A Hollywood ending

March 16, 2004

Doing it the hard way

They don’t care about Klondike Bars in Montana. The question there is, “What would you do for a 2002 Limited Edition Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster?” Sally White of Bozeman, Mont., was willing to stand in a Harley-Davidson parking lot with one hand on the prize cycle for 35 hours and eight minutes last month to win a promotional contest. White’s victory came only when the runner-up, a log hauler from Livingston, was disqualified when his body temperature dropped to 95.8?. The second runner-up was disqualified for the same reason.

Doing it the hard way

They don’t care about Klondike Bars in Montana. The question there is, “What would you do for a 2002 Limited Edition Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster?” Sally White of Bozeman, Mont., was willing to stand in a Harley-Davidson parking lot with one hand on the prize cycle for 35 hours and eight minutes last month to win a promotional contest. White’s victory came only when the runner-up, a log hauler from Livingston, was disqualified when his body temperature dropped to 95.8?. The second runner-up was disqualified for the same reason.

After enduring such a brutal ordeal to win the Harley, White says that her biker gang initiation should be a piece of cake.

Syndication saves the day

When 20-year-old Angel Eck lost control of her brakes on a Denver highway last month, she didn’t know what to do. Luckily for her, two Denver policemen watch way too much TV. For nearly an hour, Eck was soaring down I-70 at speeds over 100 mph with no way to slow down. While trying to avoid slamming into other cars, she dialed her cell phone but found herself out of her service area.

Finally, after 45 minutes of high-speed car-dodging, she was able to reach a friend on her phone who called 9-1- 1 for her.

Police tried to clear the highway and when it was apparent there were no other options, two officers decided to try to slow Eck’s car with their cruiser. After positioning their cruiser in front of Eck’s car, they gradually slowed their speed, forcing Eck’s car to slow with them. It worked perfectly and no one was hurt.

So where did these officers learn such a maneuver? They told fellow officers afterward that they had seen it done on “ChiPs,” the 1980s TV show about California State Patrol officers Ponch and John.

“From Switzerland With Love”

Swiss engineering company Rinspeed says it has developed the perfect gift for the man who has everything. It’s called the Rinspeed Splash and it’s a car you can drive, fly or sail.

Unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show, the Splash can accelerate to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds on the road, ultimately hitting speeds of 130 mph. The Splash also can travel at 25 knots in the water, and if that’s not fast enough it comes with a pair of folding wings and a high-tech hydraulic system that allows it to fly over water at 50 mph.

Rinspeed also says that the Splash is powered by a lightweight 750-cc engine producing 140 hp, and it even runs on natural gas causing virtually no harm to the environment.

The two-seater will put up or shut up this summer when it attempts to cross the English Channel. Rinspeed says the Splash will make part of the journey from France to Britain in the water and the other part in the air.

If mom says no, don’t ask grandma

Two teenagers in Springfield, Ore., had to learn the hard way that you just don’t mess with a grandmother and her truck.

When Sylvia Gresham noticed that her truck was no longer where she parked it in her driveway, she didn’t waste time calling the police. Instead she grabbed a neighbor and took off in search of her truck.

It wasn’t long before two boys drove past them in Gresham’s truck, so the women turned their car around and followed the truck, eventually cutting the teens off at an intersection.

Gresham immediately jumped out of the car and confronted the thieves. When the driver tried to pull a knife, Gresham yanked him out of the truck and slapped him around, warning, “Reach for the knife again and I’ll kick your a**.” The boy in the passenger seat ran away.

When police arrived to see what was blocking traffic, they found the 175-lb driver crying as he was held down by the grandmother who was calling him a liar and demanding to know if his parents knew what he was up to.

About The Author: Roads Report is a monthly roundup of unusual traffic-related events in the news. All the stories are true, but reported in fun.

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