Street Use: Recycling Vehicles for Recycling

Recyle Surprises, Vehicles

Recycling Vehicles for Recycling

An independent documentary called "Pretty Dyana" captures the story of how Roma (gypsies) in Belgrade find old Citroen Dyana cars and modify them into mini-trucks that haul recycled cardboard.

Dyana2

They do this primarily by stripping the cars of everything except their motors, chaise, and steering wheel. Everything else goes. The Dyana is particularly suited for this, the Roma say, because the frame remains intact after you take everything else away. So they can easily add a bin on top of the back. And presto, now they have a cardboard hauling cart.

Dyana1

And because it doesn't look like a car anymore, it fits into some grey zone with the police. Not that they don't get fined for driving it around. All this and more about how the Roma survive in Belgrade is presented in this nice short documentary.

Dyana3

Note the plastic bottle gas tank.

Posted on October 7, 2006 at 4:20 AM | +del.icio.us +digg +reddit

Comments

The whole film can be found on Google Video,
and the link to the film's website was mispelled: should read www.dribblingpictures.com

Over here in the Balkans everyone has seen it on divx, it has really become a cult documentary, esp bcz of the linguistic humour and charming energy. I heard that it toured over 80 festivals and wons a dozen awards and tv screenings. Not bad for a neighborhood home video!

Posted by Nemir Kusturica on October 27, 2006 at 9:23 AM

I've been unable to find anything about doodlebugs. Do you have any pictures of them?

Posted by Kevin Kelly on October 11, 2006 at 10:14 PM

Up in Vermont, they used to call such stripped vehicles used for hauling around the farm doodlebugs. I learned to drive on a modified Model A truck that was used as a doodlebug. It was modified by being stripped of its cab and most of its body. We drove it around the field learning how to shift gears.

Posted by gmoke on October 7, 2006 at 2:13 AM

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