Report: Seattle Terrorized By Lone Dodge Charger

Once in a while we see a story about a young person with a muscle-car terrorizing local residents in a major city. Today, we have another -- this one involves a 20-year-old who appears wealthy, a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and social media. The usual ingredients.

A young man in Seattle, Miles Hudson, owns a Hellcat with a tiger-stripe wrap. According to The New York Times, Hudson has a tendency to rocket around downtown in his Hellcat during the wee hours.

Lest you think this is a case of wimpy neighbors unable to handle a car with a loud exhaust being driven at a reasonable speed, let the Times disabuse you of that notion.

It's unclear as to why he didn't get a ticket at the time despite that -- I don't believe "driving fast because it's my job" flies as a proper defense.* He has, according to the story, gotten at least two warnings and some citations -- more on that below.

*This is where I disclose that about a year before taking this job, I got stopped for speeding -- at much, much lower rate of speed, it was nowhere near 100 mph -- and was let go with a warning when I explained to the cop what I do for a living and why I possessed a Hellcat that wasn't mine. I think the cop let me go because he was being nice, not because of what I do for a living. I digress.

Of course, the Times feature gets into discussions about quality of life in downtown Seattle post pandemic and greater philosophical discussions about how social-media fame (and monetization) can affect the social contract. As for us, we're here for the cars.

Hellcat Chargers are loud -- I know from experience. I also know that if you drive them gently and don't rev the engine, you'd be unlikely to rise above the din of a big city, even at 2 a.m. That's why, as I read the story, I suspected that Hudson may have outfitted his car with an aftermarket exhaust.

Sure enough, about halfway in, the article reveals that Hudson was cited in March for having a "modified exhaust system that amplified noise." He was charged with two counts of reckless driving later that month.

His exhaust system continues to draw attention from authorities. From the Times:

At yet another traffic stop a few days later, an officer brought out a decibel meter, recording the Hellcat at 84 decibels even while idling, the equivalent of a diesel train.

I have never put a decibel meter to an idling Hellcat, but I don't recall them being that loud at idle.

More from the Times concerning the car's exhaust:

At that point, a different city department stepped in. The Department of Construction and Inspections sent a notice, saying it had “investigated and found a violation or violations of the Seattle Noise Control Code.” Mr. Hudson was ordered to modify the vehicle and to not “operate any motor vehicle that causes sound in violation of the Seattle Municipal Code.” The notice came with a potential fine of $1,300 per day.

Hudson told a reporter from The Seattle Times that he believed that Seattle has bigger problems than him driving around with a loud car, but he seems to forget that two things can be true -- Seattle can have bigger problems than his behavior and also his behavior can be disturbing to other residents. You don't get away with small crimes just by correctly pointing out your city has bigger problems.

After being ordered not to drive any cars that were too loud, Hudson filmed himself in the passenger seat of the Charger with a woman driving. Loopholes!

Hudson's antics did appear to be temporarily stopped by his mother. Yes, that's right, his mom seemingly took his keys.

Until recently, when the sounds of Seattle silence were shattered once again. Hudson was out and about again -- he posted a video on Instagram saying he was in his "villain arc."

Once again, an overprivileged youngster is monetizing social media by disrespecting his neighbors. This is the same phenomenon that leads to crashes at Cars and Coffee meets.

Let's hope Hudson matures and decides to not drive recklessly on city streets. Let's hope he learns to only rev the car's engine during daylight hours. Or, better yet, someone show him to the nearest racetrack.

[Images: Dodge/Stellantis]

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