I believe the White minivan really was the inspiration behind the strip. I didn't know until then that the T'wotter had a seperate stepladder. I somehow always thought some ladder would fold out or something...
It also always reminds me about an old Jack Handey skid from SNL, I think it went like this:
Here I was at the edge of the cliff,
I knew I had two choices
I could jump
And hope to build a makeshift parachute out of my clothes
Before I hit the ground
Or I could go back to that party
And tell the joke again . . .
. . .only right, this time.