You have to ask WHY?

Comments

  • Wooliferkins
    Wooliferkins Posts: 2,060
    You know as he passes the speed of sound there will be an 18 year old plumber in an Astramax van flashing him to get past.
    Neil
    Help I'm Being Oppressed
  • fatandwheezing
    fatandwheezing Posts: 169
    If you have to ask why, then I suspect you will never understand why.

    Similar to mountaieering, exploring space, trying to cross from Africa to europe with a tiny wing and a rocket strapped to your back, etc.....
  • timb64
    timb64 Posts: 248
    Now if we could just persaude Clarkson it's his turn this time!
  • Steve_b77
    Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
    Because as a slightly crazy engineering nation it's what we do.

    Why build and underground train system when surface trams work just fine, because we could.

    Why tunnel under the channel when ferries are just as good - why not.

    Why can you turn it up to 11, why not :lol:
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    I suppose for the same reason people try to break the hour record which, on the face of it, is equally pointless, as is trying to win the Tour de France.

    We all (well, most of us and mostly male, I guess) set ourselves pointless challenges. I've put myself on the line in the past by riding longish Audax events now I do it by attempting (usually successfully but not always) to fly radio control model aircraft.

    This is just an extreme example. Once you've satisfied your basic needs (food, shelter, reproduction, perhaps) then it's things like attempting to beat a world record that makes life interesting. That thing doesn't float my boat particularly but I can understand why it floats other's boats.

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Why? Because since the dawn of age, man has always wanted to push the boundaries and redefine the 'possible'. Because we should all want to strive for excellence, to climb higher, to last for longer and to go faster than anyone before us. Because without ambition, there would be no point in living.

    And because the bloke in question probably has made a crazy drunken bet with his mates and doesn't want to lose...
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    He clearly doesn't get nearly enough thrills in the sack, so he's compensating.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Archimedes principle; that's what floats my boat.
  • sampras38
    sampras38 Posts: 1,917
    If you ask me we need more people in the world like him, pushing the boundaries to see what we really can achieve. Bit like the nutter who climbs all the tall builders. The French guy they call Spiderman.

    Good on em..;-)
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    To quote Jeremy Clarkson, of all people, on Ellen MacArthur:

    If it wasn't for people like you we'd still be sitting in caves thinking "well, this is comfortable".

    That for me summed up why people push the boundaries.
  • timmyflash
    timmyflash Posts: 526
    Why? Because it's awesome
    Steel Blue Fixed - Orange Backpack Cover

    How do i get a link to a photo in here?!

    Fixeh
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    ..so.... did anyone else go to HERE and drool over the little blue car as a kid? 8)

    I love the idea of the landspeed record, its a dying race sadly due to fuel costs and investors not seeing it as approprirate in this day and age.
  • toys19
    toys19 Posts: 90
    I had lots of answers but they have all been stated already..
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    downfader wrote:
    ..so.... did anyone else go to HERE and drool over the little blue car as a kid? 8)

    I love the idea of the landspeed record, its a dying race sadly due to fuel costs and investors not seeing it as approprirate in this day and age.

    It's not just fuel costs and investors
    For a long time all you needed was a simple chassis and an aero engine which wasn't all that expensive to obtain. One of the 'merrycans (might have been Art Arfons) even managed to get an Aero engine that was still classified by the USAF.
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    The difficulty is aerodynamics and getting something stable at that speed that close to the ground without it flipping over. The power just gets you there, but aero limits you.

    I've flown with Andy and he's a great bloke. He's doing it 'because he can' I guess, which is the best reason for doing anything.
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Dunno exactly what their astronomical budget is, but you'd have thought they could've forked out more than fifty quid for the animation.

    Also, I don't reckon it's a car unless the engine drives the wheels.
  • tri-sexual
    tri-sexual Posts: 672
    why?

    why not

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