There are many fictional portrayals of tanks being used to wreak vengeance upon habitual traffic offenders. It’s been shown in movies, in television shows, in video games and in cartoons. That might be the reason why people wanted to believe it was true when video of a Lithuanian mayor went viral in August, 2011.
There were plenty of indications that this was a staged event. Beyond the fact that the vehicle in question isn’t a tank (despite being called such by Mayor Zuokas and having that in the title of his video upload), the reaction of the owner as they leave the store to see the demolished luxury car is ridiculously understated…. basically, “Oh, okay. I won’t park illegally again.” Inquiries to the Mayor’s office were met with confirmation that the destroyed car had been purchased specifically for the video and that the supposed owner was acting.
The video was memorable, though. The delight many find in seeing cars crushed was amply satisfied, and every bike rider who’s ever found their lane illegally blocked likely fantasizes about doing this to the offender. Most importantly, it helped pass the word in the Lithuanian city of Vilnius to stop parking in bike lanes.
The popularity of the video went far beyond Lithuania. It was reported by NBC News, the BBC, the New York Daily News, Fox News, the Guardian and more. Unfortunately, some venues like CBS News and Business Insider didn’t realize that it was a publicity stunt and reported the vehicular destruction as if the incident wasn’t staged.
Whoops.
Question of the night: Do you have any amusing videos you’d like to share?
