rydabent

A while back I was setting at an uncontrolled bike path crossing, setting there waiting on my trike, waiting for traffic to clear. Along came this huge diesel pickup with young guys in it. Just as they passed me, the driver floor boarded it and it belched out a huge cloud of black smoke. It was so thick you couldnt see anything for several seconds. The cloud of black smoke was so huge even the drivers following couldnt see anything either. Nice guy, makes me wish I had a large rock in my hand.

RPK79

I've only seen it in YouTube videos, never in person. I have seen some vehicles that smoked up entire blocks unintentionally though.

The word you were looking for is sitting not setting. Setting is a noun. Setting - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

turbo1889

Yup, its one of the least dangerous forms of cager head harassment of cyclists. Getting less often though due to more and more newer diesel engines have clean enough and tight enough emission systems that they can't be made to belch like that and if they try to smoke you they barely get a little puff.

hurricane harry

0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/ame]

350htrr

Really? Most of the time that happens on newer trucks is on purpose I can assure you... Vehicles today/last decade are controlled much better than they used to be and the only reason smoke is belching out like that out of some is because they purposefully cranked up the fuel input to the engine overriding proper set up thinking more power is attained with more fuel... And yes I too have been smoked.

RPK79

I haven't seen it on newer vehicles. Most memorable was my dad's old Buick Century diesel when it had a little issue with it and it covered our block in dense grey smoke.

mr_bill

No it is *NOT*. It's intentional, evil, and has put people in hospitals. Other than that....

-mr. bill

LesterOfPuppets

Yep, rollin' coal usually ain't by accident.

unterhausen

you can easily find the information on how to generate smoke online. They put illegal chips (usually called "power modules") in the engine control. The intention of the chips is to change performance, but it's easy enough to dump too much fuel and generate smoke. If you've ever seen it happen, which I have, it's obviously being done intentionally with a switch. Most, if not all, of the power modules have a multi-way switch for different settings. For example, you might want to go lean to save fuel, but also have a power tuning that uses more fuel than stock. I considered chipping one of my (gas) cars, because the factory tune was obviously made to save the planet and left some performance on the table, but I never got around to it.

Looigi

Where I come from, you score way more points smoking a bent.

Notso_fastLane

I resemble that remark (being the slow 'bent rider....).

mconlonx

I believe I was a smoking victim once. I passed a big diesel truck on a downhill and when we were both stuck at the same stop sign, they made sure I got a smoke screen. Or maybe it was just an old, beat diesel. Rather that than something thrown at me or getting shot...

This is more what I was thinking of when I came across the thread title...

ModeratedUser150120149

Don't be paranoid about it. Smoking happens to people driving cars, motorcycles, bicycles and just walking. All part of the entitled, no responsibility mindset.

delcrossv

Once this year on a TT. I was passing a DF up a hill and got "beeped" by a pickumup truck behind me. After my pass (there really was enough room to just go around in the opposite lane) , the truck gassed it and left some smoke. The cross wind was enough that it was just a minor annoyance. I just waved.

turbo1889

I do suppose that if you were a person with some kind or respiratory weakness already it could trigger an attack and some people could be hospitalized. Or the visibility issue could result in another driver not seeing the cyclist.

What I was trying to communicate is that I'd much rather be "smoked" then have them use their vehicle against me as a weapon in other ways such as deliberate side-swiping or really close punish passing, etc. . . . For me a big puff of black thick smoke is an annoyance where as being run down with a big heavy vehicle is far more then an annoyance.

Chris516

In actuality, Intentionally I don't think so. I have been 'smoked' along with other motorized traffic. By someone with bad exhaust but not intention.

350htrr

You don't know what people here are talking about... There are trucks out there that have been "modified" to the point that, whenever the driver floors it, a great big cloud of black unburned diesel soot comes out the exhaust... It's NOT ACEDENTAL... It's intentional...

I-Like-To-Bike

No.

Sixty Fiver

urbandictionary - rollin' coal

JoeyBike

Great movie scene. Perhaps one of the best bicycle scenes ever, right up there with the Breaking Away semi drafting scene.

dynodonn 

It's been a long time since I've been "smoked"...... now that our state has a phone hot line to report "rolling coal", I rarely see it happen anymore.

downtube42

A guy tried that with me just the other day. Unfortunately for him there was a crosswind that blew it into a cornfield; I didn't get a whiff. Poor fellow wasted his precious hydrocarbons sprinkling particulate matter on feed corn.

gear64

Happened to me earlier this year. They intentionally passed, pulled to the right, slowed so I had to break, then floored it.

Worknomore

Not necessarily true. The newer diesel trucks are all equipped catalytic converters. My 06 (completely stock) has one. If you drive soft footed the cat loads up with soot. The next time you get your foot into it good it will belch out a big black cloud. Never had this issue with earlier non cat trucks. Yes there are idiots out there who install a "smoke switch" but not every black cloud is intentional.

Sixty Fiver

I think we are talking about the intentional drive bys... there are a few too many inbred rejects here who drive diesels that think this is great fun.