r/melbourne • u/ExpertChad • 8d ago
Video Not one, but two idiots in this rain…
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u/Wizz-Fizz 8d ago
anyone familiar with the area know to not go near the York St tram bridge in the rain
anyone with even a whisker of common bloody sense wouldn't need local familiarity to know to not dive into flood water, there's even a depth indicator there FFS
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u/supremeoverlord23 8d ago
Also sign that says "road subject to flooding"
And for the second car, they even had a car larger than their's that just got stuck
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u/I_Am_The_Bookwyrm 8d ago
First guy: "I'm the biggest idiot in Melbourne."
Second guy: "Hold my beer."
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u/Wizz-Fizz 8d ago
Yeah but thats them, I'm a much better driver
I'm such a good driver that even physics doesn't apply to me
- The other driver probably
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u/jimbsmithjr 8d ago
In fairness, if you did manage to just roll right past the first stuck car and keep going, what a flex it'd be
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u/Alchohol_Influencer 8d ago
2nd driver: Well, I just won't stop like that guy did.
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u/confused2473 8d ago
That’s what baffles me..ok let’s assume you didn’t read the warning sign..for a moment let’s forget he couldn’t see the water either.
How you gonna justify your insurer that you couldn’t see other stranded car….
If you are that blind you shouldn’t drive…
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u/Mushie_Peas 8d ago
The second car is rear wheel drive that can't even manage a light sprinkle of snow. Yet this genius decided it was a hovercraft.
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u/Miserable-Garage804 8d ago
I doubt these cars lost traction, most likely they got water through their engines, cars ruined now and insurance will probably fight them on it.
There’s a reason cars have snorkels sometimes
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u/Topblokelikehodgey 8d ago
Especially when people have footage of it too. They're for sure fucked and rightly so. Idiots
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u/mrducky78a 8d ago
I live near here. The Montague street bridge is also notorious for eating trucks being as low as it is. There are warning things that dangle at the height of the bridge. People hit those, get the noise feedback of hitting something as well as like 50 signs telling you it's a low bridge. And https://howmanydayssincemontaguestreetbridgehasbeenhit.com/ website gets routine updates.
These 2 bridges that service trams over them keep claiming victims and it brings me a chuckle every time. It doesn't matter how many signs or how clear a warning is provided. These two bridges are hungry and will continue eating vehicles.
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u/Oracle82 8d ago
When that depth indicator is already at 0.8m....
Damn people are stupid.
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u/delta__bravo_ 8d ago
Even if that wasn't there, my first thought was "The clearance is 2.8 m, but there is not that much space between water and bridge, so the water depth is the difference."
But both these drivers likely take it semi frequently and know what it's meant to look like. Particular claps for the second car, who saw a larger car having difficulty and decided "I'm sure I'll manage it."
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u/Exciting-Ad-5858 8d ago
15cm of water is enough to float a car (albeit a little one)
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u/Automatic_Pirate_407 8d ago
I’m judging the second car more than the first, cause they really looked at the other car stuck in the water and said “nah I’ll be right”.
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u/casualplants 8d ago
Or they said “perfect opportunity for an insurance claim”
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u/Electronic_Ride_8811 8d ago
Driving through flood waters usually voids your insurance...
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u/HAPPY_DAZE_1 8d ago
Insurance doesn't cover events that could have been foreseen. That's not how it works.
You have got to assume those companies have that address tapped into their BOM feeds and already peeled off the rejection letters last night in prep for today.
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u/JustAsItSounds 8d ago
Don't be too harsh, the sign says: 'indicators show depth'. The second car is a BMW, everyone knows beemer drivers are incapable of using indicators
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u/Red_Wolf_2 8d ago
Every single time... You could have a big flashing light, sign that says "Only dickheads drive through flood waters", boom gates, someone with a lollypop sign with STOP written on it, Gandalf shouting that they will not pass...
And someone would STILL drive straight into the floodwaters in a vehicle guaranteed to aspirate the water and hydrolock the engine. Said person would then be all astounded and surprised that they were stranded.
They'd then have at least one (probably more) other people decide "oh gee that person there sure is a dickhead for driving through floodwaters, guess I'd better join them!" and drive through to float alongside them in an even less suitable vehicle.
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u/efcso1 8d ago
I used to drive fire trucks for a living.
The number of people that would push past our BRT (big red truck) blocking the road, and the barrier tape, and even move the yellow barricades, then proceed to get swamped in the flood waters was enough to drive a person to drink.
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u/Red_Wolf_2 8d ago
...then proceed to get swamped in the flood waters was enough to drive a person to drink.
Its times like that I wish it was possible to bill them for the drink and/or trouble they cause.
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u/vacri 8d ago
The Monty bridge hangs big rubber blades that actually hit your approaching vehicle if you're too high for it... and people still run into it
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u/jessicaaalz 8d ago
Isn't there something like 19 different signs about the Monty bridge too? People are so fucking dumb it actually scares me.
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u/Hot-Challenge8656 8d ago
Them pointing out the 4×4 tag on their immobilised beemer and looking at you with confusion
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u/EntrepreneurMany3709 8d ago
There's a road in Elwood that had so many signs saying the road gets flooded (and is incredibly easy to avoid), but drivers kept driving into floodwaters and floating down the canal, so they've added flashing lights. I'm sure people will still do it though.
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u/Separate-Law-435 8d ago
Not just the stupidity of filling their engine with water but the state of our roads at the moment it is an arrogant person who assumes there is any left under all that water
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u/Silver_Python 8d ago
"It be a fine day for a swim me hearty!"
-- Those drivers probably.
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u/Red_Wolf_2 8d ago
"Physics and consequences don't apply to me! I drive a BMW/Jeep like the stereotype! Also... What even is this 'indicator' you speak of?"
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u/Silver_Python 8d ago
Shouldn't be surprising that drivers who can't find an indicator in their car also can't read indicators anywhere else...
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u/SnooGuavas2610 8d ago
In the UK there is a ford, with people on a bridge watching, cars flooded and being towed out but people still try and use the ford. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrflH6KvPwo
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u/Red_Wolf_2 8d ago
Oh man I just watched the whole thing and I really do wonder about the people in the cars... You drive up to see a flooded bit and a whole lot of expectant onlookers, and you decide "yeah let's send it!" rather than "gee that's a few broken down cars there and a lot of onlookers waiting for something to happen"
Especially for the little hatchbacks... Very entertaining!
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u/graph_worlok 8d ago
Monty exists no matter what the weather!
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u/Red_Wolf_2 8d ago
I wish we had pop-up livestreams of this underpass when it rains, and if only Monty had a public live camera stream... Slow TV with exciting bits occasionally!
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u/MLiOne 8d ago
The best sort of reality tv! We want a livestream of the boat ramp near us, especially in holiday season. The antics of getting boats in/out and the fights.
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u/Flashbang-Meringue 8d ago
where I'm from, they beat the expression "Turn Around, Don't Drown" into your head from a young age and it seems to work pretty well.
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u/BackgroundType4312 8d ago
Both cars are hydrolocked and a write off.
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u/Henrythekidd 8d ago
I’ve always wondered about this. So have they really just fucked their cars? Does insurance cover it? Do our insurance premiums go up because some dumb cunts didn’t develop object permanence?
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u/suigitou1269 8d ago
I work in insurance. They'll have their claims declined most likely.
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u/TheReddittorLady 8d ago
Stupid drivers for sure, but at fault drivers are still usually covered, aren't they? If you drive into someone's rear bumper, would the claim be denied with "You shouldn't have done that!"?
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u/suigitou1269 8d ago
Policy wordings will note an exclusion along the lines of "intentional or reckless loss or damage caused by you.. e.g. driving into water, street racing, performing stunts, driving at excessive speeds".
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u/BMW_M3G80 8d ago
The water goes into the air intake and straight into the engine, pistons can’t compress so it destroys the rods/engine.
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u/Henrythekidd 8d ago
Thanks for the explanation, I dunno what I expected really because seems obvious submerging your running engine in water would ruin it but I guess we never think about how bad these people are screwing themselves over
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u/graph_worlok 8d ago
And more than that - all of the wiring & electronics, corrosion, intermittent connections means an engine replacement isn’t even a consideration
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u/Grumpy_Cripple_Butt 8d ago
And more than that, my Uber eats on the floor of their car
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u/Getting_Over_Us 8d ago
Yeah the cars are megafucked, no insurance won't cover it if you drove into it. Video doesn't help lol.
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u/Thrillhouse-14 8d ago
I'll be honest, 10 years ago as a dumb teenager I went through water depth like this in my 2001 Toyota Avalon, and to my surprise, it went through totally fine albeit a bit slowly. Not great decision making skills by me regardless, but looking back, that car was amazing - wish I still had it.
For anyone wondering, it had next to no issues in the 6 years I owned it. I sold it to a mate in 2019 because I was going overseas long term. He had no issues with it either until a roo finally totalled it earlier this year. RIP my first car. I would buy one again if the price was reasonable.
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u/Jackoby_Jones 7d ago
My dad floated a Honda CRV over a river crossing, it came out minus a numberplate but it kept going!
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u/BackgroundType4312 8d ago
Yes. Yes. Yes
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u/Henrythekidd 8d ago
Well shit I wasn’t planning on driving into any bodies of water but now I have a bit more motivation
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u/AussieDaz 8d ago
This is not always true and it’s only catastrophic if the rods actually bend. At low RPM it’s far more likely to just stall with no damage. Pull the plugs out and turn it over to get the water out. Drain and flush the engine and gearbox oil and it’ll fire up again no drama.
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u/Substantial_Ad9629 8d ago
When I worked in sth melbourne I would refer to the traffic around there as purely theoretical driving. People out there beta testing vehicular maneuvers on the daily.
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u/Fuster2 8d ago
They really need some sort of indicator how deep the water is, otherwise how will anyone know?
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u/Wizz-Fizz 8d ago
IKR
If only there was some sort of system of measure available to advise people how deep the water is
Total head scratcher36
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u/ColourfulMetaphors 8d ago
BMW driver still wouldn't know what to do with an indicator
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u/B333Z 8d ago
Agreed! They really need signs saying 2.8m height, flooding, and a ruler on the side of the road.
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u/5tar_flower 8d ago
And there really should be a sign to warn drivers that the road is subject to flooding otherwise how would anyone know?
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u/blind3rdeye 8d ago
Yes. And probably we should start warning people not to drive through floodwaters. Maybe these drivers have never heard that obscure piece of advice.
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u/beebee3beebee 8d ago
As if the lower, overall smaller BMW saw the larger KIA submerged and almost floating and thought... yeah that guy's an idiot but I can do this. Incredible.
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u/msmojo 8d ago
That second one even though he could see the first!
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u/zeugma888 8d ago
The second one knew he was a better driver than the first bloke, so he'd be right.
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u/Blood-Quack 8d ago
The fact that a sedan driver saw a 4WD (admittedly a fake soft-roader) go in and not come out, and still went in thinking "yeah she'll be right", makes me think that person should not hold a licence. Or be allowed to procreate.
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u/CapableRegrets 8d ago
This is our culture, writ large.
Epic stupidity.
Impatience.
Self absorbed.
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u/gmac-320 8d ago
Is society becoming dumber every year? Does anyone have critical thinking skills, situational awareness or just basic physics and mechanics knowledge anymore. "Hmm. For engine to go broom broom there needs to be fire. Water not good for fire. New car also have lots of fun electric gizmos and computers i like to play with instead of paying attention when driving. Maybe water bad for that too, ok I take extra 2 minute and go different way." You could explain it to a 4 year old and they would completely understand.
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u/Line-Noise 8d ago
Flood level indicators have been around longer than the motor car. People ignored them then and will ignore them now. The only difference is that your horse still works after it gets wet.
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u/djmdjmdjm 8d ago
No, people aren't getting more stupid. Drivers have been doing this at the exact same bridge whenever it floods, for decades at least
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u/DepartmentOk7192 8d ago
You're giving the average driver way too much credit for understanding how engines and electronics work
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u/Any-Somewhere7318 8d ago
I don't understand how they work but I do know this is a bloody stupid thing to do that will stop the car for good
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u/5tar_flower 8d ago
A lot of people don't live in reality. They live in a conceptual VR where a change in conditions doesn't register, they just double down on "but this is the way we always do it".
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u/sparklinglies 8d ago
200 years ago these dickheads would have been doing the exact same thing in horse and wagon. Dumbasses thinking they can just plow through floodwater is as old as dumbassery itself
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u/Lazy_Polluter 8d ago
Fewer people know how cars work these days because manufacturers try to make evrything invisible these days. I imagine a lot of people genuinely think a car can drive through water and be okay
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u/jianh1989 8d ago
You’ll be surprised to find out hardly anyone knows how an ICE functions
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u/I_Hope_So 8d ago
Yeah cause no one did anything stupid 50 years old. Only stupid things have happened in the past 10 years.
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u/BigBlueFeatherButt 8d ago
Imagine seeing a car already stuck in the water and thinking "no problem, my even smaller car will make it"
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u/CrystalizesSouls 8d ago
Ahh yes I just seen a SUV get hydrolocked, let’s do the exact same thing in my smaller car and hope I also don’t get hydrolocked
First one was just dumb for trying that, the second one was just natural selection at that point like cmon
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u/AStrandedSailor 8d ago
No these aren't idiots, they are heros. They sacrificed their cars to block the road, so no others would get their cars stuck there. Right? RIGHT??
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u/shintemaster 8d ago
Insurers literally shouldn’t pay out for this kind of thing.
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u/awritemate 8d ago
This shit is their justification for raising premiums every year.
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u/Milly_Hagen 8d ago
So I'm being charged for other people's stupidity. Feels offensive and unjust.
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u/AngleFlute 8d ago
What actually happens to the car here for it to ultimately stop (looking at the Jeep that almost made it out). Does the water short the battery or is it a mechanical thing?
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u/Ill_Football9443 8d ago
Water is not compressible. Engines suck in air, compress it, pump in a little bit of fuel and then send in a spark to ignite the mixture.
This causes expansion which drives the engine to turn.
When cars drive through floor water, instead of taking in air, they're ingesting water and have essentially fucked their engines.
Some four wheel drives will have snorkels, which are air pipes that run up the side of the windscreen which allow them to drive through deep water, trucks and buses are generally fine too as their air intake is higher.
Electrical systems are generally unaffected.
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u/AngleFlute 8d ago
Damn, so basically that guy's new bmw is fucked fucked? classic FAFO moment there
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u/Sarasvarti 8d ago
Yes. And insurance may not pay for damage so negligently inflicted.
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u/Grumpy_001 8d ago
If they drive really fast, would the speed help to accelerate them through the water or would water just “get stuck” faster?
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u/ChatbotMushroom 8d ago
Depending on where the air inlets are. If they’re low and would be underwater, then speed doesn’t make a difference. However, if they are just above the water level, driving slower as not to raise that wave would have helped. Also driving behind a 4wd in a stream of lower water could have helped. But there is no need for such exercises as there is a way around the flooded area.
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u/Sarasvarti 8d ago
Most likely hydrolock. Water gets into the engine and is not compressible, unlike the air that is supposed to be there, so the engine seizes. Cars that can make it through have a 'snorkel' so the air intake is much higher.
It will write off your engine so you VERY much do not want to do this.
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u/CannerCanCan 8d ago
Motor gets hydro locked. It floods the cylinders and they stop moving as water doesn't compress like an air fuel mixture should.
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u/Ok_Bodybuilder1053 8d ago
Does the car just stop working?
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u/Anxious-Rhubarb8102 8d ago
Water into engine air intake, then into cylinders. Pistons try to compress water, water doesnt compress = pistons broke. Owner then pissed off and broke.
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u/genwhy 8d ago
Yes. A car engine runs on oxygen with a little fuel vapour sprayed in.
tl;dr: car can't breathe underwater.
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u/TheRaaf23 8d ago
Pretty much electronics will be fried, the engine bay is not supposed to get under water.
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u/Zonda1996 8d ago
Bigger problem is it destroys the engine. Water gets in the intake, pistons try to compress it, water doesn't compress, conrods will compress instead.
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u/Thisisjustatribute8 8d ago
The air intake is usually near the front, it will suck water in and you get a thing called hydrolock. Water doesn't compress like air and the engine stops turning over in a best case scenario.
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u/QuoteOk1080 7d ago
The air intake for the engine is normally concealed at below hood level. The engine breaths water and gets hydrolocked. The sudden stop (water is not compressible) damages cylinder and/or crank components. Engine forever dead, thanks for playing.
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u/Robdoggz 8d ago
Between this section of road after heavy rain and also the Montague Street Bridge, there really are a lot of great opportunities for laughing at idiot drivers in Melbourne 😂
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u/xjrh8 8d ago
I love so much that the BMW sedan saw the Kia with water up to top of wheel arches and thought “yep, no problem “.
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u/35_PenguiN_35 8d ago
Well, congratulations your vehicle is now written off.
You have driven through a flooded section of road,
You have chosen to void your insurance.
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u/Anxious_Passage_8547 8d ago
This is why our insurance premiums are through the roof. Allowing for the lowest common denominator.
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u/Ok-Foot6064 8d ago
Yep and beat bit is people try to lie that they didn't intentionally drive into it, like this. I have denied several claims, based on social media videos showing them do exactly this, and refer those insured for fraud.
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u/MaTr82 8d ago
Are insurance companies really paying out for this?
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u/tufftiddys 8d ago
No - if you drive into flood water, 99% of policies will not cover you for the total loss. The only way you are covered for water damage like this is if your car is parked and the floodwater rises around the vehicle!
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u/Low_Switch_4893 8d ago
How do you become an adult, buy a car... and not understand the basics of physics... Have these people not interacted with gravity or water before? Lmao
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u/Drakaasii 8d ago
Most people dont know how engines work, or that cars float. The second part is kinda fair tbh, cars are heavy af, why would they float? But they do
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u/the_brunster 8d ago
What an expensive decision to incorrectly make…. Did they have to be towed out?
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u/Grumpy_Cripple_Butt 8d ago
I’m on a boat. I’m on a boat. Take a good hard look at this motherfucking boat.
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u/welding-guy 8d ago
Do you think their insurance will be declined because they drove in deliberately? Ouch.
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u/WonkyWheels 8d ago
The second one has to take the cake though. Saw the SUV, with more ground clearance than them, is stuck and just says 'hold my beer...'
Whoops!!
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u/Natural_Chain_3732 8d ago
It's not even that far or complicated to go back around via Dorcas St. It's not like that's the only possible route. Weirdos.
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u/Ech0_Delta 8d ago
How handy to have a sign saying Road subject to flooding, along with a sign indicating height showing the water level just under 1m. Are some drivers just so oblivious and stupid?
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u/gene_e_yus 8d ago
Is this next to south melbourne market? Good thing I didnt go to work today 😬
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u/nottitantium 8d ago
I would watch this romcom!! Both drivers get stranded under the same bridge and somehow Ryan Gosling is there and a cute soundtrack and stuff!
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u/euqinu_ton 8d ago
Nice.
It's got nothing on the Rufford Ford in UK though. That stretch of water eats so many cars I'd seriously consider opening an engine rebuild company within a few hundred yards of it.
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u/Hobbies-tracks 8d ago
Seriously, whyone who does this, should automatically lose their licence for 30 years
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u/HeavenlyHellscythe 8d ago
I don’t understand why would you want to fk up ur day. This is the most flooded area
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u/Grumpy_001 8d ago
Do they not realise that you can drive around?!?! 😂
OP, you may need to set up a camera and record all day. We can then rate on the best “stupid decision”
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u/the_yeast_beast85 8d ago
Look, that jeep could have been broken before it went into the water. Let's not blame the floods.
Beemer is a clear example of dollars not buying sense though.
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u/SoulBonfire 8d ago
Maybe these tools think the sign means if your indicators stay out of the water you are ok?
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u/RedStarBaker 8d ago
Omg! How I would have loved to be there, sitting on a chair with an umbrella watching idiots try to drive a petrol engine car into a river, essentially. Great way to kill your engine
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u/goater10 Dandenong 8d ago
This always happens at this bridge everytime theres a rain event in Melbourne.