The Case of a Red-Faced Speeder

“Where’s the fire?”--the highway patrol’s often-used admonishment to speeders--is taking on new meaning in Minnesota. Only this time it’s the speeders who may be asking the question. It seems the bright-red new cruisers being used by the state patrol can easily be mistaken for harmless Fire Department cars, much to the speeders’ chagrin. The colorful new chapter in Minnesota law enforcement began when the patrol’s 550-car fleet bought 146 new Chevrolets. Because patrol cars are supposed to match the officers’ maroon uniforms, Patrol Chief Roger Ledding compared the leg of his uniform trousers to a chart to pick the color sample for the cars. But what the patrol got, it turned out, was “a lot more red than . . . maroon,” Ledding said. The color confused at least one motorist, who was stopped for speeding after he passed one of the new four-door Caprices. “The fellow said he thought it was a car issued to a fire department,” Ledding said. “Apparently he was serious. Why would anyone in his right mind pass a state patrol car?” The state has no plans to repaint the cars it purchased for $10,400 each.

--Arizona state officials said they have been flooded with calls offering a foster home for a 9-year-old AIDS victim after a televised appeal. Jack Stockslager, director of the state Economic Security Department, said the agency had received more than 100 calls from people offering to help. “We were a little leery of going to the press and talking about a child with AIDS,” Stockslager said. The unidentified girl was placed under state care two months ago because of her home situation, which Stockslager would not discuss. The usual network of foster homes was filled, Stockslager said, and the decision was made for the appeal on local television.

--The attractions, or distractions, of perfume are well known, but there are fragrances that can help one relax or wake up, a Yale psychologist contends. “People are fascinated to learn about the scientific side of how fragrances affect us,” said Gary Schwartz, who conducted a study on the effects of scents. In the research, a bottle of scent was placed under a subject’s nose and physiological reactions, including heart rate, blood pressure, localized brain activity, facial muscle patterns, skin temperature, perspiration and sweat gland activity were measured. One series of tests found that lavender made subjects feel tense but also helped them remain alert, while peppermint was the most enjoyable scent. Other tests found that the aroma of spiced apple relaxed people and lowered their blood pressure by a few points.