You just got Lego’d
A 2004 Volvo XC60 doesn’t usually elicit open-mouth stares, but that’s exactly the reaction Peter Ronchetti had one morning in June as he was leaving his office at the Legoland California theme park.
As he approached his parking spot, the park manager discovered that his Volvo SUV had been replaced with a nearly identical replica made from 201,076 Lego blocks.
Ronchetti was shocked at first, and then laughed when he saw his own car parked nearby and realized he had been pranked. (You can find a video of Ronchetti’s reaction on YouTube.)
Legoland model shop supervisor Tim Petsche orchestrated the plan after noticing that Ronchetti’s car bore a striking resemblance to a life-size Lego car displayed at the park’s front entrance.
On a Monday morning, co-workers were able to snatch Ronchetti’s keys and relocated his Volvo so that a forklift could place the 2,934-lb Lego car into his parking spot. Ronchetti’s staff then waited with cameras poised until their manager returned to his car to pick up lunch.
A Legoland spokesperson said that Lego pranks are nothing new at the park. One year, the entertainment manager’s office was turned into an igloo for his birthday. (If you’ve ever wondered why Legoland hasn’t gotten around to opening a park in your area, now you know.)
Necessity is mother to invention
A teenager in Switzerland also was inspired to build a toy vehicle this spring, except his actually runs.
Markus Sell, 17, cut a motorbike in half and welded the back half of a subcompact Renault between the two wheels. To drive it, Sell sits in the back passenger seat and steers using the bike’s handle bars. Sounds crazy, but Sell’s “Carcycle” was capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 mph.
Unfortunately the Carcycle’s maiden voyage was cut short by police. Because Sell’s vehicle was in violation of so many traffic rules all at once, and because police weren’t even sure how to classify the vehicle (is it driven or ridden?), the Carcycle has been banned from Swiss roads.
Sell is now back to the drawing board, trying to invent something inexpensive that can get him around town, this time legally. He’s reportedly choosing between a Hovervan and a Paddlecopter.
Can’t buy me love
The high school girls who won’t date Markus Sell today just because he drives homemade vehicles may be kicking themselves in a few years. According to a new study from Rice University and the University of Texas-San Antonio, guys who drive expensive cars are usually not the “marrying kind.”
Research showed that men who drive flashy cars do so mostly to attract a short-term sexual partner, similar to the way peacocks flash their feathers looking for a quick roll in the grass.
Women pick up on this unspoken signal and respond to it—positively if she’s into that kind of thing, or negatively if she’s looking for marriage material.
The study found that when it comes to dating, women do prefer the man with the Porsche over the one with the Honda Civic. But when it comes to marriage, the car didn’t make a difference. In fact, the advantage may go to the Civic owner who clearly isn’t going to be a successful philanderer.
So guys, if you’re looking for a serious relationship, don’t waste your money on expensive things that will just send the wrong message. Put on your best polyester and fly your date to Taco Bell in your Lego Hovervan with your head held high.
