The Streetcar Conspiracy

The Streetcar Conspiracy

Removing the streetcar rail lines systems from major US cities was a conspiracy to force American consumers to purchase personal automobiles and local governments to switch to gas-powered buses as public transportation.

The concept of selling vehicles as "personal freedom devices" came about in the 1950s, following the effectiveness of the aforementioned corporate conspiracy.  It was only then that most ("nuclear") American families had cars they would allow their children to drive, as they were older models.

As an aside, I guess "nuclear family" just rolls off the tongue more easily than "Big Oil" family...  Speaking of, why is the logo for British Petroleum, or BP, an image of the sun and not a fucking dinosaur?

ANYwho, it was not until the 1980s that having more than one car per household became an American Standard (ahem) when both nuclear family parents were forced to hold down jobs due to stagnating wages and rising inflation -- caused by yet another fiscal conspiracy:

Nixon's 1971 decision to drop The Gold Standard.  The majority of Americans' Real Wages (wages after adjusting for inflation) have not increased since before 1980.

That's the thing about "conspiracy theories:"

Only Guilty Parties call them that.

© The Weirding, 2019

Off-Road Lights

If you live in the country or just enjoy taking an off-road drive on occasion, LED lights may be just what you need - might even save your life one day if you have a penchant for getting a little wild out there! I remember I was on a four-wheeler with some friends when we were kids and we were barreling through what we thought was an open field until we hit a deep ditch! We managed to pull ourselves out of that little jam but it sure didn't feel good!

Even if you maintain a safe speed and know the area and terrain well, you do not want to endanger others if you can help it, and these lights may just help you avoid doing so.

The Ghastly Red Bus of Ladbroke Grove

Following yet another fatal accident near the Ladbroke Grove underground station in North Kensington, London in the 1930s, the coroner decided to investigate.  He discovered that dozens of local motorists reported having seen a red, double-decker bus careening around the corner of St. Mark's Road onto Cambridge Gardens.  Time and again, drivers reported swerving to avoid this bus -- sans passengers or crew -- that would come flailing around the corner... then simply vanish!

There had been hundreds of accidents at the North Kensington corner, several of which included fatalities.  At least one motorist who had driven his car onto the sidewalk to avoid the mysterious red bus testified in court as to having seen it... and having seen it vanish.  He confirmed that "...the headlights were full on but I could see no sign of crew or passengers."

Eventually, the local council straightened the road and the number of accidents, and fatalities, fell dramatically.  The phantom red bus was never seen again.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Segway Owner Moves On

British tycoon, Jimmy Heselden, who purchased the Segway company and was test-driving a "rugged" version of the popular scooter, apparently lost control of the vehicle and careened over a cliff near his home. The 62-year-old philanthropist's body, along with the prototype Segway, were recovered from the River Wharfe on September 27^th. The conditions surrounding his death are under investigation, and are unknown at this time.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Korean "Vehicle" Passes Driving Test on 960th Attempt

69-year-old South Korean grandmother, Cha Sa-soon, had to take her driving test every weekday for three years, then continued to take it at a slightly slower pace until she finally passed -- on her 960^th attempt! 

Cha has now become a national celebrity, and even appears in a major commercial for Hyundai. Instructors at her driving school say she is no threat, as it was the written portion of the test Cha continued to fail.

The kicker?  Her surname means "vehicle" in Korean.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Parked Car Takes Joyride

A couple who had paid to leave their car in a JFK airport long-term lot while they were away returned to find their car had moved some 724 miles since they last drove it! A CD was also playing at full volume, leading the couple to believe someone took it for a "joyride."

The manager of the lot said the logs showed no suspicious entries and that the lot had never had any previous complaints. However, 724 miles is approximately the distance from New York (where the car was left) to Pittsburgh and back.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

The Kennebunkport Car Mix-Up

Not quite unique enough to make it into our "Fate or Coincidence" series, I'd be remiss not to note the recent mix-up a Kennebunkport-area man made when he went to pick up his son's car from a school parking lot recently:

The unidentified man went to the school parking lot and picked up his son's car as instructed.  Meanwhile, his wife was listening to the police scanner when she heard a report for area police to be on the lookout for a white 1998 Volvo Model 70 sedan.  As it turns out, there were two, apparently identical, white 1998 Volvo, Model 70 sedans -- and both had keys wherever the man's son had told him to look!

She phoned the husband and asked simply, "Are you sure you took the right car?"

Of course, the vehicle was returned to its rightful owner, no charges were filed, and the story made the local news.  And, now, The OddBlog!

Enjoy your 15 minutes, unidentified, absent-minded, Kennebunkport father of a white Volvo-owning son!  You earned it.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Jesus, Son of God, Sentenced to Jail in Sweden

A Swedish court has sentenced a man claiming to be Jesus, the son of God, to 30 days in jail and fined him just over $350 for driving without license. The Swedish man was picked-up by police four times in four months in 2008 for the offense. He even tried to falsify his expired tags by using cardboard!

In the courtroom, the 46-year old defendant claimed he was Jesus, the son of God, and was therefore exempt from earthly law. He also claimed to rule the world. I do not know if his plea was ironic or if he was serious, but I do know he'll be in jail for 30 days because he did not abide by earthly driving laws.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Driver Kills Two at Intersection - Seven Years Apart

In 2000, Australian Michelle Thiele entered an intersection.  Had she looked to her left, she would have seen 69-year old John Mitchell, who had the right of way, approaching.  Unfortunately, Ms. Thiele's oversight resulted in Mr. Mitchell's death.  Thiele was fined.

In 2007, Michelle Thiele entered the same intersection.  Had she bothered to look to her left, she would have seen motorcyclist, Graham Bryant -- who also had the right of way -- approaching.  Thiele's oversight once again led to a man's death.

The same coroner worked both cases and blamed Michelle Thiele entirely for both accidents, calling her "incompetent."  He said, "Both men died in collisions at the same location in almost identical circumstances and at the hands of the same motorist.  They both died when that same motorist failed to give way."

After this second wreck, Thiele was sentenced to eight months in prison, fined, and her license was revoked.  However, the Supreme Court suspended her jail time and returned her license after a one month period!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Highway-a-Go-Go

Actual Mugshot

Two 14-year old Kansas City teens were arrested after late-night motorists called police to report go-carts on the interstate.  The reports coincided with alarms at a local entertainment park.  It turns out the pair had stolen the go-carts and were racing them down Interstate 70.  Police saw the two go-carts pulling off the interstate and attempted to apprehend the boys, who ran.

Once in custody, the boys said, "Huh uh-huh-huh-huh-huh. That was cool."

The go-carts were unharmed.


© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Handicapped Man Dies After Being Hit by Bus Which Crippled Him

A Philadelphia man who had lost his leg when a city bus hit him previously, was hit by another city bus on the same corner, and died.

61-year old Milton Boneta, who lived at a nursing home just a few minutes away, was apparently crossing the street when the bus struck him. It dragged the man and his wheelchair quite a distance before coming to a complete stop.

Years earlier, Boneta was at the same intersection when a city bus struck him, causing him to lose his leg, making him wheelchair-bound. The bus company said it had not confirmed the earlier accident and had no comment at this time.

An investigation is "far from over."

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Elvis Issued 50 Traffic Citations in Same Day

46-year old, Elvis Alonzo Barrett, fled police who were trying to give him a traffic citation. During the pursuit, he managed to rack-up an impressive 49 more traffic violations, leading to a grand total of 50 traffic citations in one day.

Once they pulled Elvis over, they found a crackpipe in the car.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Man Killed by Own Truck

An Indiana man was killed by his own truck.  While police are not saying whether the truck was in park or not, nor what else could have made the vehicle move of its own accord, 78-year old Bradley Tate was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he died.

Tate had parked his truck across the street to check his mail.  The truck somehow became mobile, striking him.  He tried to stop it, but it rolled over him, dragging him 15' before coming to a stop in a field.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

God Tells Driver to Crash Woman's Car

A driver who intentionally crashed his car into another motorist's, shutting down US Highway 281 in San Antonio yesterday, says God told him the woman was not driving properly and needed to be taken off the road.

Police say neither driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol and both suffered only minor injuries. While the driver attacked was taken to the hospital just in case, the driver of the truck which crashed into her was taken for a psychiatric examination.

Said one policeman, "God must have been with them, because any other time - the severity of this crash - it would have been a fatal."

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Pole Position

Nothing much "odd" about this one - unless you count the fact that both passengers walked away without a scratch! Still, it's definitely something you don't see everyday (thank God!).

The $250k, classic Ferrari was split "up [to] where the gear stick should be." An eyewitness said it made a sound "just like zing zing" as it passed at high speed, moments before colliding with the pole.

Pictures snatched from Herald-Sun.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Turnabout is Fair Play: $0.35 Gas

Gas station owners are always jacking-up gas prices for the slightest of reasons, even when there is no need to. Whenever inclement weather is expected, oil prices rise even slightly, rumors of political upheaval surface - or the day just happens to end in "Y." That's what makes this little tidbit so refreshing:

A gas station in Wisconsin had gas advertised at $3.43 a gallon, but the pumps were reading $0.349 (35¢)! And customers were lined-up around the block - some even filling-up cans at the ridiculously low price.

One woman who usually spends about $100 to fill-up her 1998 Ford Expedition proudly showed off her $8.85 receipt for over 25 gallons of gas.

The owner estimated 30-40 people got 200-300 gallons worth of gas at the cut-rate for over 90 minutes before the mistake was discovered and corrected.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Pterodactyl in Wenatchee, Washington?

A 29-year old man from Wenatchee, Washington, wrecked his car on a lightpole in December of last year.  When police investigating the crash asked him what happened, he said, "Pterodactyl."

Witnesses claim the man veered into oncoming traffic before plowing into the lightpole and police found "a minimal amount of alcohol" in his system.  None of the crash witnesses reported any airborne objects, whether or not any were present.

While most likely a drunken incident, this is far from the first time the prehistoric pterodactyl has been reported in modern times.  In particular, reports persist in the Southwestern United States (notably Arizona and Texas) to this day.  Some cryptozoologists and phenomenalists have even suggested that the infamous Mothman sightings of the 1960s may have been related to a pterodactyl(s).

Most recently, the Sci-Fi Channel hit series, Destination Truth, caught something on camera in Rio Branco where the local populace has been complaining of a "winged monster."  Whatever it was had bright, red eyes, just as reported.

As noted, Washington is quite a ways out of the pterodactyl's normal stamping grounds, but the center of Batsquatch activity.

Source: Olyblog

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

A Very Jetsons Future

So I'm watching the Eureka marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel today (season premiere Tuesday!) and I looked up to see Carter and some guy having a serious discussion in a vehicle as they raced to wherever it is they were going. True to its tongue-in-cheek nature, the tone is somber and tense, the dialogue heavy... then they pan-out to show the two of them going maybe 15mph in an ugly, completely utilitarian, battery-powered vehicle.

Of course it was meant to inject a little humor into the moment, but it was also meant to reinforce the futuristic, intellectual basis of the series. After all, battery-powered vehicles -- while they go neither far nor fast -- are imminently "green" technology, cheaper and more efficient, and definitely have their place in automotive advancement. While they may not be the "wave of future transportation," they are definitely one step in its advancement.

So, are we facing a Jetsons-inspired future?

I have to admit, it seems plausible.

Of course, I am referring to the animation style of the classic cartoon -- where the technology was incredibly personal, compact, and... "cute." Of course, these various technologies will be highly personalized and once the core technology is stabilized, corporations will immediately fall all over one another in their attempts to create the "coolest" designs, etc. But at the bottom of it all, incredibly compact, efficient technology is definitely where we are headed.

And though that's all fine and good, I urge you to look up an episode or some stills from the classic cartoon and think about those hybrid cars while you do!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Victorian Ghost Responsible for Wrecks?

Is the ghost of a Victorian girl haunting Oldnall Road in the West Highlands?

Numerous traffic accidents have occurred along the dark road and many of the motorists claim they swerved to avoid a girl of around 3-years of age in Victorian dress. Investigators remain baffled.

While they suggest there may be some kind of logical explanation, they have yet to find it. Now, paranormal researchers are investigating local history to find some connection to the apparition, real or imagined.

Locals say the accidents have largely been minor, but there have been a few serious wrecks. Altogether, the sheer number of accidents, along with reported sightings of the girl, lead many to believe there may be a connection.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

BMW Builds Cloth Car

From the vaults o' the bookmarks comes this gem I flagged a few weeks back: BMW's GINA Light Visionary Model has an exterior made of cloth!

The polyurethane-coated fiber is stretched over a movable wire mesh frame, allowing the driver to literally custom-shape his car according to his whim. The engine is accessed by "ripping" the hood down the middle - even the seats and dashboard can be molded into form as the owner wishes!

BMW notes there is a practical point to this concept, as well: the fibrous material is both lighter and more rigid than traditional car body metals. It is more fuel-efficient and requires less energy to produce. The frame provides all the safety features you expect from a more traditional model, as well.

The GINA is on display at the BMW museum in Munich, but won't be hitting showroom floors anytime soon.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008