August Vehicles in the City

Here I go again with my little vehicle obsession. It is strange for someone who would love to not own a car, but I can't change it, I can only confess it in public. So, here are some of the interesting vehicles I've spotted.

Dune Buggy in the City - Anybody know the way to the nearest beach?

This little buggy was sitting just off the square and attracting a fair share of attention. I've seen it since and it always seems to draw a crowd. It's pretty cool looking, of course. It reminds me of my go-cart I had when I was twelve or thirteen years old. I loved that bad boy. Mutilated the yard with that thing. Of course this vehicle also reminds me of a dune buggy which is great for the beach, but somehow doesn't seem very practical for the city. Maybe that's the point - it's for fun.

Backhoe blocks a busy city street

This particular machine made the cut not because it is that unusual for downtown. With the constant construction tractors and backhoes of all types are part of the terrain. This one caught my attention because it was shoveling a large pile of debris out of the alley behind 36 Market Square at about the worst possible time - during the Market Square Farmer's Market - causing traffic jams and stopping the large numbers of people trying to pass on the sidewalk.

Romance in the City, Union Avenue, Knoxville

I've known people who claimed their vehicle was something of a passion pit, but I've never seen one that had it painted on the outside with an exclamation point. I guess the city's in for a little romance. I guess it's "Sex in the City," Knoxville style.

Cleaning the Knoxville sidewalks in style

The final vehicle just seemed too cute. The city of Knoxville is certainly creative in finding ways to keep us all clean and safe. Of course, the vehicles aren't all this small and cute. Just check out a street cleaner/sweeper some late night. They are loud, large and scary. As long-term readers of this blog know, I really do appreciate the work done by city workers to make our downtown such a great place and the smarter they can do it, the better. It certainly seems more up-to-date than the street sweepers in Paris, bless their hearts. Their brooms aren't even very good.

Cleaning Paris Streets the Old Fashioned Way