A diesel truck driver rolls coal at cyclists because he is a tool
These cyclists appear to have escaped any serious damage but these types of events could put more pressure on diesel engines from the EPA.
{{Comments}} Comments
2 hours ago
A diesel truck driver rolling coal at a pair of cyclists in North Carolina over the past weekend highlights the lack of respect some road users have for others. In the very short video clip, a white truck appears to be trapped behind two cyclists and spins around them, leaving a thick black cloud behind it. This incident serves as further evidence against modifications that allow coal to be rolled.
Coal rolling involves modifying a diesel truck to inject more fuel into the combustion chamber than it can burn efficiently. This excess fuel produces a characteristic sooty black exhaust as seen in the video below. Of course, it is important to note that modifying an engine to operate in this way can often be illegal and is widely frowned upon due to its negative environmental and health impacts.
Illegality is partly related to safety. Public roads are a very dangerous place, and this is true even when everyone is at their best. Add to that a dash of obtuse behavior and things can get a lot worse. Fortunately, in the video below, the result was likely little more than smoke inhalation.
More: Enjoy the karmic justice served up in this coal-powered minivan
I replied to the video
In this case, the truck rolls coal onto two cyclists as it passes them in the left lane. While the video description on Reddit claims that “the pickup truck got stuck behind two cyclists and decided to ‘back’ at them,” we can’t be sure of the motive here. However, this is a clear sign of a lack of respect for vulnerable road users. The video sparked a series of comments about coal rolling.
“If I could snap my fingers and disappear I would. Nothing of value was lost,” said one comment. “Want to know why the EPA is cracking down on the automotive aftermarket? “That ****** over there,” read another. This last comment has, at least, a grain of truth.
In August, the Environmental Protection Agency fined Gorilla Tuning in Rexburg, Idaho, $1 million for zero-emission devices. The same month, Sinister Diesel in California was fined $1 million for the same thing.
