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Shop Owner Rolls Coal on a Cyclist, Now He Wants People's Forgiveness

A man filmed himself while driving in North Texas. He wanted to show his online friends what he thinks about cyclists. The other road user going on the same path didn’t do anything to annoy the owner but still got the rolling coal treatment. Now things are looking grim for the truck driver.
Rolling Coal on Cyclists 6 photos
Photo: RedneckSkier on YouTube
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Spring is already in full bloom. Add the fact that restrictions are virtually nonexistent now, and you’ll see people wanting to experience their surroundings again. Some do it with cars or motorcycles, others by foot, while those that want to be fit and still travel faster than pedestrians use bicycles.

On such a morning in North Texas, a truck driver meets a cyclist. The man behind the wheel gets the idea to film himself while accelerating just to let the other person breathe emissions from a vehicle that’s clearly been modified to allow the spread of harmful exhaust chemicals.

This behavior has recently been turned into common practice. It’s called “rolling coal.” Basically, drivers of internal combustion engine cars or trucks don’t enjoy the idea of switching to electric vehicles or other forms of environmentally friendly transportation. Wanting to further express how they feel about this topic, some people specially modify their cars to allow the thick, black smoke to come out of their exhausts.

The cloud of harmful gasses resembles the byproduct of coal-burning factories, and that’s why it has become known as “rolling coal.”

After filming himself doing this to that random person on the road, the man published the footage on social media. The video was uploaded to a city group that’s moderated by locals. Those in McKinney, Texas, got to see this truck driver rolling coal on an unsuspecting cyclist.

But someone from the same group was also a member of one of the biggest cycling communities in Texas. They shared the footage with other two-wheel enthusiasts, which they didn’t find amusing at all. They took a collective decision to never support the truck driver’s business.

He runs Turn 5 Fabrication, a shop that helps with vehicle customizations. His business has now been visited by the justifiably angry group. They’ve left new one-star ratings on Google, changed the program to “closed indefinitely,” and changed the category description from “welding shop” to “bicycle shop.”

The footage is now reaching lots of people across America, and they are suggesting an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) check on the man’s truck while also saying they will support the cyclist if he decides to sue. The rolling coal victim has already been advised to file a statement with the Police. Social media users argue this practice “should be a simple assault charge because he “intentionally sprayed someone with noxious chemicals for the purpose of harassing them.”

The driver has not apologized yet, but he has asked people to not let emotions get in the way of business. “Don’t let someone’s personal actions affect the place of business where they work at,” said the shop owner.
Cyclists are allowed to use the road in Texas when there are no designated bike lanes.

After the pickup driver saw how the online community reacted, he declared people wanted to make a “cancel culture example” out of him, according to Star Telegram.

The rolling coal practice is done mostly with diesel trucks, and it involves the removal of the particulate filter.
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About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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