Car Killer

Car Killer's punishment is to travel the United States, visiting auto-body shops, automobile graveyards, and automobile-related locations and events. Any of these in a town or city named Jackson is a plus. Please take photos so we can follow Car Killer's travels. We would like to have Car Killer return to Team FMA's I-94 TB Hostel by September 24, 2012. Thanks for helping Car Killer atone for its behavior.

On Sept. 24, 2010, Team FMA co-leader A was just minutes from her friend's wedding in Jackson, MI, when suddenly the windshield of the Geomobile exploded in a million shards of flying glass. Unable to see and in shock, A swerved the Geomobile to get it to the side of the road. Once safely out of traffic, A discovered that an old tree on the city easement had dropped a 4-foot-long limb onto her car and, in her efforts to evade she'd run over the limb. Local authorities told A she was fortunate: one foot over to the left and A would most likely have not survived the accident.

The Geomobile, however, was another story. With its windshield gone and its front under-fender torn up, A slowly made it to the wedding, then drove even more slowly back to Team FMA headquarters, unable to take the Interstate because what was left of the windshield couldn't hold up to highway speeds. A had the presence of mind to photograph the tree, the damage, the tree limb, and the vehicle of the eyewitness for insurance claim purposes. On the spur of the moment, A grabbed the destructive tree limb and tossed it into the Geomobile. At the auto-body shop, A showed the limb to the shop manager, who commented, "That's some car killer!" And thus Car Killer was born.

We are activating Car Killer on October 21, 2010, almost one month to the date that Car Killer clobbered the Geomobile. Sadly, the Geomobile is STILL in the shop, forcing Team FMA to use a courtesy van -- one without a state parks permit or a Metroparks permit -- on geocaching outings. A's aggravation at the loss of the Geomobile and the close call she herself experienced have led to the only possible mission for Car Killer: a two-year journey of penance, traveling around the U.S. and visiting auto-body shops and auto graveyards to hopefully learn that hurting cars is bad, bad, bad. As Car Killer comes from Jackson, MI, we feel it is appropriate for Car Killer to visit as many auto-body shops and car graveyards in cities named Jackson. Car Killer may also visit auto-related events, such as NASCAR races, so it can learn that cars have other ways to crash besides tree limbs falling on them. We feel that a two-year penance tour will have hopefully taught Car Killer its lesson, and we would like for it to return to our Team FMA's I-94 TB Hostel by September 24, 2012.

Should Car Killer fall to pieces out of true remorse for its actions (or just fall to pieces, seeing as it's wood), please do return the TB tags to us. There are still more than 3 feet of Car Killer stored in the garage, waiting to serve as back up. Note: we claim no responsibility if you choose to be nice to Car Killer and take it to fun places! Just keep its name in mind....