“She has Blizzard money, not muffler money.”
A woman lost her muffler in a Dairy Queen drive-thru and acted like nothing happened.
A social media poster who uploads content under the moniker Oltater (@oltater24.7) captured the bizarre incident shortly after it unfolded, which he shared on TikTok.
“This lady just ran into that bush at the Dairy Queen,” he says, zooming into the purported accident site. Following this, he pans his camera to reveal that a portion fell off the woman’s vehicle and is resting in the restaurant’s drive-thru lane. Oltater goes on to state that the woman “lost her muffler, and she is still in line to get a Dairy Queen Blizzard.”
Following this, his video cuts to him driving alongside the woman in her car, which has sustained visible damage to its front end.
Folks who replied to Tater’s video found the situation as absurd as he did. “She has Blizzard money, not muffler money,” one quipped. Another remarked, “I mean, have you had a Blizzard? C’mon … C’mon. It’s just a muffler. You don’t have to have them.”
Another person speculated as to what the woman was thinking when she decided to go ahead and purchase a Blizzard in the drive-thru: “She’s not going home with no muffler and no Blizzard.”
Technically, yes, you can drive a car without a muffler, but there are some drawbacks. The first most noticeable con of rolling around in a muffler-less whip is the noise. Just like the name indicates, a muffler helps minimize the sound emitted from a vehicle.
As Driver Knowledge Tests writes, “the muffler is a part of the exhaust which deadens the sound from the engine … without it, your car will be very loud.” Moreover, the outlet penned that “even a small crack in the muffler can make your car noticeably louder.”
But they aren’t just used to make sure you don’t sonically harass everyone around you when you’re driving, either. Removing a muffler from your car may also give you a dip in performance. That’s because most engines necessitate a certain amount of “back pressure to make [them] run more efficiently,” Driver Knowledge Tests writes. That’s why gearheads will attach aftermarket mufflers to their vehicles to help boost the power of their cars. Drivers who want to eke out every last bit of horsepower from their vehicles can customize all of their vehicle’s exhaust components, too. And auto parts retailer American Muscle gave a breakdown of the types of systems street demons rig their cars with to go as fast as possible.
In short, yes. According to Bridge Legal, all 50 US states “regulate vehicle exhaust systems to some degree,” the law resource writes. However, different jurisdictions carry different penalties for exhaust and emissions infractions.
For instance, when it comes to noise, the rule of thumb is that passenger vehicles can only legally emit noises that are between 85 and 95 decibels. But again, this gets tricky. In 2022, a Hyundai Elantra N owner found themself pulled over in California for an excessively loud muffler. The kicker is that the ride’s exhaust system wasn’t modified: he was riding around with a stock muffler. When his ride was subjected to further testing, it was revealed that the exhaust system sounded off anywhere between 98 and 102 decibels with more zealous driving modes engaged.
Depending on your state’s legalities regarding emissions, your car may indeed pass an emissions assessment for inspection without a muffler. However, automotive blog Motor Hills writes that “your car can still fail inspection since the removal of a muffler is illegal in all 50 states.”
Some concessions may be made for classic cars manufactured before specific dates, however. Cornell Law School writes that vehicles produced prior to January 1st, 1979, can legally exceed 83 decibels. After January 1988, 80 decibels is the maximum quoted threshold automakers can legally equip on their rides.
But this doesn’t mean that local law enforcement officers won’t pull you over for noise pollution if you’re revving engines or waking up the neighbors while you re-enact scenes from Tokyo Drift.
Removing a muffler from your vehicle is also referred to as a “muffler delete.” The car insurance business Jerry writes that muffler deletes are illegal all across the U.S., as does this article by CarParts.com. So, while it may be tempting to make your ride as loud as possible, you may want to think twice before excising the muffler from your car—or driving through a bush to offload the part before buying yourself a sweet treat.
Motor1 has reached out to Oltater via TikTok direct message for further comment.
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