Why You Shouldn't Fly a 1972 VW Beetle

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Dave in SD - 21 Jan 2006 00:55 GMT

(with pic!)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060120-1352-bn20crash3.html

"The red 1972 Volkswagen Beetle was on the Plaza Boulevard offramp from
northbound Interstate 805 just after 11:30 a.m. when, witnesses say, it
"flew off the freeway in pieces," said California Highway Patrol
Officer Jim Bettencourt."

The whole thing doesn't make sense. It must have been in the lanes in
lanes or it couldn't have landed on Plaza Blvd. If those are the
eastbound lanes it landed facing south from the northbound lanes.

Here's a map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=national+city,+ca&btnG=Search&ll=32.6767
16,-117.08411&spn=0.008128,0.021629&t=k

I don't expect the CHP to explain things well, but this just has me
confused.

Dave Hogan

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Brent P - 21 Jan 2006 01:12 GMT

> (with pic!)
> http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060120-1352-bn20crash3.html
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> I don't expect the CHP to explain things well, but this just has me
> confused.

I am looking at that arial photo... I see a very straight ramp down to
the road from the expressway. The eastbound lanes are the cloest to the
ramp, so that makes sense. The car is facing south so it got spun around
somehow. Maybe it was an end over end flip? But I still don't see how
the loss of control to go over the edge occured... the ramp is straight
a slight angle from the expressway. At worst it should have just driven
down the grassy embankment. It had to somehow fallen over the bridge
and never been on the off-ramp.

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Scott en Aztlán - 21 Jan 2006 05:51 GMT

>> (with pic!)
>> http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060120-1352-bn20crash3.html
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>somehow. Maybe it was an end over end flip? But I still don't see how
>the loss of control to go over the edge occured...

Think bl.wj.b.

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What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

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Dave in SD - 22 Jan 2006 02:37 GMT

> >> (with pic!)
> >> http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060120-1352-bn20crash3.html
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Think bl.wj.b.

The 25/F was driving, 29/M was passenger. If it was a BJ crash, well,
dumbest couple ever. The blow-er shouldn't be the driver, given the
positioning.

I love this quote:

"We don't believe speed was a factor here," said Mark Gregg, of the
California Highway Patrol.

IT WAS A f.cking 1972 BEETLE. DUH.

More (with pictures!):

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/6289623/detail.html

I think San Diegans just want to fly. Top Gun and all, you know?

See also:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060121-1458-fatalcrash.html

Another flying car crash, another upside-down landing. Also SD.

Dave Hogan

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Scott en Aztlán - 22 Jan 2006 04:14 GMT

>I love this quote:
>
>"We don't believe speed was a factor here," said Mark Gregg, of the
>California Highway Patrol.

Print that one out and hang it on your wall - I doubt you'll ever see
such an admission again. ;)

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What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

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Brent P - 22 Jan 2006 06:29 GMT

>>I love this quote:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Print that one out and hang it on your wall - I doubt you'll ever see
> such an admission again. ;)

I just don't think they could say with a straight face that '72 bug had a
one vehicle wreck due to speed.

I could imagine a bug at 75mph would get the same kind of look I got from
a cop once as I rode my bicycle through his radar speed trap at about
35mph. (45mph speed limit road though....)

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Dave - 23 Jan 2006 00:07 GMT

> I could imagine a bug at 75mph would get the same kind of look I got from
> a cop once as I rode my bicycle through his radar speed trap at about
> 35mph.

You know, your bicycle has an upper gear range, also. :) -Dave

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Scott en Aztlán - 23 Jan 2006 02:08 GMT

>>>I love this quote:
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>I just don't think they could say with a straight face that '72 bug had a
>one vehicle wreck due to speed.

Cops say all kinds of sanctimonious bullshit with a straight face.
Like the Champaign city cop who told me "that means not a whit to the
state of Illinois!" (referring to the fact that my license showed a
"corrective lenses" restriction even though my eyesight was well
within the visual acuity limits then in effect). It's as if they feel
they must somehow set themselves above mere civillians by not talking
the way normal people talk; instead they use a high-falutin' form of
English with heavy emphasis on words like "whit" and extensive use of
the third person ("the brakes were applied and the vehicle entered a
skid"). It's really quite laughable, but don't you dare even crack a
grin while a cop is speaking to you in this most serious manner, or
you'll be hauled in on a "contempt of cop" charge. ;)

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What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

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Garth Almgren - 26 Jan 2006 05:12 GMT

> It's as if they feel
> they must somehow set themselves above mere civillians by not talking
> the way normal people talk; instead they use a high-falutin' form of
> English with heavy emphasis on words like "whit" and extensive use of
> the third person ("the brakes were applied and the vehicle entered a
> skid").

Also with strong emphasis on really large and superfluous words. That's
fine when writing, but in everyday speech it just sounds silly:

"The brakes were applied inappropriately, resulting in a high-velocity
uncontrolled rotational maneuver and ensuing collisions with both a
roadway departure prevention device and three vehicles proceeding in the
antipodal trajectory. Speed is believed to be a factor."

> It's really quite laughable, but don't you dare even crack a
> grin while a cop is speaking to you in this most serious manner, or
> you'll be hauled in on a "contempt of cop" charge. ;)

Uh, yeah. I'd have left off the winky...

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~/Garth |"I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie.
Almgren | I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave.
******* | And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant."
(pgp@v6stang.com for secure mail info) --H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

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Scott en Aztlán - 26 Jan 2006 14:57 GMT

>> It's as if they feel
>> they must somehow set themselves above mere civillians by not talking
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>Also with strong emphasis on really large and superfluous words. That's
>fine when writing, but in everyday speech it just sounds silly:

And which are invariably mis-pronounced, because in their real lives
they never talk in that serious manner. Just watch any cop talking to
the news media - you'll see exactly what I mean. Cops get *especially*
hifalutin' when they know they're going to be on TV. ;)

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What the heck, I'll play too.
- Dave

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Dave - 23 Jan 2006 00:07 GMT

> I am looking at that arial photo... I see a very straight ramp down to
> the road from the expressway. The eastbound lanes are the cloest to the
> ramp, so that makes sense. The car is facing south so it got spun around
> somehow. Maybe it was an end over end flip?

Engine in back (gravity pulls down). Bottom facing forward now (wind
resistance pushes light side/front end rearward) About that time, the top
of the car impacts the road surface below. Makes perfect sense. -Dave

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John S. - 23 Jan 2006 14:31 GMT

I'm not surprised - it was poorly designed and cheap when new and the
car is now 33 years old. Add to that the fact that 75 mph in a VW
Beetle gives the sensation of being at the margin of control under
anything other than perfect driving conditions.

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