"The Saga of the Catalytic Converter" or "Detroit Sucks"

I've been meaning to post this story for a few days but haven't had the time. On July 3rd, I went with my dad, brother, and brother-in-law to see Star Trek: The Exhibit, a display of various Trek props and costumes, at the Detroit Science Center. We got there 10:30am and parked down the block next to the African-American History Museum, just off a main street near an apartment building. There were lots of other vehicles on the street. We were driving the Grand Am. To my knowledge, this is a pretty decent part of Detroit.

A little over an hour later, we had finished with the exhibit and returned to the car. We got in, and my brother turned the key. The engine rumbled to life with a throaty roar, which was unusual for a 3.4L V6. "It didn't sound like that when we parked, did it?" As we pulled away from the curb the noise mounted to unbearable levels. Something was obviously wrong, so we pulled back to the curb, shut the car off, and made an inspection. The muffler was fine, but between the muffler and engine was a bright metal cut. Someone had stolen the catalytic converter. Keep in mind, the car sits a whopping 4" off the ground. We discussed what to do for a while, finally coming the conclusion that calling the Detroit Police was a waste of time. We headed down the one way street so we could head back toward the freeway and my brother's house. We drove around a park and came to a four-way stop when a car shot through the intersection, bumping up over the curv and through the park:


It nearly ran into a fountain, then kept on driving through the park. I think I spoke for us all when I said, "Let's get out of here."

After an extremely loud ride back to my brother's place my Dad was able to track down the local Midas online and schedule an appointment so we could get the car repaired that afternoon. I was able to make it to the reunion.

As for Detroit? I say we burn the place down.