Hustle

Written by
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## Briefing

A pair of bikers rob stores around California. Ponch schemes to make money from a bowling tournament, his secret weapon is Jon.

## Traffic Violations

* Armed Robbery - Escaped
* Failure to stop at a stop sign - Mechanical Citation
* Fender Bender - Citation.
* Armed Robbers - Apprehended.

## Report

Jon and Ponch have just eaten and return to their bikes, just as they reach them a pair on dirt bikes pull into the parking area. Once Jon and Ponch are gone the bikers head to the back room in a supermarket.

Ponch queries Jon about the bowling tournament and wants Jon to be his partner. Jon tells him he used to work in bowling alley and he's had his fill of them.

An APB goes out to all Ventura freeway units regarding a robbery at Ratner's market. Ponch tells Jon they were just there and go to investigate.

On the way a driver throws a cigarette butt out his window and it hits Ponch passing by. Ponch tells the driver he should give him a ticket for that but he doesn't have time since he's already responding to the 2-11. The cigarette burns into Ponch's uniform.

Jon spots two bikers and they pursue them. When the bikers stop, Jon frisks them and then tells them to remove their helmets. It's two women. Ponch mentions male suspects to Jon. The women giggle at Ponch and look at his groin. Ponch takes a look and there's a large burn hole in his pants revealing his boxers. Ponch quickly removes his helmet and covers up the burn hole. Getraer arrives and questions the pair over the lady bikers. Ponch removes his helmet when he's telling Getraer about what happened and he notices the burn hole. Jon tells Ponch that they need to get going since Ponch has to be in court in 30mins. Jon advises him to get changed first.

At the Municipal Traffic Court, Ponch is up against Sidney M. Engelhardt for failure to obey a traffic officer. Ponch is confident it's an open and shut case. Judge Linda Lindheim is presiding and she asks Ponch to explain the circumstances regarding Mr Engelhardt's citation. While Ponch is recounting the events, Mr Engelhardt wants to speak. After Ponch finishes it's mr Engelhardt's turn. He recounts his events using the chalk board. The judge asks Ponch if what mr Engelhardt says is true, Ponch tells her it's not. It's his word against Ponch's and the Judge tells him he doesn't have a witness. Mr Engelhardt requests a continuance to gather more evidence. The Judge grants him 48 hrs.

Back on the freeway they stop a car for running a stop sign. He's a Broderick Crawford from the TV show Highway Patrol. Ponch is starstruck. Mr Engelhardt pulls over the shoulder to take photo's of Ponch. Ponch notices him and goes over to him to tell him to move out. By the time he comes back, Mr Highway Patrol drives off and Ponch isn't happy he didn't get his autograph and Jon gave him a ticket. Jon tells him he didn't give him a ticket, he gave him a mechanical just so he could get his autograph.

At the bowling alley, Ponch spots a pair of women walk in and tries to pep talk them into joining them for a foursome. At the counter a man is arguing with the clerk and pushes him backwards when he can't get his deposit back. Jon interrupts the man and flashes his badge, the man tells Jon he's trying to get his deposit back and leans in to talk to Jon. Jon moves away quickly making a comment about his boozy breath. The man tells him it's not against the law to drink, Ponch tells him it depends what he does afterwards. Jon tells the man to go home and rest and before the man leaves Jon asks him he hopes he's not going to drive. The man looks at Jon and Ponch and tells them both he'll walk. The clerk thanks them and Jon asks for shoes for him and Ponch. The two women who weren't interested in Ponch suddenly find the pair interesting.

Ponch is teaching everyone how to bowl and shows them how it's done. He bowls and it's a gutterball another ball veers to the left and hits one pin. He blames the dodgy lane. It's Jon's turn, he hits a strike. A shocked Ponch asks if he can do it again, Jon isn't sure and tells Ponch he'll give it another shot, he scores another strike. Ponch asks Jon exactly what his job was at the bowling alley. Jon tells him he was an instructor, Ponch tells him he's a natural. An excited Ponch feels this is an opportunity to clean house. Jon isn't sure what he's talking about, Ponch reassures him.

While Jon and Ponch are dealing with two old ladies who fender bender, the biker robbers strike again. The manager manages to press the panic button after they leave. Jon calls in the accident. The two bikers and patrol car pass them by but they're stuck with the two arguing ladies.

Jon and Ponch return to Central for the afternoon briefing. Baricza and Fritz are talking about the bowling tournament. Ponch tells them that he's thinking of joining and wants to put on a bet. Baricza and Fritz ask Ponch who his partner is. Ponch tells them and Fritz hasn't played with Jon before and asks him what he's like, Ponch tells him he has to give him a few pointers. Baricza wonders if they can double the bet, Getraer walks in and Ponch postpones the chat.

Ponch notices Getraer is in a mood and wonders who's in trouble this time. Getraer calls out Jon's name. Jon is surprised and unnerved. Getraer wants a yes or no answer and asks him if he has in his possession a gold plated monogrammed ball point pen belonging to Broderick Crawford. Jon reaches down to his boot and pulls out one gold plated monogrammed ball point pen belonging to Broderick Crawford. Getraer asks Jon to kindly return it. Getraer goes over the main issue for the day, the biker robbers. One of the operators passes Getraer a note, there's been an accident so he sends out Jon and Ponch.

A woman has crashed into an over head electrical transformer and the wires are all over the car. She's also crashed near a sprinkler system making it even more perilous. When they arrive a man sees the woman and runs to get to her but as soon as he hits the water he's electrocuted ad collapses to the ground. Jon and Ponch use their batons to pull the man free of the current. The woman driver wakes up and panics since she can't get out. Jon tells her to stay in the car because it's grounded. Ponch grabs a pole off the paramedics truck. The woman doesn't want to stay in the car because she has a baby, she attempts to climb out the window, Jon has no choice and jumps on the hood and attempts to keep her in the car. Ponch tries to move the wires with the pole. Ponch lifts the wires off the ground and tells Jon, Jon jumps off the hood and manages to open the door and free the woman and grab the baby.

Ponch has to go to court again so Jon tells him where to meet afterwards, on the freeway Jon spots a car with only three wheels on it, he tells the driver to pull over. The driver exits his car and starts talking in French to Jon. Jon attempts to tell the driver about his missing wheel. After a while Shain arrives and thankfully can talk French, he tells Jon that the driver had his wheel stolen. Jon makes a hasty retreat and tells Shain it's all his.

At the court Sidney Engelhardt has his evidence and presents it to the Judge. They're various photos of Ponch doing things while on duty. Ponch explains what he's doing in each, the Judge declares Mr Engelhardt guilty. Ponch asks Mr Engelhardt for a dozen copies of the photo with Mr Crawford, he gets a point blank no.

At the doughnut shop Ponch makes more bets with the LAPD over the bowling tournament. An APB goes out that the biker robbers have struck again, Jon and Ponch ride out.

When chasing the bikers they pass a chain linked fence and ride through a gate, when Jon turns he hits the gate and uses his hand to move it out the way. They manage to catch them at the Griffith Park observatory car park.

Next morning back at Central Baricza asks Ponch if he's still taking bets, Ponch looks at the tournament list and offers them double bets. Jon comes in and Ponch is excited that he's going to be eating free for the rest of their biking rides. Jon tells Ponch that the little accident he had at Griffith Park wasn't serious but his finger is in a splint.

## Notes

* This is the final appearance for Officer Brouillette.
* After the cigarette incident, Ponch pulls up to Jon on his left side, but when Jon speaks to Ponch he's on his right side, then when they peel away Ponch is back on the left side.
* Highway Patrol was a real TV show starring Roderick Crawford in the 50's loosely depicting the CHP.
* Griffith Park Observatory is famously remembered from Rebel Without a Cause.

### Quotes

* Jon/[Ponch]: Off your bikes! [Now, and grab some sky!]
* Getraer: I would like to know Frank, why a cigarette when it has the whole freeway to land on decides to land on your lap?
* Ponch/[Bowling woman]: I bet you ladies never had the opportunity to go against a three time national champ huh? [Well no now that you mention it, never.] Well isn't that a coincidence, I never have either.
* Jon: You see Ponch is such a perfectionist, he's kind of a Beethoven of bowling.

### Ponch's Bad Luck

* Driver throw his cigarette butt out his window and it lands on Ponch.
* Cigarette ruins Ponch's pants.

### Codes used

* 2-11 - Armed Robbery
* Code 4 - No assistance required.
* 28100 - Failure to obey a traffic officer.
* 10-4 - Message received
* 11-85 - Send a tow truck
* 11-79 - Traffic Accident, Ambulance dispatched

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Lew Saunders: Fritz
* Reb Brown: Brouillette
* R.B. Sorko-Ram: Shain (Uncredited)

### Others

* Kay Peters: Judge Linda
* Marty Ingels: Sidney
* Sandra Will: Sheila
* Hubert Noel: Citroen Driver
* Yuki Shimoda: Mr Wee