1. ( ) UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Monday, August 18, 1997 17A Government investigates Ford sunroofs Motorists report 19 minor injuries The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Bill Schaeffer was driving on the Long Island Expressway when the sunroof on his 1992 Ford Explorer suddenly blew off of the sport utility vehicle. "I looked in the rearview mirror and I saw the sunroof flying like a little helicopter, and it was heading right for the car behind me," Schaeffer said. "I was nervous because it was heading level with the driver, but by the time it had gotten to the car it had dropped downward into his bumper and then went below the car," said the stockbroker from South Huntington, N.Y. Schaeffer is among 170 motorists who have complained that the sunroofs on their Ford Explorers either blew off while they were driving or suddenly shattered. The government's highway safety agency recently upgraded its investigation into the sunroofs on Ford Explorers for model years 1991-94 to determine if there is a defect. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also is looking into the sunroofs on 1991-94 Mazda Navajos. The Explorer and Navajo are equipped with the same optional, factory-installed sunroof glass panel made by Ford and Webasto Sunroof, Inc. of Rochester Hills, Mich. Karen Shaughnessy, Ford representative, said the company was cooperating fully with NHTSA. Attempts to reach Webasto officials were unsuccessful. There have been 104 reports of Explorer sunroofs blowing off vehicles and 66 reports of sunroofs shattering without any evidence of them being hit by an object, according to government records. There is one complaint of a Mazda Navajo sunroof shattering. Nineteen minor injuries were reported, mostly minor cuts passengers said were from the shattered glass. The government has two reports of sunroofs striking other automobiles. There are about 292,000 of the 1991-1994 Ford Explorer with the sunroofs on the road and about 34,000 Navajos. Lou Camp, Ford's director of automotive safety, said in February the matter was unrelated to a design or manufacturing defect but instead involved customer His memo to the government said the sunroof could be scratched or chipped when motorists manually removed and stored it and that motorists might reinstall it improperly. usage issues. However, Schaeffer and his wife, Linda, said they never manually removed their sunroof. Schaeffer was taking his 15-year-old daughter and two of her friends to a basketball tournament on June 13, traveling at about 55 mph near Little Neck, N.Y., when he heard what sounded like an air leak. He tightened the sunroof with a manual dial to seal it and said the sunroof then flew off. He pulled to the side of the road to make sure the driver of the other car was not hurt. He could not recover the shattered sunroof from the busy expressway. The Schaefers said replacing the sunroof cost $819, but they don't use the new one because they are afraid of another incident. Ford recalled 2,500 sunroofs on 1991 model year Ford Explorers in June 1990 to install redesigned hinges. Ford said the glass panel could fall out if the owner reinstalled it improperly. The recall affected vehicles built before May 1991, records show. Hikers beware: check the guide Inexperience may be factor in deaths The Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Every year, tourists flock to the West to run wild rivers, climb mountains and hike desert canyons, counting on outfitters and guides to see them safely through. But in an industry where oversight varies from state to state, nothing guarantees that wilderness guides are the outdoor veterans they claim to be. "It really is an example of the old adage, "Let the buyer beware," says Terry Messmer, a Utah State University extension wildlife specialist. "You need to check their level of experience, whether they're full time, half time or just moonlighting for a few extra dollars." Investigators hope to learn whether inexperience may have been a factor in the drownings last week of 11 people on a TrekAmerica expedition deep inside northern Arizona's Antelope Canyon. Only the guide, Poncho Quintana, 28, survived the flash flood that swept hikers away at the Navajo Nation site. Quintana had received 21 days of guide training from TrekAmerica and had led tours through steep, narrow Antelope Canyon two or three times, said Jack Akhus, the company's Los Angeles-based personnel manager. But Aakhus said no training could have prepared Quintana for such a sudden, fierce flood, or helped him keep his hikers from being swept away. Messmer argued that uniform regulation is the best way to weed out pretenders in the industry. "A lot of it is on-the-job type training," he said. The National Park Service requires all its concessionaires, including outfitters and guides, to meet safety, health and liability insurance standards. But state agencies vary widely in their oversight of the industry. In Arizona, the state Fish and Game Department exercises no regulatory oversight of excursions. Pat Buccello, a National Park Service investigator at southern Utah's Zion National Park, emphasizes the need for hikers to be constantly aware of their surroundings — and willing to question wren guides questionors Still, she questions the need for more extensive, formal controls on the outdoor industry. "How do you write a regulation that can make sure someone has experience in hiking in a narrow canyon?" Buccello asks. "Then you'd have to have them predict the weather, too." Antelope Canyon was within a widespread region under warning for extreme thunderstorms about two hours before the flood hit Tuesday. The wall of water was caused by a storm that dumped heavy rain 15 miles away on a plateau 2,000 feet higher than the canyon. "If you look at nature there are probably 50 different elements of nature that one could study that could turn into a disaster," Aakhus said. Internet credit report venture stumbles The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Consumer advocates were worried that selling credit reports on the Internet could allow the wrong people to get hold of confidential information. Less than 48 hours into Experian Inc.'s venture, a computer glitch seemed to confirm those fears. A deluge of electronic orders early Friday caused some legitimately purchased reports to go to the wrong customers, forcing one of the world's largest information companies to close its Internet site. The company quietly launched the site Wednesday night. There was no security breach, but news reports about the move prompted a sudden deluge of requests for reports early Friday, causing the technical breakdown, said Martin Abrams, a vice president at the Orange, Calif. based company. The site received 2,000 requests for reports between 8 p.m. Thursday and early Friday, Abrams said. Of those, 213 reports were transmitted electronically. The company didn't know how many of those were misdirected but planned to contact all the customers to find out. The company will restore the site once the problems are resolved, he said. Experian put up the site after receiving 15,000 consumer e-mail requests for Internet access to credit reports. For a fee — $8 in most states — individuals can look at the reports, which include information about their loans, payment patterns, past addresses and other details, after providing a Social Security number, a personal credit card number and other private information. The data transmission is encrypted to prevent Internet eavesdroppers from intercepting it. Defenders of the site said the records were widely available to employers, landlords and others. But some consumer advocates contend that Experian hasn't done enough to keep criminals out. "It's too easy for a very determined stalker or anyone else who wants that information about you to ... retrieve those credit reports," said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer group based in San Diego. Experian was formed in 1996 through the merger of TRW Information Systems & Services, one of the largest U.S. credit information companies, and CCN Group, Europe's largest credit reference. The Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Loyal fan Pat Armstrong had little use for the hordes of reporters and Elvis Presley impersonators drawn to Graceland for Saturday's 20th anniversary of the death of the King of rock 'n' roll. "The media pick out all these idiots," she said at Presley's grave. "They don't show the genuine Elvis fans. They pick them out because they've got those stupid jumpsuits and ridiculous hairdos." Armstrong, 54, was among 950 fans that came to Memphis as members of the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain. Through the day, a capacity crowd of 5,000 was expected to tour Graceland, Presley's home, while thousands more thronged the city and packed souvenir shops. Presley died at Graceland on Aug.16, 1977, at age 42, of heart disease made worse by prescription drug abuse. From Friday night into early Saturday, 30,000 fans joined the annual candlelight vigil and procession past Presley's grave in a small garden on the Graceland property. A 4-foot-high mound of roses and other flowers covered the grave, along with teddy bears, small ceramic angels and other offerings. Dozens of other large flower arrangements surrounded the grave and the winding walkway leading to it. Other commemorations took place as far away as Israel, where hundreds of fans gathered near Jerusalem for the unveiling of a 17-foot statue of Presley outside a restaurant. Some wore Elvis costumes. "He was the greatest singer of the 20th century," said Yossi Rosen, who entertained the Israel crowd with some of Presley's hits. Armstrong, Yorkshire, England, said she became an Elvis fan as a teen-ager when his records first started arriving in Europe. "We didn't see the face for a long, long time," she said. "Then when you saw that gorgeous face, that was a bonus." Another overseas Elvis devotee said he was tired of hearing about Presley's drug abuse. "It's very wrong to say he was a druggie," said Derry Caughlan, 50, of Ireland. "He died early because of the pressures that were put on him and the unnatural life he was leading. He wasn't getting the proper food." Notice University of Kansas Student Health Insurance Notice Students may enroll in the University of Kansas Student Health Insurance Plan underwritten by Gerbor Life Insurance Company through G-M Underwriters Monthly Premium Rates Monthly Premium Rates 25 years of age and younger 26 years of age and older Student Only - $42.00 Student Only - $81.67 If you are interested in enrolling, please contact G-M Underwriters Agency, Inc, at (800) 521-2623 or e-mail: gmu2@concentric.net or enrollment materials are available at Watkins Health Center. Please note: This is the only Student Health Insurance Plan endorsed by the Student Senate G-M Underwriters Agency, Inc, at (800) 521-2623 or e-mail: gmu2@concentric.net Welcome Back! Louisiana Purchase 23rd and Louisiana 843-5500 25% Discount Offer good on S, M, & L sizes. Waffle cones and toppings regular price. One coupon per purchase. Limit 2 with coupon Expires 8/31/97 THE TASTE THAT'S WON THE WORLD OVER We're still here with a Orchards Corners 15th & Kasold 749-0440 Stitch On Needlework Shop Gifts • Classes Welcome Back. KU! - Counted Cross Stitch - Baldwin Brass - Yankee Candles - Mary Engelbreit Items - Aromatique Home Fragrances - Department 56 Lit Houses - Fabric - German Nutcrackers Mail Orders Welcome 785-842-1101 - Frames - Old World Christmas • Radko Ornaments Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30, Thurs. til 8 pm, Sun. 1-4pm Professional Help 926 Massachusetts --- STUDENTS - LEARN WHAT MCDONALD'S CAN DO FOR YOU Students, here's your chance to make some extra cash without sacrificing your day-to-day activities. McDonald's has openings throughout the day and on weekends - you can work as few or as many hours with no minimum availability required. We will work around your schedule. In addition to the flexible hours, McDonald's offers you the following benefits: Free Meals on Break Competitive Pav Great Work Experience O Company Scholarship Career Advancement Opportunities Whether you need extra money for books, your social life, or just some extra spending money, McDonald's is now hiring for both crew and management openings. Apply at any Lawrence location today!