this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024

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525

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 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 327 points 8 months ago (11 children)

If anyone's curious, it looks like you "hold the brake and swipe up" on a touchscreen area to go in drive, and "hold the brake and swipe down" to go into reverse.

So yeah, it's not a physical shifter, though it seems pretty intuitive and simple. BUT if you're in reverse and try to swipe up to drive(like you'd do during a 3 point turn) , you have no feedback aside from looking at the screen to let you know it actually registered your shift.

IMO this is another idiotic implementation at going cheap on physical controls or "being high tech fancy" that shouldn't exist. It's dumb to not have important functions give physical feedback while driving. I'm not laying most of the blame on tesla for this. It still sounds like she's the one who really screwed herself, but I'd all but guarantee there's going to be a lawsuit for this one, and rightly so. Fuck all this touch control crap in cars. It's lousy enough just on the radios.

[–] [email protected] 187 points 8 months ago (11 children)

Don't forget the fancy electric door handles that stop working when you back into a pond.

There are emergency override handles, but not everyone knows where they are or how to use them, so they're not all that useful in an emergency.

These deadly features are purely cosmetic, so I would lay a decent amount of blame is on tesla

[–] [email protected] 69 points 8 months ago (7 children)

Stupid cosmetic designs have been an issue for a long time. There was a theater fire in Chicago in the early 1900's where a bunch of people died because they couldn't figure out how to use the fancy door handles while panicking and being crushed by everyone trying to get out. That's the reason why exit doors on buildings with a high occupancy are now required to swing out, and have those pushbar locks that allow the door to open even if you're just falling on it.

If it's possible that someone will need to use something while panicking, it needs to be as simple, intuitive, and failproof as possible

[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Wanted to chime in and clarify, the major issue there is you cannot operate a door handle in a crush, no matter how much of your senses you have. Can't use a door handle if you can't use your arms. Am drunk on the internet and hope this isn't interpreted as a hostile reply.

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 8 months ago (2 children)

If I had my way, regulations would require a physical connection for all door handles, and not just that a secondary physical release be available. I don't know how you would go about finding injuries associated with each design as a layperson, but I bet there's a death or two associated with each novel design.

An old man roasted in his Cadillac XLR because the battery was dead and he didn't know where the secondary release was. I think it's under the seat on that car. I don't care how cool that electronic door release was, or if the old man was negligent in not knowing his exits; it wasn't worth his life.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 8 months ago (1 children)

And let's not forget that there are people who have flexibility issues that can't reach under their seat in an emergency.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I love how they made the emergency door release a multi step process, which on some models recommended a flat head screwdriver or in others only is for the front doors.

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[–] [email protected] 52 points 8 months ago (6 children)

Anton Yelchin was also done in by a not too dissimilar feature. The gear shift of his vehicle returned to a "neutral position" after shifting so unless you looked at the letter indicator you may not realize what gear you're in.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 8 months ago

That is the worst idea ever. When I drove a snow plow I would shift from forward to reverse and back hundreds of times a storm. Without taking my eyes off my surroundings.

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[–] [email protected] 127 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

I find it hard to talk badly of anyone who had just died, whether or not they were related to Mitch McConnell. That was a horrible way to go.

But, if it turns out the Tesla design was at fault, then we may be watching one of the few families who have enough resources to challenge Elon Musk get medieval on his ass. Which would be fun to watch, even if did take a tragedy to start all off.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (7 children)

Their family is not a "loving family" that normal people would imagine. These are conservatives who lack the capacity for empathy and do not feel kindness or love for one another. Their relationships are transactional.

If they sue, it will only be because they see an opportunity for profit. Not because they want to prevent this from happening to anyone else.

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[–] [email protected] 118 points 8 months ago (9 children)

Wow, he referenced her death in his retirement statement, but I just assumed it was age related because... well... look at them.

Always remember, if your car goes in the water, you CAN'T open your door until the pressure equalizes. You have pounds of water pushing against the door, keeping it closed.

Mythbusters went over this... Undo your seat belt and let the water IN. When there's enough water inside, open the door.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Shortly after Mythbusters did that bit. They were directly credited with saving a trucker's life. He crashed into a lake. His window didn't work but he had a manual roof vent, which he was able to open to equalize the pressure. He said he would have never done that if he hadn't seen the episode because of how scary it was to watch the water pour into his cab.

Spelling

[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Adam Savage has said that that was the most terrifying myth they've tested, and I'm pretty sure even with all of their divers and support crew he thought he was going to die.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 8 months ago (12 children)

This is a Tesla right? Those door handles are electric, so you need to hope the cars electrics hold and not short. Or you can find the emergency release in the door pocket.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 8 months ago

you can find the emergency release in the door pocket.

Not without some training first. They are inexplicably hidden. I imagine Elon laughing aloud when he reads of people drowning in Teslas, frantically trying to figure out how to escape.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Helicopter Egress Training they actually have you keep your seat belt(s) on until the cabin is filled with water, pressure equalized, AND door/window opened. The reason is, to push a door or window open you need a solid "foundation" and if you're unstrapped floating in water you may only push your body away.
A road vehicle has a smaller cabin and more hand/foot holds, but I thought it worth mentioning.

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[+] [email protected] 111 points 8 months ago (3 children)

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[–] [email protected] 72 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (11 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.

[–] [email protected] 116 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (10 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.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 8 months ago

Hahahahahaha what the actual fuck for real.

Musk: "Trust my car, bro" Car: goes in reverse instead of forward

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 8 months 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.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 8 months ago (1 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,

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

[–] [email protected] 26 points 8 months ago (1 children)

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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[–] [email protected] 41 points 8 months ago

They should have used the Tesla Rock that broke the Tesla Trucks window

[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (3 children)

This is horrifying. A manual window breaking device that is part of the interior of the car should be standard by now. It wouldn't be that difficult to design. This is not a Tesla exclusive problem.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (9 children)

Tragic way to die. I wouldn’t wish this even on my worst enemies.

We all watch the videos of how to deal with this exact situation but in reality only a few people would be able to react accordingly to save themselves.

The article describes the area of water as a “pond” but the vehicle was fully submerged. Rescuers had trouble with rescue attempts due to the depth. Seems more like a lake to me.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 8 months ago (3 children)

"there is no technical difference between lakes and ponds, according to the National Park Service. While the distinction between lakes and ponds can be a bit blurry, there are some general guidelines. For example, if sunlight can reach the bottom of the entire body of water, it's generally considered a pond, according to the National Park Service. Conversely, if the body of water is deep enough in some places that sunlight cannot penetrate it, it's generally considered a lake.

When it comes to size, though, there are no exact guidelines. Ponds are generally smaller than lakes, but there's no universal standard. That means some things we call a pond might be considered a lake by some. And some lakes may be more pond-like to some people."

https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/the-buzz/whats-the-difference-lake-vs-pond/

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Imagine the crazy conspiracy shit if this was how Musk forced McConnell to retire by forcing her Tesla into the water, or some other crazy reason.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (11 children)

Oh no

Anyway, I’m going to Vegas later this week to get messy with my friends for my 40th. Anyone have any recommendations for places to hit?

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago (23 children)

Always carry a glass breaker in your car within reach of the drivers seat

[–] [email protected] 57 points 8 months ago (3 children)

New Teslas have laminated glass, not tempered glass. It does not shatter.

https://youtu.be/6tnEDH1HfD0?t=378

[–] [email protected] 68 points 8 months ago (3 children)

So they're death traps

Gotcha

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 8 months ago

I skimmed the headline too quickly when I saw "billionaire" and "panicked last call" then I thought she was somehow involved in insider trading for Tesla stock.

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