Dec 11, 2008 5:37 pm US/Eastern
Treasure Trove Of Hidden Nuts Leads To $242 Tow
DEMOTTE, Ind. (AP) ―
-
-
Car owner Hope Wideup blames a chipmunk for piling in black walnuts inside her idle automobile. (File)
AP
Aw, nuts.
That's likely what Hope Wideup thought when her car's turn signal and windshield wipers wouldn't work.
It's also what she found later when she opened the hood.
"There were thousands in there. They were everywhere," she said, speculating a chipmunk found its way into her car, which had been sitting idle for several weeks, and used the engine compartment as a storage depot for a trove of black walnuts.
Wideup thinks it all started last fall when a chipmunk snatched a garden glove from her yard. She later found the glove in the engine compartment when she was trying to repair the broken turn signal. Unable to fix the problem, however, Wideup let the car sit unused for a couple of weeks and then heard a loud revving sound from the engine when she tried to start the vehicle.
That's when she looked under the hood again and found the walnuts.
"Apparently this little guy stuffed a bunch of these nuts in the accelerator throttle," said Wideup, who had to spend $242 for towing and repairs.
The chipmunk hasn't returned, but Wideup is not taking any chances and is alternating use of her two cars so neither one is sitting too long.
"It's funny, but it's not," she said.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments