# They blew this one **URL:** \ **Category:** The Show\ **Created:** [March 5, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264 "2011-03-05T22:27:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kevinma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@kevinma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kevinma)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/1 "2011-03-05T22:27:23Z")
Today someone called in and asked about a problem with the gear shifter after some jam had fallen in while she was putting jam on her bagel, while driving. The resultant discussion was jocular and while Tom and Ray said she shouldn’t be doing this, the banter wasn’t serious. The very next question was from a caller with a carbon monoxide leak issue and they were very serious with this one, advising her of the serious risks etc. It was disappointing that they didn’t adopt the same tone with the jam and bagel caller where the caller is endangering the lives of others on the road… A missed opportunity, without question. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/2 "2011-03-05T22:39:05Z")
These posts with the “endangering my life” aspect make it easy for me to understand how the nanny state is making the type of inroads that it is. Jam in the shifter in not in the “life endangerment” section. ---
**Author:** ![sallfham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sallfham](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sallfham)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/3 "2011-03-05T22:42:35Z")
My only thought about that one was, she’s lucky it wasn’t the peanut butter in the shifter. ---
**Author:** ![iputthelotionintheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/91b2a8/32.png) [@iputthelotionintheba](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iputthelotionintheba)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/4 "2011-03-05T23:05:16Z")
Putting jam (was it jam or jelly? I haven’t listened to the show yet) on a bagel while driving requires two hands. It’s not like opening a beer. I like bagels myself, and look forward to running into you someday. ---
**Author:** ![iputthelotionintheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/91b2a8/32.png) [@iputthelotionintheba](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iputthelotionintheba)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/5 "2011-03-05T23:05:36Z")
Was the dog even in the car? ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/6 "2011-03-05T23:26:57Z")
I thought I heard them ask her if she was stopped when she was putting jam on her bagel, and she replied she was. ---
**Author:** ![kevinma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@kevinma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kevinma)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/7 "2011-03-06T00:26:54Z")
Putting jam on a bagel while driving sure is endangering lives - the lives of others, not just the life of the driver the question - and that’s the point here - it’s the others i.e. you and me. Nothing to do with “nanny state” politics. ---
**Author:** ![OldSchoolDeuce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@OldSchoolDeuce](https://community.cartalk.com/u/OldSchoolDeuce)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/8 "2011-03-06T17:58:20Z")
Maybe you only heard part of the conversation? While their tone was certainly playful, their points were clear. They not only asked her if she was stopped while putting jelly on here bagel or muffin or whatever, they also made it clear towards the end of the call that she should not be doing this while driving because she could get distracted and " crash your car " ! They said that! That she could crash her car! What else did you want from them? Why did they say it so jokingly? Simple, it’s called tact, this was obviously a silly woman who needed to be told NOT to drive distracted, now I don’t know how long you’ve been listening to Car Talk but let me explain something to you, these guys aren’t JERKS, they’re not going to rudely admonish a grown woman on a national radio show! They are going to laugh and giggle and point out several times that she should not drive distracted, get it? ---
**Author:** ![kevinma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@kevinma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kevinma)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/9 "2011-03-06T18:25:28Z")
Been listening for years. The difference in seriousness of tone between that banter and the one that followed (re the CO) was what struck me. ---
**Author:** ![OldSchoolDeuce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@OldSchoolDeuce](https://community.cartalk.com/u/OldSchoolDeuce)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/10 "2011-03-06T21:21:11Z")
The tone was different because they didn’t want to embarrass jelly bagel woman. They were able to be serious with Co2 girl because she approached her problem seriously. Taking a more serious tone with jelly girl would most certainly have come off as admonishment. They were still very concise in what they said… " Do not jelly a bagel while driving " no opportunity missed there in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/11 "2011-03-07T01:50:36Z")
The Co2 girl had a life threatening condition with her car, while the other caller had a sanitation issue, caused doing something she shouldn’t have been doing. It’s Tom and Ray’s show, not mine, not yours. Why beat this caller up after the fact, while another caller’s life is on the line now? I agree with those priorities. ---
**Author:** ![ag\_ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@ag\_ghost](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ag_ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/they-blew-this-one/62264/12 "2011-03-07T20:47:01Z")
They did admonish and she admitted it was not intelligent.