We're betting only a few densely trafficked urban areas of the U.S. employ the use of motorized bollards, which are posts that lower and rise to allow permitted vehicles down a particular path. Apparently they're all the rage in the U.K. where many city centers focus on pedestrians more than the automobile, and certain streets are reserved only for busses, mail vehicles and the like. These vehicles have sensors in them that trip the bollards to lower and raise again once they've passed.
Some drivers, however, believe they can tailgate an approved vehicle and squeeze past the bollards before they rise again. As this video shows, they can't. The bollards rise immediately after a vehicle passes over them, and they rise quick. In the video, a Toyota Starlet, Kia Sportage and Iveco TurboDaily take on the bollards and lose with little grace, effectively being stabbed through their undercarriages by giant metal posts. In the Kia's case, a father trips his airbag, pisses off his wife and no doubt traumatizes his young child forever in a bold move that results in the rear tires losing contact with terra firma.
Though I've seen the video and written this post, you can all expect to see me and my rental car balancing on two wheels the next time I visit the old country, so I shouldn't talk any more smack.
Thanks for the uplifting tip, James!
[Source: Biertijd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason_801 @ Dec 20th 2006 1:04PM
Stupid people RULE. Endless source of entertainment.
Kamil @ Dec 20th 2006 1:07PM
u already showed this very video... about 2 months ago.
DriftPunch @ Dec 20th 2006 1:07PM
You guys have posted this before. No matter, the quality here is much better. You can see the van drivers head print an image in the windshield.
Thomas @ Dec 20th 2006 1:09PM
I enjoyed this video a lot more the first time you guys brought it to my attention... a couple of months ago.
John Neff @ Dec 20th 2006 1:21PM
Yes, we posted this a few months ago, and believe me, the rest of the team is ragging on me quite enough for not realizing it. Although they do tell me the quality of this video is much better and, hey, it's still funny :)
CJ @ Dec 20th 2006 1:39PM
Ha! That's great! These things are ALL over Europe. I always wondered if that ever happened. Then I wonder why we don't use them here. I guess the police here would rather drag around barricades in their trunks.
Ashton_Kutcher @ Dec 20th 2006 1:42PM
I drove over one of these with my International CXT and the whole thing blew up.
Stephen @ Dec 20th 2006 1:51PM
Bugger, indeed! Those look painful!
Accordsforall @ Dec 20th 2006 1:59PM
The stupid people deserve every bit of pain! If ya see that it comes up jus long enough to get the approved vehicle through.. what makes ya think that the extra 15sec is enough to get ya land barge through.
Heck Im glad it happened. Those damn people are stupid and I hope theres plenty of damage done to the yahoo in the SUV. Moron shoulda been told that when ya buy an SUV its cause ya stupid.. and when ya put kids in it like ya old station wagon.. that ya even more stupid. And when ya think that ya can cross a motorized barracade and not get ya vehicle damaged, and ya try, and ya fail.. ya deserved to be taken out back.. AND SHOT.
Yaktastic @ Dec 20th 2006 2:29PM
that so made my day, HAHA
Uhh... @ Dec 20th 2006 2:34PM
hahaahahahahaa
Phil L. @ Dec 20th 2006 2:40PM
...and if you haven't seen it, here's what happens when a loaded truck hits one of these bollards at speed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TymBIAfq1e8
Frustrated Consumer @ Dec 20th 2006 4:37PM
So if you have to follow a 'special vehicle' to get past, how do these people expect to get back out??
maximus @ Dec 20th 2006 5:14PM
its modern day benny hill. Now i need to get a sensor off ebay. Just like in the US my friend has one on his suby from an ambulance that turns red lights green...oh fun
Kyle A. Miller @ Dec 20th 2006 5:42PM
The motorcycle and bikes sitting next to the stop would have no problem passing by the bollards.
Stoneman @ Dec 20th 2006 10:58PM
hahahahahaha
Any day a piece of crap KIA takes it up there, is a good day for me.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
D Man Sux @ Dec 21st 2006 12:04AM
Don't care if it was aired before--it's still HILARIOUS!
WHAT? @ Dec 21st 2006 1:43AM
The people in the last vehicle look like they didnt even know what was going on. I mean what if you were following a bus and all of a sudden your hit with one of these things... I would be pissed.
Steve @ Dec 21st 2006 8:02AM
Here's a similar clip where the outcome is slightly more entertaining:
http://dump.geenstijl.nl/mediabase/7927/29ee4ba0/index.html
Pixel @ Dec 21st 2006 9:24AM
This video stays funny no matter how many times I see it.
The only one I might feel the slightest bit sorry for is the van driver, there is a *chance* he didn't see the bollards.
The guy in the SUV I think deserves it the most. he's trying to get where he doesn't belong, and driving insanely fast to do it (even if he claimed to not know the bollards were there, was he speeding up to rear end the just-leaving bus?) He hit that thing so hard he tweaked the whole frame, as evidenced by the woman having to force her door open. I hope the kid wasn't hurt and that she beat the snot out of the driver later.
That geenstijl.net video is even better. I'd love to see photos of the aftermath damage to that car.