If you've never seen a mobile billboard, let one shocked motorist tell you about the experience.
"The first time I've seen one of these, it was a neon pink T-Mobile ad. Practically blinded me," they said on Reddit after posting a picture of the offending vehicle.Â
Indeed, unwelcome fluorescent lighting attached to the back of a truck trailer is not exactly something you'd want to see when stuck in traffic.
"These trucks should be illegal," the Redditor captioned the post. "Bad enough that I have to stare at billboards, but these are such a huge distraction when the sun starts to go down."
The advertisements are certainly distracting because, really, that's what they are designed to achieve. Billboards are created to draw people's eyes away from what they are doing and toward whatever product or service is up for sale.
But when you're behind the wheel of a motorized metal juggernaut, it's pretty important to have your wits about you. The argument that you were distracted by a cell phone advertisement will not absolve you from hitting another vehicle or, even worse, a pedestrian.
Fellow Redditors found it unbelievable that these egregious examples of consumerism are allowed to roam the nation's roads.
"What the hell?!" one user exclaimed. "I've never seen this before, what a horrible idea."Â
"I have astigmatism and terrible night vision," added another. "This would definitely make me have to pull off the road."Â
The picture was taken when the sun was just about setting, but if you come across these monstrosities at night, the light becomes even more obnoxious and dangerous.
Advertising is everywhere. Whether it's on the road or at the beach, there is seemingly no escape.
Safety is the first concern for motorists who encounter these vehicles, but consider that some of these trucks aren't even carrying cargo and are merely expelling planet-warming pollution from their tailpipes for the sake of advertising.
Meanwhile, it would be nice to take a break from having products forced into your eyeballs at all times. People heading to the beach to enjoy some peace by the water aren't looking forward to seeing the latest item displayed on a boat or pontoon off the coast.
One can only hope lawmakers will see sense and stop this practice for the sake of road users and their eyesight.
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