# Dick Van Dyke was driving a car? Who let him do that? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [March 22, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513 "2023-03-22T20:41:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/1 "2023-03-22T20:41:23Z")
You do not give fragile, precious things the keys to a silver Lexus. Treat him like you’d treat drunk uncle Troy trying to drive home New Years Eve. I mean, he’s 97, he can’t fight you for them! > **[Dick Van Dyke crashes his car into a gate in Malibu](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65038802)** > > The film and television icon is said to have sustained minor injuries but avoided going to hospital. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/2 "2023-03-22T20:50:08Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > he’s 97, he can’t fight you for them! I’m not so sure. He works out daily and lifts weights. (Doesn’t mean he should be driving, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/3 "2023-03-22T20:55:49Z")
I blame Vulgarian saboteurs. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/4 "2023-03-22T21:05:06Z")
I mean, look what happened when they let Fred Astaire on a skateboard! Are they gonna let William Shatner-- [who is near death, I’m told](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11843641/William-Shatner-91-doesnt-long-left-live-makes-documentary-life.html)– fly the space shuttle? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/5 "2023-03-22T21:23:53Z")
The man can’t even walk across his living room without tripping over the ottoman half the time. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/6 "2023-03-22T21:30:07Z")
You win this thread! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/7 "2023-03-22T21:31:17Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > William Shatner-- [who is near death, I’m told](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11843641/William-Shatner-91-doesnt-long-left-live-makes-documentary-life.html) Why am I not surprised that the Daily Mail has a clickbait headline, leading with “I don’t have long to live”? A quote from Shatner, who is, indeed, 91 years old, in the body of the article: > [@](#): > > Whether I keel over as I’m speaking to you or 10 years from now, my time is limited He doesn’t have long to live, not because he has a terminal illness, but because he’s 91 frickin’ years old! (Well, actually, he’s **92** – his birthday is today.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/8 "2023-03-22T21:32:20Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Are they gonna let William Shatner-- [who is near death, I’m told](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11843641/William-Shatner-91-doesnt-long-left-live-makes-documentary-life.html)– fly the space shuttle? I just saw him in person two weeks ago, and he was pretty damned spry and active, and enjoyed regaling us with his recent adventure in space. He may be chronologically close to death, but I’ve known a TON of people who were literally near death (and went on to die quite soon) and he looked much better than any of them. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/9 "2023-03-22T21:32:29Z")
Funny you should say that… This was the first thing I thought of when I heard about DvD: > **[Allen's Death Linked To Car Accident](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/allens-death-linked-to-car-accident/)** > > Entertainer Died In His Sleep Hours After Minor Traffic Accident And he was only 78. I was heartbroken. I thought he’d live forever. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/10 "2023-03-22T21:35:22Z")
Was the car in question his mother? Yes, I know that was Jerry Van Dyke. AFAIK, they have the same mother. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/11 "2023-03-22T21:38:37Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > (Well, actually, he’s **92** – his birthday is today.) No wonder the classical station KBAQ played the Star Trek them this morning. Of course they played it at 5 am, but still! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/12 "2023-03-22T22:11:43Z")
I’d still rather ride with Dick than Tiger Woods. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/13 "2023-03-22T22:15:17Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Was the car in question his mother? No, it was his fine four fendered friend. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/14 "2023-03-22T22:17:14Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > fine four fendered friend. I was nearly 40 before I realized it wasn’t “fine Ford fendered friend.” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/15 "2023-03-22T22:36:10Z")
Actually… the Ford motor company _did_ build the automobile props for the movie so in fact it was his “fine four-fendered Ford friend” ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/16 "2023-03-23T12:18:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The man can’t even walk across his living room without tripping over the ottoman half the time. Gosh darn you, I came in the thread to make the joke “someone must have left an ottoman in the middle of the road”. Glad he’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/17 "2023-03-23T12:23:20Z")
Conditions were bad, and much younger people could slide and hit something. So, I’m not ready to automatically write him off because I think that is age prejudice and not a fair judgment. Let him take a complete driving test. If he passes, good for him! ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/18 "2023-03-23T13:21:09Z")
Was Billy Joel in the passenger seat? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/19 "2023-03-23T14:43:46Z")
Was it 5 o’clock on a Saturday? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513/20 "2023-03-23T14:43:59Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Was Billy Joel in the passenger seat? Jay Leno was riding shotgun and Harrison Ford was flying overhead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-van-dyke-was-driving-a-car-who-let-him-do-that/981513.md?page=2)