Dude coal-rolled me on the x-way once. Well, almost.
He let loose just as I was downshifting my Corolla to pass him. Zipped right by as the unfortunate car behind me took the cloud.
The thing is, his truck was most likely built in Mexico while my Corolla was from California.
You can't fight stupid.
Yeah, there's a disturbing segment of conservatives who have made it their whole personality to make people they disagree with politically as angry as possible.
It's simply bad behaviour, like throwing your garbage in the street or statting a brawl for nothing. Even conservatives prefer Clean air to polluted Air that makes children sick. If one Republican rich guy is blasted by one of these dudes while cycling or jogging and let that driver pay.
I think you're right. Just bad behavior from people. But I will say, I remember my dad saying he wished he had a car that polluted more just to 'piss off those tree huggers'. When you hear these things growing up around conservatives, it's quite concerning.
Juvenile Nazi-like behavior that approaches but doesn't quite meet the definition of violence because it's not time for the violence yet, but threatens that they'd do worse if given the clearance to do so is absolutely what conservatism is.
Worst case I heard of was in Waller, Texas, where a 16-year-old ran over six bicyclists after the cloud of smoke he blew over them caused all involved to lose visibility. Because of youth laws it's hard to track down exactly what happened to him, but from all signs, it was nothing.
"charged", yes. Convicted? Incarcerated? We don't know. It's pretty clear that the parents, who can be assumed to be aware of the modifications to the vehicle, were never charged with providing their child with an assault weapon and allowing him to roam the roads with it.
Thinking about this more, I’ve mainly seen coal rolling in suburban and the semi-rural areas. Trucks aren’t really an urban thing and the trucks in my rural mountain area do work.
Hypothesis: where there’s enough space and money for a giant toy pretend truck and no need for an actual truck = CR.
In further irony railroads, the original coal rollers, switched to diesel because it required less maintenance and support, was safer, cheaper to run, and this is ironic part CLEANER, especially if you had tunnels.
So, yeah, these trucks are stupid in addition to being anti-social.
I remember reading about this a few years ago, and it's fascinating to realize we have such a devolved subspecies of human that thinks this sort of thing is cool...
I've had an unhealthy preponderance of dudes pulling in front of me and belching huge plumes of black smoke. I didn't know it was a me thing til I asked some people about it and they said it never happened to them.
I drive an electric car.
I thought you knew everything (jk). I wonder if it's a bicycle community thing -- I remember it from the GWB administration. They'd target cyclists for exposure (and throw things too).
I hear much less of it now but I'm sure we're do for a return.
It correlates with the rise of hybrid vehicles, primarily the Toyota Prius. The popularity of that car caused a negative reaction from some segments of the population, and at some point they figured out how to change their fuel mixture so they could belch black exhaust on folks they didn't like.
The day I ended my donations to NPR was the day they ran a story about this with no editorializing (which they love). Nothing about this being bad just “this is something people do, how cute!”
Had those in Southern Canada growing up, too. They liked to do it around groups of people waiting to cross the street. To my mind, a vehicle like this is fair grounds for vandalism and I see no moral quandry in disabling it.
Do they not impound cars that aren't road-legal over there?
Here, the most annoying thing people do with their cars is removing the muffler from shitbox hatchbacks so they're as loud as possible. (Diesel is ~€1.76/l here, petrol more. So generating soot is costly.)
It’s perfectly OK to smash their windows. I imagine the trouble they’ll get into when it’s reported to their insurance company will offset any slap on the wrist you’ll get for vandalism
The amount of sheer petulant contrarianism is amazing. Thankfully not as many as there were.
We had one locally who had an angled stovepipe in the middle of his truck bed that directed his exhaust *sideways* blasting the sidewalks and bike lanes.
I see it on at least a monthly basis, each time thinking “man that guy is so cool, I bet he has a bunch of cool friends and no one thinks he’s a dork.”
It's the Randall Munroe Observation - at least 10% of any population will not have heard of the thing you think absolutely everyone knows about. Do not sneer at them.
"Oh. You haven't heard about Mentos & Coke? Here, let me show you..."
While you're in this rabbit hole, go find the door that's labeled 'Petromasculinity'. It's in a dark and slightly weird smelling corner. Behind this door is another rabbit hole that is on first sight just as unbelievable, but ultimately will explain a thing or two about the one you're currently in.
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He let loose just as I was downshifting my Corolla to pass him. Zipped right by as the unfortunate car behind me took the cloud.
The thing is, his truck was most likely built in Mexico while my Corolla was from California.
You can't fight stupid.
I may be wrong, but that was my impression.
Hypothesis: where there’s enough space and money for a giant toy pretend truck and no need for an actual truck = CR.
So, yeah, these trucks are stupid in addition to being anti-social.
"my vision was obscured by the smoke" then sue for damages
I drive an electric car.
I hear much less of it now but I'm sure we're do for a return.
Is this still a thing? I recall it being trendy years ago
Here, the most annoying thing people do with their cars is removing the muffler from shitbox hatchbacks so they're as loud as possible. (Diesel is ~€1.76/l here, petrol more. So generating soot is costly.)
Canada is also not an especially proactive jurisdiction.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/judge-dismisses-epa-lawsuit-against-ebay/
Weaponize capitalism
That's a really upsetting twist on a heretofore happy little comic strip.
Promise you'll leave Calvin&Hobbes alone?
We had one locally who had an angled stovepipe in the middle of his truck bed that directed his exhaust *sideways* blasting the sidewalks and bike lanes.
"Oh. You haven't heard about Mentos & Coke? Here, let me show you..."