As I Walk Through the Alley of the Shadow of Ramps

"" is the eighteenth episode in Season 8, being the one-hundred-and-forty-seventh episode overall.
==Plot==
When a malicious juice truck owner tries to set up shop in the Belcher's alley, Louise devises a plan to win back her turf. Meanwhile, Linda learns that she can't always run to her sister's defense.
==Synopsis==
In the back alley behind the restaurant, the kids are playing a game of “bike ride trash toss”, taking breaks to admire Gene’s new flowery pink bike basket, and Louise is about to throw a bag of moldy burger buns when a horn honks behind them. A large food truck is behind them, driven by their new neighbor, a passive-aggressive woman named Alice who asks them to move. As they get off their bikes to remove the garbage pile they’ve been throwing from, she honks her horn again and tells them to go faster, to Louise’s frustration. The horn attracts their neighbor, Mr. Huggins, who reads the truck sign, “When Hairy met Smoothie: Smoothies and Hair Removal.” Alice continues to honk her horn, and Louise asks why she just does not use the street if she is in a hurry, to which Alice replies that it requires taking a left into traffic which she hates as it takes forever. After the kids clear the trash pile, Louise makes a sarcastic remark about cleaning the alley, to which Alice insults her “tricycle girl”, which unnerves Louise.
 
In the restaurant, Linda answers the phone. It is Gayle, who is upset having already started her first day on her new job as a security guard at a local art museum, which she is already threatening to quit. Linda promises to go over, even as Bob points out that Gayle always promises to quit on her first day at new jobs. Linda says that for once she should let Gayle figure it out for herself, right before grabbing her keys and purse, and leaving. 
 
At the Kornblow Museum, Gayle is standing in an art gallery room, and tries to lie down using Linda for support, who instead puts her up against a wall. Gayle wants to quit, but Linda points out that a senior security guard who can stand for hours. Gayle also wants to be a “protector” of art from thieves and people who lick sculptures. Gayle is horrified when Linda tells her to keep going day after day, but thinks going home every night sounds nice and stays. 
 
At dinner, Louise is complaining about Alice acting like she owns the alley, and calling Louise “tricycle girl”. Bob, with the mention of the “mean green machine”, awkwardly brings up that maybe it is time for another lesson on a regular bicycle. Louise refuses, citing that the last time didn’t go well (instead of Bob letting go of the handles, Louise put her hands on top of his and dug her nails in so he would not let go). Linda offers to teach Louise, pointing out that she taught Tina and Bob just “Swooped in” for the last push, although Tina taught Gene (as Linda kept talking on the phone to Ginger about the latter’s botched hemorrhoid surgery). After Bob cries when thinking about when he teaches bike riding, Louise rejects them and says she just chooses not to ride a bike as she believes three wheels are better. 
 
Although the family decides for a “Parcheesi cheese party” to put off doing the dishes, Louise talks Tina and Gene into going into the alley with her, showing them Alice’s parked truck, and telling them of her plan to write “If You Can Read This, You’re Behind A Stinky Turd Truck”, and that they need to write it as she’s too short. Tina and Gene write on the dirt on the back windows, albeit in a kinder form, to Louise’s disappointment. The next day, the kids are circling with their bikes in the alley. Tina is worried that they might be starting something, but Louise thinks that the message got through. However, an angry Alice drives up in her truck and says she knows what they did, which Louise waves off and denies knowing anything about. After Alice calls her “tricycle girl” again, Louise continues to argue about bringing it up. Alice in returns mocks her as too old to be riding one. Louise tries laughing it off, but Alice then throws a smoothie into their dumpster, breaking the cup open and spattering the kids (which she didn’t mean to do, but calls a “happy accident). She tells them it is an active alley, not meant for “little kids on bikes” before driving off.
 
Later on the fire escape, Louise is looking to get back at Alice, denying that it has anything to do with her “green machine” and empathically declaring she’s not too old to be riding it to Tina. Louise wants alley access back, and decides to call other kids to put up more of a force against Alice. She first calls Rudy, telling him they are having a bike party, so he and his father bring the ramps they build together, which turn out to be about four inches tall. 
 
Inside the restaurant, Linda asks what Louise is up to, and Gene tells her about the bike party. The phone rings, with Gayle again on the other end. She is still bored, and Linda tries to get her to look around for anything interesting. After mistaking a lady in all white for a statue, Gayle brings up a man who comes in every day and stares at one painting. Linda tries to excite Gayle by telling her the man might be an art thief casing the place to steal the painting.
 
In the alley, more kids have arrived to the bike party, and Bob goes back inside after starting to cry again. Rudy jumps off the incredibly short ramps, while Gene tells Zeke and Jimmy Jr. about his “man-sket” and everything he can carry. Tina and Louise wait for Alice to turn the other way onto the street, until a police car pulls up. Louise goes to the police officers, who tell her that Alice called in an anonymous tip and that they need to clear the alley. Louise manages to convince the officers to let them continue the party by claiming Rudy is sick and that the party is a fundraiser for him. The officers fall for it, even offering to block off the alley, confusing Rudy who is unaware of what Louise is saying as they cry and try to support him. Alice is mad later, stuck waiting to turn left onto the busy street, while the kids are satisfied.
 
That night, the Belchers are watching TV, with the kids unusually quiet, which Louise attributes to a silence over a “just and peaceful land.” The doorbell rings, which is Rudy and his father there to pick up the ramps. However, by the restaurant back door, Louise finds the ramps are missing, and realizes that Alice stole them, to Rudy and his dad’s shock. Louise decides to put Alice into “a world of hurt.” 
 
The next day, the Belcher kids and Rudy are waiting in the alley on their bikes, to confront Alice, with Tina telling Louise she should never have left the ramps in the alley, and Louise admits to not thinking about it, but says they will go over and demand the ramps back. Mr. Huggins, however, emerges from his window and tells them that the garbagemen took the ramps, and he tried yelling at them to stop, but since he had a toothbrush in his mouth, they didn’t understand him. Louise is confused, as she didn’t put the ramps by the dumpster, but Huggins reveals that Alice moved them to the dumpster while laughing “that’ll show ‘em” but he didn’t realize what was going on and thus didn’t stop her. Louise blames him and her but no one else, but Rudy brings up that Louise did leave the ramps out.
 
In the restaurant, Gayle calls again, and reveals to Linda that she captured the guy who stared at the painting and is holding him in the “interrogation room”, i.e., the employee bathroom. A horrified Linda tells her not to do anything as she will be there soon. She tells Bob that if she is not back soon, she’s on the run with Gayle before going. 
 
In the alley, Alice drives up yet again, with the others backing up to the wall, but Louise parks her trike in front of the truck. The two argue yet again, with Alice reusing to acknowledge Rudy for the ramps, and Louise saying she will stay in the alley until school starts. It pretty soon degrades into a honking and shouting match; however, Tina gets scared that Alice might think she is in park but isn’t and take the foot of the brake, thus running over Louise, and runs to grab her sister off the trike. But Alice doesn’t see the trike due to her truck being so tall, and runs over it, not hearing it due to singing along with her New Age Celtic music CD. Seeing the trike is being dragged underneath, Louise hops on Tina’s bike and the kids chase off after the truck.
 
The four follows close behind, while the tricycle is still being dragged underneath, while Louise is scared of how the bikes are staying up instead of wiping out all over the street. Alice’s truck takes a turn onto Garden Street, towards the downtown area. Louise tells them to cut down an alley, with Rudy contemplating the irony if another group of kids were playing in it and didn’t want them there. The alley has a truck parked in it, making for a tight squeeze they manage to get through (with Rudy taking a jump off a board about an inch off the ground that the others don’t notice) before seeing the truck again. 
 
At the museum, Linda is let in the employee bathroom by Gayle, and tries apologizing to the man, Neil. Linda asks Gayle if she knows he is innocent, which surprises the latter. She just wanted to help but realizes she shouldn’t have riled Gayle up, not thinking she would kidnap a guy (which Gayle says she should always assume). Gayle thinks Neil knows too much hand must be gotten rid of, but Linda stops her and the two apologize. Neil is more confused than mad, as he would never steal the painting or hurt it, as it gave him comfort after his cat died (after mistakenly saying “wife”). Gayle sympathizes and Linda suggests they get coffee after Gayle’s shift. Although he is a little more confused when she leans up on him as a way of flirting.
 
Downtown, the truck finally stops, and Alice gets out, confused that they followed her, until Louise shows the green machine that was dragged under the truck. Alice is shocked and horrified, she didn’t know it was there, and could have killed Louise. However, Louise is confused when Alice starts breaking down crying, and she admits things have been on edge ever since she dumped her savings into the truck. She admits that business has been bad but wanted to try something new when she sucked at it, and worries about if she sucks at the job forever. Louise does not feel bad and is angry, but Tina tells her how similar the situation is about trying something new that is scary and one never thinks they will be good at. After Louise guesses “bats” like Rudy did (thinking they were talking bout scary stuff), and telling Alice she doesn’t get a guess, Louise admits that Tina might have a point. She tells Alice how she can see how the latter was not at her best during their alley interactions, and Alice admits she’s afraid of bats too, but also that she will stick with the business. She offers to pay back the ramp and trike in store credit, with the kids getting smoothies.
 
As they walk back home, Louise apologizes to Rudy for the loss of the ramps, but Rudy is okay, saying he and his dad will build more. As Gene goes off to ride with Zeke and Jimmy Jr., now sporting “man-skets” on their bikes, Tina asks Louise what she wants to do with the green machine, given it is busted up. But Louise has been thinking. Later, in the alley, Louise is on Gene’s bike, with Bob holding her up. Louise wants to have np pictures of the moment, but Linda discreetly gets Huggins to take some. After telling Bob not to cry, and after Linda offers to swoop in while Tina mentions she set up all of this to happen with her earlier speech, Louise starts pedaling with Bob following and grabbing onto the handles. After a false let-go, she asks her father to let go of the handles as she pedals.
==Videos==
The Kids Meet Their New Neighbor Season 8 Ep. 17 BOB'S BURGERS
Linda Supports Gayle At Her New Job Season 8 Ep. 17 BOB'S BURGERS
==External links==
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Category:Episodes
Category:Season 8 Episodes
Category:Episodes Written by Scott Jacobson
Category:Episodes Directed by Chris Song
Category:2018 Episodes
Category:8ASA Episodes