Episode 26: “NHTSA-cheisse”

On this week’s GTW: we talk recalls, an arm of the federal government, and all of the shit that had to be put on cars because the government says so. A lot of the recalls are safety related, and that’s good, but when the government tells us what has to be on/in cars that’s not so great. We also talk in depth about the awesome times when dealership mechanics became EOD techs (and almost as badly paid). The laws of physics haven’t changed, but holy shit the rules around stuff in your car that keeps you from dying have, thats for sure. The idea of getting killed by something that is supposed to save your life is the very definition of irony- but cars are a hell of a lot safer than when Uncle Jimmy was a wee lad. We also learn that not all Takata Claymores are created equal, and that the Japanese government had to bail them out so they could replace all of the airbags that they messed up in the first place.

Also Uncle Jimmy talks about wrecking cars in spectacular fashion, NOT setting off a shotgun shell with a hammer, and makes copious references to various explosives.