"There's Always Money in the Banana Stand"...and Priceless Jewels in The Louvre

"There's always money in the banana stand," George Bluth Sr., patriarch of the financially troubled Bluth family in Arrested Development, the Emmy-winning sitcom that ran from 2003-2019, always told his son, Michael. Michael assumed that meant that, since the frozen banana stand started by George in the 1950s as part of the Bluth Co. on the boardwalk in Newport Beach, California, was always busy, it was a solid moneymaker. But no, what he actually meant was that there was literally US$250,000 in cash hidden inside the small, banana-shaped hut — a revelation that led to hilarious results as the structure suffered various calamities including burning down.  

The Bluth family fortune came mostly from real estate, but the wealth disappeared when Bluth Sr. was arrested for embezzlement. Only a few assets remained, including a stair car that had originally been paired with the family's private jet. One of the family's last remaining modes of transportation, the stair car led a notorious existence, knocking down signs, helping inmates escape from prison and letting people sneak to upstairs windows.

Those involved in the Louvre heist on October 19 in Paris used something similar to that stair car — a truck-mounted lift from German manufacturer Böcker — which, according to a cheeky ad Böcker ran several days after the brazen broad-daylight theft, "carries your treasures up to 400 kg at 42 m/min — quiet as a whisper thanks to its 230-V electric motor." It's ideal, the ad observes, "When you're in a hurry." The entire Louvre heist took just under 8 min.

Your author couldn't help but think back to Arrested Development and smile when she learned of the bold and unconventional methods of the thieves. And apparently, Böcker found a silver lining in a clever piece of advertising. Remember — there's always money in the banana stand, and there are always priceless crown jewels in the Louvre's Gallerie d'Apollon.

As of this writing, four suspects in the Louvre heist are in custody. No one got hurt in the incident, other than perhaps the pride of the museum's security staff. ELEVATOR WORLD does not advocate theft of any kind, but we might just recommend a Böcker Agilo if you need to carry your treasures up or down in a hurry, quietly.