Stupid is as stupid does

[Strawboss]

Wow, good Samaritan there, but I'd do the same thing as he did. Sadly, this is a common scam, my moms friend got taken a few years ago. I keep telling my parents to not give any info to anybody who calls and to verify with me or my sister when any niece or nephew or grandchild calls with requests for money as they are hard of hearing and get confused quickly on the phone, perfect targets.

[Conrad]

Yep, those folks were EXTREMELY lucky that the clerk was an honest man. If he had not been, he could have easily pocketed that $8k in cash and shipped the empty magazine. No one would have been the wiser and the end result would have been exactly the same.

I just don't know how anyone could be that stupid and gullible. In what world would an official request that cash be sent inside of a magazine such as was done here? And then the elderly couple does not check on the voracity of the story at all?

There's a sucker born every minute.

[maxtog]

I just don't know how anyone could be that stupid and gullible. In what world would an official request that cash be sent inside of a magazine such as was done here? And then the elderly couple does not check on the voracity of the story at all?

Unfortunately, these types of "elder abuse" scams are very common and increasing.  Many older people don't understand technology at all and also start to lose their reasoning, it is a very bad combination.  I can see this in my mother, who seems more confused and bewildered every year.  She is far too trusting, and doesn't understand security, so I greatly fear such scams.  She wouldn't fall for something THAT stupid (like your example), but there are more sophisticated ones where I could see that being a problem.

[Strawboss]

I'm not so sure that stupid is the correct word here, easily confused and overwhelmed. Example, my dad answers the phone, a muffled voice on the other end nervously starts to talk and pleads for money for bail on a traffic stop out of state, he can't hear well and the voice has the correct name, he has all the bonafides and kinda sounds correct but hey, he's calling from jail right? The voice starts in about needing a lawyer and he doesn't have a credit card so cash is the only way to pay, he lost his cash so he needs money when he gets out for a hotel and gas to get home as he travels a lot and hasn't seen grampa in a few months. $8000 in cash and the way it's shipped would be the sticking point for my dad. In the past these money scams hinged on the prey being greedy as they were assured a cut in whatever scam was playing out, many were ashamed afterward and never reported it to the police or family. Electronic scams are worse, thankfully my parents have no computers and a cell phone to be used for emergency only.

[Conrad]

Wisconsin driver has no seats in car, uses camping chair as driver’s seat



A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper pulled over a pickup truck after the trooper noticed the vehicle was not equipped with seats.

According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the driver was seated in a camping chair and the vehicle was not equipped with any seats.

The area of the incident was in the North Central Region of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin State Patrol also mentioned the specific rule that requires seats.


But, did he have his seatbelts on?   

I find it hard to believe that the guy could even drive the truck that way. His head had to be hitting the headliner in that truck. And what's up with the snow inside the thing?

[lather]

Bring back the going show.

[cra-z1000]

Wisconsin driver has no seats in car, uses camping chair as driver’s seat



A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper pulled over a pickup truck after the trooper noticed the vehicle was not equipped with seats.

According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the driver was seated in a camping chair and the vehicle was not equipped with any seats.

The area of the incident was in the North Central Region of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin State Patrol also mentioned the specific rule that requires seats.


But, did he have his seatbelts on?   

I find it hard to believe that the guy could even drive the truck that way. His head had to be hitting the headliner in that truck. And what's up with the snow inside the thing?

A friend and I were stopped by a Game warden in an old boat years ago with folding chairs . He was not happy but could not write us up for it , no law against it back then . There probably should have been though 😂

[Boomer]

The snow I'm guessing is because the heater in that beater don't work.
If he is using that for a seat, chances are the truck is a rusted out POS that probably shouldn't even be on the road.
Over here a stunt like that would result in the vehicle being impounded and probably crushed.

[Strawboss]

I have actually seen this before, quite awhile ago though, the guy was working on the interior and the car was his only way around town, it was the old style aluminum web beach type. It was a small town and his drives were short. The other time I saw something similar was when my friend's buddy "hungry Chuck" removed the front set of his car so he could sit in the back seat to drive as he was well over 500lbs.

[tweeter55]

It ate another one:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KD4RXrI0ZWU&feature=share

[maxtog]

It ate another one:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=KD4RXrI0ZWU&feature=share

At least in this case, the automated warning system did not warn of the oversize situation.  Probably because the crane thing on top was so narrow.  Of course, the driver still should have known his height, regardless.

Most of the time, the warning system DOES work, and then people IGNORE IT!!!  That is what is the stupidest thing about that underpass- people hitting it when they were TOLD they would hit it.

[Conrad]

BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — A motorcycle crash sent one person to a local trauma center and shut down Henry Avenue in Beloit Thursday morning.

Beloit Police say two people on motorcycles, a 41-year-old Beloit man and a 31-year-old Beloit woman, were driving at a high speed when the man crashed his motorcycle into an SUV that was turning left. Officials say the SUV had the right-of-way.

Police say the woman saw the crash and laid her bike down.

The 41-year-old man was transported to Mercyhealth Hospital & Trauma Center in Janesville for ‘significant injuries.’ Both motorcyclists were wearing helmets, investigators say.


The driver of the SUV, a 35-year-old Beloit male, will be cited for operating after suspension.

The male motorcyclist will be cited for no motorcycle endorsement, crossing the center line, unreasonable and imprudent speed, and no insurance.

The female motorcyclist will be cited for no motorcycle endorsement and no insurance.




Police say the woman saw the crash and laid her bike down.

She had to lay it down, no choice in the matter. Lay that sucker down.   

[Nosmo]

I'm surprised no one has added this yet.  Two idiots who thought "autopilot" actually meant the car could fly itself.  The jokes on them.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/18/business/tesla-fatal-crash-texas.html

[tweeter55]

And another one bites the dust.
https://youtu.be/YO-17RYxXhA

[maxtog]

And another one bites the dust.
https://youtu.be/YO-17RYxXhA

It is interesting that in the last 5 accidents, the warning system did not engage.  I wonder if it is broken or miscalibrated.

[Conrad]

Update to the story I posted above.

The man has succumbed to his injuries. It's sad but that's what can happen when you do stupid things. RIP stupid. 

[Rubber_Snake]

BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — A motorcycle crash sent one person to a local trauma center and shut down Henry Avenue in Beloit Thursday morning.

Beloit Police say two people on motorcycles, a 41-year-old Beloit man and a 31-year-old Beloit woman, were driving at a high speed when the man crashed his motorcycle into an SUV that was turning left. Officials say the SUV had the right-of-way.

Police say the woman saw the crash and laid her bike down.

The 41-year-old man was transported to Mercyhealth Hospital & Trauma Center in Janesville for ‘significant injuries.’ Both motorcyclists were wearing helmets, investigators say.


The driver of the SUV, a 35-year-old Beloit male, will be cited for operating after suspension.

The male motorcyclist will be cited for no motorcycle endorsement, crossing the center line, unreasonable and imprudent speed, and no insurance.

The female motorcyclist will be cited for no motorcycle endorsement and no insurance.




Police say the woman saw the crash and laid her bike down.

She had to lay it down, no choice in the matter. Lay that sucker down.   

I find it interesting that the person making the left turn had the right of way.  I don’t know the specific circumstances, but usually, a person making any turn has to do so in a safe manner. 

That’s not to say it’s impossible to turn without protections, such as turning with a green left turn arrow or someone else traveling so fast, that a reasonable person wouldn’t expect someone to be traveling so fast as to constitute a hazard.  I’d like to know more about the specifics of this collision. 

[VirginiaJim]

Could have been a left turn with a left turn traffic signal.  Other than that I agree with you on the left turn right of way business.

[maxtog]

Could have been a left turn with a left turn traffic signal.  Other than that I agree with you on the left turn right of way business.

At a 4 way-stop or a completely unmarked intersection (which is rare), if the person making the left turn was there first, they would have the right of way (or if they arrived at the same time but were on the right/counter-clockwise).  That is about the only other non-green-arrow-light situation I can think of with right of way for a left-turner.  Well, other than the previous example of someone else going so far above the speed limit that a reasonable person turning left could not have known they needed to yield.

Of course, all of this is flipped if you live in a backwards/left-side-drive country   Then substitute "right turn" for all the "left turn" situations discussed.

[Boomer]

Of course, all of this is flipped if you live in a backwards/left-side-drive country

Interesting comment for someone living in a country (USA) with 4 times the road death rate per 100,000 population, and over twice the death rate per vehicle miles travelled, as compared to a certain left-side-drive country (UK). Now who's backwards? 

Personally I drive on whichever side of the road is mandated by local laws. I learned to ride motorcycles on the right side of the road (Belgium), learned to drive cars on the left side of the road (UK) and can do either with either type of vehicle. About the only thing that gives me problems is driving stick shift in right-side-drive cars, so I always get an automatic rental.

If you want to experience true terror, go to India and rent a car. There they use whichever side of the road is emptiest and don't seem to care if they live or die.