Quite Possibly The Worst Invention Ever
March 13, 2008
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.
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It’s not so bad if you think about how slow cars were…
WTF, that the best idea ever
The running boards on those old style cars were like at least six inches wide… come on… its not that bad… hehehe
There’s an alternate model available, if you’re not driving.
It’s not a bad idea at all! In 1936 cars did not drive very fast at all, so it was probably quite safe.
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
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
looks like the driver is about to smack the dog in the head with the door.
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.
I think that dogs going to get smacked in the head with that door when the driver gets out.
I remember those… We called them Romneys.
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.
[...] The thing is, I think most dogs would enjoy it. [...]
where’s his goggles?
Mitt Romney needed one of these. =)
Awesome! Anyone know where I can get one?
new for 1936 from the Mitt Romney Inc. family of fine products
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.
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.
[...] Via John Scalzi, ingenuity for the car-owning dog lover, circa 1936. [...]
I don’t know, I can think of a few dogs who would think this would be great fun.
Mitt? Mitt Romney? Is that you?
Maybe you should alert Mitt Romney.
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.
Quite Possibly The BEST Invention Ever.
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!
It’s like having an extra side impact airbag.
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.
Yes, I always did thing the car was the worst invention ever. Seriously.
Do they make a larger model to accommodate my wife?
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…
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.
@Shawn
Sometimes we also use them for people with no sense of humor or perspective.
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.
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?
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!
@josh ever get a cracked windshield from a stupid comment?
@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.
How stupid can you possible be ? A little crash would kill the dog !
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!
I have one of these but my dog hates it. My daughter, however, totally digs it.
I HAVE A PATENT THAT TEACHES DOGS HOW TO DRIVE SO THEY CAN BE YOUR CHAUFFEUR.
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.
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*
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.
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.
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
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.
Wallaces inventions rock.
Poor Grommet though.
Terrific! I got to get me one of these for my kids!
I think the worst invention ever is actually the Rapex ‘anti-rape’ condom
I don’t know why anyone would have a dog in the first place if they needed to keep it in a sack.
Do they make one of these for kids?
Why can’t you just drag the bag behind the car?
There is a major problem — if you make a quick right turn, the sack and dog will swing out and then swing back, banging against the side of the car.
blimey, some people take these things far too seriously…..
i would never ever ever do that…its mean.
um,yeah. guns are by far and away THE worst invention ever made. either that or religion. take your pick.
It’s not horrible but it is not safe in the year 2009. Because, the cars go fast.
gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh jjjjjjjjjjkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
you would think the dog would get smacked in the head with the door…but why wouldn’t they just put the dog inside the car and roll the window down?
I will give a blank check to whoever gets me one of these genius devices.