Mister Regular of the satirical car review show Regular Car Reviews on YouTube has posted a video detailing his experience driving a fully-outfitted Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility. Complete with sirens, flashing blues and reds, and those police hubcaps you recognize from two blocks away, this Explorer started out life as a sheriff’s department vehicle, after which it was transferred to the Fire & Rescue department of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The vehicle is now both privately owned by one of the firefighters and serving as a department vehicle, which is why a civilian was allowed to drive it in the first place.
At one point, Mister Regular’s passenger—the owner of the vehicle—pulls up a microphone from the radio on the off chance that the driver of the Subaru in front of them is looking back through their mirror, with the intent of unnerving them in mind.
“With the Crown Vic,” he said, referencing his past experience driving a surplus Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor, “there’s a little bit of wink-wink-nudge-nudge, but this is very Judge Dredd.”
This is due to the fact that the Explorers are still too new to be auctioned off into the hands of people who just want to look like police offices. With the Crown Vic, there’s always a degree of uncertainty whether or not the car behind you is an actual cop car…or a surplus vehicle driven by some guy who wants to enjoy a power trip.
“You are the one-man traffic jam,” remarks the owner, after a Chevy Malibu driver passes by, pretending not to notice the government vehicle to his right.
“People look at you with worry and fright. Cars slow down. People check you out,” says Mister Regular, in the description of the video.
If you want to watch the full review of the car, the video can be seen below in its entirety.