See what happens when you book Gremlins! According to a very brief story in The Buffalo (NY) News, a car drove into a utility pole next to the marquee for the Transit Drive-In in nearby South Lockport, burst into flames and severely damaged the marquee. The News said that no one was injured and the cause is being investigated.

The Transit’s Facebook page has a lot more information on the event, including several before and after photos. The scene after the accident, which I borrowed for this post, looked dire. (The full-size photo looks even better; you ought to see the original on that Facebook page.)

The Transit’s posts reflect the optimistic, can-do spirit that is the hallmark of successful drive-in owners. The first post after hearing about the accident ended with, “Oh well, we’ve been wanting to update that old sign for a long time, anyway.” After arriving on the scene and taking that great photo, a second post said the marquee would probably need to be replaced. Then last night, a new post with a partially restored marquee announced “It’s just a flesh wound!” Looks pretty good!

The Transit’s most recent Facebook post at this writing includes a vintage color photo and reads, “This is one of my favorite pictures of the sun setting behind the original 1952 marquee, taken in August of 2007. The red entrance sign was also demolished, as the vehicle went over that first, before crashing into the utility pole and our marquee.” That’s a lot more coverage than The Buffalo News gave us. For a better look at some great photos, you really should check out the Transit’s Facebook page!