r/oddlysatisfying 3d ago

When drivers actually cooperate

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u/InevitableYard8820 3d ago

Nobody thought to get out and move the branch?

u/whatsthatguysname 3d ago

I saw the title and was waiting for a group of them to stop and move the brach away together…

u/Mr_Nerdcoffee 2d ago

Same, I was ready for a feel good, but just watched people taking turns… yay, for being able to follow the basic rules of the road.

https://giphy.com/gifs/G1vplGMypxBcp7kx32

u/Billionaires_R_Tasty 2d ago

Have you seen these people (gestures broadly at everyone) lose their ever loving shit when some people properly zipper merge?

This is America. Exhibiting an understanding of basic rules of the road and social manners is a big fucking win.

u/BnyLrd89 2d ago

I live in Australia and some dickhead behind me tooted at me several times for letting people properly merge onto the freeway in a heavy traffic jam. It's supposed to work like a zip. He couldn't even wait 2.5 seconds.

u/Mr_Nerdcoffee 2d ago

I know 🫩 I live in the Midwest where roundabouts are just treated like a typical 4-way stop, and every traffic light is a drag strip. Hell, I get excited when someone actually uses their turn signal; or uses the median turn lanes to turn across traffic, instead of stopping in the regular lane until they can safely go at the slowest acceleration possible.

https://giphy.com/gifs/4iQV7GZmMqAVVi1oho

u/Fit-Contract8566 2d ago

Yeah but also one at a time like this is extremely inefficient!

u/VegasBjorne1 2d ago

That’s what I was thinking. I have heavy tow chain, pickup, and I am having some fun pulling the downed tree off the road!

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u/Michaeli_Starky 3d ago

Yeah I was expecting that.

Here is just normal zipping through a chokepoint. Nothing special

u/WhenTheLightHits30 3d ago

Genuinely, the fact that people are taking turns is what is so fascinating, at least in the context of American driving which I assume this is.

“Zipper merging” is basically a completely foreign term to half the population so the fact they’d do something of the sort here is actually kind of curious to see personally.

u/quiero-una-cerveca 3d ago

Thank you. Seeing people actually cooperating on American roads is deeply satisfying. Because my daily existence has shown me the other half of drivers that suck.

u/monoflorist 2d ago

I wonder if different parts of the country are different about this. I live in MA where we are not exactly known for having good road manners, but almost everyone zipper merges cleanly and takes turns by default.

u/quiero-una-cerveca 2d ago

I would think so. Probably depends on the day and how crappy that other person’s day has been.

I do distinctly remember a MA driving story. I had just landed at the airport and got the rental car. I told the person with me that MA drivers were known as Massholes and not 30 seconds later, someone rolled down their window so they could give me the bird. It was awesome timing.

u/monoflorist 2d ago

Having lived here my entire adult life, I have so many great Masshole stories, some of them hilarious. And I’ve slowly turned into one; when I travel to other places, I have to remember that yelling at other drivers and flipping people off for bad driving is not standard behavior. Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why we handle stuff like zipper merges; you’re going to get some, uh, feedback if you don’t do your part.

u/FreeFortuna 2d ago

I did a long road trip around the US (several months) and visited people I knew in various states. It was funny how many of them wanted to know whether the drivers in their area/state were the worst. They always seemed disappointed when I said no.

u/TurtleToast2 2d ago

We've started getting "zipper merge" signs around me and I've never felt so vindicated.

u/morg-pyro 2d ago

Every morning on my way to work there is, near the end, only one road that gets to our warehouse. Right where that is, it also drops from 2 lanes to 1. We have all 3000 of us become experts in the zipper merging method.

u/Witty_Butterfly_2774 3d ago

I think a 100 men vs Log is duable

u/StrangerFeelings 3d ago

Maybe even 6 or so could move that. It doesn't look that big lol.

u/andocromn 2d ago

Or 1 really determined beaver

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u/SapperGeorge 3d ago

It is special that people are actually doing it😂

u/Auno__Adam 2d ago

Well, its somehow special, considering this would not happen in 95% of the world

u/Maxverstophim 2d ago

I did this once to be the hero. Turns out those branches are very heavy. Used poor technique. Pulled my back. Back spasms/backpain for next 6 months and got put on muscle relaxers. Was not fun.

u/BobSacamano47 3d ago

Trees can get quite large and heavy 

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u/ItsALuigiYes 3d ago

I imagine if that were possible, some Macho in a RAM 2500 would've done it.

That looks like the tip of a very large branch

u/requion 3d ago

And a lot of cars ....

u/Competitive-Roof-168 3d ago

Somewhere but They just need to break small branches back 6 feet.

u/SinglePlayerGamer93 3d ago

The branch looks pretty big that a single person may have difficulty moving it.

u/allday95 3d ago

Perhaps, but now imagine if they would....cooperate..... XD

u/ThinkShower 3d ago

If only one of them had a pick up truck

u/LNLV 3d ago

Yeah but moving it would require keeping chains or straps or something in your truck, who does that?!

/s

u/xrelaht 2d ago

God, I would be so excited to finally have an excuse to pull out all the shit I keep in my truck “just in case”!

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u/HardTacoKit 3d ago

Of if they wood cooperate.

u/JudgmentGold2618 2d ago

...... but they don't , so they just leaves it on the road

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u/Wonderful-Kangaroo52 3d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/cXblnKXr2BQOaYnTni

Sounds like you need a successful branch manager.

u/FeebleUndead 2d ago

If just one person had parked and gotten out to move it then others would have helped. Most people are too scared to be the first person to do something when it opens them up to ridicule by others.

u/TheLastPeanut_ 3d ago

It's probably a whole ass tree. Just cant see the rest from this POV.

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u/TheUndertaker1978 3d ago

Je pensais que c'était un autre point de vue de la vidéo où le gars vêtement de bureau sort sa tronçonneuse tranquillement du coffre et commence à découper l'arbre.

(Avec les autres usagers qui déplacent les morceaux)

u/Middle_Notice_4678 2d ago

They dont learn that in kindergarden.

u/w1ck3r 2d ago

No that would take cooperation

u/I_dont_bone_goats 2d ago

Probably really big

u/longdarkfantasy 3d ago

Everyone thought someone would get out and move that branch. 😂

u/GravitationalEddie 3d ago

Looks like it's probably quite large.

u/KtheMage36 3d ago

I live in North East Arkansas and we've done this. Once with just our hands and tossing it into a ditch and another a guy had a tow rope.

The Department of highway safety wasn't happy but didn't fine us, just said to leave it to a crew incase we made the situation worse.

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u/guitarium 3d ago

Maybe it’s got electrical wires in it?

u/caption-this- 3d ago

They cooperated instead

u/zackel_flac 2d ago

Right? And fix the problem for everyone at once..

u/Tinkous 2d ago

They also didn’t pay for the roads by themselves so why should they move the tree by themselves? Let the „public“ do it!

u/WeAllJustWantToLive 2d ago

School teaches to treat people fairly and that group projects suck

u/Gail_the_SLP 2d ago

A large tree fell over the road in front of our house during a storm. A few minutes later, a guy showed up with a chain saw and cut it up, and we all helped drag it out of the road. On the other hand, if it had been tangled up in the power lines, we wouldn’t have touched it. It’s hard to tell from the video if that’s the case here.

u/ThresholdSeven 2d ago

Perfect metaphor for today's society. Why don't we get out and move the mother fucking branch?

u/bag-of-unmilled-rice 2d ago

one time i was driving home in a torrential downpour and a big branch fell in my direct path, there was no way to go around it. i threw on my hazards and dragged it into the ditch. came home looking like a drowned rat.

anyway if like 3 people got out of their cars they absolutely could've moved it

u/Q_S2 2d ago

Especially with those trucks that passed. I just KNEW somebody had a rope

u/flacidfeline 2d ago

No shit?!?! Doesn’t everyone carry a chainsaw in their trunk, or just me?

u/ohlaph 2d ago

That's what I was thinking. Like, six to ten people could probably drag it out of the way. 

u/MonkeyzzPaw 3d ago

Was going to say, just move the fucking branch.

u/jmanndc 3d ago

They are cooperating!

u/AmettOmega 2d ago

There's an electrical pole (With what looks like to be a service vehicle next to it) in the first few seconds. There could be a downed pole/wire that we can see.

u/SplodeyMcSchoolio 2d ago

The king mightve hidden a pouch of gold under it

u/myleftone 2d ago

If you don’t have a tow rig or a chainsaw, you’re just going to be in the way.

u/Sealbeater 2d ago

Could be connected to a much larger, longer section. We don’t see the full branch

u/Intrepid-Flower714 2d ago

Was literally thinking the exact same thing. I would have just got out and dragged it off the road.

u/healywylie 1d ago

Yeah the whole
Just drive around doesn’t scream cooperation but “ not my problem “

u/sawskooh 19h ago

They all learned in kindergarten to not play with sticks or they'd poke their eye out.

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u/Gumbercules81 3d ago

Oh my god someone get out and move the damn branch

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/jluc1114 2d ago

That’s definitely a tree. You would need a saw.

I was in this exact situation over the 4th of July.

u/Gumbercules81 2d ago

If I'm close to my house I'm coming back with a sawsall

u/professorbuffoon 2d ago

Everyone is in their work clothes or something, everyone is late, etc

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u/ARobertNotABob 3d ago

There was one a few months ago where guy got a chainsaw out and both queues helped clear it all away.

u/GodNihilus 3d ago

From what I see it takes 2 adult men to move it, no Tools required

u/ajiatic 3d ago

This is a nice sentiment, but the reality is they would actually do better if they cleared chunks of cars at a time and then moved chunks of cars in the other direction. Doing it one after another is a lot of starting and stopping that wastes time

u/1337AZN9 3d ago

That would be ideal, but probably only practical if a third party was directing traffic such as a cop (I think you talked about that in another thread). At that point, I would think the police would just remove the road hazard if possible, depending on the size of the tree.

But without the police, I think people would just follow the next car, and it would be just one lane going non-stop and the other at a standstill. But I agree that would be better, and also not satisfying lol.

u/phantvex 3d ago

That does not look like a big tree they could have come together in numbers and move it to the side

u/Headless_Human 3d ago

We never saw the whole thing. There could still be a whole tree attached to that branch.

u/dundiewinnah 3d ago

Come together...

u/85K5 3d ago

Right now

u/Feine13 3d ago

Move a tree

u/VeganForAWhile 3d ago

Here come old axe chop, he come crusin’ up slowly.

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u/Original-Big-6351 2d ago

Right? All driving around in these big ass cars - just move the branch?!

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u/SP3NGL3R 2d ago

Logically yes, but then you just have 20 extra cars saying "it was my turn" because they also have the brains of a kindergartener.

u/ifixthecable 3d ago

and who is going to keep count?

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u/Ok_Calendar1337 2d ago

Nah lmao "chunks" is too vague adds error that could lead to accidents.

Just treat it like a stop sign, one at a time, predictable.

u/DrMobius0 2d ago

The last few years have trained me to think of any pro-social behavior as a previous rarity.

u/tipytopmain 2d ago

Yup, someone needs to take one for the team(s) and wave on a whole bunch of cars to come through in one go. Clear out the backlog on one end before it spills out into other intersections further out.

u/NonsensePlanet 2d ago

There’s a narrow tunnel under a bridge in a city near me, and the locals know it’s better to let 2 or 3 cars go per turn because it’s more efficient.

u/Superb_Recording_769 2d ago

I mean, sure, but they would do even better if like two of them got together, and just dragged the branch out of the road

u/jetilovag 3d ago

You see cooperation, I see

The "missing hero trap" is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals or groups become so fixated on the idea of a missing or absent hero that they fail to take action or responsibility themselves.

u/GERBabyCare 3d ago

Isn't this the same as the bystander effect? Recognizing something should be done but choosing to do nothing because of the idea everyone recognizes it and thus someone will handle it? It seems like two names for the same thing, I'm just curious if they're somehow two separate things.

u/jetilovag 2d ago

They sound related. The video is the text book example of the missing hero trap. (But really, this is the exact situation found in text books.) Once you reach the tree, you are no longer incentivized to do anything about it, cause you already "paid the price" by waiting in line. Once you reach the tree, át the expense of you making an effort, you can olny help others but not yourself anymore.

What you're describing kind of missed the element of breaking free of the situation, eg. someone getting beat up on the street but nobody intervenes, just watches. Everyone is stuck in the situation until its over by itself or someone intervenes (which could be anyone, there for noone).

u/FreedomPaid 2d ago

My understanding of the "bystander effect" comes from anti-bullying talks in HS. Imagine two kids fighting, and everyone else crowds around to watch. Nobody is intervening, but then 1 bystander does, and the rest suddenly pile in to help breakup the fight. It's the idea that 1 person being willing to break the ice gets more people to get involved, to stop being bystanders.

In the video here, it would be 1 driver getting out to move the branch/tree, and suddenly a dozen other drivers, who never would've been the first to get out, hop out to help the 1.

u/Negative_Wrongdoer17 2d ago

Man I'd just move the branch for everyone

u/roidlee 2d ago

This is very definitely not New Jersey.

u/dubie4x8 1d ago

Was about to comment the same thing

u/firthy 3d ago

Why is there a tissue stuffed in the air vent?

u/Dsphar 3d ago

Cars have feelings too

u/fisclewhiskers 3d ago

To dehumidify the air of course.

u/foramperandi 2d ago

That's not a vent, it's a pocket in the console and I suspect those are napkins from fast food places.

u/Fresh-Judge-4595 2d ago

Why not just pull over for 2 minutes and remove the tree?

u/amoshart 2d ago

That was my question! Of course, we can't see how large it is. Maybe it's too large to move but, barring that, I'd be the one to get out and try to move it

u/CitizenCue 2d ago

Yeah this is just annoying. It’s not that big. All these truck owners can’t stop for a second to haul some lumber?

u/Teleguide 3d ago

How on earth is Fromville going to deal with this huge influx of new residents?

u/MeLlamoKilo 2d ago

There is nothing oddly satisfying about this at all.

u/MrLancaster 2d ago

It would take one person 15 seconds to move that for everyone lol.

u/ThadeousCooper 3d ago

All those people and zero people moving the branch.

u/squidgytree 3d ago

Why doesn't someone rally a few others to move the tree. It doesn't even look that big

u/8Bit-Jon 2d ago

I'd have just move the fecking tree out the way.

u/TackyPoints 2d ago

What? You’re amaze by basic decency?

u/No-Deer379 2d ago

In today’s world yes, this is both odd and satisfying. We can still consider other people’s needs

u/-Redstoneboi- 3d ago

technically this is the slowest way for everyone. it would be better to go in batches of 10, for example.

u/Sea_Isopod1082 3d ago

And who's counting that? Fastest way would be removing the branches.

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u/BlueLegion 2d ago

The slowest and least fuel efficient way. All that starting and stopping...

u/Manaze85 2d ago

And yet these same people will refuse to properly zipper merge for a construction zone.

u/uwearclownshoes 2d ago

If they were really cooperating they’d have worked together to move the tree.

u/h311fi5h 2d ago

I was waiting for a dad in khakis to get out with his chainsaw...

u/less_concerned 2d ago

Weird, i would think a lot of dudes would see moving the large branch as almost a personal challenge

u/Ok_Measurement_8552 2d ago

Imagine driving past that and not moving the small branch.

u/Razordrake777 2d ago

My first reaction was “ This probably isn’t in America.” Then the fact everyone was too lazy to spend a minute to move the branch made me reconsider.

u/Spaded85 2d ago

This is not satisfying. Someone just move the darn tree already!

u/Testicular_Genocide 2d ago

Genuinely unfathomable how many people drove by and didn't just get out and move the damn branch off the road

u/thefroglover 3d ago

No way that would work in France. The right lane is blocked, therefore they must wait!

u/0micron247 2d ago

Au contraire, it took me a shocked moment to understands that in these parts (of the US, of course) if your lane is blocked YOU have the right of way. (Not joking.)

u/egerton14 3d ago

Why yall drive Trucks when nobody of you can move the tree out the way. Thats the most american post of the year.

Look how we work together not working together.

u/BlueLegion 2d ago

This is extremely inefficient, especially considering that a couple of people would've easily been enough to clear the road

u/MoonageDayscream 3d ago

When a lot of people find discord in cooperation.

u/Easy-Bee 3d ago

This is why an ax and work gloves are on my hurricane evacuation list. We got lucky coming back one time that the guy in front of us had a chainsaw and dealt with a downed tree to clear the road, and we got even luckier since then to not have had to evacuate since, but its on the list.

u/OptiGuy4u 2d ago

This is why there's a strap under my back seat. Drag the thing aside. .

u/Abdul_Exhaust 2d ago

Kindergarten had a traffic class?

u/Wisdumb404 2d ago

It was the tissue stuck in the air vent right?

u/SNG404474 2d ago

This is 100% not in America.

u/Ascillia 2d ago

Or 3-4 people just get out there and move the tree

u/ErisionAtomic34 2d ago

I feel like they could have worked together to remove the branch. I can understand if it was a bigger tree that requires chainsaw and other stuff

u/D-Train0000 2d ago

Gotta do the zipper in traffic like this. Good job people!

u/still-waiting2233 2d ago

It is not that big of a branch to drag out of the way….

u/WaynesWorld_93 2d ago

I would’ve got out and move the limb lol

u/fkenned1 2d ago

That is absolutely movable. Lol. This is actually just annoying to me.

u/Supremecowboy 2d ago

This was the most unfamiliar thing I’ve ever seen

u/nowaybrose 2d ago

How bout 3-4 drivers get out and push the dang thing out the way? This isn’t a huge chunk damn people are house cats these days

u/Bro-king420 2d ago

Gotta be in NC

Only place I've ever seen drivers that actually care and consider the "Other Person"

u/dllyncher 2d ago

This can't be in the US. Gotta be Canada

u/melfredolf 1d ago

Instantly thought that pickup in front would be well equiped to pull it. Then I realized were a society of bystanders.

u/Munglape 3d ago

It would be faster if they went 3+ at a time. Not satisfying at all.

u/Halsti 3d ago

nice that everyone parttakes, but having everyone start and stop makes this so much slower.

if one person just waited for 2 minutes, everyone could pass at once, then the other side goes.

... or you just move the tiny branch with multiple people.

u/TremorThief12 3d ago

Nothing satisfying about this. Would be way more satisfying if someone got out and just moved the branch.

u/ActionKid98 3d ago

This is like when u have to applaud a child for crawling then also for walking, its like they got past the one hurdle of working together now you have to give them time to figure out the next step of working together to move it out the way

u/trent_reznor_is_hot 3d ago

Why do y'all have to push all the way down to accelerate quickly around it though?

u/SuvwI49 3d ago

While this is an excellent example of general human cooperation, it does not belong in this specific subreddit. 

u/Critical_Classic_921 3d ago

There was a one-lane bridge near my house and it actually made it more efficient if two cars went from each side before swapping. Not sure how that got discovered but everyone seemed to know and did it that way.

u/Cloudy_Retina 3d ago

Was that a dryer sheet in the vent at the end?

u/troveofcatastrophe 3d ago

And lots of them! Dad will never know I’m smoking in his truck now.

u/PBReddituser1961 2d ago

This might happen in north Florida but not central/south Florida.

u/BookBagThrowAway 2d ago

It took one person to make this work though….if 3 or 4 cars went through at a time first, it would’ve been a disaster!!

u/MutedConstant547 2d ago

Why a maxi pad on the vent?

u/Tall_Opportunity_521 2d ago

I ended up on a road like this once. It was a broken down car though, not a tree. When it came time to my turn, I stopped and let the other side go, and the guy behind me started on his horn for some reason. So I let another 20 cars go... lol. He was so mad.

u/RagingTorontonian 2d ago

Rosedale valley road?

u/rube 2d ago

I'm shockingly and happily amazed when traffic lights go out, and people actually treat them like 4 way stops instead. I would expect chaos, people just blowing through them, but instead they choose order.

u/Simple-Journalist779 2d ago

This is stupid and they should clear the branch first, and probably let cars go in batches than single cars at one time, but this gave me a mental boner.

Car drivers cooperating? Driving in India is like playing roadrash with 5-6 different vehicles instead of just bikes. Even the stuff you used to attack is real.

u/Auno__Adam 2d ago

Wonder why in societies where people doesnt act like savages, loking only for their own advantage, people live better.

u/Ohz85 2d ago

Completely normal in south of France as far as I experienced

u/AmettOmega 2d ago

So, for people asking why someone didn't move the branch, there's an electrical pole on the left (With what looks like to be a service vehicle next to it) in the first few seconds. There could be a downed pole/wire that we can't see. In that case, it would be very dangerous for folks to get out and try to mess with anything.

u/Ash_Cat_13 2d ago

All I have to say is fuck Vermonters. They will go “two cars at a time bc it’s faster”, when in reality it’s not, they’re just fucking impatient and love to blame others

u/Then-Position-7956 2d ago

Alternating takes almost twice as long. Someone should have directed traffic, and let 20 or 30 cars go on each side.

u/Tytonic7_ 2d ago

There are a few one lane bridges on my daily commute and several times a week, people skip the order and go through when it's not their turn. I usually give the "Seriously, dude?" Hand motion and frequently get flipped off in response

u/chaosin-a-teacup 2d ago

There is one spot in my city where people actually do this without fail! It’s a weird spot where 1 lane meets another just before a roundabout but it’s a yeild yet the zipper merge.

But everywhere you are ment to do it they don’t…

u/cupcakebean 2d ago

I was waiting for the one asshole that ruins everything.

u/uhmmm_okay 2d ago

It would be so much more efficient to go 10 cars at a time in each turn

u/Temporary_Variety513 2d ago

Agree. Also, if several people would get out of their car and together dragged/moved the branch out of the way(didn't seem to be that big), it would work too. Sometimes, we don't have to always wait for someone else to do it, when in many cases people can do it carefully to facilitate things faster.. Just saying and a thought..

u/mstymay 2d ago

What if that tree got electrical wires all up in it? I'm not touching that.

u/thnderslut 2d ago

Would be a lot more satisfying if people didn’t have their phones out while driving 🤗

u/wariorld 2d ago

Is this?!… people still work together?
https://giphy.com/gifs/wViS9n0RqN2

u/SingularityII 2d ago

This is what will happen eventually if they don't move the branch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-nvo4BzOM

u/rrrrrrpink 2d ago

Everyone is saying to get out and move the branch. I was in a similar situation once and the branch was blown by the wind info the middle of the road so you couldn't even drive around. I got out of my car and moved it, and a driver honked at me and then almost hit me driving past because they decided I was too slow!

u/Almatium 2d ago

Cooperate? Yes, slowest approach? hell yeah. To make this efficient they need to go like 10 cars at a time, what they are doing now is SO time consuming (been working with traffic analysis so know what i talk about)

u/djabcew 2d ago

Anghkooey

u/AlamarAtReddit 2d ago

Reminds me of a time driving through the city... two lanes... Left lane was clogged, so when the last car in front of me changed lanes, I saw why... Window AC unit on the ground in the middle of the lane. Got out, picked it up, left it on the side of the road and went on my way.

u/Nasapugnat 2d ago

Must be AI, humans dont act like that

u/cobawsky 2d ago

Well, here in Germany nobody would be surprised seeing that. Also, nobody would stop to remove the branch since it is not their job, because otherwise it would not be disposed correctly.

u/Spaceteck 1d ago

Lazy people..

u/stratusnco 1d ago

that would be absolute mayhem in los angeles

u/jonas_ost 1d ago

It would go quicker if you did it a couple of cars at a time. Like 10

u/Schneckers 1d ago

Where is the guy with a chainsaw?!

u/whybecause4u 1d ago

Like move the branch and solve the actual problem

u/Select_Presence_6437 1d ago

Could just move it

u/ph8_likes_me 22h ago

Now this is amazing. Question is how long did it last.

u/Mundane_Put_5780 21h ago

I thought cooperate was going to lead to team work in moving the big ass branch! TF is this? 🤣

u/StatementOk470 21h ago

All these people "omg why no move branch" have never tried to move a big branch especially if it's still attached to the tree.

u/Fluffy_Town 16h ago

Just as satisfying as when people actually zipper when they have to merge into one lane.

u/FeistyReading9597 16h ago

Why don't you just park on the side and move the kimd? Duh