# If Doctor Who was set in modern day America, what would the Tardis be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648 "2012-01-25T22:40:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/61 "2012-01-26T16:18:57Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I came to say Coke machine too, but then I realized if someone saw you walk into it, they would definitely want to investigate; same with a tranformer box. The same’s probably true of a police box, especially if two or three people walk in in quick succession or one person goes in and stays for a long while. I like the utility tent idea, especially if you pair it with an “Employees Only” sign. There’s been one outside my local grocery store lately too. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/62 "2012-01-27T00:13:07Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Does it still do that, though, now that it’s lost its camouflaging abilities? > > I thought that was the idea - that, at some point in the 1960s in England, it had lost its camouflaging abilities, but happened to be something people could walk into, reasonably not be seen inside or taken away or seen as dangerous, and wouldn’t look too incongruous in most circumstances. I can’t really understand the latter reason, but the others work. It lost its abilities after making a landing in a junk yard. The show started in 1964, but no mention was made of how long it had been there by then. So if blue police boxes were being removed from service, well, that one looked like it had been. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/63 "2012-01-27T01:16:25Z")
Why disguise as anything, why not just turn invisible? Worked for Kirk when he took the Klingon ship back to the 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/64 "2012-01-27T01:48:52Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Why disguise as anything, why not just turn invisible? Worked for Kirk when he took the Klingon ship back to the 80’s. Because that’s not in keeping with the spirit of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/65 "2012-01-27T02:15:35Z")
The TARDIS could be effectively two-dimensional on the outside, and simply be a door that wasn’t there before on any blank wall, rock face, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/66 "2012-01-27T03:17:56Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > The TARDIS could be effectively two-dimensional on the outside, and simply be a door that wasn’t there before on any blank wall, rock face, etc. That only works for a coyote with a can of black paint. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/67 "2012-01-27T04:24:27Z")
A neo-classical column. Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![Write\_Handed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Write\_Handed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Write_Handed)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648/68 "2012-01-28T03:10:41Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Why disguise as anything, why not just turn invisible? Worked for Kirk when he took the Klingon ship back to the 80’s. “Now where did I-” Thunk! I’m going to have to agree with the port-a-potty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-doctor-who-was-set-in-modern-day-america-what-would-the-tardis-be/610648.md?page=3)