Exeter Woman Claims Time Travel; Solicits Companion (2015 Hoax)

[GNC]

I think you're right, a cheated customer is not a happy customer, even if we did get this nonsense for free, it's not going to drum up business I would have thought.

 

[Cliff Smith]

This story has an interesting and amusing epilogue. The two guys, the previously mentioned Rob Hutt and his mate Jez, who have admitted they were responsible for the initial Gumtree advert and the subsequent rather lacklustre video, have decided that they'd like to use their new-found notoriety as the foundation of a Kickstarter appeal intended to fund genuine research into time travel, co-ordinated and documented by themselves. You can watch their sales pitch here:

So, sincere and genuine scientific curiosity, and noble effort to provide funding that could some day lead to a major breakthrough and the invention of a working time machine, or cynical attempt to monetize their 15 minutes of fame? I leave it to you to decide; personally I couldn't even begin to speculate about the remotest possibility of coming to a decision on the matter.

 

[Analogue Boy]

I don't think I need to watch. There's angry cat videos getting plenty of views.
'TimeCaravan' is an interesting idea though. I'd rather like to revisit the sixties, firing cheap plastic gliders of the cliff at Filey, watching a seagull getting run over in slow motion under the tyre of a Ford Anglia, then going to Corrigan's Amusement Arcade and then Flamingoland. But I have a suspicion it may all still be happening there.

 

[Analogue Boy]

I'd also like to thank Cliff for his excellent follow up on this story.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Here's the full text of the original Gumtree ad:

Time Machine Travel Companion
Exminster, Devon

Email the seller
www.myrealtimemachine.com

Hi

For the past few months I have been working on a design for a time machine in my garage. So far I have been able to make mice disappear but I don't know if they are going back or forward in time? I'm looking for a time travel partner, male or female who is open minded with a good sense of humour to accompany me on my first human transportation.

Owner drivers would be a plus as the machine needs to be taken to a wide open space like a beach to prevent property damage. Happy to split fuel costs

Looking forward to hearing from you soon

Thanks

Ad ID: 1119593180

Salvaged from the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/2015062...ners/time-machine-travel-companion/1119593180

The text is also quoted in this June 2015 news item from a separate source:

https://www.theexeterdaily.co.uk/news/local-news/woman-seeks-time-travel-companion

 

[Krepostnoi]

When she comes back from her trip she may find the world populated by intelligent mice...

Who's to say we're not?

 

[IbisNibs]

I love that she made it in her garage.

I'd refer anyone with questions about where the mice went to Gattino's link to this YouTube video.
https://forums.forteana.org/index.p...uses-odd-happenings.65375/page-3#post-1831141
It shows a mouse entering a structure through increasingly smaller and smaller apertures. If the time machine had any holes in it whatsoever, the mice never left this dimension.

 

[Timble2]

Who's to say we're not?

According to the late great Douglas Adams it was the mice that commissioned the construction of Earth...

 

[IbisNibs]

Was that Bertie Mouse and Benji Mouse? Or did I mangle their names?

 

[bugmum]

Was that Bertie Mouse and Benji Mouse? Or did I mangle their names?

Frankie Mouse and Benji Mouse, if my memory serves me right.