CAUTION! Genius behind wheel!

[protege]

I once put a lawnmower in a two-door Renault Alliance. Getting it in there was interesting, mainly because it wouldn't fit in the trunk, and the front seats didn't slide. Only way around it was to take the thing out of the box. Good thing it was my Algebra teacher (who thought it was hilarious), otherwise I'm sure someone else would have been pissed.

[trunks2k]

I own a 2008 Nissan Sentra. It looks like this, notice the sloped roof and lack of roof rack:


My dad's friend gave me his old canoe that he no longer wanted to use. The canoe is very large -- only about six inches thinner than the car at it's widest point, and just as long as the car. My dad's friend lives in CT. I live in Philadelphia.

Three tries and the thing still hasn't made it to Philadelphia.

Try #1: Maybe his roof rack will fit my car. Nope.
Try #2: Lets just get those styrofoam blocks and tie downs that are made for cars without roof racks. It's "universal" after all! Nope. Roof is too curved, so the canoe just ends up teetering on it.
Try #3: Inflatable roof rack! (seriously) Made as an easier to store and set up alternative to temporary hard roof racks. Every review says they work very well. Nope! Got it tied onto the car drove it around the block a couple times, it all looked OK. Then I got on the highway.... FAIL! Thankfully I was able to get off of the highway and make it home.

[Chromatix]

That's precisely why, when I eventually get around to finishing my driving lessons and buying a car, it'll be an old Volvo estate. I would use the car so little that the mileage doesn't matter, but I will want to be able to put BIG things in (and on, and behind) it when I do use it.

[Hyndis]

My mom and I were driving home from RI once and we spot a car with two mattresses on the roof.

The bottom mattress was held on with a rope two-thirds of the way down the length, and the top mattress was attached to the bottom one (just the mattress, not the car roof) with a single, thinner rope about halfway down the length. Top mattress was flapping merrily in the wind (~80MPH on Route 24).

We didn't stay behind that guy for long, it was quickly deemed possibly too risky to stay nearby and see if anything happened.

Gah! What kind of madness would possess someone to drive at a high rate of speed with an unstable cargo barely attached to the top of the car?

I've had to move very large and awkward objects with my car before, and I drive very slowly and carefully, often times with my hand outside the window on the object to make sure its staying still. If I feel it start to shift, I'll pull over immediately to secure the cargo. Driving slowly with that kind of cargo can be excused, as its done for the safety of everyone else behind me.

[Hyndis]

I did once have a woman by two small reclining chairs and actually manage to fit BOTH into a VW Bug. And I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't helped her do it.

VW bugs are clown cars.

I drive a bug myself, and they have a staggering cargo capacity, on par with an SUV.

I can fit every item I own inside my car. Its a tight fit, but it works.

[Dreamstalker]

Gah! What kind of madness would possess someone to drive at a high rate of speed with an unstable cargo barely attached to the top of the car?

It's MA. Need I say more? (no offense to those here from MA who are good drivers, but most of the vehicular suckitude I witness seems to be in my home state)

We couldn't tell if the driver knew what was going on; other drivers were honking/flashing their lights at her. I wanted to call the police and report a moving road hazard, but mom wouldn't let me