Joe Wilcox tells Randall Kennedy how he hitchhiked from Maine to California at age 20 for the sole purpose of sleeping on the beach. That sets off a long discussion about the American independent spirit, and people who don’t like being told what to do. Hello, Episode 87!

Like wearing seat belts, about which Randall makes important observation: “I’m strapped in. I survived the crash. I’ve survived the airbag. But I’m not going to survive some guy named Phil from Panoma—300 pounds—flying through my friggin’ windshield. Thanks a lot, Bud. You killed me…because you didn’t wear your damn seat belt”. 

But the projectile talk doesn’t stop there. Randall observes that on the island of Mauritius, where he and his family live, the law requires passengers in the front to wear seat belts but not those in the back. “Even if you don’t come through the window, I don’t want your spawn firing at me from the backseat”, Randall expresses. “The big people are strapped, but here comes Junior!”

In the United States, all passengers are required to belt-up—human that is. Joe observes: “People love their dogs. They love to carry their dogs in their cars. Their dogs like to ride in those cars, and they are not strapped in to anything. That means they’re projectiles too”. He wonders when, or if, there will be legislation demanding that the animals be secured.

“I wonder how PETA would react to that kind of proposal—would they be for it or against it?” Randall asks. “On the one hand, it’s a pro-pet protection thing…on the other hand, though, a lot of PETA people probably drive around with animals in their vehicles too”.

About the other topics, you’ll have to listen.

Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox