Prev: Go ahead, shift the runaway car into neutral
Next: Witness: 'Shame on you, Toyota, for being so greedy'
From: Tegger on 26 Feb 2010 23:29
jim beam <me(a)privacy.net> wrote in
news:K9adneMQbMlyBhXWnZ2dnUVZ_radnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net:


>
> the brakes have hydraulic, not electronic, override. why was this not
> able to stop the vehicle. why did the driver not select neutral?




For the third or fourth time...

The cop failed to select Neutral because he had inadvertently pulled the
shifter to the left, into the "Sport" gate, where it could only act as an
"upshift" or "downshift" in Drive. In his panic, he did not realize he had
done this, and was yanking the shifter up and down in attempt at finding
Neutral.


> why did they not switch off the engine?


He DID try to switch off the engine, but he didn't hold the button long
enough.

For reasons of limiting liability exposure, Toyota increased the original
1/2-second delay time on the START button to 3 seconds. The stupid
policeman did not bother to ask, "How do I shut this thing off," when he
borrowed the car, so was not aware of the 3-second delay.



> why did they not check the floor mat or hook their foot under the gas
> pedal?


The previous driver of that same Lexus did BOTH things. Plus he reported
his experience to the dealership's receptionist when he returned the car.
The receptionist either said nothing to anyone, or the person she told did
nothing about what he had been told.

In any case, the floor mats were found after the crash, by NHTSA
investigators, to be in the exact same condition the previous driver had
reported to the dealership.

Simple. Mundane. And stupid. No conspiracy needed. No fancy phantom
electronic wizardry needed. Just a clueless man, failing to protect his own
life and the lives of those in his care.



--
Tegger

From: jim beam on 26 Feb 2010 23:32
On 02/26/2010 08:29 PM, Tegger wrote:
> jim beam<me(a)privacy.net> wrote in
> news:K9adneMQbMlyBhXWnZ2dnUVZ_radnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net:
>
>
>>
>> the brakes have hydraulic, not electronic, override. why was this not
>> able to stop the vehicle. why did the driver not select neutral?
>
>
>
>
> For the third or fourth time...
>
> The cop failed to select Neutral because he had inadvertently pulled the
> shifter to the left, into the "Sport" gate, where it could only act as an
> "upshift" or "downshift" in Drive. In his panic, he did not realize he had
> done this, and was yanking the shifter up and down in attempt at finding
> Neutral.

i got it - rhetorical question to jeff.


>
>
>> why did they not switch off the engine?
>
>
> He DID try to switch off the engine, but he didn't hold the button long
> enough.
>
> For reasons of limiting liability exposure, Toyota increased the original
> 1/2-second delay time on the START button to 3 seconds. The stupid
> policeman did not bother to ask, "How do I shut this thing off," when he
> borrowed the car, so was not aware of the 3-second delay.
>
>
>
>> why did they not check the floor mat or hook their foot under the gas
>> pedal?
>
>
> The previous driver of that same Lexus did BOTH things. Plus he reported
> his experience to the dealership's receptionist when he returned the car.
> The receptionist either said nothing to anyone, or the person she told did
> nothing about what he had been told.
>
> In any case, the floor mats were found after the crash, by NHTSA
> investigators, to be in the exact same condition the previous driver had
> reported to the dealership.
>
> Simple. Mundane. And stupid. No conspiracy needed. No fancy phantom
> electronic wizardry needed. Just a clueless man, failing to protect his own
> life and the lives of those in his care.

indeed.


--
nomina rutrum rutrum
From: in2dadark on 28 Feb 2010 14:10
On Feb 26, 11:29 pm, Tegger <inva...(a)invalid.inv> wrote:
> jim beam <m...(a)privacy.net> wrote innews:K9adneMQbMlyBhXWnZ2dnUVZ_radnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net:
>
>
>
> > the brakes have hydraulic, not electronic, override.  why was this not
> > able to stop the vehicle.  why did the driver not select neutral?
>
> For the third or fourth time...
>
> The cop failed to select Neutral because he had inadvertently pulled the
> shifter to the left, into the "Sport" gate, where it could only act as an
> "upshift" or "downshift" in Drive. In his panic, he did not realize he had
> done this, and was yanking the shifter up and down in attempt at finding
> Neutral.
>
> > why did they not switch off the engine?
>
> He DID try to switch off the engine, but he didn't hold the button long
> enough.
>
> For reasons of limiting liability exposure, Toyota increased the original
> 1/2-second delay time on the START button to 3 seconds. The stupid
> policeman did not bother to ask, "How do I shut this thing off," when he
> borrowed the car, so was not aware of the 3-second delay.
>
> > why did they not check the floor mat or hook their foot under the gas
> > pedal?
>
> The previous driver of that same Lexus did BOTH things. Plus he reported
> his experience to the dealership's receptionist when he returned the car.
> The receptionist either said nothing to anyone, or the person she told did
> nothing about what he had been told.
>
> In any case, the floor mats were found after the crash, by NHTSA
> investigators, to be in the exact same condition the previous driver had
> reported to the dealership.
>
> Simple. Mundane. And stupid. No conspiracy needed. No fancy phantom
> electronic wizardry needed. Just a clueless man, failing to protect his own
> life and the lives of those in his care.
>
> --
> Tegger

Yep... You have to wonder if he had occasion to need to shut it off
prior to this incident. Or was he coming straight from the
dealership..? Either way, as public saftey officers go he was an
idiot.
First  |  Prev  | 
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Prev: Go ahead, shift the runaway car into neutral
Next: Witness: 'Shame on you, Toyota, for being so greedy'