One of the concepts that always gets a giggle out of me is the idea of “malicious compliance.” In short, it’s when you deliberately follow a law, rule, or instruction in a spiteful way that ultimately defeats its purpose. One example was allegedly done by Ford. Instead of paying the Chicken Tax on imported Transit Connect vans, it reportedly installed a fake backseat just long enough for the vans to get through Customs as passenger vehicles.
Anyway, Volkswagen recalled the ID.Buzz because the third row is technically too large not to have a third seatbelt. It’s sort of silly because the problem is that Volkswagen is technically giving two people too much room. Angrycat Meowmeow has just the solution:
They should seriously just install one of those AutoZone plastic consoles there. Friction fit between the seats so owners can have the recall “done” then yeet it into the dealership service centers dumpster on the way out.
Brilliant! Someone get Volkswagen of America on the line. Pat Rich really drives home how dumb the recall is:
That is the dumbest car related thing I’ve heard in a while. Explains a lot about 3rd rows have 3 seatbelts even though they really shouldn’t. How dumb is this? Very.
What makes this even more dumb is that it would be LEGAL to sit a 3rd passenger in a 2 seatbelt seat in my state provided all the other seatbelts are taken. At least this was true 15 years ago when a district judge told me this.
Today, contributor James Gilboy wrote about how the famous Volkswagen W10-powered BMW E39 probably wasn’t driven daily by Ferdinand Piëch. Ash78 had a good one:
I think I heard a very similar version of this story on NPR’s W8 W8 Don’t Tell Me.
Here’s the reference:
Meanwhile, Matt wrote about the absurd number of Ford Broncos that were sold last month, as it appears that people might be panic-buying. Spikedlemon:
Hey, times might be tough coming up and prices are rising, let’s quick go out and buy big ticket items.
Finally, we have a piece from Jason on the typography of car badges! Ash78:
This is relevant to my interests, since I’m currently rehabbing an Econoline van for my lexicogra-core band’s tour of the mid-Atlantic. It’s like nerdcore-meets-screamo but with a focus on fonts. You don’t just name your band KëRn and use normal badging.
Have a great evening, everyone!
It seems silly but people will definitely stick a third person in there, sometimes we have to be protected from ourselves
VW could put a little Jerry Falwell doll in the middle of the 3rd row. So that no shenanigans take place back there.
Things like this just reinforce the narrative that Washington is out of touch with the average American. Seats too wide for just two people. Have any of these bureaucrats at NHTSA ever been to a Cracker Barrel after church on Sunday?
You’re implying that the bureaucrats would know where a Cracker Barrel is located.
I’m the last person one would expect to go to a Cracker Barrel. But I’ve had dinner at a Cracker Barrel.
Bureaucrats have extended families with members who aren’t bureaucrats.
the federal regulations I’m sure were written in the 70s when Americans were generally not as…ample. And they’ve NEVER changed.
Whoever does your topshots should get a shoutout for the Beetle point-counterpoint. It’s clearly the same Beetle pic in both, but reversed so that “Adrian’s” is right-hand-drive and “Jason’s” steering wheel is in the place where God, the Devil (or Hitler, same thing) and Ferdinand Porsche intended it to be and where it is on Jason’s personal bug.