140

Steam
Posted on July 3, 2021 by David M Willis

140 thoughts on “Steam”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    what if you angrily take the bus… from the bus driver

    1. Jonah Sanville

      now THERES an idea

    2. Ray Radlein

      Dammit I was too slow to make that same comment

    3. Thag Simmons

      i think we call that a felony

      1. Clif

        Yeah, but suppose Jason was driving the bus

    4. milu

      Ana
      has the alt-text ever stolen your joke? (for an impressionistic definition of “stolen”)
      DO YOU KEEP A BACKUP JOKE JUST IN CASE

      1. Clif

        Wait. She was joking?

        1. milu

          “But like, the whole time?”

      2. Tan

        There have been at least a few instances of the alt-text stealing Ana’s joke. When it happens, Ana acknowledges it in a follow-up accordingly.

        1. Clif

          The alternative was demanding royalties.

  2. Sirksome

    I wonder what happened to that motorcycle?

    1. Thag Simmons

      Maybe had to sell it to pay for something else.

      1. BBCC

        I doubt it was anything like that. I think she would’ve just said that if that was the case. The only thing she’s said is she doesn’t want to talk about it.

    2. Sirksome

      You think Linda discovered Sal participated in not one but two separate high speed chases on that thing and decided to take it away? I don’t really think that’s what happened but it is possible.

      1. Anon A Mouse

        It’s also possible she lost it because she was in two separate high speed chases anyways. Even though she helped, she may have still gotten her license suspended for “reckless driving”. Law doesn’t always take into account good intentions.

      2. DailyBrad

        I suppose it’s possible, but I could see it just as easily having been damaged by those chases and too busted up to use.

        It’s too bad Sal’s a proud one, because I wonder if she could suck up to Carla’s parents to get repairs/replacement. 😛

        1. BBCC

          I’d think Walky would know if it were busted or confiscated as part of a legal thing, because he would’ve noticed Sal not using it. He didn’t bring it up until the start of this semester, which makes me think it’s a new thing.

        2. Needfuldoer

          Nah, even a ‘cheap’ 600cc sport bike is easily capable of far more than the chases we saw.

          I bet it’s gone due to legal ramifications of her aggressive riding (license suspended, insurance went up, etc), she needed the money, or Linda forced her hand.

      3. Thag Simmons

        Could she even do that? It’s Sal’s motorcycle and I doubt she keeps it at their house.

        1. Sirksome

          Maybe? Sal still technically lives with her parents. Maybe she stores it somewhere else but I kinda doubt she could completely hide the knowledge that she owns a motorcycle from her parents.

        2. SuperZero

          Parents upon whom one is still dependent can do a lot of things that they can’t do.

        3. Regalli

          Yep. Including a wide gamut between ‘lengthy concern-trolling about insurance premiums that amounts to They’re Not Paying For It, which Sal is too resigned to losing battles to really fight for,’ ‘some kind of ultimatum against one of her hobbies due to equipment costs,’ and ‘straight up threats’. Among other options.

    3. plasticwrap

      Could be it’s just too wintry to ride it.

      1. Sirksome

        I thought so at first too but, Asher seems to ride his bike fine so that theory is tentatively debunked. Also I don’t trust Asher. That is all.

        1. Segnosaur

          Not sire how the weather works there but perhaps they dont get snow until later in january.

          Asher, being from a richer family, can afford to keep his until the snow comes and then store it locally. Sal, having less resources, stored hers at home the whole semester because she would only be able to use ut part of the semester and couldn’t afford to store it near by.

        2. milu

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/04-is-a-song-forever/januarry/ [sic]

      2. Needfuldoer

        She’d be unstoppable on a Kawasaki KLR650 with studded knobby tires.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvGZS5fqxrk

    4. Thulcandran

      I mean also, it’s a really bad idea to ride a motorcycle in the winter, especially in snow.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        Ah yeah here’tis. Thulcandran nailed it. Bikers often store their bikers away for the winter.

        1. BBCC

          If that was the case, wouldn’t she just say so? Whatever it was, it’s bad enough Sal doesn’t want to talk about it and not public enough for Walky to just know.

        2. Demoted Oblivious

          Maybe. People going through withdrawal, especially from a coping mechanism, don’t always have the greatest attitude about it. Plus Sal isn’t one for openning up anyways. So lacking further info, and having snow on the ground, I’m happy to follow the simplest explanation until given sufficient reason to deviate. I’m not saying you’re wrong either, @BBCC I’m just not convinced the explanation needs added complexity.

        3. BBCC

          It just being winter isn’t really that big a deal. That’s not something you need to open up about. If it was winter, I’m pretty sure she’d have just said that when Walky asked where her motorcycle was instead of saying ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

        4. Thulcandran

          Oh that’s true, I forgot about that strip.

    5. Keulen

      Another thing that happened over the time skip that I hope we eventually find out.

    6. Clif

      Halloween. Halloween happened to the motorcycle.

      1. milu

        it got stabbed by Mike Myers?

    7. Demoted Oblivious

      People typically don’t ride in winter because as dangerous as bikes are in summer, it’s near suicidal to ride when you could easily hit a patch of (water, ice, wet leaves, school children).

      1. Needfuldoer

        I don’t know about the last one, that sounds more like a Mustang thing.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          Yeah, I suppose. I guess a kid might bend the frame.

  3. Cattleprod

    Climb on top of the bus.

    1. Wizard

      Well. that gives “riding the bus” a whole new meaning.

      1. RacingTurtle

        Amazigirl could do it

        1. I am Nothing

          Sal is Amazigirl?

        2. RacingTurtle

          Credit to Jennifer X. Billingsworth for this amazing discovery

        3. milu

          She just has great intuition. Her gift, her curse.

        4. Sunny

          Shouldn’t that be Jennifer Y. Billingsworth?

        5. Clif

          Yes.

        6. milu

          actually it’s Heterofer Straightlingsworth. #

    2. Pilgrim

      I worked my way through college and grad school driving buses in two college towns and that did happen to one of my coworkers.

      1. milu

        Someone climbed on top of their bus??! WHY

        1. Needfuldoer

          She was being chased by a young couple and ziplined down a power line to escape.

        2. Chris

          It was in a college town. That is sufficient explanation.

  4. RassilonTDavros

    The mystery of the motorcycle continues!

    linda did it

  5. auroki

    Apperently sal hasn’t used public transit too much. Everyone’s angry on those buses!

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      She seems to know. She wants to blow off steam, not build up more.

  6. Jonah Sanville

    i’ve defs taken angry rides on the bus before, but a motorcycle does sound better!! nobody actually sitting next to me

    1. NotThatDrew

      See, that’s where being a 6 foot 200ish pound broad shouldered man pays off for me. If I look pissed off, not many people are gonna bother me

      1. Jonah Sanville

        THE DREAM nobodys intimidated by someone whos 5’2

        1. ktbear

          I know right? Of course, some people should be but lets not go there.

        2. khn0

          I’m mostly glad I’m not intimidating. T’was here and there a professional drawback, but at least I can ask wrinkled old ladies to take things that are on high supermarket shelves for me.
          Also it’s rather cool to be found non-threatening and to be able to talk with women without making them feeling frightened like by stronger men (what is totally legitimate)

        3. Jhon

          Tall wrinkled old ladies.

        4. khn0

          I live in part of land where people are noticeably taller than where my genes are from.

  7. Wagstaff

    *plays “Ride on Shooting Star” by The Pillows on Voxola PR-76*

    1. StClair

      I was thinking of “Another One Rides The Bus”.

  8. Proto_Eevee

    I’ve heard from a credible source that crashing through windows is helpful in that regard

    1. Proto_Eevee

      *checks itswalky.com* what are the chances

  9. Stephen Bierce

    Aslan on the move?

    1. Wagstaff

      Wait, is that what she named her bike?

      1. Stephen Bierce

        I’m referring to a running gag from Shortpacked!

        1. Stephen Bierce

          Have Mercy, Been Waitin’ On The Bus All Day…

        2. Clif

          More of a sitting and waiting gag than a running one.

        3. Needfuldoer

          If that’s what it takes for Donna (or a doppelganger) to show up in DoA, so be it.

          Give her a long-hair cat on a leash with one of those figure-8 harnesses to complete the set.

  10. plasticwrap

    Have a cigarette Sal.

    1. Wagstaff

      Hopefully not the kind made of tobacco… but a guy can dream…

      1. milu

        She’s not into it

        1. Segnosaur

          Might be in to it in general, just not the blend/type provided by carla.

        2. milu

          alt-text on the comic prior to the one i linked to says “Sal isn’t really a weed person”. sorry to be crushing your dreams (ᴗ ̯ᴗ)

        3. Wagstaff

          As far as we know, she hasn’t really tried edibles or tinctures yet. Also, there’s always the chance that particular joint was cut with other substances.

          As much as I like edibles, I’m not really a smoking person myself. The first time I tried a joint didn’t agree with my throat at all. I recently tried a bong for the first time, and it felt like my trachea was on FIRE! So yeah, I think I’m gonna stick with butter (no pun intended).

          Also, @milu, not that you’re gonna change your avatar anytime soon, but out of sheer curiosity, which site avatar do you think you most resemble?

        4. milu

          ahahah it’s been years that i haven’t sucked on a bong, i love to smoke buds straight from the pipe though, i think the throat being on fire is somehow part of the fun?? i’m not sure what that says about me

          anyway, who do i most resemble??? funny you should mention it, i was actually thinking of drawing an avatar based of my own face. i can draw a bit though i’m pretty rusty, but one thing i’ve never been good at is faces (which i’m sure is in good part because faces are hard) (because our brains are so demanding of accuracy wrt to faces not because of anything intrinsic) so anyway, i’ve goofed around trying to do self-portraits lately but, eh. i’m far from satisfied yet.

          who do i resemble most ummm maybe Sydney Yus lol (though i haven’t died my hair in years, but the hairdo is similar. also i wear glasses most of the time, plus nose and ear piercings ^^)

          who do you look the most like? and no ignoring my questions this time like you keep doing. you ask me, i tell you, i ask you back, you tell me =P

        5. Wagstaff

          Fascinating!

          Have I been ignoring your questions? Really sorry if I have!

          I don’t think I look alot like any of the site avatars. Unfortunately, I don’t even look like my current avatar. Believe it or not, with my hair the length it is now, I resemble the Western/Roman artistic depiction of Jesus (which by the way was a look totally ripped off from Roman gods), beard and everything. Seriously, do you know of a way to get hair to stand up like 1985 Christopher Lloyd?

        6. milu

          haha, you haven’t ignored my questions really, so much as not responded to me playfully slinging your own questions back at you.

          so you’re actually trying to look like a mad scientist? ^^ doesn’t static electricity do it for you? brushing with a cheap plastic brush? it depends on your hair type though. but yeah, speaking from experience, if you’ve got straight or slightly wavy hair, bleaching might help. that’s probably how Christopher Lloyd did it =)

        7. Wagstaff

          Nah, Christopher Lloyd was already old when he played that part; his hair naturally became like that. I have yet get a haircut, but if only there were a way to get it to stand while preserving the natural hair color.

          By the way, in regard to I’ve asked you, whatever you’re most curious about, ask right ahead!

  11. BBCC

    WHAT HAPPENED AND DO I NEED TO KILL LINDA FOR IT????

    1. Regalli

      PROBABLY BUT I WILL HELP YOU IF SO.

      1. BBCC

        I mean, honestly, the list of reasons is getting long so I appreciate the help.

        1. Regalli

          Hating the shitty parents of this strip is a full-time job, really.

          I’ll get the swords.

        2. BBCC

          I appreciate that, thank you.

  12. Dara

    I miss your motorcycle too, Sal

  13. MrSmith

    I hear apologising to someone you’ve just been a major dick to is also a good way of blowing off steam

    (Actually it’d probably lead to more drama but i’d be ok with that)

    1. He Who Abides

      She was way too high-and-mighty to even consider that right now.

      I do agree with you, though.

  14. Kitschensyngk

    I don’t suppose a regular bicycle would be the same.

    1. Leorale

      She wants ‘VRRROOOM’, not ‘ding-ding’

      (especially not Jason’s ding-ding)

      1. AbelUndercity

        She can put a playing card in the spokes.

    2. hof1991

      Vroom sound of power. https://youtu.be/MC0dK42wOOA

  15. Sporky

    Wait, she lost her motorcycle? Did this come up before and I missed it?

    1. Larathiel

      I’m wondering the same thing. Did it get wrecked when defeating the evil dads?

    2. Yumi

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-11/01-this-bright-millennium/northstar/

  16. Chris Phoenix

    Don’t let the pigeon drive the motorcycle.

  17. BenRG

    On the other hand, Sal, riding angry is never a terribly safe idea.

    1. milu

      i think safety ranks low-ish among Sal’s priorities

      1. Clif

        And the other hand, her original beef with Amazigirl was that she was recklessly endangering herself and others. She even convinced Danny of it.

        1. thejeff

          After which she joined AG in beating up gangs and in her own reckless endangerment kidnap rescues, so …

  18. bryy

    SO MANY HALLOWEEN QUESTIONS.

  19. Pocky

    Invest in an angry dome

    1. Clif

      Rage flying is why we don’t have jetpacks.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        It seemed to work fine for those birds that were so popular.

  20. ADLegend21

    what happened to the bike?

    1. Clif

      what happened to Jason’s bowtie?

    2. BBCC

      We don’t know – all we know is

      A) Sal doesn’t want to talk about it

      B) It wasn’t a public enough spectacle for Walky to know about it.

      and

      C) It’s recent enough that Walky doesn’t know yet.

  21. Barf Ninjason

    No motorcycle…? What kind of bullshit Bearded Spock Universe are we in here?

    1. Clif

      She sold it to help keep Marcy from being homeless between jobs.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Oof, that’s a tragic but plausible headcanon I can get behind. 🙁

      2. BBCC

        Possibly, especially if her other job wasn’t enough to keep up her share of rent and other expenses once she lost her security job.

  22. Rabisch

    OK. WHAT HAPPENED TO SAL’S MOTORCYCLE??? I can accept everything. But Sal without motorcycle….. NO!

  23. Bagge

    You have roller skates, Sal, just roll with it.

    1. Lone Duck

      I find that whenever I need to blow off steam, a nice pot of tea does the trick.

      1. Bagge

        Sal is not really the pot of tea type

  24. Eldritchy

    Sal have you ever heard of the movie “Speed”?

  25. Amos Batista

    Instead blow off the angry, a bus only helps to build more and more hate.
    – So much people inside.
    – Stops every time
    – People inside
    – Rush time, all dignity goes away.
    I hate buses so much…

  26. Keulen

    You can always be a weirdo angry muttering to yourself on the bus I guess. Though you don’t really need a bus for that either. I definitely don’t talk to myself a lot or anything. >_>

    1. Delicious Taffy

      Oh, for sure. Same here. <_<

  27. Alan in DC

    How did she even GET a motorcycle to begin with?
    Thats an odd “welcome home from boarding school” gift from mom and dad.

    1. milu

      I’m pretty sure she said she paid for it herself

      1. Edwin I Callahan

        She did.

        1. Alan in DC

          Ok, but HOW?

        2. Segnosaur

          Sal has shown a lot more work ethic than walky. Maybe she worked odd jobs/part time over summers to rais the cash.

        3. Needfuldoer

          With money, of course.

  28. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    Sal don’t want a pickle …

  29. darkoneko

    We still don’t know what happened to it… did she have to sell it ? Did it turn into a pumpkin during halloween ?

    1. Clif

      She sold it to get the money to buy Walky more pajama jeans for Christmas.

  30. Hydrohead

    We could start a GoFundMe to get it replaced.

  31. Jhon

    I strode out of the apartment and angrily boarded a bus.
    The bus driver looked at me and said “Huh, you too?”

  32. Vukodlak

    So a few people are quick to blame Linda for taking the bike away. But here’s why that’s very unlikely. It was Sal’s bike and being eighteen Linda has no way to take it away from her. And before you launch into any counter argument. We know Sal owned that bike because does Linda sound like the kinda mom who’d have bought either of her kids a motorcycle?
    The only way Linda could have taken that bike away is if you think she bought it for her daughter to begin with.

    1. BBCC

      I’m not 100% sure Linda took the bike away (and if she did, I doubt it was as straightforward as ‘she bought the bike so she can legally’ – plenty of parents do things they can’t do their adult children), but given that it’s

      1) Bad enough Sal doesn’t want to talk about it, as opposed to just saying ‘It’s too slippery to ride right now’ – Linda by herself is a PITA.

      2) It’s quiet enough that Walky doesn’t know from a spectacle or whatever, so it’s PROBABLY not a legal thing and

      3) It’s recent enough that Walky’s only just now noticing that she’s not riding it, which means it’s more likely something new. They just returned from winter break, which included several weeks with her parents.

      1. Amos Batista

        What’s PITA?

        1. Clif

          Pita is a type of yeast-leavened round flatbread baked from wheat flour, common in the Middle East and Mediterranean areas. I understand making it is a Pain In The Ass.

        2. Regalli

          Pain in the ass.

          The thing is that while LEGALLY, Linda has no way to get rid of the motorcycle unless she bought it (and she obviously didn’t,) EFFECTIVELY, there’s plenty of ways for a parent who we already have seen financially abuse and steal from her child to get rid of something she deems unacceptable. For example, while Sal most certainly paid for the motorcycle herself, I could see her not having insurance for it, and Linda refusing to cover for her because of how ‘dangerous’ they are or the like. Or threatening to stop paying tuition for college if Sal didn’t get rid of it. The latter in particular would be extortion, and either option would probably qualify as financial abuse given the pattern of behavior we’ve already seen from Linda, but because Sal is still by and large financially dependent on her parents, she doesn’t have any way to fight it. (We know she’s not totally financially independent because college is outlandishly expensive, and I suspect Sal might not have chosen IU given other options. I genuinely do not see any outcome to this subplot where Sal doesn’t someday go No Contact with Linda.)

          (I could also see Sal somehow having had insurance without her parents knowing it was for a motorcycle – or maybe if Charles is in fact less shitty than Linda, him knowing and not telling her but being unwilling to bat for Sal once Linda found out – and this becoming a problem once she was at home and they found out.)

        3. BBCC

          I can’t imagine Sal depending on her parents for insurance money, not after what happened with Marcie. I can definitely see Linda saying to sell it or she’ll stop paying for college. She’s not paying for Sal to become a ‘hoodlum’ after all.

        4. Ana Chronistic

          just FYI regarding who bought the motorbike https://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-3/01-if-the-shoes-split/drop/

  33. Steelbright

    I keep getting blindsided by these time skip things and wondering whether I’m just clueless but nope, it seems everyone is as clueless as me (I think??)

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