Can you explain-

Three questions:

       Why do some visitors to Jerry's building buzz his intercom,
       and other times, just arrive at his apt. door with no prior
       notice? Even Elaine and George occasionally need to be buzzed
       in.  Related issue: I know this is necessary for the Kramer
       entrances, but would any New Yorker leave his apt. door
       unlocked all day?

       Has any episode ever shown Jerry's mountain bike taken off
       it's ceiling hooks?

       Why would Jerry keep 12 or 15 apparently opened breakfast
       cereal boxes in his kitchen? Half of them must go stale.

Good questions I have thought of the same things but I have seen that at the building that he opens up his door to let them in and sometime George does just bust in but it seams that Elaine always needs to be let in.

I think it's a matter of plot impact and characterization. George will sometimes ask to be buzzed in - but other times when he is in a highly emotionally charged state, the writers will have him just barge in because it's funnier and fits with his character. Elaine will always buzz in because it's more in line with her character and Kramer will always barge in for the same reason.

Kramer barges cause he's right next door... he doesn't need to buzz. (i see what you are trying to say though)

Robert Sacks wrote:

The buzzer opens the door to the street. Kramer doesn't have to buzz in . . . because he lives across the hall.

True, Kramer does not have to be buzzed in but out of courtesy most people would knock.

In Robert Sacks writes:

People question Kramer entering without knocking. Someone earlier asked "What is this business about Elaine giving the hard pushes". These and a thousand other things are the little character traits that make these folks what they are. There has to be a suspension of belief in watching a show like this. Most of the characters have quirks and habits that are wild caricatures of the behavior of more normal people. Because these cast members are really caricatures and exaggerations of society's members I also can't understand why members of this forum get caught up with the "racist" issue. They are a group of people with many human faults who just plod along in their own way. IMHO I think one really has to reach to find these nutty folk guilty of any conscious racism. If you would like to see the many strange habits of the cast stripped away, then you would see some pretty dull people. Bob Derenthal

Kramer should never need to be buzzed in since he's Jerry's neighbor. My builiding in Queens has a buzzer system, and I find frequently people don't need to be buzzed in, because someone who'se coming in or out anyway will let them in.

This has perplexed me, too. PLUS, even when someone is buzzed in, they often arrive at the door mere moments later, despite Jerry being on the 5th (?) floor. And, in one episode, Elaine complained that the building's elevators were incredibly slow. Teleportation, perhaps?

RFerrie wrote:

This could be individual differences in the characters' personalities. Some people, like me, would NEVER let themselves in to another's home/apartment, even if a friend. Elaine must be one of those people. It would seem, though, that Elaine would be the one who would give a damn and George would be more inhibited. Maybe they are not so one-dimensional after all

In joey11 writes:

that at

George

in.

Kramer lives across the hall. He doesn't have to be let into the building. Elaine does not live in the building, therefore she has to be buzzed in. It's quite obvious why Kramer doesn't knock. If Jerry let him in he couldn't make his dramatic entrances. The reality of people normally knocking is suspended to allow for Kramer's trademark dramatic arrivals.

I have heard and read many times that the cereal boxes thing was taken directly from Jerry's real life. Also the constant dropping by of friends, planned or unplanned.

Steve

| |I have heard and read many times that the cereal boxes thing was taken |directly from Jerry's real life. Also the constant dropping by of friends, |planned or unplanned.

may be ... he also has them arranged in alphabetical order before each taping.

Well, I can't answer all of your questions but I have wondered about some of these things myself!

I don't know if the cereal issue was ever addressed on the show outright, but I would guess that it is just one of Jerry's quirks. Perhaps he gets bored of one or two cereals and would like to have a large variety to choose from.

Yes? No? Just an idea (although not that profound I realize!!!)

donna

On 25 Apr 1996, Thomas Deflumere wrote:

I thought he *always* buzzed in George and Elaine. Also, other people will buzz you in.... If you go to any of those buildings and press all of the buttons, eventually someone will buzz you in without even checking who you are...

He doesn't leave it unlocked. Kramer has the keys to Jerry's apartment. Just watch the episode about the keys and you will see. When Jerry takes away Kramer's keys, the next day you hear a big thud against Jerry's door. It's Kramer, trying to make one of his entrances, but he can't get in because Jerry's door is LOCKED and he doesn't have the keys. He then gets so upset, and his life is in such a disarray that he takes off to LA.

About the bike, first of all, in half the episodes the forks are on backwards, so how could he ride it anyways? Also, you don't see Jerry going to the bathroom either or cutting his toenails. It's a sitcom, they're not going to show him riding the bicycle unless it's needed for the plot.

:

[email] (Zev Berkovich) wrote:

But in 'The Understudy', George and Jerry are in Jerry's apartment and Jerry let's the understudy in without unlocking the door. This is after George has sent Bette to the hospital and everyone thinks that Jerry put him up to it so the understudy could take Bette's place. A couple minutes after she is let in, Kramer is knocking on the door and and yelling. Jerry won't let him in and Kramer unlocks three locks and gets in. He even displays the keys. The trouble is, noboby even went near the door to lock it after the understudy came in.

BTW, Kramer usually just walks in. We never hear him unlocking any locks to get in, except in this episode. Not being from NY, however, I don't find it all that strange to leave an apartment door unlocked during the day while you're home. Especially in a building where you need a key or a buzz to get in.

Is *that* why we never see George go to synagogue? 8-)

Monty

In article , [email] says...

Yet again, another inconsistency. In the spirit of what Monty said, Kramer often barges into the room, throwing open the closed door. Sometimes the door is open just a crack, as we see Jerry open it slightly after buzzing someone in. This episode where Kramer slams up against the door is an exception. Perhaps Jerry locked the door just for spite?

As far as locking your door in NYC goes, it's a given that you do it. I've known this from having several friends, including a sister, who live there. It doesn't matter WHERE you are in the City; the rule is to always lock your door. Unless you've got a door-man (or woman), who screens visitors (and doesn't get comedians to do the job when stepping out <g>). Most of the doors to apartments are self locking anyway, supplemented by at least a few other manual locks (including deadbolts).

NYC is the ultimate dichotomy.

-Gary K.

This is just an aside, but did you know that all the cereal boxes are placed in alphabetical order?

Jeff

Because "his life revolves around Superman and cereal."

And because he needs stuff for Kramer to take.

In article , [email] (Michelle Darrah) wrote:

nothing goes stale with Kramer living next door!

In [email]

breakfast

stale.
-----snip---------

An interview with Jerry indicated that he has the same perversion as I do: He likes to mix 4 or 5 cereals or more together when he eats them. When he eats cereal on TV, however, its my recollection that he usually is sitting there with this little bowl with not much in it. In real life we cereal mixers can go thru a lot of that junk pretty quickly. RD

[email](Robert Francis Derenthal ) wrote:

I mix sometimes, sometimes I don't. What really gets me is the serving size on the nutrition panel. Since all I usually have for breakfast is a bowl of cereal, my serving size is four to five times what's listed. So the average box of Kocoa Krispies is only good for about three servings instead of the suggested 15. I also don't like to eat the same cereal day after day, so I keep at least eight different boxes (usually all opened) at a time. And yes, it does go fast.

Monty

In article , [email] (Monty D. Martin) wrote:

Monty, you gotta check out more packages. Until recently when the FDA (or whoever the hell it was) changed the "requirements" for product labeling, a can of Coke was listed as two servings. The worst part is that I'm a stickler for obeying rules, so I *had* to leave the other half of the can until later.