My local paper reports this week the case of a man driving with vegetable oil instead of hydraulic fluid in his brake system. He used it ?by mistake?. Two garages had told him the car was a death trap, but he drove on. The police caught up with him when he was driving with four kids in the car.
He caught a book lobbed in his direction by the magistrates, who also referred him to a higher court for more of the same.
Zebra
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How did plod know that he had vegetable oil in his brake system? Were they out with a sniffer dog? I agree that the scenario is criminally stupid and I am glad that he was stopped but it might be interesting to know a bit more about how it happened.
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How did plod know that he had vegetable oil in his brake system?
You can tell the difference between brake fluid and vegetable oil just by dipping your finger in it. Brake fluid feels really nasty in comparison.
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L\'escargot.
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How did plod know that he had vegetable oil in his brake system?
He could have dipped his finger in it and then rubbed it on the paintwork. Vegetable oil just doesn't have the same effect as brake fluid.
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L\'escargot.
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My point was not, how did plod know the difference between chip oil and brake fluid (easy), but how did plod know to stop him and check? Nobody has ever stopped me to check my brake fluid!
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More details...
The driver was stopped because part of his rear bumper was missing.
Further inspection revealed the lack of brakes. The driver claimed it was new pads/discs that had not yet bedded in properly. Further inspection revealed no such new items, which prompted yet more investigation, which revealed the veg oil.
The driver claimed he kept jugs of various fluids in his garage, and got them confused.
He was also sentenced for doing 50 mph in a 30 zone later the same day. I understand that he did not plead ?brake failure? in mitigation.
Zebra
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Thanks Zebra - that clears that up!
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If this fool really doesnt know the difference between brake fluid and veg oil, what on earth does he fry his chips in?
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If this fool really doesnt know the difference between brake fluid and veg oil, what on earth does he fry his chips in?
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Unused grey matter by the sound of it...
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Nutter!
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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Met a mature mechanic or 'motor fundi' in Tanzania once who believed in brake fluid as a medicine. If he had a cold he'd snort it. Very strange.
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Way back in the 70s a standard, un-modded car used to be called a "cooking" Triumph Dolomite - perhaps the driver got confused and thought that this in some way referred to cooking oil?
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