The people's Popemobile

There's been a lot of coverage in recent days about the new pope, and I've seen mention several places of the fact that Pope Francis took the bus to work with the Argentinean masses instead of using a chauffeur. This reminded me of a favorite quote by Lisa Simpson, animated observer of the world:

Ah! The ol' Number 22. Clean, reliable public transportation, the chariot of the people, the ride of choice for the poor and the very poor alike. . . .

Apparently, Pope Francis also took a minivan to the Sistine Chapel the other day with the cardinals rather than the private Popemobile.

The LA Times did a roundup of Popemobiles over the years. It's a mix of open vehicles and ones fortified with bullet-proof glass. I'm digging the Mercedes-Benz Popemobile.

(via NBC News, The Telegraph, LA Times)