Even the best minds could not have imagined this ingenious way to use the sunroof as a cargo hold
When on the streets, it’s not unusual to see vehicles carrying stuff that they are probably not designed for. It is applicable across all vehicles including two-wheelers, cars and rickshaws. People usually resort to such tactics, as hiring a regular cargo carrier requires them to pay extra money. Just to save a few bucks, some people don’t even care about the risks associated with such stunts.
A recent example involves a Kia Sonet that can be seen carrying a bundle of long plastic pipes. It appears that the pipes are bundled together with either rope or duct tape. They are around 4-5 meters in length and placed inside the car via the sunroof.
Kia Sonet sunroof jugaad
More than half the length of the pipes is sticking out of the sunroof, whereas the lower section is probably placed in between the front row seats. What is difficult to guess is the approx. weight of this cargo. Such plastic pipes have different wall thickness, which determines its overall weight. If it’s the standard 5mm thick pipes, the weight could be significant.
The bundle seems pretty huge, almost equivalent to the total stock one would find in a small hardware store. There appears to be around 50+ pieces, which could roughly amount to a weight of around 100 kg. However, the weight will be less if the wall thickness of the pipes is 1mm or 2mm.
It is evident that the pipes are leaning on one side of the sunroof. However, it’s not certain if the bundle is fixed in that position or just hanging there on its own weight. The bundle could have probably been fixed inside with a rope to ensure it does not slide from side to side. It is not clear if such precautions have been taken.
Risky and probably illegal
While the sunroof jugaad to carry oversized items seems quite useful, it is likely to be in violation of traffic rules. There may not be a dedicated law for sunroof related violations, but the owner can still be penalized for creating nuisance on the streets. There are various things that can go wrong such as causing distraction to other road users. Or the bundle may shift to the right, hitting the driver, resulting in loss of control of the vehicle.
It’s another matter that traffic personnel usually tend to ignore instances of unusual loading on vehicles. While documents are thoroughly checked, traffic cops may not necessarily take against cases of unusual loading. There appears to be a general acceptance towards jugaad tactics, especially in the context of practical problems people face on an everyday basis.
So, in this case, it is likely that the Kia Sonet owner reached destination without any issues. Unless, of course, someone tags this image to the respective traffic police department. In that case, appropriate action can probably be taken against the owner.
