I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but motorised, ridable coolers are very much A Thing. There’s multiple companies building and selling plastic coolers mounted on a frame with wheels and a lawnmower-type engine that you can sit on and drive around, a fact that will sure swing the balance in our favour when humanity is inevitably placed on trial by some powerful, judgy aliens. In Australia, though, it seems to be illegal to ride one on a footpath, and if you do that, the cops will impound your cooler by hauling it away on a comically massive flatbed tow truck. At least, that’s what happened recently in Australia.
Here’s the full Facebook post from the Swan Hill Police:
So, “Esky” is a common brand of cooler in Australia, roughly equal to the Igloo empire here in America. It appears the 25 year-old man was driving his cooler around on a footpath, which violates some laws, and was also found to not have a valid driver’s licence.
Here’s what this sweet-arse rig looked like:
So, light frame, rear air-cooled engine, hey, there’s even a wheelie bar there! It’s like a drag-prepped classic Porsche 911.
He was not found to be drunk, somewhat surprisingly, given the other details and context of the incident.
What’s interesting is that the motorised cooler is legally considered a vehicle, and as such requires registration and a licence to drive, something that I suspect will come as a surprise to most Australian motorised cooler owners.
Really, this seems like a pretty victimless crime; it’s not like this thing is able to dangerously tear arse at high speeds. It’s a cooler. With a, what, 3 horsepower motor? I mean, actually, that sounds pretty quick compared to my 1.1 hp Changli, but still.
That picture, though. It’s all worth it for that picture. I’m happy to accept that this cooler-driver is having his cooler impounded for 30 days just to see this glorious absurdity:
I bet the driver had a fun time with that. I hope they used the winch to get it onto the flatbed, too.
Anyway, be careful driving your drink coolers around, everyone! The cops are on to you!