If I had to put on my speculation hat, I'd guess there probably are laws concerning this sort of activity but Mexico doesn't have the resources to inspect and enforce the appropriate ones right now.

Sadly, I think the cost/benefit of installing a kill switch in each truck vs. the cost/benefit of having more alcohol to sell is how the organizers made their decision. Not anything to do with safety, regardless of how effective it may have been.

With the people that close to the action, with no run-off room, when do you hit the kill switch? The lack of kill switch was just one problem here, but having an extra 50 meters (with some barriers, ideally) between people and vehicle that you could use to hit the switch in would have likely saved lives.

Just make them out of titanium and carbon-fiber. Or if that isn't expensive enough, graphene. That solves everything.

The smell of brakes overheating is something that'll stick with me for awhile. I remember Dad pulling off the road into a pull-out for about 15 minutes or so to let them cool when coming back from the mountains as a kid one time; it's such a nasty, foul smell.

I'd be shocked if they didn't send a few engineers. If nothing else, for the PR of "we are taking this very seriously."

Or sucked too hard.

They all come from the same staffers and same photojournalists and same terrible publishing system. The name was revived about a year and a half ago as an online-only afternoon paper, but it's just a label.

You're linking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, not the Pittsburgh Press. The Press ceased printing in the 90s during a pressman's strike and the Post-Gazette bought it.

Had to dig the link out of the source code to see it!

Nibbles ate your image, so I don't know how much sarcasm, wit, or shame to include in my response.

Might as well have fun with a beater. If you put M5 badges on your regular 5-series, it's stupid— no doubt— but when it is obviously out of place and heavily played up for comedic effect, it's more than fine by me.

If I drove a crapwagon like that, I would put as many performance badges as I could get my hands on all over it. ///M power, AMG, R-type, STI, whatever eBay is selling, I'd buy $40 worth and have the fastest minivan ever.

Attached bits of steel that don't make any sense.

I thought the Ford-style beeping backup sensors seemed like a good compromise between having a big screen + camera equipment and the horribly small rear windows that automakers seem to think is acceptable for looking out of.

You might be interested to know it's actually a thing and not just a Jalopnik thing: Betteridge's Law of Headlines

Was this a case of instant karma delivery, or was the tram driver asleep at the helm?

Ever see a pizza delivery car idling someplace and think to yourself, "I could totally flip the car around and fuck with the driver when they come back?"

Upsides: it does let you practice your heel-toe downshifting startlingly often.

Another good way to tell is by if the tires are wearing properly— it's a fun game to play in the parking lot when you pass a lifted truck. I'm not an expert, but it's usually pretty obvious when half the tire looks new and half the tire looks worn ragged.