From the June 1936 issue of Popular Mechanics comes this really terrible idea of basically strapping your dog to the side of the car. While I’m sure Mitt Romney would have loved one of these I think it’s a good thing they didn’t catch on.
Popularity: 96% [?]
54 responses so far ↓
1 RWW // Mar 13, 2008 at 9:14 pm
It’s not so bad if you think about how slow cars were…
2 Jesus H Christ // Mar 13, 2008 at 10:51 pm
WTF, that the best idea ever
3 onats // Mar 13, 2008 at 11:14 pm
The running boards on those old style cars were like at least six inches wide… come on… its not that bad… hehehe
4 gfixler // Mar 14, 2008 at 12:40 am
There’s an alternate model available, if you’re not driving.
5 Ariel // Mar 14, 2008 at 12:55 am
It’s not a bad idea at all! In 1936 cars did not drive very fast at all, so it was probably quite safe.
6 Babson // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:13 am
If only Mitt Romney had used this.
He wouldn’t have had shit all over his car and would not have looked like such an arseclown
7 Mercedes // Mar 14, 2008 at 2:02 am
That’s insane! Purely insane! Hilarious, I’m glad I saw this picture (my laugh of the day) but I still say it’s insane! xD
8 John // Mar 14, 2008 at 2:09 am
looks like the driver is about to smack the dog in the head with the door.
9 Alejandro // Mar 14, 2008 at 3:26 am
hahahaha i LOVE it, i prefer putting them in the back of a truck, i hate having animals inside a car or house for that matter.
10 Ryan // Mar 14, 2008 at 4:21 am
I think that dogs going to get smacked in the head with that door when the driver gets out.
11 olde timer // Mar 14, 2008 at 4:25 am
I remember those… We called them Romneys.
12 RP // Mar 14, 2008 at 4:42 am
I have one of those for my neice. She loves it. If I go really fast she goes ‘Yay!’
At least I think she’s having fun, it’s hard to tell over the sound of the engine.
13 dispatches from TJICistan » Blog Archive » the worst invention ever // Mar 14, 2008 at 6:00 am
[…] The thing is, I think most dogs would enjoy it. […]
14 martoon // Mar 14, 2008 at 6:09 am
where’s his goggles?
15 Andrew // Mar 14, 2008 at 6:13 am
Mitt Romney needed one of these. =)
16 Dick // Mar 14, 2008 at 7:31 am
Awesome! Anyone know where I can get one?
17 Mitt // Mar 14, 2008 at 7:33 am
new for 1936 from the Mitt Romney Inc. family of fine products
18 Culprititus // Mar 14, 2008 at 7:56 am
Don’t dogs start to lose their sight from the wind and particles when riding with a head out a window. This looks to be much worse in that case.
19 MD // Mar 14, 2008 at 8:02 am
I really don’t see how this merits your title of “The Worst Invention Ever.” The idea is both practical, and functional. The two problems would be 1) driving so fast that the dog is uncomfortable, and 2) driving carelessly and injuring the dog by “clipping” another vehicle or object.
Since it’s from 1936, a full twenty years before the creation of the Interstate Highway System, car speeds were much lower; even today, most roads have speed limits of less than 30 mph, I doubt the dog would be uncomfortable and most dogs I know enjoy having their head out the window, this provides a similar opportunity.
Second, this varies based on the size of your dog, but I am sure one can take extra care when driving around with their dog; just as people have to take extra care when bringing large objects home from Home Depot, or strapping bicycles or other equipment to the back of the car or roof. Also, there were not as many cars on the road even in urban areas, so the likelihood of hitting another car decreases.
Finally, as a slight modification to improve canine safety, one could add a light metal frame, or form the main body of the dog carrier out of a material similar to the body of the car, creating a rigid structure or environment that would protect the dog from passing foliage, or a slight bump.
In conclusion, you’re an idiot. This invention is great, and I plan to purchase a red one with a racing stripe immediately; it has to match the color scheme of my Dodge Viper.
20 Eric Berlin » Blog Archive » Howling in terror, but comfortably // Mar 14, 2008 at 8:47 am
[…] Via John Scalzi, ingenuity for the car-owning dog lover, circa 1936. […]
21 maarken // Mar 14, 2008 at 8:55 am
I don’t know, I can think of a few dogs who would think this would be great fun.
22 Tico // Mar 14, 2008 at 9:01 am
Mitt? Mitt Romney? Is that you?
23 Kate // Mar 14, 2008 at 9:22 am
Maybe you should alert Mitt Romney.
24 braine // Mar 14, 2008 at 9:25 am
This doesn’t bug me that much — if cars still had wide running boards, why not? Dogs love to hang their heads out the window of a moving car, the whole gizmo looks pretty secure, and its profile doesn’t extend beyond the fenders/running board.
The one hitch I see is…how did the driver close his door? That’s a recipe for disaster.
25 sarah // Mar 14, 2008 at 10:09 am
Quite Possibly The BEST Invention Ever.
26 Andrew // Mar 14, 2008 at 10:13 am
Gotta say- title is a bit over the top, as I kind of think maybe the nuclear bomb might have a slightly better claim to that but……….
and also, Alejandro, thanks so much for letting the rest of us know what a total asshole you are! What a neat person!
27 RayOsunshine // Mar 14, 2008 at 10:28 am
It’s like having an extra side impact airbag.
28 Shawn // Mar 14, 2008 at 10:33 am
If you don’t like having animals in the inside of your house or car…..DON’T GET AN ANIMAL ARESHOLE!!!!!!! Do me a favor and put yourself out there and then we would have less idiots in the world.
29 Richard // Mar 14, 2008 at 10:41 am
Yes, I always did thing the car was the worst invention ever. Seriously.
30 PENIX // Mar 14, 2008 at 10:55 am
Do they make a larger model to accommodate my wife?
31 Mudita4 // Mar 14, 2008 at 11:32 am
Don’t you think maybe the Victorian-era spiked ring designed to stop a young boy from having nocturnal erections was perhaps a worse invention?
Ack…
32 carl // Mar 14, 2008 at 11:34 am
How on earth could this be a good idea? It’s like begging for the animal to have an accident.
The people saying “it’s not such a bad idea, really” are about as stupid, ignorant and careless as the inventor.
33 Alan Thicke // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:00 pm
@Shawn
Sometimes we also use them for people with no sense of humor or perspective.
34 Kate // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:31 pm
While this is obviously not a good idea in the present, you have to remember that in 1936, cars went a lot slower than they do now. In fact, I remember reading a collector’s card for a 1932 vintage automobile at a car show that my dad took me to a few years ago. The card, which was a reproduction of the copy used to advertise the car stated that the car could achieve “a breakneck speed of 37 miles per hour”. Mind you, that was top speed. The normal average speed that people drove back then was probably more like 20 mph. And as someone else stated the running boards on cars back then were usually 6 to 8 inches wide. And with far less vehicles on the roads, it’s really not that risky. I wouldn’t do this to my dog, but people had much different sensibilities about animals back then. You can’t judge the culture of 75 years ago with the frame of reference of living in 2008. That’s like Anthropology 101.
35 josh // Mar 14, 2008 at 2:51 pm
this is the worse idea ever for this reason: rocks.
you or other cars kick up rocks all the time, no matter the speed.
Ever had a cracked windsheild from a rock?
Ever have a dead dog from a rock?
36 Maximus Gringo // Mar 14, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Mitt Romney! Just like a socialist liberal swine to take cheap shots and then claim people with family values are mean and cruel! If it was up to me all progressives would be required to wear a burka, male or female so they could be closer to the peace loving Muslims they continually suck up to!
37 the constant skeptic // Mar 14, 2008 at 9:18 pm
@josh ever get a cracked windshield from a stupid comment?
38 Some Yank // Mar 14, 2008 at 9:45 pm
@Alan Thicke– At least Shawn is somewhat interesting. Aren’t you not just the president of the Hair Club for Men, but also a client? Or were you the guy who wanted us to draw a cartoon and send it in to see if we had artistic ability? No, that’s right you were just the boring guy who tried to act.
39 Palli // Mar 15, 2008 at 12:17 pm
How stupid can you possible be ? A little crash would kill the dog !
40 earthmanandy // Mar 15, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Thanks, you gave me a true laugh! yes this is a terrible idea! however i actually think the worst invention ever was the chainsaw… followed by the car and closely followed by the atomic bomb… all highly debatable of course, but when the atmosphere has gone green and the earth no longer supports healthy life i expect everyone will agree, way too late!
now, how about a set of rollerskates (x4) for cat lovers, so they can drag their cats around on leads instead of letting them roam around at night killing all the birdlife! better still they could tie them onto their cars and drive them around!
41 wife // Mar 17, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I have one of these but my dog hates it. My daughter, however, totally digs it.
42 puttputt // Mar 18, 2008 at 10:55 am
I HAVE A PATENT THAT TEACHES DOGS HOW TO DRIVE SO THEY CAN BE YOUR CHAUFFEUR.
43 Ryan // Mar 18, 2008 at 4:05 pm
My dog would freak out if I tried to put him in that thing. You would prob have to clean the piss and shit out after each use.
44 Andrew D // Mar 25, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Anyone else notice that the driver has to whack the dog’s head with the door when exiting the vehicle? Not to even mention what could happen with a good slam when getting in… *shudder*
45 John // Mar 25, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Looks like a good idea to me assuming you don’t drive at highway speeds and have running boards. My dog LOVES to go for a ride. I don’t get the “Romney” references.
46 Jeffrey // Mar 26, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Does Melonhead come to mind!? Worst Idea I have seen of late. How about we strap the wanna be genius to it instead and let the dog sit in the front passenger seat.
Unreal,some people,gee-whiz.
47 Nick // Mar 27, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Actually the worst invention ever would have to be the Revigator… this device makes your water radioactive so it is safe for you to drink!!!!!!! People and their fad dieting experiments. Mind you it was in the early 1900s
48 Nancy Hanily Dolan // Apr 3, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Personally, I think that this “Rubicon” thing I keep hearing about is the worst invention ever.
I personally saw this daemonic force burn the eyebrows off of over 20,000 attendees of Burning Man.
Back when it was, “cool”, I mean, of course. But then again, what. EVAR.
49 Hydra // Apr 5, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Wallaces inventions rock.
Poor Grommet though.
50 Matthew Kowald // Apr 20, 2008 at 2:57 am
Terrific! I got to get me one of these for my kids!
51 JimWilson // Apr 22, 2008 at 11:27 am
I think the worst invention ever is actually the Rapex ‘anti-rape’ condom
52 Silva // Apr 23, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I don’t know why anyone would have a dog in the first place if they needed to keep it in a sack.
53 This Is Unfortunate // Apr 28, 2008 at 2:19 am
Do they make one of these for kids?
54 lobo // Apr 30, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Why can’t you just drag the bag behind the car?
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