Are US motorists really this stupid?

[Cycleops]

I know I've posted stuff from this channel before but some of these are just unbelievable:

View: https://youtu.be/LaURAgBgdU0

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I.. How… What the … ??

 

[Brandane]

I doubt that it's limited to US drivers......

 

[tyred]

Stupid people exist everywhere.

 

[Arrowfoot]

The US does not have universal healthcare, tertiary education requires personal or parental savings and there is no welfare support scheme for utilities and essentials etc. So incomes goes to expensive medical fees, tuitions fees and other essential needs. Much of the US is also not served by public transport.

So the most expendable item is the car and many of them drive it until it is totalled. They cannot afford servicing or repairs and make do with DIY stuff or ask a friend to fix it. This is the end result.

Nothing to do with stupid or ignorant, just cannot make ends meet.

 

[Cycleops]

As well as all that they also have to contend with damage from gunfire.

 

[fossyant]

I'm sure you see worse in Ghana. I'm also sure any UK mechanic can give you similar stories.

 

[Cycleops]

Car owners here don't do DiY on cars , or anything else come to that. They give it to a fitter or tradesman.
I haven't noticed any other channels on YouTube featuring customer F ups on UK cars but this particular channel has over twenty videos.
Clarkson has a few words on the matter as you can imagine.

View: https://youtu.be/z7kXUbwngB4

 

[HobbesOnTour]

@Cycleops

Are US motorists really this stupid?​

As well as all that they also have to contend with damage from gunfire.

And then back it all up with Jeremy ******* Clarkson?

You do know we have a lot of US members here, right?

Any number of ways you could have entitled that video. It's a pity you chose the way you did.

 

[Cycleops]

Lighten up a bit Hobbes
I'm sure our US members will chime in with their experiences of gunfire and any other comments.
Americans aren't averse to poking a bit of fun at we Brits as anyone that has read some Bill Bryson's works will tell you.

 

[Sharky]

I was told a story when I first joined an insurance company of a claim being made for a car with a knackered engine and gear box.

Is seem that an American lady had come to the UK for a fortnight's holiday and hired a car for the stay. Only used to auto's and never used a stick shift.

To start the car, she first pulled out the choke (remember those?). The only reason for doing this was to hang her handbag on it for the whole journey. Next she pushed the gear lever into 1st and somehow started the car. The gear was left in 1st gear for the whole of the 2 weeks!

 

[KnittyNorah]

I was told a story when I first joined an insurance company of a claim being made for a car with a knackered engine and gear box.

Is seem that an American lady had come to the UK for a fortnight's holiday and hired a car for the stay. Only used to auto's and never used a stick shift.

To start the car, she first pulled out the choke (remember those?). The only reason for doing this was to hang her handbag on it for the whole journey. Next she pushed the gear lever into 1st and somehow started the car. The gear was left in 1st gear for the whole of the 2 weeks!

I believe it, I heard the same story from a car hire representative at Heathrow in the 1970s!
I was working in the Middle East with a great many Americans at the time. When they were planning their trips to Europe in their previously-unheard-of 6 weeks annual holiday, of course they would come to me and to other Europeans for advice and information. We soon learnt that we needed to inform them of the rarity of automatic gearboxes, and of the general existence of public transport, especially to, in and around the major tourist destinations that most of them wanted to visit. Oh, and the cost of petrol!

 

[Sharky]

I believe it, I heard the same story from a car hire representative at Heathrow in the 1970s!
I was working in the Middle East with a great many Americans at the time. When they were planning their trips to Europe in their previously-unheard-of 6 weeks annual holiday, of course they would come to me and to other Europeans for advice and information. We soon learnt that we needed to inform them of the rarity of automatic gearboxes, and of the general existence of public transport, especially to, in and around the major tourist destinations that most of them wanted to visit. Oh, and the cost of petrol!

Probably the same lady. I was told the story in my induction at CU in 1990.

 

[Slick]

I don't believe for a single second a number of these issues like the blue light on the dash or my door won't close or even over filling the engine oil doesn't happen here, but there are certainly a couple of examples that are peculiar to our American cousins.

 

[gbb]

Simple mathematics innit, 4 or 5 times more people in the US, 4 or 5 times more stupid people compared to the UK



They exist here, there and everywhere.
Watching many YT videos, Rainman Ray, South Maine autos etc, certainly it seems they don't mind spending money on cars that have done 250k miles and more, we generally seem to give up on cars waaay before that.

I had a neighbour/ friend who never opened the bonnet of his Escort in 3 years....we do seem to treat cars as expendable, maybe less now but that's been the general view IME