Man dies trapped in Corvette

1. How do you operate a piece of machinery, any machinery, and not know how to use it properly? Read the owner's manual, that is why people like me write them, it can save your life! If a door had no physical latch, which I am assuming the Corvette doesn't, then I would damn sure want to know how to get out if the battery was dead!

2. Per the article "the battery started recharging itself enough to be able to roll the window down" Elon Musk, the oil companies, wind farms and solar panel makers are going to be so pissed when they find out that GM has long-ago developed a self-charging battery. This is going to make the P85d the best car ever!

SVreX wrote: And I would lay 100:1 odds that the vast majority of us have never read the entire owner's manual for the cars we drive.

I've read the entire owner's manual for both of mine. I can't remember it all though

I guess what I am thinking is if the manufacturers shouldnt be allowed to make too obtuse of a system as there are always people who do not pay enough attention or just hop in the car without reading the manual (I mean, how often do you (or John Q ) really read your owner's manual?)

calteg wrote: The most typical scenario with the C6 is that the battery dies while you're outside of the car and because you didn't read the owner's manual, you don't know how to get in. 1) Pull the manual key out of the fob. 2) Crouch down by the exhaust and look up. There's a keyhole for the trunk! Open it. 3) On the left side of the cargo area is a tab that manually unlocks the driver's door. 4) You're in the car, now you can pop the hood and jump start the car\install a fresh battery.

Who in the berk came up with that?! Is a key hole in a normal, visable location too much to ask?

I was briefly "locked in" a C7 'Vette at the auto show last year because I could't find the low mounted door handle. I guess it was the emergency one that I found.

so much doesn't add up.

what random power cable is going to fail on a less than 10 year old car that makes it completely inoperable?

like was said, was dog in the car while owner was inside with his phone?

how'd he get in with no power, have the doors lock, then have everything else fail?

maybe he left car running or fan on while he was inside with dog in the car and the batter/alt died.

SVreX wrote: You guys who are so smart as to know better don't seem to have much experience with either heat exhaustion nor the elderly. Anyone could die in that situation. And I would lay 100:1 odds that the vast majority of us have never read the entire owner's manual for the cars we drive. That is a piss poor design.

OK at what point is it your own fault?

If he owned the car and didn't read the owners manual, it's his fault.

If he is too old to remember the manual latch after reading the manual, it's his fault.

If he wasn't in good enough physical condition to pull the lever, it's his fault.

If he didn't read the manual (which is most likely) and never cared to even inspect his new car (which is also likely) to ask what the little lever was for, it is still his fault.

I would guess 98% of the people in that situation would pull the lever thinking instinctively that it opened the trunk. So by accident they would escape.

There is not a scenario, other than that lever failing, is his death anyone's fault but his own.

I am probably one of the most liberal, if not the most, person on here. My grandfather had a stroke and dealing with him trying to drive was a toll. So I have had experience with elderly in difficult situations. This is just too much. I am sorry the gentleman passed and I am sorry for his family, but I see GM having 0 liability in this, (and I don't even like GM). At some point you have to take responsibility for yourself. This is one of those times.

In reply to Apexcarver:

Must be a different mindset then.

My Moto Guzzi has three layers of menus in the onboard display. When I got home I spent a couple hours with the manual, sorting out how to operate the system so I wouldn't be berkeleying with it while trying to ride a motorcycle.

Cars are even more complicated now. All the more reason to RTFM.

FYI, the manual door release is in your field of view, with the picture of an open door on it, when you look at the door while trying to figure out how to open it.

T.J. wrote: So, can anyone explain to me why there is not just a little lock switch on the inside of the door that one can manually unlock? Sounds like a stupid design to me. How does it make sense to have a floor mounted door unlock lever? How does that work? Is the lock mechanism not in the door but on the door jamb?

As I recall, yes - the lock and opening mechanism is in the door jam versus the door like a normal car, and is electrically operated in normal use. That is why the manual over-ride had to be mounted not on the door. I thought it was a stupid design when it was launched and said that it would kill people. Bummed to be right.

As you guys know, I'm a big defender of technology in modern cars. For the most part, I love it, the infotainment, the safety, the gizmos that make modern cars more efficient, comfortable, and safer places to spend time. But electrical door handles? That just seems... unnecessary.

GameboyRMH wrote: Damn, didn't we have a thread about this problem just recently too? I knew there was a secret release near the door somewhere, but how easy is it to find for a person struggling to get out who doesn't know what to look for?

something like this should NEVER be "secret" … it needs to be where it can't be missed

oldtin wrote: So the guy left his phone in the waffle house - meaning he already had left his dog stuck in the car on a day hot enough to kill.

72 yr old … might not even have had a phone … I'm 66 and as often as not (actually more often than not) I won't have my phone with me … I've never felt the need, nor been required to be in constant contact with anyone … family or work or anyone

RossD wrote: What happened to doors that unlock when you pull on the inside handle that opens said door? Doors that don't unlock with the inside handle sounds kind of rapey to me.

neither my Mom's Fit nor my Sonic will open with just the door handle being pulled …

there is a button (not extremely well marked in either case) that will electronically unlock the doors...

but there also is a physical button that can be pulled up that will unlock on the Sonic, and something similar on the handle of of the Fit

wbjones wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Damn, didn't we have a thread about this problem just recently too? I knew there was a secret release near the door somewhere, but how easy is it to find for a person struggling to get out who doesn't know what to look for?

something like this should NEVER be "secret" … it needs to be where it can't be missed

The lever isn't hidden by anything and has a picture of an open door on it. Maybe it should have been hiviz yellow.

Trans_Maro wrote: If the handle were more conspicuous, people would complain "Why couldn't they tuck it away somewhere that is out of sight but still easily reached? Like right beside the driver's seat?" It's even got an icon on it so you don't even need to be literate. The hatch release and fuel door release were both in that location in my Corolla and it was very intuative. I'm not happy that the guy died, I don't feel bad either. Anyone who leaves a dog in a hot car is a scumbag.

we don't know if he left the dog in there with the windows up … he could have had the windows down, gotten into the car, powered the windows up, and the battery takes a dump … seems we're hanging this guy that died, without a trial

Apexcarver wrote: I guess what I am thinking is if the manufacturers shouldnt be allowed to make too obtuse of a system as there are always people who do not pay enough attention or just hop in the car without reading the manual (I mean, how often do you (or John Q ) really read your owner's manual?)

and even if you read YOUR manual, have you ever read ANY portion of the manual of a car you're borrowing, or renting ?

T.J. wrote: So, can anyone explain to me why there is not just a little lock switch on the inside of the door that one can manually unlock?

You are talking about a company that couldn't make an ignition switch that didn't let its keys drop out of and covered it up.

wbjones wrote:

oldtin wrote: So the guy left his phone in the waffle house - meaning he already had left his dog stuck in the car on a day hot enough to kill.

72 yr old … might not even have had a phone … I'm 66 and as often as not (actually more often than not) I won't have my phone with me … I've never felt the need, nor been required to be in constant contact with anyone … family or work or anyone

It says in the story that he left the phone in the restaurant.

He could not call for help because he had left his phone inside Waffle House.

rotard wrote:

wbjones wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Damn, didn't we have a thread about this problem just recently too? I knew there was a secret release near the door somewhere, but how easy is it to find for a person struggling to get out who doesn't know what to look for?

something like this should NEVER be "secret" … it needs to be where it can't be missed

The lever isn't hidden by anything and has a picture of an open door on it. Maybe it should have been hiviz yellow.

again, we don't know … the floor mounted release levers on my various cars over the yrs, haven't been EASILY seen … you had to A) know they were there, and B) be able to see them …

of course you could just feel around and pull anything you could find … but I'm assuming you and everyone else that's saying "too bad you had to die, but basically it's your own dumb ass fault" has never been in a panic situation … and it is MUCH more likely to happen to the elderly

this pic of the lever, could be covered up pretty easily if the seat is pretty far forward … assume also a not very limber elderly man … lots of "could be's" … that are mostly related to the elderly … only a few of you seem to have gone through the "taking care of an elderly person" … the things we take for granted don't come naturally to them anymore

aircooled wrote:

wbjones wrote:

oldtin wrote: So the guy left his phone in the waffle house - meaning he already had left his dog stuck in the car on a day hot enough to kill.

72 yr old … might not even have had a phone … I'm 66 and as often as not (actually more often than not) I won't have my phone with me … I've never felt the need, nor been required to be in constant contact with anyone … family or work or anyone

It says in the story that he left the phone in the restaurant.

He could not call for help because he had left his phone inside Waffle House.

I see that now .. as I often do I just read the comments … LOL

wbjones wrote:

Trans_Maro wrote: If the handle were more conspicuous, people would complain "Why couldn't they tuck it away somewhere that is out of sight but still easily reached? Like right beside the driver's seat?" It's even got an icon on it so you don't even need to be literate. The hatch release and fuel door release were both in that location in my Corolla and it was very intuative. I'm not happy that the guy died, I don't feel bad either. Anyone who leaves a dog in a hot car is a scumbag.

we don't know if he left the dog in there with the windows up … he could have had the windows down, gotten into the car, powered the windows up, and the battery takes a dump … seems we're hanging this guy that died, without a trial

The guy was a regular. How do you know he didn't take the dog inside for a nice waffle?

that too ….

It' all the Waffles House's fault. They should have found his phone and run out to give it to him. They would have seen him in distress and broken the window. Then they would have had to pay him for the window. And they should have had warning signs in the parking lot warning about locking yourself in a hot car. It should be at least trilingal and in a deciferable interntational symbolage.

/end sarcasm

LOL …

I guess most of my posts to this thread result from the seeming lack of compassion for a dead man and his dog …

without knowing anymore than we do, several automatically condemn the man for the dogs death, and while they say "too bad he died also, it's pretty much his own fault"

Readin owners manuals is my favorite thing. I even read them when I find them in the junkyard.