Normally, drivers would be busy transporting actors and film crews about. But today, half the drivers have been sent home with their limousines, and few clients call.

"There is no business. Because of the threat of a writers strike, we are already down by about 20% this quarter," says Arjang Tagaui, owner of Hollywood Limousine, which caters largely to Los Angeles' entertainment industry.

The impending strike by the Writer's Guild of America on the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers could cripple Los Angeles, industry insiders say. The WGA is negotiating with producers for additional money for secondary markets such as video, DVD, and the Internet, as well as more control over the final product. If their demands aren't met by the time the contract expires on May 1, writers are threatening a walkout, which could halt film production.

"TOTAL SHUTDOWN." Small businesses that rely on the movie industry have had a busy first quarter as film projects have been stepped up in anticipation of the deadline. But work is beginning to drop off, says Ed Clare, president and executive director of the Production Equipment Rental Assn., a trade group.

The near-term outlook for the food stylists, waiters, production crews, limousine companies, and other small businesses in the industry is beginning to look dire. According to Morrie Goldman, vice-president for communications at the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., a strike could cost up to $50 million a day in lost revenue. Adds Clare: "The companies are usually booked way ahead of time, but there is nothing on the books. We are going to see a near total shutdown."

Chris Oliver, a Los Angeles food stylist, has been designing food displays for feature films and TV for 12 years. Although she was inundated with work in the last four months, Oliver is afraid those earnings might be all for the year. With rent to pay and two children in private school, she says the drop-off is terrifying. Says Oliver, whose workload has gone from five to six shows a day, worth anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000, to nothing: "I'm panicked. Everyone [in the film business] is."

CERTAIN DROP. Tagaui, the limousine hire company owner, confirms that a rush in film production and two awards ceremonies gave him the best first quarter in years. But now he wonders how his chauffeurs will be able to support their families. "Mostly I am afraid for the drivers. They rely heavily on the tips. Meanwhile, they have bills to pay, families to take care of," says Tagaui.

Clare and other industry insiders think's is likely that the WGA will avoid a walkout. But because many productions were pushed into the first quarter, the stockpile means a slow second quarter is almost certain.

"Even if there's no strike, there will be at least a 25% slowdown in business as a result. If the strike does evolve, we will see a 50% drop in business," says Clare.

Small-business owners are scrambling for others way to stay afloat. Oliver says she may go back to cooking for weddings and bar mitzvahs, which would mean a pay cut. Food styling for commercials, though more labor-intensive than for movies, is another option. But if a strike is called, this market could be flooded with 50,000 unemployed film workers trying to get jobs on commercials, she says.

LIMITED OPTIONS. Small caterers say they're supplementing film-studio clients with corporate clients. According to Sandy Arabia, who works in the catering division of Tommy Tang, one of Los Angeles' top three catering companies, business has already come to a standstill, and his company had its first cancelations in years. But Arabia is confident it can fall back on corporate events.

"Normally I would be scared. But we have a good name, and our restaurants are consistently busy. Even in the last strike and the depression of the mid-Eighties, we were all right. I think we will be fine with the business-catering jobs," says Arabia.

The film-crew and equipment companies, many of which employ fewer than 25 workers, may have more limited options, says Clare. About all they can do, he says, is shorten the workweek, encourage vacations, and reduce their rates. The next step is layoffs. Others are just going to have to ride out the slow times. Says Tagaui: "God bless lines of credit."

Decide the type of limousine you want to rent. Also consider color and passengers. How long would you like to rent the limousine for.

While most people assume that all companies are the same this is not the case. Most people concern themselves with the hourly rate. This is a mistake since most of the times you get what you pay for.

If you see a price that is much lower than other companies take warning. It will probably mean the year, make and features of the limousine offered are not up to par. So the word to the wise: Pay the extra few bucks and avoid a disaster on your limo ride. Really who wants to end up getting a taxi driver in their limo ride. Yikes! That would be a mistake. Besides when you consider that a usual 3 hour minimum you are only talking £80.00 dollars on the high end for a regular sized limousine.

One other suggestion we offer is to get the contact phone number of a management figure in the limousine you are renting from prior to your scheduled event ride.

When that day in your life comes that is very important to you, you want more than a ride to your wedding. You want premium limousine service to be a memorable and enjoyable experience that is to the wedding. You want the limousine to show up at the appointed time but you also want that limousine to show up in good condition.

You need to reserve your wedding limousine well in advance of your wedding date. The lowest price may not be the best bet. When it comes to limo service you get what you paid for. If you are really good ask to see the company’s limousines.

A well-maintained ride will be free of blemishes, won't smell bad, and one you will be proud to be seen in. When reserving your limousine be sure to allow enough time. Here is where you will want to confer with your photographer to get an estimaSte of how long it will take him to take the list of pictures you have requested after the ceremony.

Limo hire companies book their vehicles based on the time frame clients reserve. So if you reserve a limousine from 1-4 p.m. and at 4 o’clock your photographer is still taking pictures you could come out of the church expecting to get into your limousine to be taken to the reception only to find that it has left because it had another engagement at 5 o’clock. Most of the time going over your time period of time is not an issue. But this is something you should discuss when making your reservation.

Be sure to ask around for others with experience on limo rides. A company can always provide compliments about their service from happy customers. A good way to find honest comments about a limo company is to check the internet or Google for background information.

If the limousine company you call does not have a vehicle available, ask them if they can recommend a company. Most good limousine companies know the other companies in the area and know who they are comfortable making recommendations. And speaking of good service, you have to be careful here as well, as there are people operating bad limousine companies.

The limousine industry is overseen by a government agency that insures companies have the licenses, insurance, and chauffeurs who have been screened and licensed. In the state of Maryland for instance, all limousines must undergo a state inspection every year one more check that insures your safety.

Will the chauffeur roll out a red carpet for your wedding? Hopefully, you have chosen a great limousine company and their chauffeur meets your needs.

Check the limousine out too. Besides being clean and presentable, does the company provide anything inside the limousine like drinks, bottled water, ice? (Some limousine companies charge for this kind of service.) Will the company provide a bottle of champagne upon request? What about after the wedding. Some limousine companies even have flowers inside the limousine, along with a gift and balloons.

May your special event be just what you envision and made even more special with the right limo service!

Additionally, half the time people do not want to drink and drive (which is the only smart option) and spend a ton stuffing everyone into a taxi cab.

These days we all look for things to do to make a day memorable and the majority of the time we put on an extravagant party. Everyone gets in their best clothes and drives their normal broken down car to a fancy party.

The problem is that if you want to escape to another world, a world that is more glamorous than your normal one, why in the world would you drive your own car? The thing to do is extend the lavish event out of the banquet hall and all the way to your home. A limousine hire can pick you up form your home and go around town and pick up all of your important guests and allow you to begin the party on the way to the event.

Most individuals that have not done the research think that limousines are so expensive that only the really rich can afford to hire them for occasions.

This is simply not the case. Granted, they are a bit more expensive than driving your own but they are not unreachable.

After all, if you spend a ton of money on the rest of the day or event, why not put a bit more into the transportation. For sometimes the same amount you can get a luxurious stretched limousine of your choice.

There are a lot of ways to make a day enjoyable and memorable but very few things display the importance of a person or even to quite like a limousine. The more you research them the more you will see they are a suitable and affordable alternative to driving yourself. Have a great and safe time.

We all enjoy special occasions and strive to make them memorable for all involved. Parties are great but the real way to make a night memorable is a fancy limousine.

The ornamental design for a limo hire console for bar accessories and the like, as shown and described.

A frame groove along the frame surface which receives an edge of a A portion of the window frame,

a window frame having an elongated opening which receives therein a window pane, said elongated opening having opposed ends with an internal panel adjacent at least one end and positioned so that a portion of the panel overlies the opening,

an elongated window pane seated in the opening, said window pane having an interior surface with an opaque material disposed between the portion of the panel overlying the opening and the interior surface,

at least one lamp detachably mounted to the window pane on an exterior surface portion of the window pane opposite the panel, and
an elongated, flexible, resilient seal surrounding the window pane seated in the opening,

A locking groove along the inside surface of the body which receives a locking strip that is inserted into the locking groove,

A window pane groove along the window pane surface which receives an edge of a portion the window pane, and a biased corner between the frame surface and the inside surface which is at an angle of from 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the inside surface.

16. The vehicle side of claim

15 where the frame defines a corner of the opening which forms an angle having two legs corresponding to adjacent sides of the opening and the seal comprises two leg segments and a corner piece which fits within the angle of the corner with the leg segments being attached to the corner piece during an insert molding process, so that each leg segment is aligned with one leg of the angle.

said seal having a body with a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, an inside surface, an outside surface, a frame surface, and a window pane surface offers,