The Bus

About the Bus
     Mike Young conceived the idea for “The Bus” in 1998.  Young, known as “The Creator”, was contacted by a friend about a 1982 Ford school bus for sale.  The cost, a whopping $50!   At the time, the bus had an old industrial look to it with an ugly blue stripe down the side.  After investing about $5,000 into renovations on bus, including a new paint job, custom detailing, and the “helmet” on the front complete with PVC tubing “facemask”, the transformation was complete and Young had his ultimate tailgating machine.   

Inside the bus
     The inside of the bus displays the same amount of Pats pride as the outside.  The floor of the bus is a replica of the Pats playing field with each yard line painted on with care.  The walls of the bus are lined with pictures and news articles from years gone by.  On the ceiling of the bus, well-known visitors have left their mark.  Each famous visitor has scrawled his or her autograph on with permanent marker. 

Features of the bus
     The bus is loaded with a CD player, stereo with internal and external speakers, television and VCR.  In addition, there’s a light strip on the roof so Pats fans near and far can easily find its location.  In addition, there are external outlets on the bus to run the lights and speakers.  Because of this, there is no need for a generator to power up the tailgating party. 

      A group of eight dedicated fans, including Young and his father, Dick, travel up to Foxboro each home game from Cape Cod. Each has his own assigned seat and each man (and one woman) is equally superstitious about sitting in the correct place.  To do otherwise could mean trouble for the Pats!  They get to the game approximately four hours before kickoff to take part in the tailgating ritual, along with the fellow members of their tailgating crew.     

     Typically, the bus can be found in Lot P8.  However, due to some unforeseen (and unexplained) issues, the bus must park in the RV lot.  Hopefully, this situation is only temporary, but luckily, it’s not too far away from the action.  To find the new location, go to the old parking spot in P8, look for the pedestrian underpass, and this bus should be on the other side of the underpass.  Be sure to say hello to Mr. Young as he keeps a watch on the tailgating area from the bus during the game. 
Note: We are unsure where we are going to be located for the short term. Stay tuned to the bulletin board for more information.

Thanks, Mike, for creating this bus.  It’s one of the incredible features of the best tailgating experience at Gillette Stadium.

If you have a special story you would like to share about the bus, please share it in our Guestbook. Thanks!