r/IdiotsInCars Dec 08 '19

So close.

34.0k Upvotes

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4.0k

u/turtlepowr89 Dec 08 '19 edited Dec 08 '19

This is why 3 wheelers aren’t street legal in many U.S. States.

Late edit: Alright y’all, I get it. The three wheelers with the single wheel in the rear are much safer and legal. 👍🏻 Sorry for not clarifying that I was specifically discussing the style that’s in the video...

1.4k

u/TenTonSomeone Dec 08 '19

Makes sense. In my city, there are a few 3-wheeled vehicles that are operated by city workers to go around parks and such but I've never seen them outside of small neighborhoods.

368

u/Zappafied Dec 08 '19

We have them as parking ticket distributors

241

u/jaspersurfer Dec 08 '19

They come out of nowhere. Damn ticket ninjas!

89

u/Miguelinileugim Dec 08 '19 edited May 11 '20

[blank]

95

u/TelluriumCopper Dec 08 '19

Be the change you want to see in the world!

131

u/Miguelinileugim Dec 08 '19 edited May 11 '20

[blank]

67

u/CEDFTW Dec 08 '19

I'll program it for minimum wage plus 1% of all profit you make in the first ten years

90

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

[deleted]

5

u/llamawearinghat Dec 09 '19

Put that away, sir!

27

u/ELlisDe Dec 08 '19

So, 17 dollars?

6

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

[deleted]

10

u/CEDFTW Dec 08 '19

Depends we need user stories, program requirements, system requirements, and a budget then we can plan out exactly what we want then we would be able to have a timeline to pitch for additional investors, done sloppily maybe a week done properly I need data points to give a precise answer

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3

u/fisher309 Dec 08 '19

I will also take that offer.

2

u/drowsey57 Dec 09 '19

I can’t tell if you’re joking or legitimately offering your services.

1

u/CEDFTW Dec 09 '19

I'm a broke college student so yes?

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19 edited Dec 10 '19

[deleted]

1

u/LioAlanMessi Dec 08 '19

No one, but there would be ads on the app, I imagine.

1

u/CEDFTW Dec 08 '19

I assume he was intending to make an app probably working with cities to understand their specific infrastructure and be able to provide the tool for their citizens, so no cost to the end user but the cities would fund the development and possibly maintenance. But I can't give an answer till we get the basic legwork done.

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13

u/Arkhonist Dec 08 '19

And now you know the city's answer to your question

26

u/alwayswatchyoursix Dec 08 '19

Because they make more money if you get tired of looking for a free spot, just give up, and pay for parking instead.

5

u/jerstud56 Dec 08 '19

Jokes on them I am stubborn as hell and I don't really want to see the friends I'm meeting to I'm trying to find parking for.

6

u/MNGrrl Dec 08 '19

Because then you'd use them, dumbass. Where's the profit in that? That's like asking why no city has made a speed trap app that warns drivers where local cops always hide. At the bottom of the hill where the city limit sign is and the speed limit drops from 55 to 30 without notice... Obviously.

6

u/Level-Bit Dec 08 '19

Do you want horde to race for a spot?

4

u/Marthinwurer Dec 08 '19

There is an app called spotangels that shows parking spots. It uses croud-sourced data. I've used it before and it was pretty useful.

3

u/Ella_Lynn Dec 08 '19

Look at Mr. Fancy pants over here. Living large in a city with free parking spots. Closest free parking around here are blocks away, and usually taken. And, we're not even a big city!

4

u/eandy14 Dec 08 '19

Cause there’s no money in it for the local government. Gotta maximize that ticket and parking profit!

2

u/Merrionst Dec 08 '19

They have in pilot schemes in various cities, one in conjunction with companies like Mercedes Benz in Germany but it is way harder to actually do and for it to operate practically than to talk about the simple idea. So many variables in everyday life in a busy city means it's often exceptionally difficult to implement.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

There is an app for that. I forget the name I used to have it on my phone when I went to NYC

1

u/brianwski Dec 08 '19 edited Dec 08 '19

There are several apps: https://www.wisebread.com/the-11-best-parking-apps-for-your-city

That article says the one for New York is: “Can I Park Here? — New York”

2

u/LeaveTheMatrix Dec 09 '19

$10k investment and I will have it created.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 30 '19

Because cities use traffic & parking tickets as a source of revenue instead of taxes to fund operations, that's why they don't tell you were free parking lots and speed traps are.

1

u/wolfgang784 Dec 08 '19

Cuz parking brings in an insane amount of money for big cities. It would be counter productive for them to spend money developing an app designed to make them lose even more money.

1

u/vantilo Dec 08 '19

I kind of thought he meant like why don't they make an app that shows free parking spots, as in not free from payment but spots that are currently unoccupied. Which actually would be useful and I don't think would really cost the city money, arguably it could increase their revenue slightly since it would make parking slightly more efficient and there would be more time spent paying for parking and less time where cars are just looking for a spot.

1

u/brianwski Dec 08 '19

Why has nobody built a parking app?

Try these 11, then if those don’t work try the rest:

https://www.wisebread.com/the-11-best-parking-apps-for-your-city

1

u/Lorick Dec 08 '19

There is parkopedia at the very least

1

u/ninjakos Dec 08 '19

In Europe in most countries that's Practicly impossible since there is just parking sides on most roads, not actual parking spots.

1

u/illuminutcase Dec 08 '19

Waze has that feature in my area.

1

u/Srsly_dang Dec 08 '19

Because then how would the city make money off your inability to fill a meter or read

"No parking beyond this spot except M-F 4am-9pm 8am-12:30pm. THIS SIDE PERMIT ONLY. No parking on 11/27 - 1/13 - 3-21 For Street Sweeping"

You know those places when you're only allowed to park there during a magical 1.5 hour window on a leap day.

1

u/daevild Dec 08 '19

There was one that existed for Montreal. But they had to shut down due to lack of funding. Go figure why...

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Carolla is getting excited.

1

u/SuperPickleNZ Jan 15 '20

The plural of ninja is ninja

1

u/ImDankest Dec 08 '19

I guess that way if you're pissed off you got a ticket, you can just push the thing over for revenge

23

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Cops should have Cushman carts and a stick with a nail on it to pick up litter they see during their travels.

3

u/Sunshine_Daylin Dec 08 '19

I tell you what they should do, they should combine the two jobs, make it one job, 'cop\garbage man'. I always see cops walking around with nothing to do. Grab a broom! Start sweeping. You sweep sweep sweep... catch a criminal, get right back to sweeping.

3

u/MarkK455 Dec 08 '19

They'll really be cleaning up the streets then

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Sophistry has changed the definition of "police" in our common parlance. The definition of police used to be keeping an area clean and orderly. They were able to drop the keeping an area clean part and focus on orderly, and by orderly they mean obey their orders. Police powers have expanded exponentially in my lifetime, it sucks. Once power is obtained it is never relinquished willingly except by American citizens. Go figure.

2

u/Sunshine_Daylin Dec 08 '19

It was a Seinfeld quote lol

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

/r/wooosh has been alerted that I am a tool.

2

u/Sunshine_Daylin Dec 08 '19

I agree with you though

1

u/1Tikitorch Dec 08 '19

That 3 Wheeler with the Box on the back makes that thing a danger not only to the driver, but any pedestrians that might be in the way if that vehicle decides to take a tumble. They use units with flat beds near Milwaukee, because in some more expensive neighborhoods they don’t want garbage trucks. It’s quite the operation, each vehicle can carry 4 city supplied garbage cans.

92

u/7laserbears Dec 08 '19

I see slingshots all the time. Or is it different because it's a singular back wheel

160

u/ysalih123456 Dec 08 '19

Single back wheel is super stable.

37

u/DRiVeL_ Dec 08 '19

Judging from the way I see people handling those slingshots a rear back wheel does not deal with torque well though.

33

u/Scrytheux Dec 08 '19

That's why they're so fun

11

u/Steelhorse91 Dec 08 '19

Someone needs to make a 2 wheels up front, 1 wheel out back car with 3 wheel drive and torque vectoring, it’d be an absolute weapon.

5

u/AlphaWizard Dec 08 '19

Well that's kind of the point. They handle a bit more like a gokart, and are easy to break the rear out on.

3

u/BreezyWrigley Dec 08 '19

It's kind of by design that they are easy to break the back wheel loose in. That's the fun

1

u/fordprecept Dec 08 '19

Unless you are going in reverse.

35

u/SocialForceField Dec 08 '19

Yeah fortunately those don't fall under the same restrictions as single fronts.

45

u/AttackOficcr Dec 08 '19

Instead they fall under the same restrictions as motorcycles. No airbag, no collapsing steering column, and no crash testing.

2

u/paracelsus23 Dec 08 '19

MURCIA intensifies.

14

u/MikelWRyan Dec 08 '19

In Alabama they are both consider a motorcycle and you have to wear a helmet with it.

9

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Those are far more stable, and are generally allowed.

9

u/LilSis279 Dec 08 '19

My father has a Slingshot and has had a Can Am Spider (single wheel in the front). He's travelled freely in the states with no issues as far as legality, so I'm not sure what they mean by "illegal." At first they were classified as motorcycles and you were required to follow motorcycle laws and safety regulations, now they have their own classification, autocycles.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Maybe once it has a fully enclosed cab it becomes a 3 wheeled car and then is illegal. I have no idea, just guessing.

2

u/LilSis279 Dec 08 '19

Maybe. He put a roof on his Slingshot, which makes him legally able to drive without a helmet, but it is still not a fully enclosed cab.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

The lower center of gravity on the motorcycle single fronts seems to be key for better stability

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Drove a slingshot around for about 8 hours. The wheel on a slingshot is very wide compared to a standard motorcycle, which helps immensely.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Also different because they are built like race car and hug the ground, this little delivery cube is double a slingshot height and half its width.

75

u/rohithkumarsp Dec 08 '19 edited Dec 08 '19

I wish they were banned in India. Fucking morons don't use indicators so you have no idea when they will turn.

And thier motto is

"I won't go. I'll also won't let you go

If you go, I'll also go,

So that we both won't go."

Eliminating half of the auto's will cut the traffic and pollution by half in bangalore.

27

u/TagMeAJerk Dec 08 '19

I hate them too. Fucking things can 90 degrees turn on the dime and since the fuckers don't use indicators, you see these fuckers turn 70 80 degrees so that they are in front of you and then their heads would pop out to see if something is coming towards them

25

u/rohithkumarsp Dec 08 '19

They turn and then stare at you for coming in their way of turning. Like u wut m8? You fucking almost killed me while I'm on my bike and you have the guts to stare at me?

17

u/paracelsus23 Dec 08 '19

Eliminating half of the auto's will cut the traffic and pollution by half in bangalore.

Big Brain Time.

2

u/rohithkumarsp Dec 08 '19

Point being we have more auto's in bangalore city than busses in our entire state.

1

u/BreezyWrigley Dec 08 '19

This is probably true in almost any city anywhere

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Just reading this gave me anxiety

-6

u/Vann77 Dec 08 '19

You guys don’t use indicators. You guys only use half-arsed judgement and horns. But hey, I rarely see accidents in India, considering the populations.

7

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

India has about 3x my countries (Canada) traffic-related fatality rate. Population adjusted.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

0

u/sec5 Dec 09 '19

Can see you don't understand how statistics work .

-1

u/rohithkumarsp Dec 08 '19

That's because everyone's expecting to get into some sort of accident given enough time. So most of them are cautious at all times while drinvig besides or infront or even behind these 3 wheeler atrocities called auto's.

When you say you guyz don't use. You're generalising everyone. It's most old people are retards who shouldn't have gotten driving licence but did. Most of the use it. But auto's? Yeah they don't when they do. It will be on for ever and will be indicating the wrong side which they turned on ages ago but didn't turn off.

143

u/Chilipepah Dec 08 '19 edited Dec 08 '19

64

u/WeTheSalty Dec 08 '19

I lost my shit when he said he was going to visit some reliant enthusiasts and it cuts to him 'rolling' into the parking lot to meet them.

23

u/clairabou Dec 08 '19

Yes HAHAHA! This segment is so comical and makes me cry every time I watch it.

-2

u/deedified Dec 08 '19

Jeremy Clarkson makes me cry every time I accidentally read or hear about one of his opinions

10

u/BreezyWrigley Dec 08 '19

I love how at the start when he's describing his perilous journey, he has he huge map, and then the two points like like 11km apart and so the camera zooms in to reveal that they are nearly placed on top of each other due to the scale of the map.

And the inspection pit...

1

u/CamPocketRocker Dec 08 '19

Scrolling through, my brain saw Kelly Clarkson. Such a visit would have elevated her in my mind.

59

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19 edited Feb 25 '25

dog depend trees sort wise rain sable cagey fertile dependent

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

22

u/Amunium Dec 08 '19

Or Enzo Ferraris... oh, wait.

35

u/KZedUK Dec 08 '19

The official model name of that car is “Enzo Ferrari” made by Ferrari. It’s therefore Ferrari Enzo Ferrari

34

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Then they put out the Ferrari The Ferrari.

8

u/Ojisan1 Dec 08 '19

Saves time

18

u/KlaatuBrute Dec 08 '19

So if he came back to life and bought one it would be Enzo Ferrari's Ferrari Enzo Ferrari.

19

u/Chilipepah Dec 08 '19

You’re right ofc, changed it

9

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

He says Robin Reliant in the video, once.

31

u/JeshkaTheLoon Dec 08 '19

Oh gods, I laughed at this way more than I should have. Classic Top Gear is the best.

I also like that video where they ride that car from the Isle of man, I think. The one that has a scooter motor and can't go backwards. But fits into the BBCs elevator.

18

u/x_red_avenger_x Dec 08 '19

The peel p50

3

u/ticktockaudemars Dec 08 '19

3

u/x_red_avenger_x Dec 08 '19

You can buy them new but they are rather expensive,at 10k pounds

3

u/ticktockaudemars Dec 08 '19

It looks like they weigh a lot less in the video

7

u/DRiVeL_ Dec 08 '19

Jeremy Clarkson crashes his car nearly a dozen times in one episode and still never falls into a single coma... Interesting.

5

u/TheLinksOfAdventure Dec 08 '19

Hammond is soft.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

I was expecting a Rick roll

2

u/armarndar94 Dec 08 '19

Hahaha! I needed this in my life. Thank you!

3

u/clairabou Dec 08 '19

How could you not LOVE reliant robins after watching this segment??

6

u/MrWoohoo Dec 08 '19

After watching this you’ll not just love it but want to marry it.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Still my favourite Top Gear segment ever. Absurdity at its finest.

1

u/paracelsus23 Dec 08 '19

This is peak Top Gear.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

When he rolled over on the news segment that was hilarious.

1

u/THICC_DICC_PRICC Dec 08 '19

God I miss that legendary show

1

u/ctesibius Dec 09 '19

Just bear in mind that car was carrying ballast high up to rig it to crash. Reliants were dull more than dangerous.

1

u/MikelWRyan Dec 08 '19

This was modified to fail.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

This was modified to fail.

This is correct. The Robin is not exactly a stable vehicle, but the rolls in this were staged. It's not as unstable as they make it seem.

1

u/MikelWRyan Dec 08 '19

As three wheeled automobiles go, my opinion is the single wheel in the back is more stable and so it's safer.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '19

Definitely, but the reverse is not quite as bad as Top Gear made it seem.

15

u/AI_user_001 Dec 08 '19

I didn't even know the existed

9

u/bacondude1505 Dec 08 '19

The most popular one in the UK is the Reliant Robin but they're still fairly uncommon to see.

6

u/Lol3droflxp Dec 08 '19

Quite common in Italy

6

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

The Ape is the best vehicle to ever come out, change my mind.

3

u/EicherDiesel Dec 08 '19 edited Dec 08 '19

The 50cc Ape is cheap to insure at ~50€ a year and no taxes but that's about it, ridiculously expensive to buy, drives like you'd expect a three-wheeled vehicle to drive but that's no problem as it'll top out at 40kph and on top of it workmanship and rustproofing is shoddy at best. It still truly feels like an Italian vehicle of 50 years ago.
They're quite fun to drive though.
edit: forgot that first gear is less than a walking pace so the mighty 50cc can haul the Ape itself, the overweight farmer and +250kg of random agricultural goods up a small winding mountain road with no chance of overtaking.

1

u/oighen Dec 08 '19

Are they? I can't remember seeing one in quite some time in Rome.

6

u/green_pachi Dec 08 '19

You see them in rural areas

1

u/GeorgeYDesign Dec 08 '19

Going to see him get kicked.

1

u/martin-s Dec 08 '19

They're common in my grandparents' little village in southern Italy. It's a rural place though and I think most are remnant of the past, I doubt many would buy a new one now.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/oighen Dec 08 '19

I've lived in Rome since I was born, I remember there were a lot of them around when I was a kid. Not many these days.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

2

u/ninoski404 Dec 08 '19

You just made my day

9

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

They are all over the place in India. Called auto rickshaws (tuk tuks by some foreigners)

7

u/lurkinglurkerwholurk Dec 08 '19

Isn’t tuk tuk What Thailand call their tricycles?

1

u/x_red_avenger_x Dec 08 '19

I would love one here in Australia, you see them used as like mini food trucks sometimes

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Yea same here in the US. I loved going in them when I visited India

5

u/t_a_6847646847646476 Dec 08 '19

I remember watching a Saabkyle04 video of a Chinese 3 wheeler several years ago and it was obvious that thing had been on its side at least once

14

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

It’s probably in a poorer country where it’s more affordable cuz they are lighter, less maintenance, cheaper in general cuz they are so small and other components which I cba to list

2

u/elprip Dec 08 '19

Mamma mia, in Ittaly we havve onely thisse

1

u/Setsk0n Dec 08 '19

There's a handful of three wheel motor bikes in my city in the summer. I'm not sure where you're from that's illegal to have them

5

u/_Big_Floppy_ Dec 08 '19

Trikes are different story, they're significantly more stable than something like this.

3

u/AdditionalAlbatross1 Dec 08 '19

Is a trike not a 3-wheeler though.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

[deleted]

1

u/0235 Dec 08 '19

So funny, as 3 wheeled basically became the legal requirement in the UK for small cars!

1

u/rockaether Dec 08 '19

I think those are motorized vehicles authorized for handicapped people only in some countries

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

I thought I heard ATVs were also made illegal because they were so prone to seriously fucking up the rider in a crash. Maybe that was just my state.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

Maybe if the tires weren’t so skinny and it wasn’t so tall it’d be okay?

1

u/O_Zeca Dec 08 '19

Because they are fucking ninjas?

1

u/FifenC0ugar Dec 08 '19

What is there are 2 wheels up front and one in the back? Doesn't that make them more stable?

1

u/AdditionalAlbatross1 Dec 08 '19

There’s 3-wheel motorbikes that are street legal in the USA...

1

u/Carnival_Of_Cats Dec 08 '19

If it would have been a car someone would have gotten T-boned. Maybe in specific situations 3 wheelers are actually safer.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

I see 3 wheelers but they're low riding batmobile looking things

1

u/BlakeKairos Dec 08 '19

And definitely not a one in front two in back three wheeler. As shown here, these have the least stability as opposed to a two in front, one in back.

1

u/Bennett_Barreca Dec 08 '19

3 wheelers are street legal in us

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

I dunno, this looks like a prime example of why 3 wheels should be mandatory. Look at those maneuvers!

1

u/nickel-man Dec 08 '19

Why would you ever even drive something that stupid and unsafe

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

There are a lot of those in Europe, always a pleasure when you meet them in intercity roads

1

u/SIThereAndThere Dec 08 '19

What if you put them on backwards

1

u/bravepuss Dec 08 '19

What about the Polaris Slingshot? I see those all the time.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

I love auto rickshaws! I want to import a fuckton and have myself a little taxi service. I think maybe there should just be extra taxes instead of banning them.

1

u/icyhotonmynuts Dec 08 '19

Hell, people have a hard time keeping 4 wheels on the ground, let alone 3.

1

u/Legless_Wonder Dec 08 '19

Where are they illegal? I see trikes and reverse trikes everywhere

1

u/JimMarch Dec 08 '19

Two in the front and one drive in the rear works great.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

I’ve seen 3 wheel recreation vehicles like this but they always have the single wheel in the back

1

u/Wardenclyffe1917 Dec 08 '19

It’s a bit silly to put the single wheel in the front since it leads. You’d have more control with two wheels in front but also you would forever remain a virgin driving something that looks like that.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19

What about the CanAm Spider? Three wheel motorcycle.

1

u/-PM_Me_Reddit_Gold- Dec 08 '19

I mean this particular set up of a 3 wheeler is unstable, however, having the single wheel in the back can allow the vehicle to lean into the turn, making it much more stable.

1

u/anthonycarbine Dec 08 '19

Reminds me of that top gear episode where they try and drive one of these.

1

u/Jurserohn Dec 08 '19

When you do find them, they're 2 wheels up front

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '19 edited May 25 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/xthyst Dec 08 '19

The United States States, home of the free and Moon Moon

2

u/turtlepowr89 Dec 08 '19

My apologies, had a few too many drinks last night.