Bad Driving Habits

The Jason & Mindy Podcast

In this conversation, Jason and Mindy discuss various topics including driving habits, the health benefits of cycling, and famous brands that used to sell something else. They also share some music news and talk about their plans for the summer. The conversation ends with a quote about procrastination.

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After passing their driving test, it takes someone just ten weeks to become a bad driver. A study of 2,000 car owners found the average new road user lets bad habits creep in less than three months after getting their driver's license. The two things we do almost immediately are not holding the steering wheel in the correct position and failing to check our mirrors every time we make a lane change. Only 40 percent of women and 32 percent of men believe they have bad driving habits.

New research out of Scotland says that cyclists have a 47% lower risk of early death and a 10% lower risk of hospitalization for any reason, than commuters who drive or take the train. The study followed more than 82,000 UK residents over 18 years, who ranged in age from 16-74 at the beginning. Commuting by bike was associated with a 51% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 24% lower risk of hospitalization for heart disease and a 20% lower risk of being prescribed drugs for mental health problems.

- Bruce Springsteen – is officially a billionaire. According to a “conservative” estimate by Forbes, his net worth is $1.1 billion. In 2021, he sold his music catalog for an estimated $500-$550 million, the biggest transaction ever for a single artist’s body of work.

- Prince’s planned Netflix biopic is on hold because his estate has a problem with its 9-hour length, according to a report. The 2018 deal for the doc called for a 6-hour series, but director Ezra Edelman’s final cut currently runs 3 hours longer, which the estate says violates their agreement.

➢ Lamborghini Started Out Making Tractors: At some point, a beef with Enzo Ferrari led to the company making sports cars, but it still makes tractors to this day.

➢ Shell used to literally sell shells: In the 1800s, antique dealer Marcus Samuel expanded his business by selling exotic seashells. This required a large import/export infrastructure. When he died, his sons took over and developed an interest in importing and exporting oil.

➢ Avon used to sell books: In the 1800s, founder David McConnell was a door-to-door book salesman. To get his foot in the door, he offered women a free vial of perfume that he made himself. It turned out that his perfume was much more popular than the books…

➢ Mazda made corks: The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co in Japan. After about a decade, the company did a complete 180 and got into manufacturing vehicles.

➢ Samsung was basically a general store: Founded as Samsung Sanghoe in 1938, it sold dried fish, noodles and other groceries. By the 1950s, the company was branching out into insurance, construction, and even a theme park. But electronics turned out to be their big money maker.

➢ Taco Bell was originally a hot dog stand: In 1948, Glen Bell ran Bell’s Drive-In, selling hot dogs and burgers. But he noticed the popularity of the café across the street, which sold tacos. He got friendly with staff there, learned their recipes, and opened his first taco stand in 1951.

➢ Play Doh Started as Wallpaper Cleaner: The company was a struggling soap manufacturer that started making wallpaper cleaner, at a time when coal soot was an issue inside people’s homes. A relative of one of the owners had a daycare and gave some of the wallpaper cleaner to the kids to play with — and they loved it. The formula was adjusted by adding color and a scent — and Play Doh was born.

➢ Louis Vuitton was a Box Maker: 13-year-old Louis worked as a packer, making fancy custom boxes for various goods. He was so skilled, he was hired by Napoleon’s wife, and eventually developed a line of travel trunks. His family carried on in the business, expanding to all kinds of high-end, elegant products.

➢ Nintendo Made Playing Cards: The company predates not just video games but even electricity, in most homes. They started way back in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan as a playing card business.

➢ NASCAR started as a group of bootleggers: The largest stock car racing organization in the world has roots in an era when drivers ran bootleg whiskey in the US. They typically used small, fast vehicles to evade police. Many drivers would modify their cars for speed, handling, and increased cargo capacity.