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What would you do if you stumbled upon a car parked at a deserted beach after sunset, all its doors open, and a mysterious knocking coming from the trunk? Call for backup? Run away? Well, for Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Seth Hopp, it was just another day putting up with “Florida man.”

Hopp answered a 9:30 PM call about a suspicious 1997 Lincoln Continental parked at Sombrero Beach in the Florida Keys. When he arrived, he found every door wide open—except for the trunk—but no one in sight. To top it off, he heard a mysterious sound.

“As he approached the vehicle, he heard knocking coming from the trunk,” reads the sheriff’s office report. Naturally, Hopp called out, ordering the person in the trunk to come out. But things took a hilarious turn when 32-year-old Rob Moore—locked inside—couldn’t comply. He claimed to have been hunting for his lost keys when he “somehow managed to fall inside the trunk, ‘which then closed, locking him inside,’” the sheriff’s office explained.

The good news? Hopp popped the trunk and freed Moore. The bad news? Moore’s keys were still missing, and Deputy Hopp spotted a bit of weed and a pipe in the glove box—classic Florida man. So after his rescue, Moore got a citation for possessing drugs and paraphernalia.

Here’s the kicker: If Moore’s car had been just three years newer, this entire ordeal wouldn’t have happened. The 2000 Lincoln Continental came equipped with an emergency trunk release. Consumer Guide explained, “Three new safety features went into 2000 models: rear child-seat anchors; a manual emergency release inside the trunk; and Belt Minder.”

Moore found out the hard way that the trunk release didn’t exist in his 1997 model. The 2000 release was actually ahead of the curve because it wasn’t mandated until 2002. Ford Motor Company introduced the feature after the brutal kidnapping of Janette Fennell. In a terrifying 1995 incident, Fennell and her husband were locked in the trunk of their own car. Her tireless lobbying led to the emergency trunk release being required in all vehicles sold after 2002 (InsideHook).

Florida Man stories had already become internet lore by the time of Moore’s 2016 misadventure. With headlines like “Florida man caught with weed, accidentally locks himself in his own trunk,” it’s safe to say Rob Moore did his part to keep the meme alive.

Just another day in the Sunshine State.

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Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.