Gummy Bear Art Car Takes Grand Tour

by Meg Nesterov on

Sometimes an “only in New York” moment has a more global story. On a rainy afternoon this week in Manhattan, my friend visiting from Germany was excited to spot a Mercedes with Munich plates. The car had a distinctive pattern covering its exterior, we debated whether it was metal, fabric or beads, but the actual decoration is much sweeter: gummy bears.

The back window detailed the “grand tour” of this visionary art, starting in Munich, traveling to Paris and London, and finally New York. The project is the third installment of artist Guenther Siraky‘s Mercedes Trilogy, which also took him and the car through Europe in 2007. The plan was to take the gummy bear car to each of the city’s major art museums, including the Louvre, Tate and Guggenheim, exhibiting the work of art in front of each museum. Over a million people have seen the car, and reactions range from disbelief and amazement to tears of joy. NYPD officers have even allowed him to park in forbidden places to display his work. While the car should be covered in rain and extreme heat, the slightly melted gummy bears just add to the vehicle’s charm. Siraky intended to sell the vehicle once he completed his tour last month, but he has extended his time in New York, and can be found driving it all over the five boroughs through the end of September.

See a slideshow of the gummy bear car in NYC below, and check in with the art car’s adventures through the artist’s Facebook page.

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Go Outside: Here’s Why You Need To Leave The House

by Elizabeth Seward on

Travel is all about leaving your comfort zone. Even to travel locally, you need to go outside.

But with the masses becoming exponentially more sedentary and with staycations on the rise, we’re collectively becoming a culture of people who just don’t get out enough. This isn’t good for our minds –- seeing new places and people and trying new things is integral to a developing mind. But this isn’t good for our physical health, either. AsapScience put this video together in an effort to explain what would happen to you if you stopped going outside entirely.

Spoiler alert: you’re going to want to go outside after watching this video.

Now Is A Good Time To Become A Pilot

by Elizabeth Seward on

If you’ve ever wanted to become a pilot, now is a good time to follow through on that desire. According to USA Today, airlines are now preparing to face a pilot shortage that will leave the industry needing almost half a million new pilots by 2032.

Three of the biggest factors behind this swelling need for pilots are expanding fleets for many airlines, more complex laws enacted regarding pilot safety, and approaching retirement for many pilots. The increase in pilot demand is greater than previously reported by Boeing and the fact that flight school loans can sometimes reach $100,000 isn’t helping to narrow the gap between pilot supply and demand.

So if becoming a pilot has always been a dream of yours, now is a good time to realize that dream –- the travel industry needs you.

School Hero Antoinette Tuff’s Next Move: Getting Underprivileged Kids To Travel

by Elizabeth Seward on

It was just another day at work for Antoinette Tuff on August 20 when the routine work scene rapidly changed at the hands of a young gunman who intended to murder the students of the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Georgia.

Tuff courageously talked to the shooter and convinced him not to follow through with his plans to wreak havoc on the school and surrounding community. Her inspiring story has been told through news outlets repeatedly since the incident and just two days after the would-be shooting, Tuff decided to use her public platform for good.

She launched a fundraising campaign here in an effort to help inner city kids travel and see the world. Her initial goal for the project was set at $1,500 but she has so far raised a staggering $105,868 (at time of publication).

Travel provides knowledge, compassion and context for those who embrace it. We’re excited to see this campaign do so well.

America’s Safest And Most Dangerous Cities For Drivers

by Gadling Staff on

The 10th annual ‘Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report‘ is out, with some surprises since last year.

Using insurance claims made through insurance giant Allstate, the report ranks America’s 200 largest cities based on which has the best and worst drivers. This year, Brownsville, Texas, jumped 21 spots to make it into the top five best cities for drivers. Older, more populous and congested cities like Baltimore and Washington, D.C., scored low in terms of safety.

Boston — famous for its especially awful traffic patterns that date back to 18th-century streets, schizophrenic roads and aggressive drivers — received a pass in this report, as Allstate doesn’t operate in Massachusetts. Lucky for Boston. See where your city ranks on AOL Autos.