Extreme Automobiles
Here are three stories about the ways some folks cope with the challenges of life and taking care of the extremes of their environment: The Thin Fiat Panda pictured here was created by Andrea Marazzi. The craftsmanship is excellent and this vehicle can park on nearly every street in Italy, even the alleys of the Roman times. It took Andrea a year to slice up his Panda and put it back together again, missing about two-thirds of its width. With a fit and finish so high-quality that you’d almost wonder if Fiat itself built this thing for an art museum. There is even “seating” for a passenger behind the driver, so long as they’re comfortable sitting mostly on the wheel wells. His masterpiece retains all four of the donor Panda’s wheels, which seems like another unbelievable feat until you remember how small and thin those first-gen Panda tires are. The paper-thin Panda only tops out at about 9 mph. That’s fine, because anything faster would be terrifying, and also pose a massive rollover risk. I mean, this makes a Reliant Robin seem resolutely stable. The whole thing is powered by a 24-volt DC electric motor and just 19.6 inches wide—about 38 inches less than an ordinary one. For that reason, only a single headlight is necessary. To keep it legal, Andrea saved the headlight and even the turn signals. The vehicle is not being driven on windy days.
Lock your car and take the keys with you.
While Adrea is a creator, it seems the folks in Western Washington state are more like destroyers. After the crew of the Everett, WA fire department returned from a medical call, they apparently left the truck unlocked with the motor running. Allegedly, the power draw of the lights, siren and auxiliary equipment on the truck make starting it and getting it to full power time consuming during emergencies. At about 11:00 pm, the first 911 call came in reporting that a fire truck had crashed into two parked cars and fled. A second call followed shortly reporting the truck smashing about 10 vehicles. Police found three additional crash sites while responding to the two that had been reported to 911. At least 14 cars were damaged in total. The driver and apparent thief of the truck, abandoned the truck, fled the scene on foot, and remains at large. The 2018 Pierce Enforcer Pumper, weighs over 35,000 pounds, making it a significant hazard in the hands of a driver not trained to drive a vehicle that heavy. So there is some question if the thief was incompetent to handle so large a vehicle or if he was trying to act out his “Grand Theft Auto” fantasy. The department will be reviewing its policies over locking doors and running engines.
That is why they call them Monsters
Monster truck events and competitions are a lot of fun. However, there’s always an element of danger that’s inherent in motorsports, so occasionally things can and do go south. The Malicious Monster Truck Tour stopped at the Kitsap Fairgrounds in Bremerton, Washington, last weekend, and its roster of big trucks, dirt bikes, and other off-road machinery gave the crowd just a little more than they expected. At some point during the show, a monster truck dubbed “Veteran” was on the course doing its usual routine, which as you might expect, consisted of crushing cars, doing donuts, and speeding off of ramps to catch serious air. One of those jumps was actually pretty darn impressive, but it didn’t come without a consequence. Upon slamming to the ground, Veteran’s front left tire broke off the axle and continued its trajectory forward while the truck limped to a stop. The runaway tire didn’t stop rolling on the track, nor did it stop hitting the fence. The wheel, tire and part of the axel flew over the track’s fence, still carrying enough momentum to inflict serious damage to whatever it hit. Luckily, it did not go into the grandstand or take out any folks in the parking lot, but as you will see in the video below smashed and unoccupied Kia and then bounced over a Subaru. There was no evidence that the American Veteran Monster had chosen these Japanese cars to squash.
Car consequences
95% of all car accidents occur within one mile of home.
So I moved two miles from my old house. Now I’m safe!
Did you hear about Meghan Markle’s tragic car accident?
I think it’s next month.
If they could prove cell phones give deadly radiation.
You could tell people you don’t like, “I can’t talk right now, you’re giving me cancer.”
One day, a man came home from work and his wife greeted him. “I’ve got good news and bad news,” she said. He swallowed hard and said he liked the good news first. She said, “the airbag works.”
July 23rd Birthdays
1923 – Estelle Getty, 1997 – Danielle Bradbury, 1971 – Alison Krauss, 1971 – Charisma Carpenter
1972 – Marlan Wayans, 1990 – Daniel Radcliffe, 1954 – Walter Payton, 1962 – Woody Harrelson