Imagine having to deal with heat reaching up to 120 degrees,
and there is no AC Compressor to help you.
Even worse, your visibility is at zero and the window motor regulator is
not to blame. Under these conditions you
have to manage around three intense turns, one which is a tight 107 degrees. You must finish this intense five and a half
mile course at a blistering speed of 2.5 miles per hour.
You are probably asking yourself, “What daredevils would
risk their lives doing this?” The answer is, the brave souls who drive the floats in The Pasadena
Tournament of Roses Parade. The drivers get by without
seeing because they have a spotter on top of the float that communicates with
them via radio. The observer tells the spotter when to turn and how fast to go. If the drivers have to
slowdown or god forbid stop, it is frowned upon.
When it comes to the heat, they just have to deal with it.
If it gets up to 120 degrees an alarm will go off and the driver knows
it’s time to get out of the float and grab a root-beer float to cool down.
In case you were thinking about purchasing one of these
flowered monsters here are some specs.
Most floats are powered by the likes of a V-10 truck engine. There is no diesel option, as parade rules
prohibit that. They need to boast a lot of power because the floats are usually
around 120 feet long and over 100,000 pounds.
The gas tank in these is approximately 50 gallons and a float will
usually go through 30 gallons during the parade. That’s just a little over 5 miles per gallon.
There is no suspension, so expect a rough ride.
If none of that deterred you from still wanting one, maybe the fact that
they cost around $300,000 will.
Happy New Year
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