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At the meeting I brought up one license plate for antiques. Last year there were more one plate bills than ever before in the General Assembly and from both parties. This is also about money. You pay the same amount but instead of two plates or two new decals you just get one. None of the bills made it anywhere. The police sometimes catch the bad guy from a front plate. Toll road cameras photo the front plate of violators. Some license plate readers - like those on the trunk of a police car - photo the front plate. These are the reasons the one plate bills keep failing.
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Richmond Police step up enforcement of new gun-in-car law
From WRIC ABC 8 News
The Richmond Police Department (RPD) is stepping up enforcement of a new state law requiring firearms left in unattended vehicles to be secured and kept out of view.
The law, which took effect July 1, requires guns to be locked into a container secured to the car’s interior. RPD Chief Rick Edwards said violations carry a maximum fine of $250, though offenders can’t go to jail for leaving a gun in a car unattended.
Edwards said they’ve had several cases of this since the law took effect.
The enforcement happened alongside RPD’s Operation Safe Summer — which ran from May 22 to Sept. 7 to reduce violent crime across the city. Police called the operation a “success” and said they seized more than 200 guns during that period.
Edwards said he has noticed a correlation between gun thefts from cars in neighborhoods with the most nightlife, which include City Center, the Fan and Shockoe Bottom.
Richmonders should expect a large police presence in these areas, with officers scanning parking lots for guns in unoccupied cars.
RPD shared that gun thefts from vehicles are down 4% and that the department does give away free gun safes to Richmond residents. Officials added that nearly 700 safes have been distributed since 2023.
AVs Drive More Safely—but Can Lead Nearby Human Drivers to Take Risks: Study
From CP24
The way automated vehicles (AVs) drive frustrates many motorists sharing the road with them, leading to more dangerous driving and possibly road rage.
That is one way to interpret the findings of researchers at Chinese universities in a newly released paper that aims to gauge the effects of integrating AVs into car fleets worldwide.
“Automated vehicles drive safer but induce riskier behavior in human drivers in car-following scenarios” is the title of the new paper, published in the journal Communications Engineering in October.
Researchers Yueying Chu and Peng Liu from Zhejiang University, and Ying Gao and Zhigang Xu from Chang’an University, sought to answer two questions using available AV driving data: Will AVs drive more safely? And will AVs make nearby human drivers drive safer?
The answer to the first question was yes.
“Our evidence clearly shows that AVs drive safer and smoother as compared to their human counterparts in car-following,” the researchers reported.
The answer to the second question was complicated, and potentially deadly.
Cars following AVs tend to drive more slowly because that is what drivers most often do when a slow car is in front of them. In that sense, the behavior of human-driven vehicles was coded as safer.
The reason AVs tend to be the slower cars is that they are programmed to obey all traffic laws and treat speed limits as an upper bound, not a suggestion.
Yet following behind AVs also led human drivers to engage in behavior that the researchers coded as risky. Human-driven cars followed AVs more closely, which is another way of saying they tailgated them.
The Chinese researchers examined several reasons why this might be the case. Their best answer was that because AVs in the lead do not tend to vary their speed, human drivers are more comfortable leaving a smaller gap.
“So, ironically, AVs’ better velocity and acceleration management might, unconsciously or implicitly, lead their human followers to maintain a shorter distance and create higher tailgating potentials,” they write.
The paper did not examine passing.
On a road with multiple lanes in both directions, passing is relatively safe behavior. Statistically, on two-lane roads, it is much more dangerous because it can lead to collisions with oncoming traffic, sideswipes, or other damaging, often fatal, outcomes.
More tailgating wasn’t the only potentially dangerous finding in the paper. It also found that because AVs tend to leave more distance than humans would between themselves and the lead car, other human-driven cars are more likely to “cut in” to that gap, which can lead to accidents, the Chinese researchers found.
That AVs leave significant room and that humans tend to tailgate them is consistent with other findings involving AVs and accidents.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called safety “critical” to the success of the AV industry.
Duffy wrote in an introduction to a September report that AVs “don’t drive drunk, they don’t get tired, and they can’t get distracted by an incoming text message or notification—all significant contributors to crashes today.”
The Department of Transportation said it is preparing for “both human-driven and automated vehicles coexisting on public roads” for the foreseeable future.
The safety record of AVs is usually better than that of human drivers, studies have shown.
A July study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the L4 class of Waymo’s AV taxis crash at “police-reportable” rates that are 68 percent lower than those of comparable human drivers traveling the same roads under the same conditions.
“Waymo’s rate of rear-ending another vehicle was 91 percent lower; its vehicles’ rate of being rear-ended was 40 percent lower,” the study found.
Jewels Found On Ebay
Here are a couple of hot finds from Ebay Motors.
eBay item number: 366697635715
$19,500.00 or Best Offer
eBay description: 1967 Mustang C code fast back project. Car comes with a ton of new parts quarter,inner and outer wheel house, floor pans, rear and front rails. Lower boxes and more …. See photos front and rear seats, rear interior panels. Comes with 289 original engine. See photos trim, front and rear glass etc. great bullitt or Eleanor clone. Clear up to date title matches aprons and door tag. I can help arrange shipping if needed.
20K plus shipping (how many boxes would you need?) for a car taken completely apart seems high. The early fastback Mustangs are red hot but this one sure needs a lot. Best to check the life expectancy tables to make sure you have enough years left to complete this project.
Next up is another "project".
eBay item number: 117436218219
$15,000.00 or Best Offer
eBay description: 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S 1275 Mk I, factory left-hand-drive car originally dispatched to the USA. This is a genuine early Cooper S project with a Heritage Certificate documenting its factory build information.
I originally purchased this Mini with the intention of restoring it, but life has changed and I simply don’t have the time to take on another project. I’m looking for someone who will appreciate what it is and give it the restoration it deserves.
The engine has reportedly been rebuilt and is bored .020” over. The cylinder head has also been reworked. I do not have documentation detailing the full specifications of the rebuild, and I am not representing it as a fully documented engine build. The engine has been sitting, so I would plan on resealing/going through it before attempting to run it. The ports are visibly very clean and the head work is apparent. I do not know the internal specifications or condition of the gearbox.
Overall, the body is in great condition for a project of this age and presents very well. The car comes with a large number of parts, although most interior is missing. The battery box area needs to be welded in, and there is a cut/opening in the firewall consistent with a previous Weber carburetor installation ( have a patch panel for this area). The car has clearly been apart for previous work consistent with the race history story, so prospective buyers should expect to sort through the included parts and complete the restoration. This is a solid foundation for someone looking to build a genuine 1967 Cooper S and to carry out the stories this car holds within it.
I had to cut out most of the description because it was a long as a country mile. I hate when sellers write the entire history of the company and model vehicle in the description and that is what this seller did. Nothing like getting a car shipped that is on rollers with no wheels or tires. And the price??? AI says that these are worth $40,000 to $75,600 for well-maintained examples. I'd bet this one will take more than that to get it in "well-maintained" condition.
eBay item number: 336805997680
$4,995.00
eBay description: 73 AMX 360 2 BBL CAR AUTO W/ PIERRE CARDIN INTERIOR- For sale is an original AMC AMX 360 two barrel car automatic trans, currently has 304 engine in it as we checked the numbers on the back top. This was a 341W Pierre Cardin trim car d7 red and has solid frame rails and floors overall but needs general restoration. It does have some rust issues in the drip rail area of the roof and at the base of the windshield. Also previous owner's son didn't know exactly how to tow a car so radiator support is damaged. Has clear Florida title and all the trim. Pierre cardin headliner and door panels are intact as well as tail lights, rear valance, rear bumper, front bumper with brackets, rocker moldings, and the only thing missing is the original grill assembly, rear spoiler, tail lights, and seats. Console with shifter, go pack dash and 3.15 twin grip rear all intact. Have seats from another car for a few extra bucks. . Serious buyers only please- do not waste our time and we wont waste yours! Selling for a friend, so any questions will be answered as quickly as possible and we can put you in touch w/ him if you like. Clear open Florida title with bill of sale. This is a binding agreement, so if you can't pay, then don't buy-if you gotta ask your wife or whatever, then you may have bigger problems....Sorry but we've heard all the bs. $500 Deposit via thru here on ebay or by other methods. Final payment expected in 48 hrs via cash, or certified funds. Buyer is responsible for shipping so please plan accordingly. Not really sure about eBay's camel toe payment but you can reach out regarding the car and then paying for it as we are old school- technology things shouldn't be so darn annoying!. Thank you
Goody, a rare Pierre Cardin interior AMX - AMC came out with some strange stuff including the Levi Strauss jeans interiors. Car appears to be missing a lot of parts. Looks like it was in a junkyard and had parts removed. I've seen several vehicles for sale that were pulled out of junkyards because the vehicle's value had increased. The average price for a good 73 AMX is about 20K. This one for 5K is not a bargain and the Pierre Cardin interior just looks weird to me. It just needs too much and the 68 - 71 AMXs are the valuable ones.
Scratch-Built Land Speed Lawnmower Goes 152 MPH and Still Cuts Grass
From The Drive
Hitting 152.8 mph in the standing mile is impressive, no matter the machine. But doing it in a lawnmower? C'mon.
Like a lot of websites, The Drive has a handy-dandy tips line so people can send cool stuff our way. Occasionally, some gems land in our inbox. This land speed lawnmower is one example, as it is very likely the world’s fastest, with a proven 152.8-mile-per-hour run. And better yet, it still cuts grass.
It’s the work of Elliott Loe and his friends. They run the Ziptied YouTube channel, building neat stuff like a 500-horsepower Porsche 914 with a Subaru EJ engine. But I’m especially interested in this scratch-built mower that sports a chromoly tube chassis and body panels off a ’90s MTD Tradesman once sold new at Sam’s Club.
Without the engine, the bare chassis weighs just 45 pounds. Drop in the 988cc inline-four from a 2004 Suzuki GSXR and it’s more like 450 pounds. That’s still plenty light, since that engine makes more than 160 horsepower at the crankshaft in stock form. Loe also force-feeds it with a 50-hp shot of nitrous.
The mower ran at ECTA’s Arkansas Mile, an event that saw one Corvette go 280 mph earlier this year. While Loe’s project couldn’t touch that top speed, it did manage a two-way average of 147.3 mph. It’s currently in the certification process, and if that speed is verified, it’ll be a new record holder. (The current record is apparently 143 mph, belonging to a Hayabusa-powered mower from the United Kingdom.)
“The surface was extremely rough for a mower that had no suspension, and it would jump in the air two or three times per run,” Loe said. “I also beat the Honda Mean Mower V2’s claimed top speed of 150.9 [mph], officially bringing the fastest lawnmower back to the land of freedom. Ha!”
One thing is for sure: You won’t catch me hustling a sportbike-powered paperweight to Autobahn speeds. I have kids. But Loe is a stud, and not only for driving the thing. Building something like this is the type of thing car guys love to talk about, but never do. He and his buddies actually followed through, and they could soon have a world record to prove it..
US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to Tackle Nighttime Headlight Glare
From The Epoch Times
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Tuesday that it will rewrite its vehicle lighting standards to address concerns about road safety regarding headlight glare.
Complaints about glare from headlights at night have increased, partly as a result of taller trucks and SUVs being on the road, but also as a result of the use of LED lights over traditional halogen lights, prompting lawmakers to urge the government to set a maximum brightness standard.
A survey in March, conducted for the American Automobile Association (AAA), found six in 10 drivers reporting glare was a problem after dark, and nearly 73 percent of those who found it a problem believed the issue had worsened over the past decade.
The NHTSA said it plans to improve rules for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams, and replaceable light sources and would also evaluate headlamp height and aim and how they impact driver visibility.
Improving Driver Safety
“The long-overdue update to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to bolstering driver safety, slashing red tape, and embracing new technologies,” the NHTSA said in a statement published on Monday.
Federal headlight standards for minimum and maximum brightness have not changed since 1997, despite the introduction of LED lights, which are fitted into most new cars, and are much brighter than traditional halogen headlights.
“Today’s standards do not allow automakers to deploy the latest safety-improving lighting technologies, so we are bringing key experts and stakeholders together to modernize our standards and address potential causes of glare,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will appoint “up to 18 stakeholders” from vehicle lighting manufacturers, motor vehicle equipment associations, safety organizations, research institutions, and engineering associations to take part in the NHTSA’s negotiated rulemaking process.
“This collaborative approach will allow us to update outdated regulations, foster innovation, and keep everyone on our roads safer,” Morrison said.
The NHTSA said in 2022 it would allow manufacturers to install “adaptive driving beam” headlights on new vehicles, which can automatically switch the headlight beam to shine less on occupied areas of the road and more on unoccupied areas.
A study last year by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found headlight glare was only to blame for a small number of nighttime crashes.
Principal research engineer for the institute Matthew Brumbelow examined data from 11 U.S. states between 2015 and 2023 and found headlight glare was cited as a factor in only one or two out of every 1,000 nighttime accidents.
“Nighttime glare crashes were disproportionately associated with older drivers, older vehicles, and undivided low-speed roads,” the report said.
“Drivers older than 70 seem to be most affected by headlight glare, while those between 55 and 60 don’t appear to have an increased crash risk,” Brumbelow said.
“It’s also possible that the better visibility that newer vehicles provide for their own drivers provides some defense against glare from oncoming headlights, in the way that other people’s headlights don’t seem as bright during the day,” he said.
Similar Issues in Canada
In April, Transport Canada launched a nationwide consultation to collect feedback from Canadians on increasing vehicle headlight glare, with a focus on LED technology, high-mounted lights on SUVs and trucks, and improper aiming.
That consultation came in response to complaints from drivers and formal requests from municipalities like Vancouver, and Victoria, British Columbia, to review safety regulations for vehicle lighting.
Victoria’s city council unanimously passed a motion in February urging federal and provincial governments to review and update regulations for vehicle headlight brightness, height, and glare.
The motion, led by Councilor Dave Thompson, calls on Transport Canada to treat headlight glare as a serious safety issue, particularly for older drivers as well as for those on foot or bicycles.
The Briefs
Police in Seattle are looking for two suspects who could have singed hair or eyebrows or other heat-related types of injuries, KIRO 7 reported. Seattle police and firefighters responded to calls of box trucks on fire on Sept. 25. When Arson and Bomb Squad detectives looked at video footage of the crime, they saw two suspects arrive at the scene in a vehicle and appear to attempt to steal fuel from the box trucks. A fire ignited, engulfing the vehicle and the suspects. The suspects then got into their vehicle and drove out of the fire. Now Seattle law enforcement is in search of the two people in the video who were on fire. Total damage to the rental trucks was nearly $150,000.
Anxious to heed nature's call, a man in Rosenberg, Texas, crashed his car into a Kroger on purpose, KVUE reported. In the wee morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 27, the unidentified man, who police later learned was upset that the store was locked, drove his car through the pharmacy doors in order to use the restroom. No injuries were reported, and police have not released the man's identity.
A New York resident, known only as Donny, was appalled after his Ring camera footage showed an Amazon delivery driver relieving himself in the hall outside Donny's apartment, peeing all over the floor and furniture, the New York Post reported on Sept. 27. "He walked straight back there as if he'd done it a hundred times, like second nature," Donny said. "I had shoes in the hallway, a chair in the hallway, a table in the hallway and he was peeing and splashing everywhere." Donny complained to Amazon, who offered him a whopping $50 coupon as consolation, which Donny declined. The driver, who remains unidentified, was not employed directly by Amazon, but with what Amazon calls one of its "Delivery Service Partners," and the company says the driver is no longer delivering Amazon packages. A local attorney is considering taking legal action against Amazon on Donny's behalf.
After a non-injury car collision in India, a man held on to the hood of a car as it drove away from the accident, Gulf News reported on Sept. 29. As one of the cars tried to leave the scene, someone in the other car jumped onto the fleeing car's hood in an attempt to stop the driver from getting away. Instead, the driver kept going, leaving the man hanging on for just over a mile and yelling for the driver to stop. Police intervened after witnesses called the emergency line, and took the driver into custody.
Ford narrowly retains third-place slot in US auto sales, despite sales dropping 6.6% in the third quarter; General Motors, Toyota claim top spots. Ford Motor Co.’s sales tumbled in the third quarter while narrowly staving off a challenge from Hyundai Motor Group’s trio of brands (Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles).
The newest Supreme Court term kicked off October 5th with a case on whether energy companies can be held liable for damage related to climate change.
Boulder sued oil companies Exxon and Suncor in 2018 over allegations that their fossil fuels worsened local heat waves and wildfires. (An analysis by the left-leaning Colorado Fiscal Institute estimates climate change will cost the state $37B over 25 years.) The companies and their supporters, including the Trump administration, seek to block the suit, arguing it would allow state law to supersede federal law regulating the environment. If allowed to move forward, the case would clear the path for dozens of similar lawsuits.
General Motors to reintroduce hybrid vehicles to US lineup as the gasoline-electric cars account for a record 16.3% of total vehicle sales amid rising gas prices.
President Donald Trump waived the off-road requirement for red-dye diesel, making it available tax-free for anyone.
Four speed cameras authorized under California's AB 645 pilot program recorded roughly 100,000 speeding violations in just 10 days—about 2,500 per camera per day. The volume was so overwhelming that officials postponed the program's planned soft roll-out.
The staggering count bolsters road-safety advocates pushing for automated enforcement, but it also amplifies civil-liberties concerns about mass surveillance and equitable ticketing. Even proponents appear to have underestimated how many drivers routinely exceed posted limits on monitored corridors.
A volunteer firefighter in Smithfield has been charged with driving a fire engine while intoxicated after flipping the truck onto its roof while responding to a call.
The Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department received a report of a possible structure fire on Lakeview Cove at about 10:51 p.m. on Sept. 21. Among the responding firefighters was 31-year-old William Collins, who was allegedly intoxicated while driving Engine 52 to the scene, according to Virginia State Police and the fire department.
The fire truck wrecked on South Church Street near the intersection with Jericho Road. Media reports showed the fire truck upside down in the roadway.
Collins was the only occupant of the truck. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and later released.
Collins was suspended by the fire department the night of the wreck, according to a post on the fire department’s Facebook page on Tuesday.
State police charged him Tuesday with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and a traffic infraction for failure to drive to the right of the center of a highway. The fire department is cooperating with state police and other agencies, as well as conducting their own internal administrative review of the case, according to the Facebook post.
Ford Maverick owners are reporting their trucks spontaneously firing up without any key-fob input, with some discovering their vehicles running unattended in closed garages—a serious carbon-monoxide risk. Ford has yet to issue a recall or technical service bulletin addressing the root cause.
The NHTSA tracks complaints like these, and similar phantom-start issues have triggered investigations and recalls at other automakers in the past.
A longtime Norfolk comic creator and small business owner could soon add another accomplishment to his resume: license plate artist.
Larry Estes, owner of Cool and Curated in the Neon District, created the winning design for an Ocean View license plate contest organized by Del. Phil Hernandez.
“We were impressed both by the number and quality of the submissions that rolled in over the past few months,” Hernandez said in a Thursday announcement. “But in the end, the design from Mr. Estes stole the show with a plate idea that celebrates our community pride and showcases some Ocean View history.”
The design features iconography like the Norfolk mermaid, a leprechaun (as a nod to the neighborhood’s legendary St. Patrick’s Day parade and festivities) and the Ocean View Fishing Pier. It began as a pencil sketch and will be transformed with help from a graphic designer into the final submission, the announcement said.
“My entry was full of stubborn pencil marks, but I felt it had something to it and sent it just minutes before the deadline,” Estes said in the announcement. “I still worried it didn’t have much of a chance against more polished entries, but the unique raw charm of OV spirit prevailed.” In early 2027, Hernandez plans to carry legislation creating the plate through the General Assembly. If approved, the design would become one of hundreds of specialty plates available in Virginia.
Dates For The 2027 Carlisle Events Season:
Auto Mania – January 15-17, 2027 – Allentown Agri-Plex
Spring Carlisle – April 21-25 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals – May 14-15 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Carlisle Ford Nationals – June 4-6 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Carlisle GM Nationals – June 25-26 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Carlisle Chrysler Nationals – July 9-11 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Carlisle Truck Nationals – August 6-8 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Corvettes at Carlisle – August 26-28 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
Fall Carlisle – September 29-October 3 – Carlisle, PA, Fairgrounds
The Environmental Protection Agency will be proposing the abolition of a Biden-era rule on methane leaks from oil and gas wells, which it said would save $45 billion.
School buses turn 100: The steel-frame school bus, an invention and institution that marks its 100th anniversary later this academic year, has left a legacy well beyond local American neighborhoods. Blue Bird Corporation began manufacturing its transport vehicles in 1927. It played a key role in developing a major piece of Americana—the classic yellow school bus—that has shaped the daily lives of children and families for a century, according to the company website.
The Georgia-based manufacturer has built more than 620,000 school buses, with about 180,000 of them still operating today.
By the late 1930s, federal agencies recommended the color yellow in the name of safety because it was easier for other motorists to notice. States and school districts were also happy to take advantage of lower prices offered when manufacturers produced vehicles in bulk, with the same color and design, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
BMW Group North America asked 1,005 US adults how much range they actually use—and the gap with what buyers say they want is massive.
A whopping 73 percent of respondents said 75 miles or less would cover a typical day behind the wheel. Most commutes and errands barely dent a modern EV's battery, yet when asked what they'd want before buying one, the same people said the number jumped significantly.
The survey, run from September 11 to 13, found that:
42 percent of people wanted at least 300 miles of range
18 percent would not settle for less than 400 miles before even considering an electric vehicle
Up for sale are 12 IHRA tracks including our own Virginia Motorsports Park. This is from Hagerty: Surely someone will buy VMP and keep it running as a drag strip: It’s a first-class facility, with a 23,000-seat grandstand, a lovely three-story main building and tower with 14 VIP suites, offices, and a press box, located on about 500 acres that’s a half-hour south of Richmond. It has hosted national-level NHRA races, has 60 acres of paved and packed-stone pit parking, and will long be known as the site of drag racing legend John Force’s near-fatal, career-ending crash at the Virginia Nationals in June of 2024. Fingers crossed for its future.
President Trump pardoned two diesel truck mechanics Tuesday night during a rally in Alaska, declaring that the men had been “wrongfully charged” under the Biden administration.
The president signed the pardons for Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming in the middle of a midterm election rally in Wasilla held for Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich, the Republican incumbents in their respective Senate and House races.
“They wanted to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine,” Trump told the crowd. “How sick.”
The president said the case had caught his attention after he read about it.
“Well, I heard about it. I read the story about it. Did a little check, and I’m giving each one an unconditional pardon,” he said.
White House aide Natalie Harp brought the pardons to the podium, where the president signed them on the spot.
Chances are good that if you live in a neighborhood of single-family homes, one or more of your neighbors has a Little Free Library. It’s not just an American phenomenon, either. There are now more than 200,000 tiny book exchanges with their “Take a book, share a book” ethos in 85 countries around the globe. One house, though, in suburban Detroit’s Huntington Woods, has two little share boxes out front. One, Ms. Joyce’s Library, is an actual Little Free Library. Not far from Ms. Joyce’s Library is another small box, this one in the iconic blue-and-orange “Gulf Oil” racing livery, with professional automotive pinstriping and lettering proclaiming Jim’s Garage. Seeing it, you’d probably guess that it has something to do with cars, and you’d be correct. In fact, it’s full of little cars; the little garage is engineer and car enthusiast Jim Krom’s way of creating a new generation of car guys and gals. He wants kids to know that “cars are cool.” Jim’s Garage opened for “business” on New Year’s Day 2026, filled with 70 of Jim’s favorite little cars: Hot Wheels. One week later, more than half had been replaced with other scale models. “Most of these are not the ones I stocked it with,” Krom told the Detroit Free Press. Not all of the replacements are 1:64 scale Hot Wheels and similar die-cast models. Some are larger, like in the displays you’d see in a grocery or drug store. When we visited Jim’s Garage, there was an even larger toy Jeep left at the base of the little garage’s sturdy pedestal. The result is an eclectic collection of model cars and trucks with something sure to interest both novice and longtime car buffs.
Elon Musk's Tesla unveiled its new Roadster this week, touting it as one of the world's first flying cars. The electric sports car features thrusters developed in partnership with Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, that enable it to briefly go airborne.
The Roadster can reportedly accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than one second and reach speeds exceeding 230 miles per hour. Thursday's demonstration showed the car flipping off a curved ramp and leaping over five other Tesla vehicles. Production is slated to begin in 2028 with a price tag exceeding $200K. However, the flying version of the vehicle is not yet approved for public road use, and federal regulators have expressed uncertainty about which agency would oversee a vehicle capable of flight.
A driver crashed into an Italian restaurant in Chesterfield County on Friday, with firefighters having to rescue them from the vehicle.
At about 7:42 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, crews with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS were called to the 6400 block of Iron Bridge Place for report of a vehicle into a building.
Photos from the scene show a car that is nearly entirely inside of a building, which a sign on its door identifies as the Bella Italia restaurant. The impact appears to have destroyed multiple window panels and taken down both roofing tiles and insulation, with the car coming to a stop in the restaurant's dining room. Firefighters found that the involved driver was trapped inside of their vehicle. Crews were able to safely free them.
"Miraculously, no one was hurt," fire officials said. And yes, this is the restaurant that we have had several council meetings.
MapQuest has added a layer displaying the locations of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras—and other law-enforcement plate-scanning equipment—directly on its navigation maps. The update gives drivers real-time visibility into one of the largest private surveillance networks in the country, one that civil-liberties groups like the EFF and ACLU have long scrutinized.
A record 20 Chinese automakers took part in the Paris Motor Show this year, doubling their presence from two years earlier and accounting for roughly a third of the manufacturers exhibiting at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center.
The Paris Motor Show, the world’s oldest and Europe’s largest, is seen as a key moment for Chinese brands to gain international recognition and prestige, part of a common strategy used by major Chinese companies across sectors to trade on the French capital’s aura.
Since the United States has largely blocked Chinese electric vehicles with 100 percent tariffs, Europe is by far the most lucrative market still open to Chinese automakers, so much so that gaining a foothold there has become a matter of survival for them.
“The Chinese have no point of entry into the United States. That is in fact why, for the past two years, they have been redirecting their entire commercial expansion toward Europe,” Tommaso Pardi, an economist at France’s National Center for Scientific Research and director of Gerpisa, an international automotive research network, told The Epoch Times.
A Chevrolet Bolt EV has been driven an extraordinary 470,000 miles, making it one of the most compelling real-world endurance cases for an early mass-market electric vehicle. The car is still operational, though a battery pack replacement will likely be needed to push it past the half-million-mile mark.
A TikTok video posted October 13 blew past 2.9 million views after a 71-year-old grandmother cheerfully told her granddaughter on camera that she'd passed a Jeep Wrangler in her cammed Chevrolet Silverado—and was essentially trying to race. Two deputies pulled her over, with one saying he had to hit about 95 mph to catch up.
Colorado is now staging large, neon green Ford trucks as physical barriers on highway shoulders to protect first responders and crash victims from inattentive drivers. The trucks function as truck-mounted attenuators—proven crash-cushioning systems designed to absorb an errant vehicle's impact before it reaches a work zone. The vivid neon green color was chosen for maximum conspicuity after research showed it outperforms traditional emergency colors like red and white in both daylight and low-light conditions—a direct response to hundreds of roadside workers struck and killed each year despite "move over" laws in all 50 states.
The ICE version of the Dodge Charger is dramatically outselling the EV version
Dodge’s Gas-Powered Charger Is Outselling the EV Version 15 to 1
From: Robb Report
Sales of the ICE model soared by 1,348 percent last quarter.
Dodge’s muscle-car customers are leaving little doubt where they stand in the EV versus ICE debate.
Stellantis just revealed that sales of the gas-powered Dodge Charger have soared by over 1,000 percent year-over-year. But not all the news regarding the eighth generation of the iconic vehicle is good. That’s because the gas-powered model is now dramatically outselling the battery-powered version 15 to 1, despite all the heavy investment in the world’s first electric muscle car.
The numbers come from Stellantis’s just-released third-quarter sales report, which showed that between July and September the automaker sold 3,446 gas-powered Chargers. The cars, which include the R/T, Scat Pack, and Sixpack models, all come equipped with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged Hurricane inline-six. That sales figure represents an increase of 3,208 units over the 238 gas-powered Chargers that were sold during the third quarter of 2025, or an increase of 1,348 percent.
A huge part of the reason for the huge jump is that the gas-powered versions of the eighth-generation Charger did not go into production until the final quarter of last year, suggesting that the few gas-powered models sold prior to that were from the remaining seventh-generation stock. Still, selling 3,446 gas-powered Chargers last quarter, and 8,029 units for the year through September, shows that there still is a market for ICE version of the brand’s most important nameplates.
Unfortunately, it is increasingly unclear if the same can be said for the EV version of the car, the Daytona. Total Charger sales came out to 3,679 units, which means that just 233 examples of the all-electric Daytona model were sold. During the same quarter last year, Dodge sold 2,776 Daytona examples, meaning that sales have fallen by 92 percent year over year. Through 2026, just 767 units of the EV, which represents an 89 percent year-over-year drop.
This is the first full year in which muscle car buyers have had their pick between the battery- and gas-powered Chargers. So far, it’s clear which version they prefer. But don’t expect Dodge to pull the plug on the Charger Daytona just yet. This year’s poor sales likely won’t come as a huge shock to the automaker, as they come in the wake of the ending of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. It wouldn’t hurt for the electric muscle car to start gaining ground on its sibling. At some point, Stellantis’s patience will run out.
Repair Mistakes & Blunders
From Rock Auto
It was a gorgeous Saturday spring morning, and I decided to change the oil in my 2013 Buick Regal GS. I took a short drive to warm up the oil, pulled the car onto my ramps and drained the oil. I went inside while it was draining to make a cup of coffee and take care of a few things around the house. I like to let the oil drain until it’s down to a very slow drip. I ended up getting sidetracked with a few small tasks and didn’t make it back outside to finish the oil change until nearly afternoon. I changed the filter element and, naturally, got sidetracked again.
An hour later, I decided it was finally time to finish the job. I grabbed my jug of high-quality full synthetic oil and a funnel and started pouring. Just as I was pouring the last little bit, you know, when you’re tilting the bottle completely upside down, it dawned on me: I hadn’t put the drain plug back in. Yep. I had just flushed the engine with five quarts of full synthetic oil! Thankfully, I had another jug. I put the drain plug back in and started filling it again. As the oil was pouring from the jug, a bee literally flew right into the stream of oil, went straight down the funnel and into the engine. I stopped pouring and stared into the funnel in disbelief for several minutes before making the executive decision to finish filling the engine, put the cap on and call it done!
I doubt the bee’s outcome was very good, and I worried for the next 1,000 miles or so that it might somehow block an oil passage. Apparently, all was well, though. That was more than 100,000 miles and many oil changes ago! Now, when I change the oil, I focus on the job from start to finish and try not to get sidetracked!
Brian in Ohio
Chesterfield police employee accused of misusing Flock cameras renews debate over license plate camera safeguards
From WRIC ABC 8 News
The arrest of a Chesterfield County police employee accused of misusing the department’s Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system is reigniting debate over how the technology should be used in Virginia.
Some state lawmakers are calling for a ban on automatic license plate readers, while others say stronger safeguards are needed to prevent misuse.
On Friday, October 2, the Chesterfield County Police Department said employees raised concerns about a coworker they believed was using the department’s police databases and Flock system unlawfully.
Rebekkah Robinson, a professional staff intelligence investigator, was arrested and charged with two counts of computer invasion of privacy and two counts of violating the use of ALPR by law enforcement, according to police.
The department said the investigation began after employees reported concerns about Robinson’s use of police systems.
The arrest follows other reports of ALPR misuse in Virginia, including an incident in Richmond where a police sergeant shared Flock data with the FBI and an incident in Henrico County in which fire investigators violated state law by accessing ALPR data.
The latest case has prompted state lawmakers to renew calls for stronger safeguards.
Democratic state Sen. Mike Jones (D-Richmond) praised the Chesterfield police employees for speaking up, but said the incident points to the need for increased privacy protections.
“I think we need further guardrails to put teeth behind the legislation that’s already there, because the General Assembly has already set up guardrails, but there’s still another step I believe we can take,” Jones said.
Under Virginia law, law enforcement agencies may use ALPR systems for specified purposes, including criminal investigations and investigations involving missing or endangered people. The law also requires system data to be deleted after 21 days, with some exceptions for ongoing investigations or legal proceedings.
Sen. Jones, who represents parts of Chesterfield and Richmond, said he is considering legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing ALPR data.
“Before you can just enter your badge ID and jump on, you have to actually go to a judge and get a warrant and show probable cause on why I should look at this,” he said.
Jones also put the debate over surveillance in a broader historical context, saying Black Americans have long experienced government surveillance.
“Welcome to the party of what it’s like to be Black in America. We’ve been under surveillance since slavery,” he said. “The legislators who have represented African-American and Black and Brown communities, we’ve been dealing with this forever. It’s now that individuals in other parts of Richmond and other parts of Richmond Metro are now having to deal with this issue of surveillance.”
Jones said the issue is not necessarily whether the technology should be used, but how access to the data is regulated.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers are calling for an outright ban on Flock and other automatic license plate reader technology.
Republican state Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R-Colonial Heights) has said he’ll introduce legislation during next year’s General Assembly session to make Flock and similar automatic license plate reader cameras illegal in Virginia.
“Virginia should not become a surveillance state,” Sturtevant said. “Government should not be building a statewide surveillance database of average everyday Virginians who haven’t done anything wrong, just going about their daily lives.”
Jones disagrees with an outright ban and said decisions about whether to use the technology should remain with individual localities.
“It’s easy to say we don’t want surveillance, but for some of us that have been in these communities, we also don’t want crime.” he said. “If you’re saying ban, what are we going to bolster law enforcement with on the other side? I am for more of a local option for localities to decide what they need to do, because every neighborhood, every community is not the same.”
Jones said he is also drafting legislation for the 2027 General Assembly Session that would decertify police officers who are found guilty of illegally using automatic license plate reader systems.
“They can’t go to another agency and get a job within law enforcement. If you do these types of things, there are repercussions, strong repercussions for someone who would break the public trust,” he said.
The debate comes as localities across Virginia and the country have rolled back or reevaluated their use of Flock and other ALPR systems.
Last month Mayor Danny Avula announced that he would be reevaluating Richmond’s relationship with Flock cameras and directed RPD to shorten its ALPR data retention policy from 21 days to seven days.
Chesterfield County Police Chief Col. Frank Carpenter said the department will review all items related to police systems over the next 30 days and make improvements where appropriate. The department has also said the employee’s access to police systems was revoked and she was placed on administrative leave without pay following the investigation.
EVs ‘Will Never Survive’ If Charging Doesn’t Make Money, Ionna CEO Says
From The Drive
Ionna CEO Seth Cutler told The Drive, "This is a for-profit business."
Public infrastructure for charging an EV in America is a mess. Executives have all been vocal and up front about it. So much so that seven of the world’s largest automakers formed a joint venture called Ionna to tackle the issue and stand up a nationwide charging network. Toyota joined the party a year later to bring the count to eight. But this isn’t just about selling EVs, it’s an entirely new form of business diversification.
During an interview on The Drivecast Ionna CEO Seth Cutler said, “This is a for-profit business.” That business is EV charging.
“We know the company has to get to financial independence and profitability over time,” Cutler said. Currently Ionna exists off an undisclosed amount of money invested into the joint venture by BMW, Mercedes, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis along with Toyota joining a year later.
At some point the faucet will be turned off, and Cutler, who has spent most of his career in the EV charging and energy vertical, knows it.
Cutler said, “Infrastructure has to be for-profit or it’ll never survive, and if it never survives, EVs will never survive.”
The approach to profitability and scale has been multi-pronged including various partnerships with Circle K, Wawa, Sheetz, and Casey’s.
Beyond partnerships, Cutler said, “Very early on, we said let’s make some bets and plant some seeds for future trees. We’ve bought land at several dozen sites; we’ve built our own amenities where you’ve got buildings that we operate with vending machines, bathrooms, and other technology inside, like Amazon Just Walk Out; we’ve taken a piece of land, have a ground lease, and can come back later to add to it, add a building, or find a co-tenant. These things are all sitting there underground as seeds, but we’ve not focused time on that because it’s easy for an organization to get distracted and not have everybody working on driver quality and charging quality at scale. But we know that in 2027, 2028, or beyond, we’ll start to invest resources in terms of other ways to monetize or provide value to drivers with these things that we’ve developed that are different in the marketplace. But it is definitively not a focus right now.”
Ionna isn’t alone in trying to build out a nationwide network of EV fast chargers to rival Tesla’s Supercharger network. Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe is making similar bets, though his focus is a bit more spread out than Cutler’s. Despite launching the R2 and being keenly aware everyone has ants in their pants for the R3X, a large focus is being put on building the Rivian Adventure Network (RAN). As of the summer the Rivian Adventure Network was a hair smaller than Ionna’s network today, and about 4% of Tesla’s Supercharger network.
For now, Cutler was up front about the path forward, “My goal is to triple the size of the network this year from where we started at 80 at the beginning of the year. That scale isn’t baked into a lot of what people are seeing because we’re moving so fast right now,” he said.
3 Easy Ways to Reduce Pain at the Pump
From The Epoch Times - article by Steven Moore
I’ve always argued that the easiest way for families to gauge the health of the economy is to check the daily gas price. Drivers see the 50-foot-high signs in every community in America. They stare us right in the face.
I call it the affordability index.
In recent weeks, gas prices have hit $4.50 a gallon nationally, and truckers are paying well over $6 a gallon.
That’s a bad look with a month to go before midterm elections across the country. These high prices have put consumers in a bad mood.
It’s worth mentioning that the average gas price while Donald Trump has been president is lower than the average price under former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But when it comes to affordability, voters ask: What have you done for me lately?
Why aren’t Republicans in Congress doing anything about it? They could reduce gas and diesel prices by well over 50 cents a gallon through three easy reforms.
I checked with the experts at the Institute for Energy Research on a plan to lower gas prices, and here’s the plan that would repeal the excessive regulation and taxation of gas and diesel.
Step 1. Immediately suspend the renewable energy and ethanol blending requirements at refineries. That saves 31 cents a gallon. There’s no reason we should have to put corn in our gas tank.
Step 2. Temporarily suspend the 18-cents-a-gallon gas tax and the 24-cents-a-gallon diesel tax. When the gas price falls below $3.50 a gallon, the taxes can be reimposed.
Step 3. Permanently repeal the Jones Act, which makes the shipping costs of oil and diesel more expensive by at least 5 cents a gallon.
Add up the savings and we’ve just lowered gas and diesel prices by more than 50 cents a gallon.
Wait—there’s more the politicians can do. State gas taxes also add an average of about 33 cents a gallon. State legislators should slash those taxes until the gas price falls when the Middle East supply chains are unclogged.
The states with the highest gas taxes are almost all blue states. Californians pay about $1.25 a gallon more than the national average price at the pump because of the state’s onerous regulations and high taxes. The Golden State’s climate change policies alone add almost 50 cents a gallon to the price. This is a high price to pay for virtue signaling.
Sorry, Gov. Gavin Newsom. California can’t change the temperature of the planet.
The taxes are also way above the national average in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
Yet the governors of these states are first in line to bloviate about the high gas prices that they helped create.
Some may complain that gas taxes are a user fee to pay for the roads. That’s generally true, which is why the gas tax repeal should end when the price at the pump falls.
Every poll is showing that Americans are most concerned about affordability. Republicans can’t do much about the quagmire of the Middle East. But they can bring prices down here at home starting tomorrow. What are they waiting for?
Always Watching
From The Daily Times = article by John Stossel
Do you worry that you’re being watched?
If you drive, you probably are.
My new video covers the cameras that photograph the backs of millions of cars.
A company called Flock has 80 percent of that market.
Flock’s CEO says the goal is to “eliminate crime.”
But lots of people hate the cameras.
“We are asked to give up our privacy for really nothing in return,” says ACLU lawyer Chad Marlow.
“These cameras save lives,” I push back, “catching criminals.”
When a car thief kidnapped a child in Atlanta last month, Flock cameras helped police find the car and arrest a man within 15 minutes.
Marlow says, “That car could and would’ve been found anyway without violating the privacy rights of every single person in America .… Surveillance doesn’t actually deter criminal activity, with one exception, car thefts in public parking lots.”
“I hardly feel like my privacy’s invaded,” I tell him. “It’s just my license plate number. Anybody can see it.”
Marlow replies that today, AI lets police use that photo to learn much more about us.
“The data they collect when combined with AI is terrifying. Combine them with all other sources of electronic data from the government and our own personal lives, you are literally looking at what George Orwell warned us about.”
Is Flock really that much of a threat?
Some cops have been jailed for using Flock data to track women. One Denver police officer casually boasted, “You can’t get a breath of fresh air without us knowing.”
But there are limits. When using Flock’s camera database, police must give a reason.
Marlow laughs at that. “They have these security measures, but a 10-year-old could defeat them .… (One) law enforcement department, 111 times, listed the reason for their investigation as ‘investigation.’ Twenty times, it was ‘hehehe.’ And it went through!”
Public anger about Flock cameras has politicians on left and right moving to limit them.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pulled them from state highways.
“Stop Flock,” says a tweet from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
This is a mistake, says Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute. “They are a useful law enforcement tool with really incredible potential to aid investigations.”
I point out the misuse, but Mangual replies, “That is no more a reason to ban the technology than it would be a reason to disarm police in response to a handful of bad shootings.”
I remind him that when DeSantis shut down Florida’s cameras, he warned about a “surveillance state.”
“It’s not a surveillance state,” says Mangual. “These cameras see less than half a percent of the visible roadway. The idea that they can track you from place to place the way a GPS tracker attached to the bottom of your car is just wrong.”
China is an actual surveillance state. Cameras track people’s movements, clothes, cars, even relationships.
“It is only going to get worse as technology advances if we don’t stop it now,” says Marlow.
Flock has no plans to stop. The company now promotes surveillance drones.
So far, I’m not very bothered by the privacy threat.
I worry more about government’s endless wars, increased debt, inflation, growing handouts that make Americans dependent...
Flock surveillance is way down on my list.
“That’s a mistake,” Michael Ricci, president of Stossel TV tells me. “Camera surveillance makes it easier for a tyrannical government to track where you go, and who you meet with. It also normalizes surveillance. As storage gets cheaper, maybe they will store videos instead of just photos. Maybe add facial recognition. Maybe they will connect the system to the ‘kill switch’ they’ve mandated in new cars. Government always finds ways to expand its powers.”
He makes good points. China’s surveillance did not start with its current system. They started with a few cameras. This is not a path we want to start traveling.
Giving governments more power is always dangerous.
Government is force. Only government can legally take our property and freedom.
Florida County Finds Mysterious Flock Cameras Installed Without Permits or Approval
From The Epoch Times
Officials are still trying to determine who’s responsible for having them installed on local roads without permits, a county spokesperson said.
As a Florida county works to remove all of its Flock Safety automated license-plate readers from local roads, officials discovered several cameras that were installed without their knowledge or approval.
The Washington Post first reported on Oct. 1 that after St. Lucie County decided to remove all of its Flock cameras—which have received scrutiny over police misuse and constitutional privacy concerns—officials found 14 mysterious cameras that were installed without permits.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office claimed three of the unpermitted cameras as their own, according to the Post’s report, but did not explain why they were installed without county approval and permits; other law enforcement agencies in the county did not take responsibility for the remaining cameras.
St. Lucie County spokesperson Erick Gill confirmed the Post’s reporting on the unpermitted cameras to The Epoch Times, but directed all questions about the Sheriff’s Office to its public information officer.
He said staff are still working to identify which agency installed the unpermitted cameras and have already spoken with Flock about the situation.
Gill added that county officials have posted removal notices on the cameras that give whoever installed them a deadline to take the cameras down. The removal dates are between Oct. 16 and Oct. 20, depending on the date the notice was posted.
Once the deadline has passed, staff will begin removing the cameras or adding coverings so they cannot record video, Gill said.
Flock Safety and the Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
A growing number of jurisdictions nationwide are ending their relationships with Flock as scrutiny increases over reports of police officers being charged with misusing the company’s camera database to stalk romantic targets or other abuses.
Law experts have also warned the technology likely violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, due to its indexed and queryable record of citizens’ movements created from 24-7 video and audio surveillance.
In August, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of all Flock cameras from state roads, giving a 30-day deadline.
The move prompted some law enforcement agencies in the state to end their relationships with Flock altogether, but others have said they will only remove the cameras from state roads to comply with the governor’s order.
St. Lucie County is not the first jurisdiction to discover mysterious Flock cameras that were installed without authorization or permitting. Officials in Utah and Massachusetts have also found unauthorized cameras on public property.
15 Wild First Car Stories That Went Off The Rails
From Motor Mox
The Car That Only Drove in Reverse
One teen’s hand-me-down car lost all gears except reverse on the very first day he took it for a solo spin. Desperate to get home, he drove backward through residential streets, passing mailboxes and startled pedestrians with his hazards blinking. While it technically worked, it earned him instant fame at school and a new appreciation for transmission repair.
Ignition Drama at Prom Night
Ready to impress his date with a tux, corsage, and freshly waxed hood, he turned the key only for the engine to sputter, pop, and die dramatically. Smoke curled out from under the hood, and his parents’ driveway lit up with flashing hazard lights. He ended up calling a ride in his little sister’s minivan while the neighbors watched the disaster unfold in formalwear.
The “Park Anywhere” Disaster
Thinking he’d pulled the handbrake tight enough, he confidently walked away from his car at school without a second thought. Minutes later, the vehicle slowly rolled downhill through the parking lot and gently tapped another student’s bumper. Though damage was minimal, the embarrassment of returning to a note that read “NICE PARKING” lasted the rest of the semester.
Car Wash Panic Mode
Her first trip through an automatic car wash turned into chaos when she accidentally opened the window while trying to adjust the mirror. A high-pressure blast of water drenched her, the seat, and her phone within seconds, leaving her shrieking and scrambling for buttons. She hit the gas too early in her flustered state, only to be scolded by a soaking wet attendant at the end.
The Rainstorm Electrical Meltdown
Caught in a heavy downpour, his ancient hatchback suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree with every dashboard warning light blinking. The wipers went berserk, the horn started blaring without touching it, and the windows rolled halfway down before locking in place. Turns out, a hidden leak in the sunroof had fried the electrical system and his plans for the weekend.
The Emergency Brake Left Engaged
Unaware that the emergency brake was still on, she drove a few miles with a strong burning smell following her like a warning sign. When she pulled into a gas station, smoke rose from the rear wheels, and nearby drivers flagged her down in concern. A helpful stranger pointed out the problem, but not before she’d mentally prepared for a full-on engine failure.
Gas Station Mix-Up Mayhem
He absentmindedly filled the diesel tank with regular gas at a small-town pump with poor signage, not realizing the mistake until the car started lurching and stalled two blocks later. Confused and panicked, he called a tow truck and spent the next five hours explaining to his dad what went wrong. The repair bill was bad, but the teasing from friends was even worse.
Rolling the Windows Down by Hand Too Hard
Trying to show off his “buff arm strength,” he gave the manual window crank a heroic twist that instantly snapped the handle off in his hand. The window was stuck halfway down just as a thunderstorm rolled in, soaking the seats, door panels, and his gym bag. Every time someone rode with him after that, they had to manually lift the glass and hope it stayed in place.
Running Out of Gas in the Drive-Thru
Thinking he had just enough to get through the line, he pulled into a popular fast-food drive-thru only to hear the engine sputter as he approached the speaker. The car died completely before he could place an order, forcing him to push it forward while embarrassed staff and customers watched. He got free fries out of pity, but swore never to trust the gas gauge again.
The “Shortcut” That Led to a Mud Pit
Taking a “shortcut” based on sketchy GPS instructions, she turned onto what looked like a country dirt road that quickly turned into a swampy mess. The car slid, spun, and finally sank into thick mud, coating the tires and underside in muck. Covered in grime and regret, she was pulled out by a passing tractor driver who laughed the entire time.
The DIY Stereo That Sparked a Fire
Determined to install his sound system, he connected speaker wires using twist ties and hoped, ignoring all professional advice. The subwoofers blasted… for about two minutes before smoke curled out from under the dashboard and a small fire singed the passenger seat. The fire was put out quickly, but his dreams of being a car audio pro were left in ashes.
Windshield Wipers that Never Quit
After fiddling with a loose fuse, his windshield wipers suddenly switched on and refused to stop, no matter what switch he flipped. They kept going in full sunlight, during parties, and even when the car was turned off, giving his ride a comically haunted vibe. Multiple mechanics scratched their heads before he found a retired electrician who finally solved the puzzle.
Learning to Drive a Stick On a Hill
Her first attempt at driving a manual car took place on a steep hill, with traffic piling up behind her and nerves taking over. She stalled three times, rolled back into a honking SUV, and finally took off with a lurch that made her neck snap back. When she got to the top, she pulled over, cried a little, and swore never to touch a clutch again.
When the Car Locked Itself… While Running
Trying to warm up the car on a cold winter morning, he stepped out to scrape the ice off the windshield, only for the doors to auto-lock behind him. With the engine running and his phone inside, he stood helpless in slippers while his breath fogged the windows. A locksmith arrived 45 minutes later, just as he was seriously considering smashing a window.
Backseat Explosion of a Soda Can
One summer afternoon, a forgotten can of soda exploded in the backseat after baking in the sun. The sound was like a gunshot, and the sticky aftermath was even worse, coating seats, windows, and the ceiling in sugary foam. That smell lingered longer than the car itself.
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