Rolling coal is the practice of tampering with a vehicle’s emissions control system, causing it to spew black clouds of sooty exhaust.

  • icy_mal@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Rolling coal is an extremely inefficient method of converting little dick energy into kinetic energy.

  • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I hope this enforce to the point that all the assholes in my state that have rig thier trucks to do this can go to fucking jail or have their trucks and licenses revoked.

  • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
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    1 year ago

    Can we please actually enforce the rules on drivers though? These are so obviously illegal yet nothing is done.

      • ZzyzxRoad@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Cops pull people over for having something hanging from their rearview mirror. I would think they’d love to be ticketing people for having these things.

        • luckyhunter@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s a federal emission standard though, not a state one. It’s only illegal to do in New Jersey, Maryland and Maine. Every other state once you own it, you can install these devices, or do a EGR delete entirely if you want to. In states that do emission testing on private vehicles you’d want it to be reversible of course.

      • zeppo@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Cities have emission standards. Police could try harder if they wanted to.

          • zeppo@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            That’s true, beyond the health and environment aspects, they’re obscuring visibility. While some people I talked to said “it’s not toxic bro!” and they don’t believe in climate change, they can’t deny it obscures visibility.

          • zeppo@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I don’t speak German but I’m guessing they’re ticketing/impounding vehicles that have modifications which violate emissions. Sometimes US cops to that to street racers… the problem is that’s because the average officer doesn’t like kids who modify Asian cars but they basically are the same demographic who would modify a truck.

            As long as we’re talking about that, the street racing and ‘sideshow’ thing is pretty out of control too. I’d be happy to see them step up enforcement on that bullshit.

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fuck it, hit 'em hard. Been buying off eBay for 20-years, I like 'em. But this seems like a fine place to put our collective foot down and say, “No. You can’t do that.”

    • btaf45@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I was shafted by an Ebay seller who was nasty and awful. He acted like he was too stupid to understand why his item was not at all what I ordered. He had a 99.4% approval rating. I thought how the hell was that possible? I found out when I went to leave my negative rating and Ebay would not allow me to post the negative rating.

      • Kethal@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        A seller shipped me a phone that was much worse than what I bought, and it wasn’t even the same brand. I returned it. However, the seller wouldn’t ship the right phone but still had the listing saying several were available. I couldn’t leave a negative review, which makes no sense, and I reported it to ebay, but as of yet nothing has happened to the seller that I can tell.

        It’s really disappointing. I want an Amazon alternative, but it’s tough if I’m going to have to go through this crap.

          • enragedzeus05@lemmynsfw.com
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            1 year ago

            I use Swappa.com for all my used electronics. Been buying and selling randomly from them for years. They are starting to get big enough to have sellers that refurb stuff which kinda sucks. When they were smaller and only had normal people selling their extra/old equipment was much better.

              • DarthBueller@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Is this sarcasm? Half of the shit I get on aliexpress isn’t available anywhere else. Or if it is, it costs an order of magnitude more when buying from US reseller, who is just marking up inventory they bought from aliexpress.

      • PeleSpirit@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I used to use them all the time, they’ve been super shitty for about 10 years now. They don’t even show up in my searches anymore because I won’t buy from them. Come to think of it, neither does Amazon, he he.

  • Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Good. Why not ban those oversized SUVs while you’re at it? They’re a serious danger to children and they’re not even good at hauling stuff!

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I drive a Prius. Assholes “roll coal” when they drive next to me all the time. I don’t even get it. They’re not even giving me shit for having an electric car, they’re giving me shit because I pay less for gas than they do.

    • rabbit_wren@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      I’m fortunate enough to be able to walk to and from work every day. These “roll coal” bastards just hate me for it. I think it must really chap their assess to see little ol’ me bopping down the street listening to my tunes and not needing an emotional support truck the way they do.

    • Knoxvomica@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      If it’s any consolation, the fact that they are modifying their trucks which are already enormously over priced and gas suckers to suck even MORE gas when they do this to you should hopefully provide some sort of satisfaction to you. I typically point and laugh at them.

  • lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Wait I thought people were just tampering to get higher performance or something, idk. But they’re literally doing it to make the vehicle spew worse than it already does? Wtf and why? What is wrong with people?

    • Blaster M@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Running the diesel engine extra rich so it vomits extra sooty exhaust instead of properly burned, cleaner exhaust, because they feel the need to compensate for their small member by annoying everyone else.

      • I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Since getting an electric car they’ve started cutting me off, brake checking me and then doing the soot farting thing. It’s like they need to make up for my car’s lack of tailpipe emissions in a way that really lets me know they’re doing it.

        • eric@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s not LIKE that. It 100% IS that. That is the entire intended point of rolling coal.

        • Terevos@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          That is one reason I debadged my Tesla.

          (The other reasons are Elon Musk and also I think it looks better being totally smooth)

      • PeleSpirit@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’ve seen around 5 guys (maybe the same one?) doing this in Seattle. They are extremely stupid looking and they also cover their license plate with “mud.” It makes me laugh because they’re spending lots and lots of money and time to look that fucking stupid.

        • vivadanang@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Same here, giant jacked up white 4x4, the only thing missing was the trump flag. Othello neighborhood, obviously not a local.

          • PeleSpirit@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            The one(s) I saw were all matte black, so we now know there are at least 2 of them. POS going to Othello? Again, so fucking stupid. I grew up in the Chicago area, I would love to see them try that crap in those neighborhoods, they wouldn’t have time to see what was coming. Seattle suburbanites really are spoiled and don’t how bad the consequences can be when they’re being shitty.

            • vivadanang@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              Haha I grew up (sometimes, moved a lot but fam was from) near where Comiskey park was, 33rd & Emerald.

              Yeah, saw the white shitroller, lifted, big wheels, lots of bumperstickers @ othello & mlk last week revving at the intersection then rolling coal over people @ the light rail station. If I had an AT4 at that moment, I’d probably be in jail now.

      • eighthourlunch@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Honestly, that’s how I read it, so message received. It’s not the sort of thing you say or do if you’re trying to win friends and influence people, though.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Wait I thought people were just tampering to get higher performance or something, idk

      Some folks are, but their goal is to not spew a bunch of black smoke because black smoke means incomplete combustion, which in turn means less power than they could’ve had if they’d managed to shove more air in.

      “Rolling coal” is an entirely different thing based purely on idiocy and spite.

    • squiblet@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      It looks tuff, bro!

      The worst thing is the people who intentionally spew Priuses (back when they were the only semi-electric cars around) and bicycles with soot, as some sort of “fuck you for trying to not pollute, hur hur” thing.

    • ditty@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Those types of tuners also exist, and depending on the tune they can actually in some cases slightly improve fuel economy (depending on driving style). I tuned my Audi A3 to “Stage 1+” and actually have seen slightly better fuel economy doing highway driving to which I attribute the new ECU/TCU tunes allowing me to stay in gear longer during acceleration I guess?

    • Steve@startrek.website
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      1 year ago

      The smoke is a symptom of over-fueling a diesel which does actually make more power, all else being equal.

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        A little smoke is a symptom of making more power. A lot of smoke just means you failed to add enough air to go with it and are pointlessly polluting and wasting fuel.

        (Side note: my diesel VW, which is modified for more power but also is typically fueled with 100% biodiesel, produces less smoke than it did stock.)

      • seathru@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        To a point. After that you’re just making more smoke, and washing out the cylinders, drastically reducing the engine’s life. I take some consolation in the fact that most of the bros rolling coal will absolutely not be able to afford a replacement engine once they trash theirs.

    • luckyhunter@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      1 in 100 are children who do it to “own the libs” the rest do it because it increases fuel efficiency and power.

        • Meanshadows35@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Fuel efficiency yes. These newer diesel motors go into dpf mode around 300 miles to burn off any diesel soot. Which in turn uses more diesel and tanks the fuel economy. I get why some guys do it especially when the egr system goes up. But rolling coal is fucking stupid. Terrible on the motor too.

    • MSids@lemmy.sdf.org
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      1 year ago

      Agreed. Nobody wants the eBay police, but sellers and buyers should be the ones held accountable.

      • SirEDCaLot@lemmy.fmhy.net
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        1 year ago

        Yes exactly. No online platform can catch 100% of prohibited activity. They are punishing the wrong people. What they should do is get a list of all the ones eBay missed, file charges against the seller and start knocking on buyer’s doors. Or maybe send some agents in an undercover Prius to pull them over and issue a fine when they get coal rolled. That would send a pretty clear message that eBay is not a safe place to purchase these items.

        • orrk@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          so, you are right and wrong, due to the structure of the American legal system those DIRECT at fault are fines/sued first, then they are supposed to turn around and file a suit for damages against the next party down the line, so eBay should sue the seller.

          same thing in motor vehicle incidents, if a car A and B are waiting in traffic and car C rearends car B to the point it hits car A, the man in car A is supposed to sue the guy in car B who then sues the guy in car C for damages

        • Arsecroft@lemmy.sdf.org
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          1 year ago

          So ebay, who profited from the sale of these devices, shouldn’t be held accountable?

          Did ebay stop any listings for these devices? It seems like if they were trying to stop this market, they would have stopped some number above zero, right?

          Try selling a human limb on ebay and see how quickly your listing is removed, not that I’m bitter or anything.

          edit: it kinda seems like they were trying to be compliant.

        • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          It’s illegal for imgur to host illegal images I can see why eBay would be responsible for people selling illegal items.

        • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          To a point, I suspect that applies to speech things, not necessarily physical items.

          But that’s a good question, I don’t know where the line lies.

          • Dym Sohin@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            the line lies where you start harming other people (and their habitat), that’s literally the definition.

            your freedom ends where my freedom begins

            • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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              Yeah but what if I’m an idiot redneck then other people aren’t allowed freedoms. Only me.

            • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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              Hmm. While I agree generally, your response seems a little vague. Definition of…? Freedom?

              I’m saying I wonder where, formally, a company goes from being an information platform, to something else. That’s the very point at which ebay started becoming liable for what people did on their systems.

              They’re not just hosting pictures, they’re selling real-world items to circumvent laws in a visibly annoying way. People in CA get away with uncovered high intensity off-road aux lights because nobody’s really abused them.

              Coal-rollers like being obvious, stinky dickheads, hence the crackdown on both sales and installations.

        • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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          1 year ago

          Sort of. They essentially have to be given the opportunity to take corrective action but if they don’t then they get fine. Or indeed other things depending on the severity of what’s happening.

          See Reddit and all the subs they were eventually forced to shut down.

    • arin@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If someone sells cocaine on eBay does ebay get fined? How about illegal porn?

  • JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Please crack down on rolling coal in general. If you were to put it in the context of the shopping cart theory, it would be shoving your cart directly into someone else’s car.

    • vivadanang@lemm.ee
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      It’s the sheer waste that gets me - not just the fuck you tiny dick bullshit of spewing your effluence onto people intentionally, no, they need to waste fucking shittons of petrol or diesel to do it MEANWHILE THE WORLD IS FUCKING BURNING. The fucking amazon dried up, what more evidence do they need?

      Of course, if evidence swayed them, if they had half a fucking brain they’d never try this shit in the first place. But you know what’s worse than the stupids running the planet into meltdown?

      The rest of us let them. Even wildly stupid bullshit like this.

  • _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Fuck anyone who does this: If I see you rolling coal, I will make a point to fuck with you and your stupid fucking ride.

    Yoink, your valve stems are now mine and there’s some sort of liquid in your stupid fucking stacks.

    • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
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      1 year ago

      Should be allowed to drag the coal-roller out of their truck and murder them on the spot. It’s self defense.

      • Zetta@mander.xyz
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        1 year ago

        Lmao, don’t do this but I find your comment extremely amusing. Fuck coal rollers, they should have their entire vehicle confiscated at the very least

    • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Know what goes good with a fresh tank of diesel fuel? Water, gas, eggs, anything liquid and not-diesel, really.

    • ArtieShaw@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Fun fact. My workplace added recycle bins to the breakroom a few years ago. The day after, HR had to call a facility-wide emergency meeting to explain that their use was voluntary only and that no workers would be required to use them.

      Grown ass adults lost their shit because they saw a recycle bin.

        • ArtieShaw@kbin.social
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          Yes, I am serious. Folks around here can be aggressively reactionary and will blow up over nothing (or what should be nothing).

          I moved to this area about 12 years ago. I wasn’t expecting some huge culture shock, but there it was. I had educated, millennial colleagues who were openly homophobic at work. I could go on with a list of grievances, but it just feels like piling on and I don’t have the option to get out.

  • Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 year ago

    I’ve been coal rolled and driven off the road as a recreational cyclist on rural, lonely roads. The last time I felt safe cycling on the road was 5 years ago?

    • batmangrundies@lemmy.world
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      Seems like the entire Western world is dealing with a rise in anti-social behaviour on the roads since the pandemic started.

      • 𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏@lemmy.one
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        Honestly things have gotten so much worse IMO, most drivers are not paying attention and I’ve been almost smooshed a few times. Slowing down and trying to stay out of cars’ way can only do so much…

        The ones that force past only to pull over or turn 5 seconds later are the worst examples of impatience I’ve seen on the road in years ☹️

        • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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          When you catch up to the smogmobile that went into the wrong lane to pass you ten minutes later at a stoplight…

    • LordOfTheChia@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Could have been worse. A 16 year old here in Texas ran over 6 cyclists while trying to roll coal on them. 2 had to be airlifted:

      https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/waller-bicyclists-hit-truck-teen-driver-ironman-16490862.php

      four of the six cyclists who were hit were hospitalized. Two of those had to be airlifted because of the severity of their injuries.The update:

      https://www.bicycling.com/news/a37808647/texas-driver-assaults-six-cyclists/

      A 16-year-old truck driver ran over six cyclists out on a training ride on September 25, in Waller County, Texas.

      The driver was attempting to “roll coal” on the cyclists when he hit them, according to witnesses.

      The driver was finally arrested on November 8 and indicted with six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which is a second-degree felony.

      Edit: the last update from the Law Firm representing the cyclists:

      https://www.bikelaw.com/2021/11/felony-charges-for-waller-driver/

      • MrFlamey@lemmy.world
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        Holy shit. This kid will probably not see jail and will be driving again in a year or two because his weapon of choice was a car.

    • HiddenLychee@lemmy.world
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      Yup. Montana drivers will hunt down cyclists and run them over, if not roll coll on them until they choke and fall over. Love this place!

    • Psythik@lemm.ee
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      Shit like this is the reason why I ditched the bike and got a car. The infrastructure is woefully inadequate for biking; more often than not you have to share the road with these idiots instead of having your own dedicated lane. Furthermore, I had way too many near death experiences. I never want to ride a bike in the US ever again.

  • uis@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    If they market them as intentionally modified, then probably criminal case can be opened against them.

    • [x] Intention
    • [x] Health hazard for others
  • GigglyBobble@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    The practice is sometimes used as a form of anti-environmental protest.

    Sometimes? What are the more common reasons?