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The story "Bob’s Single Transport Vehicle" explores the fragile boundary between innovation and delusion, using humor to examine how modern optimism often survives on nothing more than belief, bravado, and a beer-stained napkin. Set in the unpretentious realism of Jack’s Pub in Harvard Square, the narrative grounds its speculative idea—the Single Transport Vehicle (STV)—in a space traditionally associated with debate, invention, and half-serious dreams.
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Bob’s Single Transport Vehicle
By Harry Arabian
Bob was certain his Single Transport Vehicle would change the way people shopped forever. No more wrestling a squeaky cart with one bad wheel, no more aisle traffic jams. Instead, you’d glide. He explained all this to me over a pint at Jack’s Pub in Harvard Square, leaning in as if he were sharing classified information rather than a grocery store convenience.
To illustrate, Bob commandeered a beer-stained barstool and a brown napkin. With the seriousness of a Renaissance draftsman, he sketched his vision: a small, cheerful vehicle, halfway between a bumper car and a shopping basket, with storage in the back and a confident little face in front—at least that’s what it looked like after the third line. He tapped the napkin proudly and said the magic word, “LIDAR,” daring the universe to argue.
I nodded and murmured something approving about navigation technology. Bob had the look of a man already practicing his TED Talk. Then I excused myself—nature was calling, and I figured a second beer might improve my ability to see the future.
When I returned, balancing two fresh pints—one for me, one for Bob—his seat was empty. Gone. The napkin was gone too. For a moment I wondered if he’d panicked at the sight of my wobbling hands and fled to protect his intellectual property. Or maybe inspiration, finally fed, had bolted.
On the large TV above the bar, The Jetsons was playing. I glanced up just in time to see George Jetson zip across the screen in a compact, bubble-like vehicle. I froze. Same proportions. Same optimism. Same promise that friction—literal and metaphorical—was a solved problem.
A few minutes later I spotted Bob outside, standing in the cold and puffing on a cigarette—Jack’s being strictly no-smoking. I joined him and told him I’d just seen his invention on TV.
He smiled, completely untroubled. “I’ll win in court,” he said. “I have proof of concept.” He tapped his jacket pocket, where the napkin presumably lived, folded like a deed.
We stood there for a moment, watching the new year gather itself. I felt fond of him then, and faintly relieved—someone had to believe this hard. Finally, I said, “Let’s make a New Year’s resolution. No TV. One drink of beer.”
Bob nodded, then added, “And daily health walks.”
Which felt fair—especially if one of us was destined to walk alongside the future while the other rode in it.
Book Club Summary
ReplyDeleteThis short story is a comic meditation on invention, optimism, and the thin line between originality and imitation. Set in Jack’s Pub in Harvard Square, the narrative unfolds as a casual conversation between the narrator and Bob, an earnest would-be inventor convinced his “Single Transport Vehicle” will revolutionize shopping. Bob presents his idea not with prototypes or patents, but with a beer-stained napkin and unshakable confidence.
The humor emerges from contrast: Bob’s grand certainty versus the narrator’s polite skepticism, the lofty promise of LIDAR-guided transport versus the humble barstool drafting table. When Bob briefly disappears and the narrator notices a Jetsons cartoon playing on the pub’s television—featuring a vehicle uncannily similar to Bob’s invention—the story gently punctures the myth of novelty. Yet Bob remains unfazed, convinced that his napkin constitutes legal proof.
Rather than ending in confrontation or disillusionment, the story closes with a small, human agreement: modest New Year’s resolutions that favor walking, conversation, and limited beer over screens and grand technological fantasies. In doing so, the piece suggests that while ideas may be recycled and futures pre-imagined, companionship and shared humor remain quietly revolutionary.
Book Club Discussion Questions
1. Belief vs. Reality
Bob fully believes in his invention despite its questionable originality. Do you see him as a visionary, a delusional dreamer, or something in between? What clues in the story support your interpretation?
2. The Role of the Narrator
The narrator is polite, skeptical, and observational. How does his restrained reaction shape the tone of the story? Would the story feel different if told from Bob’s point of view?
3. The Napkin as Symbol
What does the beer-stained napkin represent? Is it a symbol of creativity, fragility, absurdity, or modern startup culture—or all of these at once?
4. Intertextual Humor (The Jetsons)
Why do you think the author chose The Jetsons specifically? How does its appearance complicate ideas of originality, progress, and the future?
5. Setting as Character
How does Jack’s Pub in Harvard Square influence the story? Could this conversation happen anywhere, or is the setting essential to its credibility and humor?
6. Disappearance and Return
Bob’s brief vanishing act is a turning point in the story. What does his absence—and sudden reappearance outside—add to the narrative tension or comedy?
7. Technology and Absurdity
The story pokes fun at tech language (like “LIDAR”) used in casual conversation. What does this suggest about how technological authority is performed or exaggerated?
8. Optimism and Denial
Bob’s confidence that he will “win in court” is both funny and revealing. What does this moment say about modern attitudes toward ownership, innovation, and entitlement?
9. The Ending Resolution
How do the New Year’s resolutions function as a conclusion? Do they feel ironic, sincere, or quietly hopeful?
10. Laughter with Compassion
The story laughs at Bob, but not cruelly. How does the author maintain empathy while still inviting the reader to see the absurdity?
11. Short Form Effectiveness
What does the short story format allow this piece to accomplish that a longer version might lose? Are there moments you wished were expanded—or intentionally left brief?
12. Personal Connection
Have you ever known someone like Bob—or been Bob yourself? How did that recognition affect your reading of the story?