A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a nerdy writer, editor, motorcycle rider, ham radio geek, former van lifer, and current all-around weirdo. Writer at Jalopnik and elsewhere. a.k.a. Smokey Da Van, Knerd Rider.https://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mv47uf3d3c2qSome things never change. https://whdh.com/news/commuter-rail-train-catches-fire-at-ruggles-line-terminated/09 Sep 2026 18:59 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv47uf3d3c2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mv473dr7a22qIf the proof of insurance required by law isn't good enough proof of insurance for law enforcement, then what is? https://www.jalopnik.com/2253119/police-issue-insurance-ticket-after-flock-cameras-alert-despite-valid-driver-insurance/09 Sep 2026 18:45 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv473dr7a22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3muzeda7zoc2oAnd I was mad that my new (non-LG) TV will start playing ads if you leave it idle for too long. Last night it was the same Subway ad over and over, and we hadn't been talking about food, but still. [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Sep 2026 15:41 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzeda7zoc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mukkzt4bok2qSometimes you really need to catch a bus, but not this way. Amazingly, he wasn't seriously hurt because he crashed into an open door, landed on a padded seat, and literally walked away. https://www.jalopnik.com/2249713/motorcycle-public-transit-switch/02 Sep 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukkzt4bok2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3muf7zqtw5s2nI've bought and sold many car and motorcycle parts on eBay over the years. Soon, you'll have to go somewhere else to find airbags, since too many counterfeit ones have found their way into listings, and eBay doesn't want to take that risk anymore. https://www.jalopnik.com/2246249/ebay-bans-airbags-conterfeit-concerns/31 Aug 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3muf7zqtw5s2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3muf7tz6iz22nImagine if Elon Musk owned every car's internet connection. If he has his way, you won't have to imagine it. https://www.jalopnik.com/2245772/elon-musk-starlink-all-cars-only-way-to-connect/31 Aug 2026 15:28 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3muf7tz6iz22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mu3gnwbxlk2nThe study is imperfect, and I point out how. But the overall point is valid. People crash while using phones, including in legal ways, more than police accident reports would indicate. https://www.jalopnik.com/2245680/iihs-driver-phone-crashing-police-report/27 Aug 2026 18:03 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu3gnwbxlk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtz7t6y4cs2nI've had four of these - a coupe, two sedans, and a wagon, all with manual transmissions. My 1995 SC2 was the first car I ever drove on a track after my BMW 320i broke. That year's interior facelift fixed all the interior quirks you see here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyma_KvLTfY26 Aug 2026 20:55 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtz7t6y4cs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtyzi3yv5c2nThe thrill of driving comes from the convergence of visceral, intellectual, and emotional stimulation, according to Castrol's study. All three are required to give you that feeling, and it's easy to get in even a low-power sports car, a motorcycle, or even a go-kart. Three things I happen to love. https://www.jalopnik.com/2244019/study-explains-thrill-of-driving/26 Aug 2026 19:02 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtyzi3yv5c2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtylwzwysc2nIt's sad that stories like this have become routine occurrences rather than the egregious mistakes that they are. Garbage in, garbage out, and even the cops are frustrated. https://www.wmbfnews.com/video/2026/08/26/police-stop-car-after-flock-alert-with-outdated-information/26 Aug 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtylwzwysc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtyjic6sdc2nIt's never good when the fix may not actually be a fix. https://www.jalopnik.com/2243301/gm-l87-six-point-two-liter-v8s-failing-after-recall-repairs/26 Aug 2026 14:16 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtyjic6sdc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtw7vvbds22nIf we're going to rename things, how about this? [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Aug 2026 16:19 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtw7vvbds22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtthmmzwik2sIt was just me and my cat for nearly my entire van life journey. But I met a number of families out there, each with different ways of making it work. https://www.jalopnik.com/2241274/how-to-determine-size-camper-need-family/24 Aug 2026 13:59 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtthmmzwik2shttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtthjwb43s2sThere's no putting the privately owned surveillance-state genie back in the bottle now. There are still no legal guardrails on ALPR use and misuse. These measures aren't enough. But they're a start, and they're something, which is more than we had before. https://www.jalopnik.com/2240519/flock-safety-changes-security-methods/24 Aug 2026 13:58 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtthjwb43s2shttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtmkr7zhc22fYet another case of a police officer abusing his power, and allegedly his now ex-girlfriend. The good news is that the Stow Police Department acted swiftly and decisively in response to her accusations and uncovered even more wrongdoing during its investigation, for which he faces criminal charges. https://www.jalopnik.com/2241898/woman-changed-identity-abusive-cop-ex-flock-cameras/21 Aug 2026 20:07 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmkr7zhc22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtm7k44wys2mAn autocross buddy of mine in Maine had a black Pontiac Solstice that looked just like this. Then he supercharged it. I got to ride in it a few times. It handled the extra power well, so I'm not at all surprised it handles a V8 under the hood with no issues. https://www.jalopnik.com/2241687/tesla-designer-v8-powered-pontiac-solstice-jay-leno-video/21 Aug 2026 16:46 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtm7k44wys2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtluvjrc722s“Given the errors AI tools generate, the OLC spends “more time trying to fix AI-drafted legislation than it would take for them to draft it from scratch,” the person said.” I could’ve told you this years ago. Oh, wait, I did. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/17/ai-slop-lawmakers-congress-01008376?fbclid=IwdGRjcAT1M1VwZG9mBWZkaWQWUM5-LaxF9lnVLtvrRXKcRw9UMY9hg2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6bBADJYoo8MoTMEC2vnG54Qwas3ngzePPYosey3TYePMxnKMJt5YgYviKUwQ_aem_VWHyAYu3UfdJdyzE0-8QHA21 Aug 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtluvjrc722shttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtegisf4422jWhere I went to school, 29% is known as a failing grade. https://www.jalopnik.com/2237694/roseville-california-flock-license-plate-cameras-only-29-percent-accurate/18 Aug 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtegisf4422jhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtcbe27htk27This is amazing! 😆 [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Aug 2026 17:52 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtcbe27htk27https://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3mtbvqj2grc2aIt's a story as old as time itself, or at least the automobile. https://www.jalopnik.com/2236361/shop-charges-4-grand-for-transmission-work-never-done/17 Aug 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbvqj2grc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msynu6w7ws2tPolestar says there was nothing it could do about its vehicles being banned in the U.S. for 2027. One dealer claims that’s exactly what Polestar wanted, and arranged it that way to get out of its obligations. https://www.jalopnik.com/2236704/lawsuit-claims-polestar-wanted-to-leave-united-states-before-ban/13 Aug 2026 22:09 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msynu6w7ws2thttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msvsohldos2gMistakes are being made at every step in the process, from data entry to plate scans to how police handle traffic stops. It's only a matter of time until an itchy trigger finger leads to a fatality based on a data error. https://www.jalopnik.com/2235429/flock-cameras-going-kill-drivers/12 Aug 2026 18:57 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msvsohldos2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msvsfpycys26Ever since they paved the final dirt section, I'd predicted that Travis Pastrana would break the five minute mark at the next Climb to the Clouds. Subaru put Scott Speed in the driver's seat instead. He set a new record his first time at Mount Washington, which is an amazing accomplishment. https://www.jalopnik.com/2235037/scott-speed-set-new-record-up-mount-washington/12 Aug 2026 18:52 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msvsfpycys26https://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msssmv6qbk2oWhile it missed Pink Floyd's entry by a few years, it competed around the same time as them. https://www.jalopnik.com/2233584/modern-carrera-panamericana-class-winner-monterey-auctions/11 Aug 2026 14:18 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msssmv6qbk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msqcyakh4c2oLicense plate readers aren't a new tool for the repo man. But the data they generate feeds into the growing surveillance state, particularly in low-income neighborhoods where cars tagged for repo are more likely to be found. https://www.jalopnik.com/2231912/repossessions-rise-license-plate-readers-used-for-repo/10 Aug 2026 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msqcyakh4c2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msqchqc7ks2oContrary to what she was told, EVs do drive differently from fossil fuel cars. They accelerate more quickly from a stop, and regenerative braking slows them down quickly, even without pressing the brake pedal. But is that worth a $10 million payout? https://www.jalopnik.com/2230825/test-driver-crashed-tesla-salon-lawsuit/10 Aug 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msqchqc7ks2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3msbm7dv3cc2oSo they're not just invasive, but actually dangerous. Lovely. https://www.jalopnik.com/2229647/flock-cameras-violate-highway-safety-standards/04 Aug 2026 18:08 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbm7dv3cc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/justinhughes54.com/post/3ms6p7ngs5c2oMaybe a tree, or maybe Amelia Earhart's wrecked airplane. 🤷‍♂️ Either way, it's worth finding out. https://www.jalopnik.com/2226721/amelia-earhart-plane-wreckage-expedition-might-find-coconut-tree-instead/03 Aug 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:65l6cfmcw6z3vzynchqebpox/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6p7ngs5c2o