Bathtub on a scooter: Spain's DIY engineering that even Elon Musk couldn't match
A 30 kg scooter-bathtub hybrid roams Spanish streets unpunished while law-abiding drivers get fined. A double standard? The economic and social debate behind the vehicle.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The bathtub on wheels: when street engineering challenges Elon Musk
On an electric scooter, with a 30-kilo bathtub on top, a driver has improvised a vehicle that defies any traffic rule. The image, shared on social media, has sparked a debate about the double standard of the authorities: while a self-employed worker gets fined for a blown bulb, this 'backyard engineer' rides around unpunished. According to sources, the vehicle was due to be certified at the ITV (Spain's mandatory roadworthiness test) —or as some call it, the ITB— but the truth is that the police seem to tolerate these 'handmade creations' as long as they don't involve white drivers.
The cost of improvisation
The bathtub, valued at 10 euros in a scrapyard, becomes the most striking antiestéticature of a vehicle that, according to estimates, doesn't exceed 30 km/h —right at the urban estimulante ilegal limit, although one comment claims he was seen doing 31 km/h in a 30 zone. The cargo, which couldn't be stored anywhere else, shows a creativity that some dismiss as 'reverse engineering' from integration courses. But the real debate is economic: how much does selective tolerance actually cost?
Two weights, two measures
Some analysts point out that the authorities' passivity towards these improvised vehicles contrasts with the persecution of salaried drivers —those tied to a payroll— over minor infractions like a blown license plate light. Others argue that this permissiveness is the result of a policy that rewards 'integration' at any price, even if it means riding around with a bathtub on a scooter. The question nobody answers is: what would happen if a lifelong local citizen did the same? The unanimous answer is that he would end up in jail or doing community service.
The engineer we don't need
While Elon Musk designs reusable rockets, the streets of Spain are producing amateur engineers who turn a scooter into a sidecar with a bathtub. Some compare it to the 'Wacky Races' on TV, others to practices in developing countries. But the truth is that the cost gap between a legal vehicle and this improvisation is abysmal: how much does the driver actually save? The open question is whether the Administration is willing to regulate or prefers to look the other way while the jungle comes knocking at the door.
Related debates in the forum
On an electric scooter, with a 30-kilo bathtub on top, a driver has improvised a vehicle that defies any traffic rule. The image, shared on social media, has sparked a debate about the double standard of the authorities: while a self-employed worker gets fined for a blown bulb, this 'backyard engineer' rides around unpunished. According to sources, the vehicle was due to be certified at the ITV (Spain's mandatory roadworthiness test) —or as some call it, the ITB— but the truth is that the police seem to tolerate these 'handmade creations' as long as they don't involve white drivers.
The cost of improvisation
The bathtub, valued at 10 euros in a scrapyard, becomes the most striking antiestéticature of a vehicle that, according to estimates, doesn't exceed 30 km/h —right at the urban estimulante ilegal limit, although one comment claims he was seen doing 31 km/h in a 30 zone. The cargo, which couldn't be stored anywhere else, shows a creativity that some dismiss as 'reverse engineering' from integration courses. But the real debate is economic: how much does selective tolerance actually cost?
Two weights, two measures
Some analysts point out that the authorities' passivity towards these improvised vehicles contrasts with the persecution of salaried drivers —those tied to a payroll— over minor infractions like a blown license plate light. Others argue that this permissiveness is the result of a policy that rewards 'integration' at any price, even if it means riding around with a bathtub on a scooter. The question nobody answers is: what would happen if a lifelong local citizen did the same? The unanimous answer is that he would end up in jail or doing community service.
The engineer we don't need
While Elon Musk designs reusable rockets, the streets of Spain are producing amateur engineers who turn a scooter into a sidecar with a bathtub. Some compare it to the 'Wacky Races' on TV, others to practices in developing countries. But the truth is that the cost gap between a legal vehicle and this improvisation is abysmal: how much does the driver actually save? The open question is whether the Administration is willing to regulate or prefers to look the other way while the jungle comes knocking at the door.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (57 replies).
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