The naked truth about ghost sex and dating your car

By Andy Hobbs, Mirror editor

Have you been sexually assaulted by a ghost lately?

You’re not alone. Last month, The Mirror published a report from the Federal Way police log regarding two local women who claimed a ghost was having sex with them. This random tidbit caught the attention of bloggers and news outlets nationwide. We heard “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno even joked about the item and mentioned Federal Way in a monologue.

The report tops our Web site’s list of most-viewed stories almost a month after it first appeared. Local television news stations attempted to elaborate on the police report with little success.

However, a Washington state resident has trumped the oddity of ghost sex by dating cars. Lots of them. Edward Smith, 57, whose hometown we still cannot locate, will be featured in a British documentary about mechaphilia, otherwise known as a fetish for machines. In an article by the London Telegraph, of all newspapers, Smith reminisces like he’s the Wilt Chamberlain of vehicle romance. This promiscuous gent claims to have had sex with more than 1,000 cars, and currently lives with girlfriend Vanilla – a white Volkswagen Beetle. He also finds non-vanilla action in car showrooms as well as with a 1993 Ford Ranger Splash named Ginger, the article said.

His most intense sexual experience? Making love to the helicopter from the 1980s TV show “Airwolf,” the article said.

Exotic hanky-panky stories generate entertaining headlines and laughs because we love news about people stranger than ourselves. Serious discussions on sexuality, once past the hurdles of giggles, remain a novelty like car cuddling.

That’s why The Mirror proudly hosts The Sex Lady.

Amy Johnson, a life coach in Federal Way, contributes her “Sex in the Suburbs” column twice a month. The column, which focuses on positive sexuality education for parents and teens, apparently draws a cult following in Federal Way.

At Advancing Leadership’s class of 2008 celebration earlier this month, Johnson said the column earned her the nickname “The Sex Lady” from devoted readers.

Rather than preaching about behavior, Johnson’s column engages parents and youth with matter-of-fact dialogue about sexuality, touching on a range of subjects that turn many faces red. In today’s newspaper, for example, she tackles myths and facts associated with using condoms. Likewise, the ongoing distorted views that accompany contraception only raise the relevance of a column like the one Johnson writes.

Johnson’s passion for helping families flourish certainly fits within The Mirror’s overall mission: To act as an agent for positive change and enlightenment in the community. Honest communication leads to understanding, which leads to connection and growth.

Regardless of the topic at hand, leaving our comfort zone has little to do with kissing cars and everything to do with letting the truth stand naked.