Steve Wozniak (or “the Woz” to the hip) is a man who enjoys the geeky thrill every now and then. He is known as one of the most ruthless Segway Polo players that Silicon Valley has ever seen. He is taking part, along with Buzz Aldrin, in an expedition to drive hydrogen fuel cell powered Hummers to the South Pole. And this just in, he's a Prius speed junky.
According to a report (requires free registration) from the the San Jose Mercury News, the Woz was ticketed for taking his Prius to an impressive 105 mph on a South California road. On his court date, the Woz pleaded guilty, with the following explanation:
“I said that I was really scientific, and in the last year had been in Athens, Moscow, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich (twice), Zurich, Canada (three times), Columbia, Singapore, Japan, London, etc., and had gotten used to kilometer speeds.”
Unfortunately, the judge wasn’t impressed by the explanation and the Woz was forced to pay a fine of $700 (a paltry sum considering the fact that the Woz usually carries around $20,000 with him at all times).
In addition to owning a Prius, the Woz owns a few Hummers as well. Apparently, the Prius surprised the Woz in terms of its rubber burning capabilities. Since the incident, the Woz says that he has been setting his cruise control to the speed limit, and that being ticketed helped him see the error of his ways. It’s good to see that he learned his lesson, though I’m sure that I’m not alone in wondering: what will the Woz do next?
Ummm... someone please let Woz know that the UK doesn't even use kilometres for distance or speed! :)
Does his allegedly dating Kathy Griffin also count as a stunt?
Two questions come to mind:
1) Why does he own a Prius and a couple Hummers? Is this somewhat of a contradiction, or is it just me?
2) How did he get a Prius up to 105mph? Very steep hill?