INSIDE EDITION takes a look at a new prank known as "Rollin' Coal," which critics say is one of the dumber and dirtier things that some people call fun.
A shocking prank will leave you gasping. In videos posted online, a truck deliberately sprayed thick black exhaust fumes on pedestrians.
In another video, a woman was walking when she was blasted with the smoke. Another video showed a truck intentionally bombarding cyclists on a mountain road and a motorcyclist gets a face full too.
The obnoxious behavior captured in YouTube videos is called "Rollin' Coal." Some truck owners have specially rigged their diesel engines to shoot out clouds of sooty black smoke anytime they want.
Lauren Fix, “The Car Coach,” says Rollin' Coal isn't funny—it's downright dangerous, telling INSIDE EDITION, “The whole concept of this is absolutely ridiculous. All they're doing is polluting. It's a health hazard. They're a danger to other drivers, and it's absolutely immature.”
Some angry victims are fighting back. In one video a victim screamed at a driver, “You have got to make that much pollution? Is it your right? You are laughing because you are mindless and because you are ignorant. You have no care about anybody else but yourself!"
So, how does Rollin' Coal work? Mechanic Steve Schillizzi showed INSIDE EDITION’s Les Trent how a pickup truck's engine can be modified to blow off clouds of exhaust with a simple knob.
Schillizzi said, “Lets face it, it comes down to common sense and courtesy.”
Trent drove behind his truck to get a personal demonstration and said, "You don't want to be riding a bike down the street on a bike when something like that happens."
Some claim that Rollin' Coal is a protest against tough air pollution laws.
Comedian Stephen Colbert has this satiric response on The Colbert Report, "I say Coal Rollin' is the best new way to stick it to Mother Earth since paint canin', where you dump old paint into a river. Or porpoise corkin,' where you hammer corks into the blowholes of dolphins!"
Some Rollin' Coal knuckleheads are actually doing it to themselves. One guy stuck his entire face into the exhaust.
Lauren Fix said, “This is one of the stupid things to do. For now, it's a trend. Let's hope it ends quickly.”
