Green Thumb Burglar

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## Briefing

Someone is stealing the greenery around California, Getraer gets protective of the plants around the precinct. Ponch gets a free reading off a psychic and they're not pleasant.

## Traffic Violations

* Colliding motorists - Arrested
* Failure to stop at a four way stop - Citation given.
* Sports Car cuts in front of a tanker & crashes - Freed
* Tanker fire - Put out.
* Puffnstuff's vision obscured - Tagged car.
* Speeding Cal Trans - Stopped/Arrested.

## Report

Two cars are both ramming each other on the freeway, they seemed to be locked in a bitter dispute. Ponch stops off to buy a dozen roses for Georgia. They spot the two cars on the freeway and give chase. Ponch attempts to tell them to pull over but is almost run off the road. The cars eventually stop when one rolls over on the embankment and the other drives up it. Ponch checks on the driver in the roll over but as he bends down to check, the driver exits his car and heads to the other driver. Jon calls it in. Ponch attempts to split up the pair but is having problems retraining his driver, Jon grabs the other. Ponch slips and ends up in a puddle of mud, some landscapers are watching and help Ponch out of the mud. The argument started when both blames the other for stealing their parking spot at work.

Ponch thanks the landscapers for their help, they tell Ponch they're there because of the Green Thumb Burglar (GTB), they steal freshly planted shrubs and potentially sell them. Ponch finds it funny, but not the cost of the dry cleaning bill.

Whilst waiting to turn at a four way stop sign, a car just drives through without stopping. Jon and Ponch follow the car and notice them swapping seats, they decide to pull them over. The ladies exit the car and they're twins, dressed the same way as well as their hair. The twins are psychics and they give Ponch a free reading because Ponch is giving them a hard time. She calls him Ponjello. One of the twins revels in his future and tells him first a warning, beware of sharp objects. Second, he will have conflict with an authority figure. Third, he will be in danger from fire and the fourth he will experience a devastating romantic set back. Ponch writes out the ticket and asks how much for the reading, they tell him it's their pleasure.

Back at Ponch's motor home, he asks Jon if he wants something to eat. Jon attempts to avoid it by telling them to go out and that he's not hungry. Ponch searches his cupboards and pulls out two tins, tuna and beans. Jon is less than impressed. Ponch tells him he'll love it and starts opening the cans, but cuts his finger as he does so.

Jon realises that the first prediction has come true, but Ponch brushes it off as a coincidence and dubs her Madame Butterball.

Outside the precinct, Getraer is looking after some potted plants and he sprays them and talks to them. Ponch makes fun of Getraer talking to the plants. Getraer ask him if he's the same Officer Ponjello he's just had a thirty minute complaint call about who harrasses little old ladies. Jon backs Ponch by telling Getraer they ran a stop sign.

Jon mentions the theft of saplings and Getraer gets angry at the theft. Ponch tells him he acts like they're his. Getraer tells him they're every bodies and gives an emotional speech about it. Getraer tells them to be at the afternoon briefing. Ponch reminds him that they're on patrol. Getraer tells them to be at the briefing.

Jon then realises that Ponch's second prediction has come true, the authority figure.

The GTB's strike again and dig up a load of flowering shrubs.

At the precinct, Georgia is passing by the corridor and Ponch sets their date later. Jon reminds Ponch of Madame Butterball's prediction about the devastating romantic set back. Ponch tells Jon Madame Butterball is wrong.

At the afternoon briefing, Getraer goes on about the GTB's, they've struck on their area and take plants, shrubs and small trees. Jon asks what kind of plants they're looking for. Getraer reels off a number of latin named plants. Ponch laughs and asks what were they. Someone turns round and tells him it means greens and shrubs. Getraer tells everyone that they've ripped off $60,000 worth of taxpayers money.

Jon and Ponch arrive at the scene of an accident, a tanker and a sports car are involved. Barcza and Fritz are already there. The man in the sports car is stuck in his car but he's not hurt but he's afraid his insurance will be. The fire department manage to free the driver without incident and the tanker drivers off. Fritz tells them how the accident happened. Ponch notices the tanker is leaking and shouts at the driver but it's too late. The tanker drives over a flare and the back of the tanker catches on fire. Everyone except Fritz chases after the tanker including the fire truck. Ponch rides upto the drivers cab and tells her her rig is on fire. He tells her to keep driving at 55mph. Jon tells the fire department they need foam and gives them a meeting place.

A fire truck arrives at the rendezvous and they start spraying foam everywhere. The truck is herded to the foam and drives through. With the end in the foam Ponch grabs the driver out from her cab and they run to safety.

Ponch is ecstatic as the fire didn't get him, he's beat Madame Butterball. Jon reminds him that Madame Butterball didn't say that the fire would get him, she said there was danger of fire. Ponch wants Jon to admit it that Madame Butterball was wrong. Jon wonders why he's so excited because he doesn't believe in psychics. Ponch tells him he doesn't. Jon asks him where his bike is.

The GTB's arrive at McLowery's nursery. McLowery offers them $550 for the stolen shrubs.

Ponch is hosing off his bike. Jon has been thinking about the GTB, he asks how do they know if the shrubs are being planted or pulled. Ponch tells him to tap them on the shoulder and ask. Jon wonders if the plant planters are actually the plant knappers.

Getraer comes outside and asks if Ponch has finished with the hose because he wants to water the plants. Ponch asks Getraer the exact same thing Jon pondered. Getraer tells him it's a great idea and walks off. Jon stands real close to Ponch giving him the eye. Ponch tells Jon he never said it was his idea.

Getraer gets on the radio and tells everyone in the Central area that he's got an idea how the thieves are operating. He advises everyone to check on Cal Trans workers on landscaping detail. Jon walks into the Sarge's office and listens to the entire broadcast. Jon tells Getraer that it's amazing that Central has so many ingenious people working there. Ponch laughs and tells Getraer that what he did was a no no, stealing someone elses brainchild. Jon agrees and tells them that he'll put both of them on grand theft of theory.

Jon bumps into Georgia in the corridor. She asks if he's seen Ponch, she tells Jon she's got lots of reports to file as well as answering the phone. Jon asks her if she has any thing devastating. She tells him everything is 'super fantastic'.

Baricza and Fritz check out the ID's of some Cal Trans workers.

Jon and Ponch have stopped off at a gas station for a little break. Jon tells Ponch that Georgia wanted to talk to him. Ponch asks what for. Jon tells him he doesn't know but she was turned on about something. Ponch tells Jon that she was turned on the minute he asked her out. Ponch spots something driving in the front seat of a car and asks Jon to check it and call it in. Jon asks why he can't call it in. Ponch doesn't know what he's looking at. They chase after the car and pull it over.

Ponch calls it in. Not too far away from their location are the GTB's. They spot Jon and Ponch and decide to speed things up. The driver is Pufnstuf a man dressed in an outfit, he's late for a photo shoot and the person who was meant to pick him up never showed up. Ponch recognises him since he watches a lot of TV. Jon doesn't write Pufnstuf a ticket but he is going to tag his car which means he'll have to walk to the TV station.

The GTB's start packing up, and then drive off.

Jon spots the Cal Trans landscapers and tells Ponch they'll test out "Getraer's" theory.

The GTB's attempt to escape. Jon calls it in. An APB goes out for the Cal Trans truck.

Getraer gets on his bike and rides out and manages to catch up to the truck. He's spotted by the GTB's and they tip the contents of their truck in his path. Jon and Ponch finally catch up with Getraer who has avoided the falling trees. They end up in a drive-in and after a chase around the parking spaces they eventually crash. Getraer revels at arresting them. He tells Jon and Ponch that this is his bust and he'll take over.

Ponch arrives at Jon's place since he's allowed him to borrow his car. Ponch puts the roses on the chair next to the table and notices Jon's set the table for two. Ponch congratulates Jon on his date but tells him he needs candlelight and goes to get the candles from a drawer. Jon tells him he doesn't need them and attempts to tell him something. Ponch puts the candles on the table and lights a match but ends up burning his finger.

Jon tells Ponch he a received a call, Georgia got engaged to Sgt Maloney. Ponch is devastated and sits down, on his roses. Jon lifts up the dinner plate cover on the table and inside is an opened tin of tuna and beans, with twinkies on the side. Ponch's eye's light up.

## Notes

* Jon's gloves seem to be pink after he apprehends the two drivers ramming their cars.
* Ponch sings the song "Tonight" from West Side Story.

### Quotes

* Ponch: You believe that Jon? A 2-11 on shrubs.

### Codes Used

* 11-82 - Traffic accident; no injury.
* 11-85 - Send a tow Truck
* 2-11 - Armed Robbery
* 10-28 - Request vehicle registration information.
* 4-87 - Grand theft

### Ponch's Bad Luck

* Slips in a puddle of mud.

* Has his fortune told:
	1. Beware of sharp objects - Cuts his finger opening a tin of beans.
	2. Conflict with an authority figure - Getraer.
	3. Danger from fire - Burns his finger on a match.
	4. Devastating romantic set back - Georgia gets engaged to Sgt Maloney
* Buries his bike in foam.

* Sits on his roses.

## Cast

### Main Cast

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

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Lew Saunders: Fritz
* R.B. Sorko-Ram: Shain

### Others

* H.R. Pufnstuf
* Jackie Vernon: Bert
* Joe LoPresti: Louie
* Jim B Smith: Fireman
* Dana Baker: Georgia
* The Borden Twins: The Tidwells
* Lennie Weinrib: Voice of Pufnstuf
* Bill Zuckert: Attila