What once was a clear cut and dry case has now become a convoluted mess. Regulators are now saying they can find no direct cause for the random unstoppable acceleration of Toyotas. Just two months ago this was over and done with. I find myself very curious as to what may have changed between now and then.
In the massive corporate world that is the auto industry there are many twists and turns in the route the truth seems to travel. In the early spring it was all over the news, print, and radio that there had been some faulty electrical problem. Then later it was discovered that some of the people involved were less than honest about the circumstances they experienced. In some cases it was revealed that drivers intentionally floored the accelerator and claimed uncontrollable circumstances in an evil effort to acquire money at any price.
Integrity seems to be a fading concept in this country and it weighs greatly on my heart. I am, however, very grateful for people like the staff at the O’Brien Champaign Toyota dealer. When I was looking for a used Camry, Champaign became the X that marked the spot. Having done business with the O’Brien team in the past I knew when it came time for a good quality used car I could count on them. When I heard the acceleration scare may have been a hoax, my confidence in the Japanese auto maker was quickly restored and I traded up for a new Camry right away.
There is plenty wrong in this world without people trying to make other things wrong for profit. I remember feeling something wasn’t right during the whole process the way it all happened at once. My worst thought was for the cop in California that used his own car and risked his life to supposedly slow down an out of control Toyota. That officer put his own life before that which he believed to be an honest person in trouble. What does that mean for the future? As the son of a cop, job or no job, if the integrity of your life is called into question before it is saved, you have to think your chances are probably going to go down.
