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With so much to lose, and so little to gain Thelma and Louise were probably just being stupid. Caught up in the moment in a powerful car on a runway that was probably about 4000 feet too short for their intended purpose - top speed testing of a very expensive toy IMHO.
Why would they commit suicide? First, they wouldn't be collecting any money for themselves...they would be dead. Second, some insurance companies won't pay out for a self-inflicted death....or even, in some cases, for a homicide. So, even their beneficiaries may or may not actually collect any payoffs.
Well then, wouldn't it make sense to make it look like an accident? Not that I buy this theory, but if you wanted your loved ones to be able to cash in on your life insurance policy, you would need to come up with something that didn't look like suicide.
Well then, wouldn't it make sense to make it look like an accident? Not that I buy this theory, but if you wanted your loved ones to be able to cash in on your life insurance policy, you would need to come up with something that didn't look like suicide.
Ever see "Fletch"?
As Steve correctly noted upthread, life insurance policies DO pay out for suicide, provided the policy has been in effect for at least 2 years.
Most people will never be able to handle all that power and performance.
That's exactly what Detroit and most auto magazines said about 300 hp. It was 1955. Are we afraid of a 4800 lb. Chrysler 300 (before they had letters) 331" hemi and 2-speed Powerflite?
a bartender is responsible for his/her drinkers?
Yes, it's that "law" thing. The responsibility is not to drinkers, but not to serve an already intoxicated driver any more alcohol. "Host law": same thing for party givers. I don't think it's reasonable either but it's been on the books for decades.
Heck, I had a hard time handling 146hp(?) 1988 rx7 on SCCA track! The first few times was an eye opener. There is a huge gap between the confident legendary driver we all think we are and reality.
I have been a passenger on a public road in a Hellcat and asked the driver to "take it easy" with me in the car; no use showing off for me... (This from a guy - the Hellcat owner - with his license plate wrap stating "Drive it like you stole it" and he does...).
In the past two months I have done two separate "Super Car" tours driving exotic cars on public roads and did stretch a couple on some straight sections with NO other cars on the road. The cars with over 450+ are a blast but on the street are not too practical. On a "closed course" runway built for planes I can imagine how this driver got into trouble.
My assessment is the cars with over 300-400 hp are total overkill (no pun intended) for public roads and unless you plan to "track" your car and have the skills, these cars can and will be dangerous in the hands of the vast majority of people that can afford them. Not sure the car companies can be curtailed providing what the market is asking for and willing to buy.
Sad for the two people killed but a lot of cars, not just a Hellcat, could have had similar results. This was a deadly combination of too much car for too little skills.
My assessment is the cars with over 300-400 hp are total overkill (no pun intended) for public roads and unless you plan to "track" your car and have the skills, these cars can and will be dangerous in the hands of the vast majority of people than can afford them. Not sure the car companies can be curtailed providing what the market is asking for and willing to buy.
But then it eventually circles around to the blame game. Who's to blame for all of this? You have endless "cool" car culture videos on an abundance of online sites going over the top with cellphone videos and aftermarket add-on things that will make you faster and better. Every online forum is happy to have people selling you chip upgrades and gigantic wheels and exhaust. It's not lost on ordinary drivers.
Detroit car culture also demands that you have to have 707 hp, no, now you can have 808 hp. Between the hp wars and a dozen years of reruns involving the British Clarkson-3 and endless runway videos of million dollar cars drifting sideways, well you see the results. This is why pickup truck drivers will race every stop light with their eco-boost or hemi and bad-manners driving.
But Darwin does get his way every time. You get yourself and others killed, it is the nature of the beast. Sucks to be you, and sucks to be the people who are affected by it. But tomorrow's another day and some other idiot will start this all over again without any thought whatsoever.
09-15-17, 11:56 AM
