Cool Hunting in C'ville

"Cool" is the wonderfully outrageous activity of using technology for purposes the designers never intended. It arouses our interest so strongly that we emulate it or tell others about it, and thereby start a trend.

The cool stuff that appears at the intersection of design, culture and technology has become the subject of books like Pattern Recognition, sites like Merchants of Cool, even articles in Time Magazine.

I spotted this ATV and pickup truck in the Lowes parking lot in Charlottesville earlier today. A bunch of good 'ol boys in camo outfits were riding around in a truck getting ready for hunting season, carrying their ATV sideways!

This short bed truck holds the All Terrain Vehicle proudly in the air in the only orientation that works. It isn't stable, it isn't pretty, but it's definitely COOL!

I have no idea how the owner gets the ATV on and off the vehicle, other than an Evel Knievel maneuver involving a high bank and a couple of boards. I don't care if he lowers it into place with a sling and a crane!

It is enough for me that he has created this cool hunting moment and I can confidently expect to see ATVs being worn sideways all from here on out. If the owner gets ticketed for reckless endangerment of ATVs, it will only spread the cool virus faster.

The next thing you know, you won't be able to carry your ATV sideways when you drive to school. Sideways ATVs will be barred from Interstate highways. Protest groups and bumper stickers will spring up overnight. Political candidates will be grilled on their feelings about sideways ATVs!

Pretty soon we'll have a movement and sideways ATVs will be chained to the White House fence. Hired marchers will stage spontaneous demonstrations. The possibilities are endless...T-shirts!...commemorative belt buckles...bumper stickers! There will be BlogAds placed by the ATV manufacturer! Money will be made and the economy will benefit.

I claim dibs on being the first to spot this "cool" moment unless someone has already seen it and documented it.

Done any "cool" hunting lately?

Tags: cool hunting, Funny