Lion enjoys riding in a sidecar racing around a velodrome

Of course the only way to race in a velodrome is with a lion in your sidecar. And here's a video. (Via Arbroath)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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DreamboatSkanky

“Enjoys”?
http://twitter.com/writebastard Ian Wood

Stay thirsty, my friends.
GertaLives

Quick nitpick: that’s not a velodrome, which would be a track for cycling. I believe the picture instead depicts a “wall of death.”
- Nash Rambler
  
  GertaLives is correct, that is a Wall of Death, while velodrome’s had wider turning radii and more gentle banks (which, oddly enough, led to more horrific crashes in motorcycle racing). As for the lion, heck, why wouldn’t he enjoy it. In his lion mind, he’s probably thinking “yeah, that’s right antelope, you can’t outrun me because I can go 40 mph ON THE SIDE OF A WALL. Also, huge teeth and claws.”
http://twitter.com/blindeschildpad Blinde Schildpad

It’s hard to say whether this symbolizes the best or the worst traits of humanity. Which ambiguity itself is telling. Etc.
manchest

I believe Mother Jones is also working on an article about the abusive practices that would result in a lion sitting in a sidecar. I doubt the animal is “enjoying” it.
http://boingboing.net/2011/10/31/circusleaks-documents-show-cruelty-to-elephants-at-ringling-bros.html
- Ryan_T_H
  
  Eh, my dog would enjoy it. Not saying that the lion automatically is, but I think there needs to be at least some indication that it is in distress.
  
  Now, that the lion’s treatment in general was probably cruel is historically documented. That this particular activity was disturbing to it? No idea, but it is entirely possible that it did enjoy it.
- Culturedropout
  
  The lion actually put them up to this. After the spectacular wreck (which the lion avoids by leaping gracefully to safety), he eats the nicely-tenderized roasted meat.
Brad H.

That era had Bing Crosby, pole sitting and lion sidecar antics to be entertained by.

We have Bieber, planking and the cats of youtube.
http://homebiss.blogspot.com/ Saidul A Shaari

Who’s driving that sidecar. Seems like a lady, right?
http://twitter.com/adiro adiro

This has to have been the inspiration behind Voltron.
absimiliard

Is this further proof that the internet is composed of cat videos?

-abs is willing to entertain debate over whether “cat” in the famous view of what the internet is composed of should apply to big cats or not, but if it does he’s sure this is further proof
http://www.facebook.com/mack.reed Mack Reed

This country once was great.
- dainel
  
  It still has a great name. Or rather, it still has great in it’s name.
http://www.disoriented.net/ angusm

Soon to to be a major motion picture: “The Fast and the Furriest”
snagglepuss

Now, if they had the LION driving, and the man laying on the sidecar – Then you’d really have something, by cracky.
http://ok-cleek.com/blogs cleek

we do something like this with our cat.

except we use a laundry basket, and i carry it, walking, from the laundry room to our bedroom – full of laundry, with the cat on top. but, as far as Tricksey’s concerned, it’s just as much fun as what the lion’s doing.
http://www.markcrummett.com crummett

>>> Lion enjoys riding in a sidecar racing around a velodrome <<<

Hey, who wouldn't?
BrotherPower

I need more of this in my life.
More velodromes, more sidecars, more lions.
scruss

What’s lion for “Whee!”?
Evan Rappaport

There needs to be a Super Mario Cart mod for this or at least a Matchbox car.
Utenzil

I can’t believe I just spent, like, 12 minutes wondering “If the lion pukes, can it hit the driver in the face?” with respect to the effects of centrifugal/centripedal force.
http://halfbakedmaker.org Robert Baruch

Seriously, guys? 20 comments and not a single “Jesus Christ, it’s a lion! Get in the sidecar!” Hand in your nerd cards.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_e_jones/ Stefan Jones

This looks like a still from one of those daydreams that Bart Simpson has, that end with him muttering “COOOL!”
http://shadowfirebird.tumblr.com shadowfirebird

Lions were apparently a fairly common feature on walls of death. (I did a little research when I blogged this picture myself a couple of years ago … err, sorry…)

If you think this is cool, then you’ll love the high-diving horse. http://odd-facts.blogspot.com/2009/09/diving-horses-of-atlantic-city.html
cooperman

Like the picture? Try the novel: Pride by William Wharton. Long time since I read it but I think it was great.
moosestudiospottery

im pretty sure thats Clyde Beatty, which would make the Lion Leo I This is prob from the 30′s when his circus was still doing Outdoor stunts. He was making Serials and shorts with leo, and his tigers and hyenas in his Cage of Death and lost city series…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Beatty
charlottesophia

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-most-badass-things-ever-done-by-jungle-cats/

Behold the Lion Drome!
JhmL

Looks like a tasty human morsel drive-through for the bigger felines.
AA

“What a splendid and accurate launching platform…Gazelles don’t stand a chance after this!”
TheMudshark

It had to be done.
http://twitter.com/TuttleLives Harry Tuttle

In the Life magazine archives there are photos of Ethel Purtle and King – The Auto Riding Lion driving around the Wall of Death in modified car. They’re dated 1949, so this isn’t just a 30s thing.
Sam Jelfs

There was a wall built in 1927 and ridden by Elias Harris with his lion ‘Rita’ that is still being used today, albeit without the lion…

http://www.demondrome.com/History.html
yankeefrank

At the end the lion is like, “get me the f*ck outta here, these petty humons are crazy”, and scampers out the nearest exit.