[mtbxplorer]

Rolling Coal: Conservatives who show their annoyance with liberals, Obama, and the EPA by blowing black smoke from their trucks.

Seen any on your commute?

 

[AlexCuse]

Been seeing this article a lot lately, but think I've only ever seen a few trucks putting out that sooty smoke, and always thought it was due to poor maintenance. Hoping this is some kind of elaborate trolling exercise - I just can't fathom anyone being disgusted enough with efforts to protect the planet that they live on that they would spend good money (both on equipment and increased fuel consumption) to maximize the damage they cause.

If it is real, I kind of hope someone does it to me so I can get a picture of myself covered in soot except for where my glasses were.

 

[wizzer16]

I think It's ridiculous to think the reason people do this is to get back at Obama.

Is it a stupid thing to do? Yes. Does it mean that anyone doing it is a conservative environment hater? Do people really fall into cookie cutters like that?

But If anyone ever did that to me I would be livid.

 

[Straz85]

In addition to being a cyclist, I'm also a car enthusiast. The website I frequent for my car news/blogs/discussion is Jalopnik. 98% of the posters on there even think rolling coal is disgusting and immature. This is the scum of society doing this. Bottom of the barrel. This has been going on for a lot longer than Obama has been president, but it just gives these disgusting losers another way to "protest" him. The good news is that this has now been getting a lot of negative press, the EPA has caught on as has law enforcement, so hopefully they do something to put an end to it. I would love to see federally mandated car inspections that were a lot harder to pass with illegal modifications. Also fewer exceptions for commercial vehicles, vehicles older than 25 years, etc.

 

[bedwards1000]

That has got to be one of the dumbest articles I've ever read. People chip tune their trucks to get more power. Dumb azz ******** roll coal because it's obviously good fun for stupid hicks to have a chuckle at the expense of somebody else. To tie it to the EPA and Obama is just F-ing stupid.

I have a tuner on my diesel truck, it has been on there since before Obama was elected. If you hold the throttle to the floor it will "Roll Coal", OR, you can drive it every day and never see a hint of smoke.

I've had people both successfully and unsuccessfully intentionally try to roll coal when they pass me on my bike. I hope they wrap their ******* trucks around a sturdy oak tree and die. There is really no need for azzholes in the world.

Well, at least that's my opinion.

 

[TenSpeed]

I had a guy in a Chevy HD attempt to roll coal on me in my white Mustang. He tried, but I was onto his antics. He saw me pull out of the car wash, and the car was spotless. He probably thought it would be funny to cover my car in soot. It didn't happen.

 

[newfangled]

That has got to be one of the dumbest articles I've ever read...To tie it to the EPA and Obama is just F-ing stupid

I've been reading Slate on-and-off for getting close to 20 years (ever since I signed up for a hotmail account and it started showing up in my inbox) and every year it gets dumber. It's all about the clicks. Tomorrow they'll probably publish a contrarian article about how stupid this article was.

But that being said, this looks just like Alberta, and I'd have trouble pinning that on Obama or the EPA.

The only thing missing is that around here a lot of those trucks would have a Confederate Flag license plate on the front. (this is western canada, which during the civil war was legally just a giant stockroom for the Hudson's Bay Company).

I'm genuinely surprised that I've yet to see someone driving around with a nazi flag - not because they're trying to make some sort of statement, but just because they're clueless and think it makes them look badass. Some people are just idiots.

 

[AlexCuse]

This is the scum of society doing this. Bottom of the barrel.

Ugh. Every time I think the barrel can't possibly get deeper...

 

[Harold]

yep, I've been seeing this for a long time. a lot more of it recently, though, probably due to better availability of parts on the internet.

I agree that it's a bottom of the barrel thing, and the thing about those at the bottom of the barrel is that they love new excuses/reasons to do things. A new excuse pops up and they latch onto it.

 

[rogbie]

I've been rolled a few times, but not in many years. Here in Colorado rollin' a cyclists would fall under the felony harassment law passed in 2009. Though, getting the LEOs to do anything about it is a different matter.

 

[BC_CO]

Obama is pro-helping the environment? I'm going to try to pollute as much as possible! FLOTUS suggests that kids eat healthy and get a little exercise? My kid is going to sit in front of the TV for 10 hrs/day and eat solely bacon fat. That'll show 'em!

Never underestimate the stupidity & ignorance of ******* America <sigh>

I don't get 'coal-douched' on my commute [knock on wood] - but it has happened many times on rides north of Boulder CO</sigh>

 

[sandmangts]

I have a short fat little douchebag in a giant dually that did that to me twice on my commute. I have asthma and that **** can set it off. I got his plate number the second time and called 911 and reported him for drunk driving.

 

[MinesPunk]

I've seen that for years around the midwest. Typically it's a dipsh*t ******* with an inferiority complex, fat white oakley's, and a flat brim hat. These people are typically the embarrassment of the community and nobody likes them, not just us cyclists. I'm really hoping this becomes a federally illegal activity. Feel free to tune your cars, I do it all the time, just don't be such a douche about it.

 

[KentheKona]

I'm with everyone else, its a ******* thing and its not new. A lot of people with pickups have semi-truck envy. Not sure why, but every hilly billy with a diesel thinks he's an over the road trucker. I think its the same way stupid suburban kids make their imports look like "tuners" even though they aren't. They even sell speakers that'll make it sound like a turbo blow off for you stock Honda. Nothing but a bunch of wannabes

It does seem when I encounter people in lifted pick ups they are overly hostile towards me. Maybe they think I'm some city slicker liberal on a bike and they just instantly hate me. Or maybe its because size of vehicle and penis is inversely proportional, they get mad that I'm hung like a donkey while they're on the same level as a mouse.

 

[dgw2jr]

Everyone knows how I feel about this subject: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=10932682

 

[Spatialized]

Guess I was just naive as I thought these guys just had poorly maintained trucks. Little did I know that it was on purpose but after doing research in the field (my daily commute) I realize it's just the ******* version of tuner cars: idiots with more credit than brains attempting to be manly. I've been rolled a couple of times on the commute and I find it funny that they go out of their way to do this. Stupid puerile juvenile immaturity. I'm all for those who tune their cars, but this is stupid. Found this from Bike Portland, quite amusing: Truck driver does 'rolling coal' on riders, and one of them is a bike cop - BikePortland.org

 

[unterhausen]

I have never been rolled on my commute. There was one idiot that tried, but he didn't realize that it's not enough just to screw up your exhaust system with a ridiculous looking stack sticking through the bed of the truck, you need a chip. I did see it happen while driving just last weekend, it was a really horrible idea in a very congested area with a lot of cars around. I hope the legal response to this activity shuts all these people down. And the idea of smoking Priuses better not catch on, I might have to take preempive action agains diesel pickups

 

[jkidd_39]

I am a part of the diesel community and we hate it just as much as you guys. To answer some people thinking that it is poor maintenance.. it's unburnt fuel exiting the engine. B/c we have a turbocharger to increase engine efficiency we can pin the throttle and the turbo doesn't have time to spool up and what you get is a ton of black smoke and high exhaust gas temps..

It's a shame.. and as someone said earlier in the thread.. Diesel Trucks are the new Tuner/Ricers.

It's hated by 95% of the Diesel community but there are that 5% that get the most hits/articles/notice...

Every-time I see someone post about this I feel bad for them.. Just know it's not everyone..

 

[WA-CO]

Thanks jkidd, it's not like mountain bikers are immune from their share of "finger" pointing.

It's just too damned bad we can't be a little nicer to each other, even if we don't share the same interests, huh?

 

[wizzer16]

Find out where they live. Wait till winter. Unplug at -10. Wont be rolling coal on anybody.