Skinhead thinks Marty's down vest is a life preserver. "Dork thinks he's gonna drown!"
- Lou: "Hey, kid! Whad'da do, jump ship?"
- Marty: "What?"
- Lou: "What's with the life preserver?"
- — Lou Carruthers to Marty McFly in 1955
A life preserver was a device worn to aid flotation in the event of falling overboard from a boat.
History[]
In 1985, Marty's puffy burnt orange down vest was common, but when he traveled to 1955, everyone thought the vest was a life preserver.
In Lou's Cafe, the down vest caught the attention of Skinhead, who declared Marty a dork for wearing a life preserver on dry land, saying "Hey, Biff. Get a load of this guy's life preserver. Dork thinks he's gonna drown!" — much to the amusement of Biff, Match and 3-D.
Later, when Marty was invited to dinner with Lorraine Baines, her mother Stella inquired how long Marty had "been in port", assuming he was a sailor, also thinking his vest was a life preserver. Marty simply blustered, "Coast Guard".
Behind the scenes[]
- A life preserver is known by several names: personal flotation device, life jacket, life belt and life vest to name but a few.
Appearances[]
- Back to the Future (Mentioned only)
