America-Hating Thief Stole the Wienermobile's Catalytic Converter

Photo: Tim Boyle / Staff (Getty Images)

There are certain things you just don’t do in America. You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger. And you don’t mess around with the Wienermobile. Oscar Mayer might not make the healthiest products, but the Wienermobile is an American institution, dammit. However, apparently nothing is sacred anymore because someone stole the Wienermobile’s catalytic converter.

Fox 5 Vegas reports that the Wienermobile in question was parked overnight at a Sonesta Suites when some yet-to-be-identified hotdog-hating anti-American decided to steal its catalytic converter. The Wienermobile driver (and American hero) didn’t realize they’d gotten the shaft until they went to leave the Friday morning. Were these thieves not thinking of the children who were looking forward to finally seeing one of America’s greatest vehicular creations? Were they foreign spies working to destabilize our country? At least for now, you can’t prove they weren’t foreign spies.

The good news is, a local Penske shop was able to save the day and do an emergency repair on the Wienermobile that allowed it to continue its Las Vegas tour. It still needs the correct parts in order to be fixed correctly, but at least it was able to get back on the road without a lengthy delay. And the children still got to see their favorite branded hot dog car.

At this point, it sounds unlikely that the thieves will ever be caught, but if they are, we hope they’re given a nice girthy sentence. They didn’t just steal a catalytic converter. They stole the Wienermobile’s catalytic converter, which is a crime against the entire country. Crimes in that vein do not deserve a limp punishment. It might not technically be treason, but we’re pretty sure this should count as treason.

H/T to Road & Track