“To start the car, she was in the habit of crawling underneath and using a screwdriver on the motor.”

What ever happened to good ol’ car inspections in order to register the vehicle?  This story is a good indication that those types of inspections may be a good idea, not only for the owner’s safety, but for bystanders as well.

God, what an idiot! Good thing nobody else was hurt.

She should be fined for having her vehicle in that sort of condition.

I think, mvres, a more proactive approach such as what I mentioned (keeping unsafe cars off the road in the first place) rather than a reactionary approach (possibly too late for some poor soul)would be the more appropriate route.

Yeah, and the State and local jurisdictions could rake in some serious bucks on those mandatory inspections, huh?

Government is the answer, now what was the question?

What is the answer to unsafe vehicles operated by people like the gal in this story who don’t seem to know any better themselves?  Risk to self and everyone around?  Aahhh.....just let it go, damned government.  Right Irtnog?

Natural selection seems to do a pretty good job of weeding out idiots like this.

And the “idiot” innocent bystander who could have been killed or seriously injured?

Coulda, woulda, shoulda…

Did it happen?  No!  Whine about it after it DOES!

No worse than all these 80 or 90 year-olds who shouldn’t even be behind the wheel and end up driving through store fronts or through a group of kids at a bus stop.  I’ll bet their cars were 100% OK mechanically.  Vehicle inspections wouldn’t have prevented anything in these cases.

How about campaigning for mandatory driving tests every year or two after the age of 65 or 70?

Whine AFTER?  You don’t like proactive, preventative care, do you Irt?

I would like to campaign for ALL people to have driving tests even after being licensed as a preventative/proactive action.  Every 2, 3, 5 years? Join me, Irt?

Maybe if the woman had made her car payment then the lender, who has a lock on the ignition so that it can not start unless the payment has been cleared, would have no problem keeping her car running.

She was trying to get around and jimmy rig the ignition lock box. How ridiculous is that! Again another foolish person who gets hurt and let me guess she’ll get goverment assistance for the medical bills. Great. I’m glad we pay for peoples stupidity.

Note to the wise - Pay your bills! This way you can protect your health and your pocketbook.

Tea Time,
I said the woman who starts her car form underneath it and forgets to put it in park is the idiot, not the innocent bystander.

If someone is too poor to drive a decent, safe car then they should walk1
Exercise never hurt anyone.

Sense,
Good point,
She may have also had one of those Alcohol device things in her car and was trying to bypass that…

Tea Time,
Whoops I thought you were talking to me about the “idiot” bystander,

I still think the women is an idiot though, you can not change my mind about that! And OBVIOUSLY I wasn’t worried about a more proactive approach, like the one you had to praise yourself for, for writing.

It sounds to me like her starter solenoid was shot and she had to jump across the two hot terminals with a screwdriver.  Now if she’d been driving a Ford, where the solenoid is under the hood instead of on the starter itself, the car would’ve run her down from the front and possibly solved the entire problem.

Irtnog,
lol.

“On Monday afternoon, her car happened to be in drive, rather than park, and it began rolling, dragging her with it, Tucker said.”
Her car just happend to be in drive, she didn’t put it in drive, it just happend to be in drive!LOL I also liked how they said she got in the habit of starting it that way instead of saying she would not get the car fixed and could only start it that way.

What part of the vehicle was dragging her by what part of her?

Also, Irtnog,
She could have earned herself a Darwin Award as well!

It is soooo good to hear all of these comments about how stupid she is for doing what she did.  How the Government is always going to save us from the things we do. Of course like me if we are on the computer we are not on the road. I am sorry she was hurt.  Smart woman for knowing how to start the car sorry she was forgetful and not putting it in park. Oh yes maybe she doesn’t have a credit card to put the repairs on or a husband that will fix it someday?!

Newinterests,
I suggest you read your comment and re-write it so it makes sense.

It makes sense to me.  Additional paragraphs for the various trains of thought might’ve made it easier to understand.

Can you “grok” that?

Yes I can, without empathy though.
Thanks, I just get frustrated with communicating through typing, or writing.
If your trying to get a point across you should do it organized and coherently.

“If your trying to get a point across you should do it organized and coherently.”

Even if “you’re” trying to get a point across.  :) :)

I’m sorry tea_time, but the last thing we need is more government oversight to “protect” us due to isolated nymrods messing up.  Personal accountability...what a novel idea!!

Some aren’t personally accountable unfortunately - shall we just let them run amok?

I can’t believe how mean all you people are. This woman probably is just barely getting by, and is too poor to have a better car. Chances are that she also doesn’t have health insurance, and is really in a world of hurt right now, both physically and financially. Please have some compassion.

Queen - if someone can’t afford a better car, what should the minimum standard of safety be, or should there be a standard at all?

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