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Mitch McConnell’s billionaire sister-in-law Angela Chao made panicked last call before dying in ‘completely submerged’ Tesla on Texas ranch: report (nypost.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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[+] 112 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[removed by mod]
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  • [–] 74 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (8 children)

    "After a Friday evening celebrating Lunar New Year with close friends, Chao decided to drive back to the main house on the ranch around 11:30 p.m., the Journal reported."

    I wonder if she had been drinking.

    "According to the Journal's account, Chao told her friend that she had put her car in reverse instead of drive — a mistake she had made before — leading her to back over an embankment and into the pond."

    Tesla removed the shift stalks from X and *S models in 2021 in favor of the car guessing which direction you want to go, with the option to override on the touchscreen.

    Edit: Originally stated Y by mistake. Chao was driving an X when the incident occurred.

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  • [–] 119 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

    Tesla removed the shift stalks from X and Y models in 2021 in favor of the car guessing which direction you want to go, with the option to override on the touchscreen.

    ...what? What in the hell is going on at that place!? That is so fucking stupid and dangerous.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    “We’re so confident in our self driving tech we removed the steering wheel”

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  • [+] -23 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Give me the touchscreen gear shift. It's not that hard, and I'd rather not have the extra physical object in the car.

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  • [–] 50 points 2 years ago

    Tesla removed the shift stalks from X and *S models in 2021 in favor of the car guessing which direction you want to go, with the option to override on the touchscreen.

    Holy shit, I thought you were joking but that's real.

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  • [–] 32 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Tesla removed the shift stalks from X and Y models in 2021 in favor of the car guessing which direction you want to go,

    Holy shit, I thought you were joking. How the hell did that pass any regulatory body?

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  • [–] 28 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    It$ a my$tery i$nt it. Fortunately we all are subject to the rule of law in this cou . . . hahahahahaha nahhh just joshin'. The rich are above the law. Everyone else needs to resort to extreme violence, apparently. That is to say, I really don't know what the DoJ is thinking.

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  • [–] 21 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    That would be Model S & X. Model 3 stalks are removed in 2023/2024 Highland refresh. Model 3 Performance hasn't been highlanded yet so that one still has stalks. Model Y hasn't released their refresh yet so all versions of Model Y have stalks.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    That’s crazy.

    Whoever was in charge of U.S. transportation when that system got approved must feel like a real jerk right now.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You think they needed approval?

    Hahahahahahahahhhaha

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Yeah. Drive control systems are heavily regulated. Whether or not approval was granted after a review process is, well, unknown to me.

    Of note, the secretary of transportation when this system gained approval was previously the secretary of labor under Bush and had bragged about record low OSHA violations under her tenure.
    A later report found that this was achieved by OSHA not investigating violations.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    Chao decided to drive back to the main house on the ranch around 11:30 p.m.

    Ah the main house, yes. Of course. As one does.

    DEBBIE: Can I ask you a question?

    GRIM REAPER: What?

    DEBBIE: How can we all have died at the same time? [silence]

    GRIM REAPER: The Tesla!

    GEOFFREY: Darling, you didn't buy a Tesla, did you?

    ANGELA: I'm most dreadfully embarrassed.

    GRIM REAPER: Now the time has come. Follow. Follow me. [clunk] [bang bang bang bang bang]

    GEOFFREY: Just... testing. Sorry.

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