Along with the corsage and the dress, a stretch limousine -- preferably one of the new wide-bodied Hummer or SUV versions -- is a key part of the Prom Night Playbook.

Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Bernie Petra, owner of All Occasion Limos in Mars, stands in front of the 40 feet long, 24 passenger Ford Excursion limo. Click photo for larger image. A sampling of limo prices e All Occasion Limousine: Package deals for the 24-passenger Ford Excursion cost between $1,200 and $1,500. Prices for the Lincoln Executive "Superstretch," which seats 14, cost $850. e All Star Limos: The five-hour prom package with the 22-passenger Ford Excursion costs $1,150; a five-hour package with a 14-passenger stretch limo costs $1,006. e Mariah Limousine: This service charges $150 an hour -- plus tip -- for a stretch limo that seats 17 people, but Bill Pierce, the owner, says he's willing to negotiate prices.

But are these monster vehicles too much of a good thing when it comes to Pittsburgh's hills and narrow streets?

Yes and no.

"I've seen limos get hung up trying to get to Mount Washington," said Lewis Weiner, owner of All Star Limousines in the South Hills.

Bill McClaren of Mariah Limousine in Blairsville has a bad memory about "a one-lane deal in Mt. Lebanon."

And Bernie Petras, owner of All Occasion Limousine in Mars, says the city's steep, curved hotel entrances are his undoing. "The best is the Sheraton out in Warrendale. You could put 100 limos in there. The Pittsburgh Hilton's awning is pretty hard to get under, but the Westin, near the Convention Center? Now that really is impossible."

Limo drivers surveyed for this story unanimously cited Mount Washington as the most challenging terrain for stretch limos, which are sometimes up to 40 feet long.

Mr. McClaren recalls one prom night where "I made the mistake of going up to Mount Washington the back way and there was a horseshoe curve that I just couldn't make. There was nothing I could do but back up. Luckily, the kids in the back never knew the difference."

Still, Mr. Petras wishes his prom night customers would pick some place other than Mount Washington to view the city. "Come prom time, all the kids want to go up there, and it gets so jam-packed you can't even move," he said.

The steeply graded streets can pose unique problems, he added. "I hate it when you're going up a hill and there's this level spot you have to get up on and the bottom of the car will get stuck on the hill. That can be a tough situation."

Other trouble spots include East Carson Street on the South Side, and its side streets, Mount Oliver, Arlington and the South Side Slopes -- whether it's prom night or any other occasion.

"If they're going to, say, Dish Restaurant and the [City] Theatre on the South Side, we suggest a smaller car," said Mr. Weiner.

For the most part, his prom night passengers behave well, "although we did have one parent who said they wouldn't do business with us again because we wouldn't joy-ride around with the kids."

If there's some question about accessibility, Mr. Weiner sends his drivers out for a test run. "If he doesn't feel he can get the vehicle up the street, then we ask that passengers walk down to the corner to meet the vehicle.

"We generally tend to avoid putting ourselves in a precarious position. We've got kids saying, 'Take me there, turn up this road,' but they're not thinking of the mechanics and ergonomics. It's like trying to fit 10 pounds of dirt into a 5-pound bag."

Is all of this limo supersizing getting out of hand?

"Nope," Mr. Petras said. "You can't make money out of little cars. Believe me, the Excursion drives like a Corvette. It's got 16-ply tires, a V-10 under the hood and you can go 456 miles on one tankful of gas. It's one monster vehicle."

Mr. Petras says that while the Hummer stretch limo, which seats 20 people, has gotten a lot of press, he prefers his 40-foot Ford Excursion 220, which seats 24 and costs well over $100,000.

Still, prom dates should forget about scheduling a stop at a McDonald's Drive-Thru.

"Everyone thinks a stretch limo going through McDonald's Drive-Thru is the funniest thing.

"Except me."