Cops Ketchup To Wienermobile [Updated]
Update, January 31, 2020: We love when a brand issues a wearable mea culpa. Following the news that the impossibly unsubtle Wienermobile had been pulled over by the cops in Wisconsin, Oscar Mayer has issued an apology on Twitter, along with an announcement of some new merch:
We'll be frank, the @Wienermobile was pulled over 😬😬. To help right this wrong, we want to use our platform to bring awareness to the "Move Over Law." Get this limited edition tee and all profits will go to the @NRSForg. https://t.co/ZClxTwVDLZ pic.twitter.com/1WuBdUDKUz
— Oscar Mayer (@oscarmayer) January 30, 2020
It's true that there are those of us out there who could use a refresher on the Move Over Law observed in several states—I myself didn't know about the law until a recent road trip—so Oscar Mayer spinning its mistake into a public safety campaign is a savvy and welcome move. The limited-edition T-shirts, meanwhile, are icing on the cake, with all profits from the merch going to the National Road Safety Foundation, which develops educational programming for motorists. It's a funny shirt, even if you don't know the news story behind it, so it'd be no surprise if they sell out soon.
Original post, January 29, 2020: Thanks to the eagle-eyed citizens of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, we've got a news story we can all relish. Over the weekend, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was pulled over by police, reports Local 10, an ABC affiliate. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department posted about the incident on its Facebook page, explaining that the vehicle violated the state's Move Over Law:
When a motorist sees a vehicle on the side of the road with its emergency lights flashing (red, blue and amber), they are required to move out of the lane closest to the vehicle if possible. If a safe lane change is not possible, or the motorist is traveling on a two-lane roadway, they are required to slow their vehicle, maintain a safe speed for traffic conditions, and drive at a reduced speed until completely past the vehicle.
Let this be a teachable moment for all of us, for we can all learn from the mistakes of this hotshot hot dog that thinks it doesn't have to give sufficient clearance to vehicles in distress. But in defense of the Winnebago, it's hard to think of any car on the road being more important than the Wienermobile. The cop seemed to understand this, too: no ticket was issued, just a verbal warning.