Hoe geef je je favoriete automaker Toyota een slechte naam

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

De achtereenvolgende akties van de autorijder du jour bij CNN:

1 - Confirmed Bad Reputation:

James Sikes and his wife Patty are former co-workers at a real estate
brokerage I worked at in Bonita, CA (Realty Executives Premier now
Coldwell Banker Premier). They are sleazy operators and were let go
after numerous complaints and warnings due to their under handed and
under cutting tactics they used on other agents in our brokerage. They
have no scruples and a lousy reputation.

2 - Previous Fraudulent Behavior:

James Sikes is a licensed real estate agent but is not listed with any
brokerage. His wife Patricia though is listed with a broker and James
uses the address for mail. His web site gives the consumer the
impression that they are both affiliated real estate agents; his picture
and DRE number are present (he does have a current license) and in fact
he does the narration.

Dire Finances - Foreclosed Home:

"He was the owner of a foreclosed home that we were trying to buy last
year in Bonita, a suburb of San Diego.
That in-of-itself is not enough to question someone's character, but the
fact that he gutted the ENTIRE kitchen out of this 4,000 ft custom home
certainly is! They stole EVERYTHING before moving out. Appliances,
cabinets, granite countertops....even the lights!"

4 - Gambling and Game Show Aspirations

Sikes is a longtime lottery player who won $55,000 and was selected in
2006 to appear on a California Lottery TV game show.

5 - Staging of the Incident

Sikes was on the phone with 911 for 24 minutes. While the car was going
at 80MPH, which is normal highway speed for that 70MPH section of the
highway, the 911 operator told him multiple times to put the car in
neutral. Every time she did it, he ignored her and didn't respond. But
he responded to all other items, including answering her call back.

He was immediately prepared, contacted the media himself and scheduled
press conferences in front of the Toyota dealership. His eyes were
shifting everywhere during the interview/conference.

6 - Implausibility

The Prius has a brake override. There are videos on YOuTube that show
that even with the accelerator pressed to the floor, strong pressure on
the brakes will cause the the engine to roll to idle.

Apparently, Mr Sikes was lightly dragging the brakes - just enough to
heat them up, but not strongly enough to trigger the override.

Chances of seeing the above on CNN - ZERO.

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