A husband and wife were on their way to a wedding during one of the hottest days of the summer. The bride had asked them to pick-up a shipment of gourmet frozen sorbet centerpieces from a little-known sorbet emporium in Queens. At the emporium, they loaded a crate packed with sorbet centerpieces into the back seat of the car. The merchant warned them that they had three hours before the sorbet started to melt. So, flushed with the urgency of their charge, they set out. All went well until they ran into bumper-to-bumper traffic heading over the 59th Street Bridge. (You knew something was going to happen, right)?
All of a sudden, the significant other suddenly begins showing symptoms of cardiac distress. Shortness of breath, pains, dizziness, etc. So mom changed course to New York Hospital. The next thing she knew, a policeman was reviving her. She had lost consciousness and crashed into a guardrail, but was miraculously uninjured. She recovered quickly and drove hubby to the hospital. A full cardiac workup showed no medical problems, so they set off again, having lost an hour.
Significant other had a few other rough moments as they passed through the Lincoln Tunnel, but he seemed to have recovered on the Jersey Turnpike. The story has a happy ending. They made it to the wedding with moments to spare and without further incident. The sorbet was a smashing success. The question is: what happened?
August 25th, 2010 | Category: 
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The sorbet was kept frozen for three hours because it was packed in dry ice. As the dry ice melted, it produced carbon dioxide. When they were in bumper to bumper traffic, the air in the car was not circulating enough causing early stages of carbon dioxide poisoning. Once they hit the turnpike, the moving air kept the CO2 at a safe level.
You nailed it, Paul.
Remember, it was the hottest day of summer and the merchant told them they had three hours until the sorbet began melting. The reason? The sorbet guys had packed the centerpieces in DRY ICE. Dry Ice is nothing more than solidified carbon dioxide. As the ice slowly melted, the carbon dioxide released into the car and the couple breathed it. They must have had the windows closed and the AC on and breathing in the gas caused the problems.
You’re today’s winner.