A man dressed as Batman is trying to lift spirits in San Diego by driving his Batmobile around during the coronavirus pandemic. ABC 10 News in San Diego caught up with Chris Banner near Valley Center, California. The lawn service owner keeps the grass in order on the clock, but his other job is a little bit more theatrical. He has a full-size replica of the 1989 Batman movie Batmobile, and Banner has been taking it for spins around the city. The Bat-Fan and a friend built the thing from scratch. If he hears the sound of a birthday party, he swoops in to lighten the mood.
“It brings a lot of joy to people. Everybody loves Batman. It’s a bad time right now, and we’re going to get through this and if I could bring joy to people. That’s great. It makes me feel good,” Banner told the news. “(People) love it. They all line up on the street wave. I just cruise by and open the roof and wave back. It’s what I love doing. I love being Batman and bringing joy to everybody. Everybody digs it. It’s cool.”
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Around the world, others are taking up the mantle of The Dark Knight during the pandemic. A man in Mexico has been patrolling in his own modern version of the Batmobile to enforce the quarantine. Telediario caught up with him as he tries to dissuade people from milling around the streets of Monterrey. There has been an order for people to stay at home, but out there citizens aren’t heeding the message.
“Today I saw entire families, with children. Even though the government has told people that they must remain at home,” he told the publication. “…you still see people in the street acting as if nothing were happening. I can’t solve this situation on my own, so I’m making a call to all of Nuevo León to join me and others and be superheroes like us. Stay at home,” Monterrey’s own Batman said. “I understand that the situation is complicated, that people are desperate, that it’s really hot but, well, turn on the TV, spend time with your families, take advantage of this time.”
At this rate, who knows where the Batmobile might pop up next. If you’re out breaking quarantine, it seems likely that you could run into the Caped Crusader at some point.
What do you make of this idea? Let us know in the comments!
