Wheeling

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## Briefing

When Ponch and Jon are starting to best week without having to deal with the cleanup of any accidents on Harbor Freeway, they soon find themselves dealing with Artie who is actually paralyzed from fighting over in Vietnam that had recently created dangerous driving safety hazard because of wanting to play a game of bumper cars, they also decided to issues a set of citations to his friend Don, and Alan for encouraging him this morning while driving to Sawtelle Rehabilitation Center in their own personal cars. The California Highway Patrol also have to deal with Harry Saunders who is actually often suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of fighting over in Vietnam, and he is now considered dangerous because he is determine to take law into his hands in order to catch Jerry Parker who happens to be an ex-convict felon that was recently paroled this summer for accidentally running over Kip who happens to be his own son that is actually riding his bicycle while driving a Ford Mustang during an illegal street race. Artie decides to play a Spanish bull fighting game with Alan and Don using a Mexican style blanket on Olvera Street, he soon finds himself in trouble with the law for the second time within a day apart when he unable to stop his wheelchair that now causes him to go down the hill on North Alameda Street after accidentally lifting a female teenager off her skateboard, and Ponch and Jon decide to issue him another citation for endangerment of pedestrian. After Ponch and Jon have agreed to pay a visit Dr. McCleary at the Sawtelle Rehabilitation Center concerning paralyzed Vietnam veterans becoming dangerous on the road, Helen is now concerned about Harry becoming a vigilante because of his lack sleep from working the night shirt, Artie decides to have his friends help build a customize wheelchair in order to give Brent back his confidence in going outside the hospital, the California Highway Patrol gets involved with Delgado filing a lawsuit against the Saunders family for accidentally having him arrested over a similar recent car accident that doesn't involved any blood on the passengers side front fender from Kip, and Bonnie finally escorts Jerry downtown in the front of her patrol car after receiving help in his arrest from the paralyzed veterans outside the Los Angeles Union Station.

## Report

While this actually happens to be the perfect day for Ponch and Jon, they are patrolling the heavy traffic south of the Harbor Freeway on a beautiful Monday morning, they are actually surprised that there hasn‘t been a single car or motorcycle accident pretty much all morning, and they keep trying to figure out the rest of this week that's coming up. In the meantime Artie who happen to be a paralyzed Vietnam veteran, he is actually bored while driving around in his beat up looking Chevrolet Chevy Van, he finally decides to start playing a freeway version of his favorite childhood carnival game called bumper cars, and he soon taps the rear bumper of his friend Alan’s Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Since Alan happens to be on his way to the Sawtelle Rehabilitation Center today for exercise, he is now angry after getting his rear bumper of his car tapped by his friend Artie who soon passes him by immediately in the left hand lane during the start of the freeway version of bumper cars, he eventually does decide to seek some revenge by joining in on the game, and soon taps the rear bumper of their friend Don’s Dodge Charger Special Edition. Don is now angry about getting his rear bumper tapped by his friend Alan, he will soon let his friend passed him by immediately in the right lane during the start of the freeway version of bumper cars, he will finally decide to seek some revenge by joining in on his friend Artie’s favorite childhood carnival game by weaving around the traffic on the freeway, and the trio will eventually find themselves ruining Ponch and Jon's perfect day by starting pursuit over a silly game of bumper cars.

The Trio will eventually agree to pull over by exiting the freeway, Ponch is actually surprised to find out that both Alan and Don are actually handicapped because they can't leave their vehicles without wheelchairs, and ends up giving them both citations as result of a freeway version of their friend Artie’s favorite childhood carnival game called bumper cars. Jon is actually surprised to find out that Artie is also handicapped because he happens to have a wheelchair converted van compare to Alan and Don, he ends up giving him a citation as a result of a freeway version of his favorite childhood game called bumper cars, after Ponch has just finished giving his friends a set of citations, and they will be going back to duty by patrolling the freeway.

Since Ponch and Jon had decided to pay a visit the Sawtelle Rehabilitation Center, and will receive some information about Artie who happens to be a respectful patient here from Dr. McCleary.

Wheeling013.jpg
While back at Central where Ponch and Jon along with Grossie are finishing the paperwork, and will have discussion about dream journals until Getraer comes into the room to deliver the message from Harry who happens to be waiting at the front desk for a report on the blue mustang that had accidentally caused Kip‘s bicycle accident. When Ponch and Jon have to leave the room, and will eventually receive some bad news from Grossie about Delgado already getting himself an attorney named Mr. Stevens in order to sue them in court over a false arrest. While Ponch and Jon deliver the bad news to Harry about Delgado getting himself a Mr. Stevens as his attorney in order to sue them in court over a false arrest, and they will happen to suggest dropping the charges in order to settle out of court.

While the quartet are enjoying the drive in Artie’s van, Artie is challenged to a drag race by another driver. After stopping at the first set of lights, they continue the race down a suburban street where Harry is just about to help his son into his car. After they race by, Harry sets off in pursuit, and continues to follow Artie’s van when the other driver turns off. As Harry catches up, he begins to sideswipe Artie’s van in an attempt to make him pull over. This gets the attention of Baricza, who joins the chase along with Ponch and Jon. The chase eventually ends in a small construction site where both vehicles wind up flipping over.

## Notes

* The mock bull fighting scene was filmed around on and around Olvera Street. Artie's wheelchair comes to rest on North Alameda Street.
* As Ponch and Jon approach the runaway wheelchair they pass the Plaza Fire House. Built in 1884, it was the first building to be constructed by the City of Los Angeles for housing fire fighting equipment and personnel. The building is now called the El Pueblo De Los Angeles which is actually now a historical monument, and is actually located on 575 N Main St.
* Ponch and Jon catch the hit-and-run driver in Union Station.
* Both Randi Oakes and Brodie Greer make appearance in two different scenes but not together.
* Paul Linke only appears in one scene.
* Both Michael Dorn and Lou Wagner don't appear in this episode.
* The crash scene near the end was filmed just off of Hannum Street in Culver City. All the buildings in the background have now gone, and the large Volkswagen warehouse is now an estate of townhouses.
* Ray Vitte was a close friend of Donna Summer. He was born on November 20, 1949 in New York. He died after an altercation with the LAPD on February 20, 1983. Summer was part of a news conference which questioned the circumstances of his death.
* Sawtelle Rehabilitation Center is actually location on 979 Veteran Avenue, Los Angeles, California, the hospital is still being run by Veteran's hospital during filming of this episode in 1979, and was later renamed Weyburn Terrace Palm Coast Rehabilitation Center.
* This is actually actor Taylor Lacher's first appearance on the show, he would make another appearance as Sarge in Forty Tons of Trouble which happens to be the tenth episode of season four, and later as Brady in Bomb Run which happens to be the seventh episode of season five.
* This is actually actor Paul Gale's first appearance on the show, he would later make another appearance as Tom Calin in To Your Health which happens to be the third episode of season four, and later as Lieutenant Richards in Mitchell & Woods which happens to the twelfth episode of season five.

### Codes Used

* 23103 - Reckless Driving
* 10-20 - Location
* 11-25 - Traffic Hazard
* 5150 - Emotionally Disturbed Person
* 11-31 - Calling for Help
* 11-41 - Ambulance Required
* 11-80 - Accident, Serious Injury
* 10-4 - Acknowledgment
* Code-2 - Urgent
* Code-3 - Emergency
* Code-33 - Clear Radio Traffic for Emergency Communications

## Cast

### Main Cast

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

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer:  Baricza
* Paul Linke:  Grossman
* Randi Oakes: Bonnie Clark

### Others

* Taylor Lacher: Harry Saunders
* Ray Vitte: Don
* Paul Gale: Artie
* Ron Lombard: Alan
* David Gilliam: Brent
* Fil Formicola: Delgado
* Ned Wilson: Dr. McCleary
* Tim Maier: Kip Saunders
* Cissy Wellman: Helen Saunders
* Michael Mancini: Jerry Parker
* Gary Pagett: Ronnie
* Milt Oberman: Attorney Stevens
* Ken Lesco: Sedan Driver
* Teri Landrum: Co-ed