‘Skill issue’: Internet has a field day with video of broken-down tourist cars in Manali
A video of broken down tourist cars in the hill city of Manali has highlighted the importance of experience and skill while driving in mountainous regions.
A video of broken down tourist cars in the Himalayan town of Manali has highlighted the importance of experience and skill while driving at higher altitudes. Manali-based content creator Vijay Verma shared the video in question on Instagram earlier this month, where it has since gone viral with nearly 2 million views.
The video shows dozens of cars like the Mahindra Thar, Hyundai i20 and Toyota Innova stalled at the side of the road. In most cases, the hoods of the cars are propped up while stranded tourists wait outside for the problem to be resolved.
“When tourists come to visit Manali…” Verma captioned the video. The video was then re-posted by the Instagram page of Auto Journal India, which attributed the break down to engine heat-up and clutch failure.
Take a look at the video below:
The internet had a field day with the viral video as many Instagram users mocked tourists for not being able to drive in the hills.
Driving in the hills, especially for manual cars, differs significantly from driving in the plains. For one thing, proper clutch control becomes crucial in hilly areas to prevent premature wear and overheating of the clutch. Accelerating uphill also requires more power and torque, which can strain the engine if not done correctly.
With all this in mind, Instagram users took great pleasure in pointing out that none of the stalled cars bore a Himachal Pradesh license plate because locals understand how to drive in the hills.
“Low oxygen level at high altitudes, leads to less combustion in the engine, then tourists not turning off their ACs makes the conditions worse. And of course less experience on hilly roads!! So, you're probably not gonna see any HP-registered car with an open hood!” wrote one Instagram user in the comments section.
“Driving in half clutch is the biggest issue here. I have been driving in the Hills of Meghalaya for many years now, never faced this problem with a manual,” another wrote.
Many Instagram users called it a “skill issue.”
“All Cars With Number PB , Ch, DL , HR. That’s a skill issue,” wrote one person with a string of laughing face emojis.
“This is really funny. No HP or UK car because they know not to drive car with AC on in hilly areas, especially when there is huge traffic,” another said.
