Have you seen Volkswagen's "Autobahn for All" commercial, featuring the Jetta LE? The one in which a husband is test-driving a Jetta when his wife in the backseat orders him to "shoot the gap" between two semi trucks on the highway?
As it turns out, actual truckers aren't amused.
The folks at Land Line Magazine, the trade publication for the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association, started a Facebook page called "Shut down the 'Shoot the Gap' commercial for VW Jetta LE." They say the spot undermines highway safety and professional truckers.
"Truckers already receive more than their share of criticism without
such
blatant buffoonery of highway safety as this commercial displays," the
authors of the site wrote yesterday.
The page has 319 fans so far,
including this guy,
who does something called "intake transport."
Check out the commercial below. Are you offended?
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Volkswagen's provide good quality commercial truck.This truck can move Heavy transport on highway safely and provide professional truckers. very informative video.
We don't need this commercial to show people how to shoot the gaps. Gap-shooters have been around forever. I see adults driving that way with children in the car all the time. Who taught them how to do it? I thought the commercial was hilarious though - almost though they stole the "gap-shooter" term from me - Captain Freeway himself!
The ad was the height of irresponsibility. How many idiot kids do you think went out and tried what's depicted in the commercial? Volkswagon: your bottom line profit should not be placed above safety!
OK, I drive a tractor-trailer for a living. But when I first saw this commercial, I loved it! I didn't look at it from am "angry professional driver" point of view. Although, I can definately see how this kind of thing would infuriate a truck driver. :-). But you have to admit, the commercial is funny. Fools are going to do that kind of thing, regardless of if there is a commercial on TV about it or not.
This commercial is assinine! All it takes is for some 16 year old kid who just got his license to see this commercial and think, "Oh, cooool!! I'm going to try that the first chance I get." Then that will be the last time the kid does anything. The kid will be dead. When that happens, I can see the lawsuits heading to Volkswagen.
@KerryES "Pictures at the bottom of this link show the real world consequences of "shooting the gap.""
Those are not pictures of real world consequences of attempting a stunt like this, because that's what those pics are... a stunt. They are from the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
I was stunned when I saw the commercial, it was amazing to watch and realize that a company such as the one the commercial is about could even began to approve it. It angers me that they think it is great. What really bothers me is what the impact on people who see it will do to copy it. We were in the car behind two semi's side by side and my 4 year old grandchild is yelling "shoot the gap". Show teen drivers also how to "shoot the gap". I sincerely hope the commercial is removed and no one tries to copy it. Thre are enough reckless drivers out there without this to give them more idea's. When someone gets killed or badly hurt because of this will they support the people financially?
What's next-race the train to the crossing? As I remember a couple years ago that didn't work out too well for the mother who killed a few of her kids.
Am I offended? No, I'm not. You'd have to be offended by nearly every action movie ever created to be offended by this ad. Does watching a BMW ad where the driver is in a 4 wheel drift promote street racing? The people complaining about this ad probably think so.
It's a commercial. It would be just as easy to say that the real world consequence of war is death (just look at my pictures), so therefore any movies depicting war advocates war and death.
"Remember - in the majority of car/truck wrecks, the trucker is *not* at fault."
Is that a fact? Sounds like conjecture. Post some sort of citation to back that claim up.
If truck drivers are so concerned about people passing them in the right lane, they need to stop hogging the passing lanes.
Pictures at the bottom of this link show the real world consequences of "shooting the gap." (Lots of mangled metal but photos are not graphic.)
http://bit.ly/cIIIPx
Truckers just want to do their job and deliver the goods that make our lives convenient. Please give them space and patience on the road.
Remember - in the majority of car/truck wrecks, the trucker is *not* at fault.
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