Comments on: Photos of trash cars http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 17:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: antonrobb http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307717 antonrobb Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307717 These cars are built over time. Lived with an agorophobe who rented my wife and I an illegal inlaw in the basement of the Berkeley Hills home HE was renting from someone else. He only went out and night and was reclusive. He had THREE cars like this. As the first one died he parked it in the garage and packed the car into the garage with trash all the way around it. The second dead one lived on the front lawn. Inside the third one, which he still drove and which was only 2/3 full, he shot himself in the head. The house was sold and he (along with we) had to vacate within 30 days. He had filled the entire upstairs of the house just like these cars and couldn't imagine moving it all elsewhere. He torched the home and x-ed hisself in his trash car up the street. He was an astronomy prof at UC Berkeley. These cars are built over time. Lived with an agorophobe who rented my wife and I an illegal inlaw in the basement of the Berkeley Hills home HE was renting from someone else. He only went out and night and was reclusive. He had THREE cars like this. As the first one died he parked it in the garage and packed the car into the garage with trash all the way around it. The second dead one lived on the front lawn. Inside the third one, which he still drove and which was only 2/3 full, he shot himself in the head. The house was sold and he (along with we) had to vacate within 30 days. He had filled the entire upstairs of the house just like these cars and couldn’t imagine moving it all elsewhere. He torched the home and x-ed hisself in his trash car up the street. He was an astronomy prof at UC Berkeley.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307718 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307718 Holy shit. There is one of those cars in my town. It's freaky to see other ones!! Holy shit. There is one of those cars in my town. It’s freaky to see other ones!!

]]> By: Halloween Jack http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307977 Halloween Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307977 I blame all the crap in my car on cars like this; I look at these photos and say, "Eh, mine's not nearly this bad." I should take a photo of the car that our local dumpster diver uses for the gleanings from our apartment complex. Stuffed full, yes, but it's all meticulously sorted and organized. I'll have to see how he feels about a lookie-lou. I blame all the crap in my car on cars like this; I look at these photos and say, “Eh, mine’s not nearly this bad.”

I should take a photo of the car that our local dumpster diver uses for the gleanings from our apartment complex. Stuffed full, yes, but it’s all meticulously sorted and organized. I’ll have to see how he feels about a lookie-lou.

]]> By: igpajo http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307724 igpajo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307724 Imagine what their houses look like! If they have one. Very sad. Imagine what their houses look like! If they have one. Very sad.

]]> By: DeWynken http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307993 DeWynken Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307993 One clarification should be made..there's a difference between Trash Cars and Mobile Gypsy Cars. There's trash..and there's belongings. I had a red 90 Celica that was PACKED with all my stuff in Philly in fall of 99 that was almost as bad as that, but not a lick of trash persay. Once I found a home, the stuff found a home (outside the car). One clarification should be made..there’s a difference between Trash Cars and Mobile Gypsy Cars. There’s trash..and there’s belongings. I had a red 90 Celica that was PACKED with all my stuff in Philly in fall of 99 that was almost as bad as that, but not a lick of trash persay. Once I found a home, the stuff found a home (outside the car).

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307747 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307747 I think it's mistakenly romantic to assume you could pull a life story out of the process of sifting through the contents. People if this state are not storing "meaningful" things to you and I, the basis for keeping things is diffent, there is essentially no editing. I might discover that the person stores urine in jars, hundreds of hamburger wrappers and empty soda cups, but that's not really a life story in a traditional sense. What you would walk away with, is an amazing sense of emptiness, mental illness, and sadness I think it’s mistakenly romantic to assume you could pull a life story out of the process of sifting through the contents.

People if this state are not storing “meaningful” things to you and I, the basis for keeping things is diffent, there is essentially no editing.

I might discover that the person stores urine in jars, hundreds of hamburger wrappers and empty soda cups, but that’s not really a life story in a traditional sense.

What you would walk away with, is an amazing sense of emptiness, mental illness, and sadness

]]> By: arkady http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307754 arkady Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307754 One of these caught fire outside of my work. One of these caught fire outside of my work.

]]> By: spokanarama http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-308017 spokanarama Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-308017 This featured photo is just another wonderful happening in the Lilac City - Spokane! http://spokanarama.blogspot.com/2008/08/as-seen-downtown.html This featured photo is just another wonderful happening in the Lilac City – Spokane!

http://spokanarama.blogspot.com/2008/08/as-seen-downtown.html

]]> By: seanboing http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307780 seanboing Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307780 I think this is much like the hoarder mentality. Hearing the story by Antonrobb confirms this in an anecdotal way. I wonder if there is a specific mental illness associated with this. I think this is much like the hoarder mentality. Hearing the story by Antonrobb confirms this in an anecdotal way. I wonder if there is a specific mental illness associated with this.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307813 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307813 Goldarnit, don't you go disparaging that there beeyooteeful Ford Fairmont wagon. I drive one just like it (minus the garbage) and I don't consider it an "old car" - slightly vintage maybe, but not old. The Fairmont was built on the Fox chassis which was the same as used for the Mustang 5.0, a very, very drivable piece of Detroit iron. Truly unfortunate that some dufus craploaded the inside of that good looking wagon. Goldarnit, don’t you go disparaging that there beeyooteeful Ford Fairmont wagon. I drive one just like it (minus the garbage) and I don’t consider it an “old car” – slightly vintage maybe, but not old. The Fairmont was built on the Fox chassis which was the same as used for the Mustang 5.0, a very, very drivable piece of Detroit iron.
Truly unfortunate that some dufus craploaded the inside of that good looking wagon.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-831594 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-831594 There is a place like that has 3 cars filled with trash in my grandparent's neighborhood. The house does not look livable . The air conditioning unit outside is tipped over and trees completely cover the back of the house. The man that presumably owns the house wears tattered clothes and hasn't shaven in years. He does not live there all the time and is always outside when he is there. I once witnessed him put trash in the car that he drives there. So there will soon be four cars there in the driveway filled with trash. I don't understand why anyone would do this. There is a place like that has 3 cars filled with trash in my grandparent’s neighborhood. The house does not look livable . The air conditioning unit outside is tipped over and trees completely cover the back of the house. The man that presumably owns the house wears tattered clothes and hasn’t shaven in years. He does not live there all the time and is always outside when he is there. I once witnessed him put trash in the car that he drives there. So there will soon be four cars there in the driveway filled with trash. I don’t understand why anyone would do this.

]]> By: jrbrubaker http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-308076 jrbrubaker Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-308076 Here's one that I caught on Polaroid a few months ago in Portland: http://pixelgrain.org/polaroid366/photos/2619270643/ Here’s one that I caught on Polaroid a few months ago in Portland:
http://pixelgrain.org/polaroid366/photos/2619270643/

]]> By: redteam http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307826 redteam Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307826 There are plenty more of them in the "Garbage Car" photo pool on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/garbagecar/pool/ There are plenty more of them in the “Garbage Car” photo pool on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/garbagecar/pool/

]]> By: zuzu http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307638 zuzu Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307638 Are the vehicles also thought to be trash as well? or more of a vessel, like a dumpster? Are the vehicles also thought to be trash as well? or more of a vessel, like a dumpster?

]]> By: DeWynken http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307657 DeWynken Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307657 what you can't see are the bodies of the 10 dead hookers in that station wagon. what you can’t see are the bodies of the 10 dead hookers in that station wagon.

]]> By: jamingray http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-308440 jamingray Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-308440 Here are two pictures of a trashcar I spotted in Quincy, IL: http://pubcrawler.org/images/ben_lori_wedding/DSCN1452_small.jpg http://pubcrawler.org/images/ben_lori_wedding/DSCN1453_small.jpg Here are two pictures of a trashcar I spotted in Quincy, IL:

http://pubcrawler.org/images/ben_lori_wedding/DSCN1452_small.jpg
http://pubcrawler.org/images/ben_lori_wedding/DSCN1453_small.jpg

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307673 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307673 to see cars like that that people really drive around check out the long term parking at hospitals..i have seen a few--no joke-- to see cars like that that people really drive around check out the long term parking at hospitals..i have seen a few–no joke–

]]> By: NeilFraser http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307679 NeilFraser Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307679 I saw one of these cars last year in the Marina district of San Francisco: http://neil.fraser.name/news/2007/stuffed_car_1.jpg http://neil.fraser.name/news/2007/stuffed_car_2.jpg It was completely full, except for a 3-dimensional hole perfectly shaped for one human in the driver's seat. Frightening sight. I saw one of these cars last year in the Marina district of San Francisco:
http://neil.fraser.name/news/2007/stuffed_car_1.jpg
http://neil.fraser.name/news/2007/stuffed_car_2.jpg
It was completely full, except for a 3-dimensional hole perfectly shaped for one human in the driver’s seat. Frightening sight.

]]> By: ian_mxyz http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307935 ian_mxyz Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307935 I was going to ask whether it was the Myst Robyn Miller, but having clicked the link I guess it is. How odd! I did have a car that I treated as a mobile rubbish container, when refurbishing my house I'd slowly fill it up and when full I'd drive it to the recycling facility and empty it, drive home and start over. It was pretty useful. I was going to ask whether it was the Myst Robyn Miller, but having clicked the link I guess it is. How odd!

I did have a car that I treated as a mobile rubbish container, when refurbishing my house I’d slowly fill it up and when full I’d drive it to the recycling facility and empty it, drive home and start over. It was pretty useful.

]]> By: phoenix21 http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307940 phoenix21 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307940 I saw a trash-filled van once at a convenience store. My mom and I could not stop gawking at it, walking around it to see how the trash filled the passenger seat, back seats, and trunk. We couldn't understand how anyone could drive it without being able to see out of it. There was some trash even on the driver's seat, but it had obviously been molded over time by the driver's body. I just can't imagine living like that, and I'm thankful I don't have to either. I saw a trash-filled van once at a convenience store. My mom and I could not stop gawking at it, walking around it to see how the trash filled the passenger seat, back seats, and trunk. We couldn’t understand how anyone could drive it without being able to see out of it. There was some trash even on the driver’s seat, but it had obviously been molded over time by the driver’s body. I just can’t imagine living like that, and I’m thankful I don’t have to either.

]]> By: Sekino http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-307941 Sekino Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-307941 Actually, this looks like every second car on the freeway the day before college starts (just add a mattress on the roof) ;) Seriously, though: Isn't this just an extension of <a href="http://www.squalorsurvivors.com/" target="blank">squalor</a>? Teresa pointed this affliction out in the post about the very messy apartment. Actually, this looks like every second car on the freeway the day before college starts (just add a mattress on the roof) ;)

Seriously, though: Isn’t this just an extension of squalor? Teresa pointed this affliction out in the post about the very messy apartment.

]]> By: wahistorian http://boingboing.net/2008/10/13/photos-of-trash-cars.html#comment-308724 wahistorian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-308724 Alan Bennett has written a lovely humane novelette, "The Lady in the Van," about one such car hoarder and the neighbor who tries to help her. http://www.amazon.com/Clothes-They-Stood-Lady-Today/dp/0812969650/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224042904&sr=1-2 Alan Bennett has written a lovely humane novelette, “The Lady in the Van,” about one such car hoarder and the neighbor who tries to help her.

http://www.amazon.com/Clothes-They-Stood-Lady-Today/dp/0812969650/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224042904&sr=1-2

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