Let out your frustrations by smashing in a car window
‘A friend of mine and I were thinking about how much fun it would be to break stuff’, says Louis Pluvier, one of the co-founders of AutoSmash Groningen. ‘We looked into it and found that there really is a market for this.’
AutoSmash is exactly what it sounds like: a place where you can demolish a car with friends, family, or colleagues without any unpleasant consequences. ‘There are a lot of people who come here who want to let go of all the frustrations that the coronavirus has caused and they really go at it’, says Pluvier, whose main occupation is working as a physiotherapist.
Their clientele ranges from students to families, people hosting bachelor parties, lawyers, and teachers. ‘It seems like everyone wants to do it. Everyone has a reason to break stuff.’
Safety measures
To ensure everyone’s safety, goggles, overalls, and facemasks are provided, and the staff sets down some ground rules and explains how to use the tools, which include a battering ram, crowbars, and massive wooden hammers.
‘We now say to every group that they’re not allowed to tip over the car,’ says Pluvier with a laugh, ‘because we once had a group of eight big guys who did that, which meant we were left to flip it back again.’
Recycling
The cars come from a repair station which recycles all the parts on the inside of the vehicles. Only the outside shell goes to AutoSmash.
Eventually, as a final step, the cars go through a shredder. So really, you’re helping with the recycling process, Pluvier says. ‘We get to borrow these cars and let people demolish them even more.’