers a million positive memories fighting for their own spotlight in my mind. And, after watching everyone's reactions upon seeing this car, it obviously does this for countless others.

There is no counting how many people I watched — adults, children, teens — who stopped to admire, take pictures of, and pictures with, Bettencourt's Batmobile while it was parked on Main Street, near Baci’s, last Saturday morning.

So that inspired my first question, when I met him on Corner, a couple of blocks from where he parked his hot, new, very popular mobile: How comfortable was he, on a scale of 1-10, being down the street and away from being able to see all the people hovering around the Batmobile.

"Oh, a 10," he said, with complete confidence and genuine peace. "People are very respectful. I’ve sat and watched from a distance. They just smile and look and take pictures."

Bettencourt waited more than 10 years before finally bidding on and purchasing his Batmobile via Ebay. Luxury cars are a long time passion of his. He has bought, driven and sold many elite and rare automobiles over the past several decades, including seven Ferraris, three Bentleys and one Rolls Royce. He has his eye out for a Rolls Royce Phantom.  He was 27 when he bought his first Ferrari.
“I had a lot of people ask if it was my father’s car,” he said, smiling.

He acknowledges that his other luxury cars don’t draw the same smiles and acceptance. A few select people will demonstrate appreciation at the sight of a Ferrari, but the majority express disapproval; too showy for the hard economic times we’re facing.

The batmobile is a Lincoln Continental originally constructed by Detroit Customs and then super-hero enhanced by a team Bettencourt hired to re-construct with a new LS1 Corvette engine, new transmission, exhaust, radiator, starter, brakes, tires, etc.

“Now, when you turn the key, it starts.” he said.

But the Batmobile, from my passenger seat view during a quick spin downtown, appears 100 percent beloved. It is an attention magnet of the best kind, inspiring thumbs up, waves, big smiles, lots of pictures and triggering wonderful memories for anyone and everyone familiar with the Batman empire.

The Batmobile travels primarily from his batcave in Ruby Hill, to downtown Pleasanton. It made a debut appearance at Amador High for a sporting event and will be parked on 264 Main St., outside Heroes and Villains Comics on May 7 for a special event hosted by store owners, Catherine De Dood and Jim Cravens.

See you there.

posted by SHE @ 7:46 AM