Prius “Balloon Boy”: Scam for cash? Ex biz partner fingers Sikes as scammer

Flopping Aces ^ | 03-13-10 | Mataharley

[Starman417]

Independent investigative journalist, Michael Fumento, has down the yeoman's work on what appears to be the latest "Balloom Boy" hoax, Jim Sike's runaway Prius escapade on San Diego's Interstate 8. Just as a nation watched a solitary balloon supposedly containing a young boy, made all the more dramatic when mesmerized, by hushed voices by talking heads expressing their horror, again the media dominated the airwaves with an runaway Prius with 61 year old Realtor®, Jim Sikes, at the wheel and on his cell with 911 responders.

Still, there were a few detecting a distinct aroma about the affair. 911 repeatedly told Sikes to utilize the NHTSA recommended, and amazingly simple solution in case of SUA (sudden unintended acceleration)... either shift to neutral, or turn off the engine.

In both cases, Sikes refused to respond, or indicated he would not take that advice.

Over a 23-minute period the 911 dispatcher repeatedly pleaded with Sikes to shift into neutral. He simply refused and then essentially stopped talking to her except to say that he thought he could smell his brakes burning.

"I thought about" shifting into neutral, Sikes said at a televised press conference the day after the incident. But "I had never played with this kind of a transmission, especially when you're driving and I was actually afraid to do that." Sikes, who has driven the car for two years, also said "I figured if I knocked it over [the gear knob] the car might flip."

He told CNN, "I was afraid to try to [reach] over there and put it in neutral. I was holding onto the steering wheel with both hands--94 miles an hour in a Toyota Prius is fast." Yet for much of the ride he had a phone in one hand. And this is especially interesting: Most gear shifts are on the console, requiring the hand to drop to shift. But, as this image shows, in the 2008 Prius it's located on the dash within inches of the steering wheel precisely to allow shifting without the hand leaving the wheel. I sat in one and did it easily.

Another unique feature of the shift is that it's amazingly simple, with only forward, reverse, neutral and "B." The express purpose of "B" is to slow the car while preserving the brakes, as in a steep descent. Sikes actually could have shifted into two different gears.

Moreover, why would Sikes describe shifting gears as somehow "playing with the transmission." And apparently he's never shifted while the vehicle was moving and thought somehow a gear shift could flip his car.

The dispatcher also pleaded with him repeatedly to hit the ignition button. Again, he says he was simply afraid to.

Early in the press conference he said it was because "There was too much traffic to just shut the car off. You know, turn off the vehicle and get hit in the rear." But that's always true when you slow down; just make sure nobody's right behind you. Later he switched gears, pun not intended, saying he was afraid the steering wheel and wheels would lock up.

Instead, Sikes insists he was "laying on the brakes", and it did nothing. Well, Fumento covers that bit of exaggeration as well.

Read more at floppingaces.net...

[Greysard]

are these cars built without an emergency brake or “neutral”?

If you look at the photo in this thread, the gear selector is the lowest control under the center air vent, to the right of the steering wheel. To switch to neutral you push the selector to the left (if you can see the 'N' there, click on picture for better view) for 3 seconds. Once in neutral, the power to the wheels will be cut.

Another option is to push the POWER button (you can see it to the left of the center air vent, near 2 o'clock mark on the steering wheel. Push it for 3 seconds, and the car will shut down regardless of what it was doing.

Prius doesn't have a steering wheel lock (and it doesn't need one, since it's virtually impossible to steal without a keyfob.)

The parking brake is a pedal to the left of where the clutch would be in a stick shift car. You can see a bit of it above the footrest. This brake pulls a cable that actuates rear brakes; it's no more efficient than in any car - I doubt it would have any effect on stopping a runaway car.

[Cyber Liberty]

Prius has a kill button?

[TruthWillWin]

When I first heard about this I suspected a scam. Did not make sense that he could not just turn off the key or just take it out of gear to stop it.

[ken21]

prius drivers exude superiority.

[copwife]

I love my 2008 Prius. It’s easy to drive and I can hit 85 and keep it in control!

[Ptarmigan]

Does anyone remember the syringes found in Pepsi cans back in 1993? It turned out people put them in after they opened it. They did to for various reasons from wanting money to donate to charity. It was all a hoax.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/rant/pepsipanic.html

[-YYZ-]

The really big question here, to me, is why the media is so damned credulous? Does anybody still really grant the talking heads of the mainstream media any credibility at all?

[-YYZ-]

“Yes, went that route with a Nissan braking system.”

Tell me more - a friend at work has an ‘02 Altima that has always exhibited some weird brake behaviour in the winter, which he’s never been able to get resolved.

[CaliforniaCon]

My Altima was a ‘93 and had brake problems from day one — they finally sent out an area director who said it was a factory defect, not dangerous, just annoying and noisy, and not to worry about it. I drove that car for 10 years and no, it was not a problem but really annoying.

There were other recalls on that car, too, but I took it in and they ‘fixed’ whatever ailed it and I was outta there —

All cars have problems — my least favorite was the factory defect in the Volvo that had it totally stopping on an LA freeway — the whole thing just died. Years later a co-worker had a top of the line Lexus do the same thing to him, twice. Lexus fixed it and all was well.

As we know, they ALL have problems of one sort or another — overall I’d say vehicles are a lot better than they were decades ago though people weren’t as prone to lawsuits, etc., then.

[CaliforniaCon]

RE: “prius drivers exude superiority.”

*************

They sure do — my obnoxious lefty Obama cheerleader got one; just HAD to have it — wonder how she feels about it now? We have not spoken since she saw my “Don’t Tread on Me” sticker on my own car. LOL I’m better off, the woman thinks she knows EVERYTHING and tries to impose her will on everyone. Sound familiar?

[CaliforniaCon]

Oops: forgot one word in post, above: my (cheerleader) NEIGHBOR -—

sorry..