Acorn Cop Melt Down, Crowd Torches A Waymo And More

Loads of people feel skittish on the job and can be spooked by the slightest noise, but if you’re that kind of person it’s maybe not a good idea to have a career that lets you loose on the streets with a loaded weapon. Something Florida cops are likely to consider after video emerged this week of a Florida cop firing all the bullets from his gun and running for cover after he was spooked by a falling acorn. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Word of mouth can be a powerful marketing tool. If your customers love your product, they’re going to tell other people. Unfortunately for brands that sell sub-par products, if your customers hate what they bought, they’ll share that with other people, as well. - Collin Woodard Read More

When the Fisker Ocean finally rolled off the production line, the initial reaction was one of surprise. Fisker did it, the company managed to release a product in a highly sought-after segment. Maybe this could be the automaker turning over a new leaf, showing the world it can really build cars with broad appeal. - Steve DaSilva Read More

A dealership may be on the hook for a nice chunk of change for denying a loaner to a customer. Automotive News reports a customer is suing a Southern California dealership over not giving her a loaner vehicle because she has a service dog. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

When we last heard about Penn State professor Themis Matsoukas, he had been charged with open lewdness, indecent exposure, sexual intercourse with an animal, animal cruelty and disorderly conduct after being caught allegedly engaging in bestiality in a Pennsylvania state forest after being identified by his car. While he wore a mask that hid his identity, police were able to track him down because he forgot to obscure the license plate on his Subaru Forester. Now, the New York Post reports he faces new charges, and oh god, turn back now. - Collin Woodard Read More

Here at Jalopnik, Miata is always the answer. If cars were a religion, we would worship at the altar of the Mazda Miata. Mazda can tell us it’s called the MX-5 now all that it wants, but to us, it will always be the Miata. It’s ridiculously fun to drive, affordable, good on gas and basically has no flaws. Unless you ask actual Miata owners, that is. Apparently, even those who love their Miatas have one specific complaint — they hate getting in and out of their absolutely perfect sports cars. - Collin Woodard Read More

Correction: Wednesday, February 15, 2024, 9:27 a.m. ET: A previous headline stated “Just Two States Make Up 40 Percent Of Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes In U.S.” This headline is an incorrect interpretation of the data, and has been updated. - Bradley Brownell Read More

The big argument in favor of electric vehicles is that, in the long run, they’re cheaper than their gas-powered counterparts. Sure, they might be more expensive to buy, but you’ll save a ton of money in maintenance and won’t need to pay for gas anymore. However, some BMW i3 drivers have found this week that this claim is only partially true. - Owen Bellwood Read More

These days, with so many vehicles from so many automakers built in U.S. factories and many vehicles from American brands built in countries such as Mexico and Canada, it can be hard to define what exactly makes a car American. Unfortunately, back when it was more clear-cut, it was also harder to justify buying American because the competition was just that much better. - Collin Woodard Read More

Californians seem to have just about had it with self-driving cars. If it’s not government probes into their activities on the roads, it’s locals popping traffic cones on their hoods to stop them in their tracks. Now, the anti-autonomous car movement has stepped up a notch and set fire to a Waymo cab in San Francisco. - Owen Bellwood Read More