I'm not sure if I need to add a "don't try this at home" disclaimer, but I will anyway: in the event you have your own wicker sofa, please don't speed down a hill in it.
Ah, so this WASNT just some fever dream! I’ve always had a memory of sliding down a hill on a chair/couch/sofa in a warm place, but could never recall more than that. Suddenly, with this video, it’s all clicked back into place!
I'm actually from Madeira (Porto Santo Island, the little yellow island next to Madeira Island) and you can't imagine my sheer excitement that you were here and found this tourist attraction good enough for a video. thank you so much for the publicity and recognition. love your videos.
That makes two of us! Such a delight to know that our little pearl made an appearance in a Tom Scott video! I hope you enjoyed your time in our island, Tom!
Something interesting, that you didn‘t mention (and I learned it by driving up the exact road you drove down), in Madeira is right-hand traffic, however due to these rides, this specific 2km of road is left-hand drive, so theres just an intersection with a sign saying „From now on left hand drive“
Also the asphalt is so slippery that if you drive up and want to turn through tobbogan lane it's advisable to gather speed and go fast. If you stop on it you'll have a hard time moving off from there.
It makes perfect sense, sledding payloads down hills and mountains was a relatively common occurrence before mechanised transports (cf the Schlitte in the vosges, used to bring down wood from the heights as well). Good on these people for having found an interesting way to keep their sledges alive.
I was one of those tourists that didn't research things to do in Madiera, and didn't know this was a thing until I saw them flying past me on the street... it was a definitely a "what the actual F**k?!" moment
The ride doesn't go down back to the sea (only to about half way from the start), so you either have to walk (ca. one hour), take the bus (has a 10 minute cycle, €2), or a taxi. But beware that there are some taxi drivers who try take more than the fixed price of €10 (check the sign at the end station for the official price); make sure to ask for the price beforehand. The bus station is right next to the taxi line. The bus is also a good option to go uphill. The cable car is obviously a good tourist attraction, though. Also: You can save some money by sharing the ride with another person; there's a separate queue for single tourists.
Wait, is that a fixed price for the taxis regardless of distance, or per since distance, or do they just have a limited allowed range? Or are they subsidized so the prices they charge don't directly matter?
@@HTOP1982 Ah, thanks for clarifying. I have a tendency to wonder about the economics of public transit in other places, since I know a part of the reason the local stuff is so poor is because we don't have the population density to pay for it.
My surprise seeing a Tom Scott video in my home town Funchal about the "carreiros do Monte". Hope you enjoyed your stay :) Bonus fun fact: Madeira has one of the biggest pyrotechnic shows in the world. The Madeiran tradition of letting off fireworks on New Year’s Eve began during the 18th century, when the British community living on the island had their own fireworks displays to mark the new year. A century later, the Madeiran banker João José Rodrigues Leitão resurrected the tradition, and from then on the island’s wealthiest families began to compete with each other with their displays, leading to a pyrotechnic display that could be seen from far and wide. In 2006 this show gained international recognition when the Guinness Book of Records officially recognised it as “the world’s largest fireworks display”.
I love old traditions like this, it's one of the big things that makes travel and exploring worth doing. I hope the good people of Funchal can continue to do this forever.
@@kakyoindonut3213 the people who transported wood and the kids who thought it would be fun to ride it probably. They talk a little bit about how it started in the video
One summer, when we were kids, my friend and I had two spare skateboard decks. We had the genius idea of going to the hardware store and nailing some rubber straps to turn the decks into 'snowboards'. Except there was no snow; we used them to bomb down large hills of dry grass - 'grass-boards' if you will. It was epic.
I took this ride. It was great fun. It didn’t feel dangerous at all when you consider I had travelled to Madeira in a gravity defying metal tube miles up in the sky.
Except that flights have a lot of automated systems, heavily regulated, being monitored at all times, and keeping all planes separated. You don't overtake planes or come close to them. This is on a public road, with intersections. They can likely stop it quickly. But it's certainly not as safe as an airplane. Still looks rather safe, since the staff there is running it, and not letting the passengers go unsupervised.
I know a lot of time tourism can destroy the heart of a place through over tourism, but I am glad that it helps to keep these traditions alive, its a piece of history which should be kept alive.
I've been living here in Madeira for 5 years now and known about the basket cars for ages yet never tried them, seeing how much fun Tom is having, I might have some plans for the weekend.
@@esaedvik In most of the Island (except the most contested part of Funchal, the capital) it's one of the cheapest places in EU. Both housing and prices. However, jobs also pay way less too. It's a good alternative to Algarve in the main land
@@esaedvik It´s cheap enough that many people build mansions and stuff there who probably couldn´t afford that in most other places. Though prices have gone up a lot in the past few decades.
Throughout this whole video I thought "neat idea, but it must suck to haul that thing back up this steep mountain" and then I got gently reminded that lorries exist.
@@antiphon000 Its the British term for just about anything one would call a truck in the US. "A motorized wheeled land vehicle, esp. a large one, with a cab for the driver and a separate rear compartment for transporting freight; called truck in the U. S."
Portuguese person here! I'm from the continent, but have been to Madeira and this is one of my fondest memories of the entire trip. It's definitely unique and super cool. Also, I love your videos and it's incredible to hear your own native language in one of them, Portugal is an amazing place, and I hope you'll explore some of the other weird attractions we have in a future video.
It's amazing how such a random thing was kept up and looks to be doing well to this day. Never would have known about this sofa ride if it weren't for this video.
I recommend visiting Madeira in spring. Everything is blooming even more gorgeous and the walk from the the ride end to the city center or harbor is much nicer.
I am from Canada and it reminds me of sledding. Dogs sleds are made in a similar fashion and are controlled similarly with people standing on the back like the guys controlling the sled in the video. The sofa style of the sled also reminds me of an old horse pulled sled that my great grandfather built and used to get to church in the winters when my grandfather was a child.
Ayyy, something Tom's covered that I've actually already done, twice in fact. If you ever find yourselves in Madeira, do this, it's definitely worth it, just for the unique experience alone.
Really neat that the toboggans seem to have polished the asphalt itself, you can see reflections in it at several point in the video, like at 1:53 for example.
I loved this in madeira. Ive gone to the island every year since i was born- even during covid- and its honestly amazing. the "speeding sofa" scared both me and dad but it was really fun hundred percent recommend madeira for your holidays theres been controversy over whether it should say ‘in madeira’ or ‘on madeira’. firstly, when i say madeira i refer to the 2d area marked on a map. additionally, it would be improper to say that the houses of parliament are on london, however the houses of parliament are in london would be correct. apply the same logic to a tourism shop in madeira- that is my point
I've really got into your stuff lately. As a beginner coder, you really are an inspiration, and I've been enjoying watching all of "The Basics". Keep it up, and have a good day!
@@NesrocksGamingVideos Tom did a good one about what to think about when coding how many seconds there are between too times, The Problem with Time & Timezones - Computerphile
@@wyrmhand There's also one about the problems of internationalisation with a similar tone, and another one about Unicode and the cleverness of UTF-8 encoding.
One of my best memories from my trip to Madeira years ago, genuinely feels like you're speeding down once they get some momentum going, would recommend madeira as a trip to anyone
I'm actually amazed no one's proclaimed the magic phrase for every video of a Portuguese endeavor explored and explained by a foreigner, so here it goes: PORTUGAL CARALHO!
Next video on levadas is my bet. Now used as tourist attractions, walks always accompanied with a little water path, but it was made to transport water from the north side (where it rained a lot), to the south where the sun was out and crops could grow faster. Also Poço das Neves, a 'iglo fridge' used to produce ice for the English hotels downtown in Funchal. The ice blocks would be transported in these types of carts down the streets 1.8km up
thank you for making such an amazing video about the island, and releasing it on our national freedom day! dont know if it was on purpose or just a coincidence, but its very appreciated
@@realjohnjones I wonder if it's possible to do this in the US... Then again, there'd probably be to much momentum for 2 skinny dudes to try to stop...
The gondelas go back up on trucks, not by hand, thy wait till the truck is full and then take them back up. There is lots of adventure on our Island. You can’t do and see everything in a week. 😊
I went on this a couple of years ago and I 100% recommend it - fast and exciting enough to get an adrenaline rush and tame enough that it's absolutely fine for kids (and cowards like me). If you find yourself in Madeira its a must do!
Lets go Madeira! Thank you Tom, for sharing a bit of our traditions. It really means a lot seeing our corner of the world in one of your videos. I hope you enjoyed your stay on our little island.
Oh my gosh I loved doing this as a kid, I have a distinct memory of one of the guys pushing my sofa losing his hat halfway down, highlight of the holiday! Epic 😁
One question remains unanswered: If they use grease to make the sleds glide smoother over the road surface will that not make the asphalt more slippery for any other road user aswell? Im thinking about bikes, motorcycles or with those steep hills maybe even cars
It might if they use a lot of grease. On a motorcycle you have to be careful of grease spots that accumulate over time at intersections because they can be slick, moreso if it's been raining. The locals would certainly know if the sledding hill gets slick in the rain.
I used to go up that road by car for 9 years every day. I also walked there sometimes. I can tell you that it’s not a problem at all. Maybe by foot it’s a tiny tiny tiny bit slippery , but with the velocity they achieve , it’s all they need, and it’s completely safe for everyone.
This would be amazing, there's a lot of engineering and history to that system, from the tunnels to the small clock towers used to tell time to distribute the water.
Tom I don't know how you do it, but your video's are actually as well timed as possible, the toboggan car reaching the bottom of the hill as you were explaining it is just absolute genius
Madeira, "the island for newly weds and nearly deads" as it was once described to me. But it has this going for it. Awesome. Found a reason to get married, thanks Tom!
Ive been there and watched people take part, it looked kinda cool but there was a huge queue so I didn't go on it, and I was only in Funchal for a day.
My honeymoon was in Madeira and we got to experience this downhill ride. Honestly, it was one of the most fun things we have ever done! Never for a moment we felt danger or anything close to that. If we return to Madeira (which we loved it), we will ride it again.
Here in Brazil we have something similar called "Carrinho de rolimã" where you get on a wooden cart and go down the streets in a similar way. I wonder if they are related! As always nice video Tom.
This Cars have no wheels and the steering is made by the pilots pushing or braking their side of the car. They have very few in common with the "carrinho de rolimã" wich also exists in Portugal and is used just for fun mostly by kids
I sorta hoped for a bit more history to this!! How did such an unusual practice get started? Is it older than motor cars? If so, how did they return the toboggan to the top? Time to go digging, I 'spose!
Originally they were used to transport rich people, mostly English, from their Villas in the mountain to downtown Funchal. They pulled the cars uphill carring people inside.
This was like watching an episode of 'Last of the Summer Wine'!😄 N.B. There's lots of fun things you can do with a sofa. The various caving clubs in the Mendips have a tradition of playing a game called 'sofa rugby'. It's a bit like the Eton wall game but played indoors in one of the caving huts (bunk houses) and with a sofa instead of a ball. The sofa doesn't usually last the game. It's best played after a night in the pub!🤪
A steep hill doesn't make a car break down, your breakdown was unrelated lmao. Unless you fried the clutch while trying to go up it. Then that's your problem though
Not to detract from the toboggans, they're a lovely traditional, novel bit of fun, but they're one of the least interesting things about Madeira! The entire island is an absolute stunning marvel! I love that place.
@@DiogoStuart I agree. Which is exactly why I said 'Not to detract from the toboggans, they're a lovely traditional, novel bit of fun'. Please read and understand before pointlessly trying to start an argument.
@@vascopinheiro10 Correct. Relative to a lot of Madeira, it is. In Isolation, it is not. Yet another muppet that needs to engage his brain before pointlessly arguing 🙄
Here in Brazil it's common for kids to make small wooden karts and ride downhill in the streets kinda like these (they're called "rolimã"). I wonder if there is some correlation.
I'm not sure if I need to add a "don't try this at home" disclaimer, but I will anyway: in the event you have your own wicker sofa, please don't speed down a hill in it.
Noted
okay thanks for the tip!
What if mine is made of leather?
I mean never underestimate the brainless of the interwebz
Weekend plans ruined.
Ah, so this WASNT just some fever dream!
I’ve always had a memory of sliding down a hill on a chair/couch/sofa in a warm place, but could never recall more than that. Suddenly, with this video, it’s all clicked back into place!
It's very funny to me, being from Madeira, to think that someting I've always considered a reality was fuzzy memory on someone else's mind!
Had you partaken of the wine called Madeira?
I bet it was a hell of a mind blow!
Same
Maybe in your past life you lived on Madeira
I'm actually from Madeira (Porto Santo Island, the little yellow island next to Madeira Island) and you can't imagine my sheer excitement that you were here and found this tourist attraction good enough for a video. thank you so much for the publicity and recognition. love your videos.
Ainda tou a tentar digerir o facto de que ouvi sotaque madeirense num vídeo do Tom Scott hehe Abraço!
That makes two of us! Such a delight to know that our little pearl made an appearance in a Tom Scott video! I hope you enjoyed your time in our island, Tom!
@@uaadshjllbfgngfmhthp agora 3
I'm portuguese and I didn't even knew this existed! Ahah
I've been to porto santo!! I spent a lot of time on the long beach
As a Madeirian, I can confirm that I am absolutely chuffed to bits that TOM SCOTT did a video on our little island. Just Incredible
It's incredible, it's amazing
I take it that _chuffed_ is something like _happy_ ?
@@AllAmericanGuyExpert yes 'chuffed to bits' means happy or more like pleasantly surprised here cuz they weren't really expecting Tom to do a video.
It was the real Tom Scott too.
@@tubeymcdee depends on how far they've developed the robot
Something interesting, that you didn‘t mention (and I learned it by driving up the exact road you drove down), in Madeira is right-hand traffic, however due to these rides, this specific 2km of road is left-hand drive, so theres just an intersection with a sign saying „From now on left hand drive“
olha, não sabia dessa!
That could be a video in itself
he's a brit of course he'd miss it out
Eu conduzo nessa ilha e eu não fazia ideia. Vou ter cuidado na próxima!
Also the asphalt is so slippery that if you drive up and want to turn through tobbogan lane it's advisable to gather speed and go fast. If you stop on it you'll have a hard time moving off from there.
If this wasn't such an elaborate operation I would think it was satire. King Tom Scott has a good ring to it!
ive been there myself, its very real indeed
It does make me think of an Onion News report.
It makes perfect sense, sledding payloads down hills and mountains was a relatively common occurrence before mechanised transports (cf the Schlitte in the vosges, used to bring down wood from the heights as well).
Good on these people for having found an interesting way to keep their sledges alive.
@@Bob-nc5hz yup you said it best. Really cool these guys were able to make a attraction out of it.
Could easily be an April fool's
I was one of those tourists that didn't research things to do in Madiera, and didn't know this was a thing until I saw them flying past me on the street... it was a definitely a "what the actual F**k?!" moment
“I’m a giraffe!” Springs to my mind
@@My_Lyfe I CAN'T SLOW DOWN!!!
EARL!!!
Same. I do regret not trying it once we saw it, though!
It looks like a lot of fun. Will definitely have to try it if I ever get the chance.
@@My_Lyfe "Say Madeira!"
The ride doesn't go down back to the sea (only to about half way from the start), so you either have to walk (ca. one hour), take the bus (has a 10 minute cycle, €2), or a taxi. But beware that there are some taxi drivers who try take more than the fixed price of €10 (check the sign at the end station for the official price); make sure to ask for the price beforehand. The bus station is right next to the taxi line.
The bus is also a good option to go uphill. The cable car is obviously a good tourist attraction, though.
Also: You can save some money by sharing the ride with another person; there's a separate queue for single tourists.
Thanks for the info - and the caution! :)
Wait, is that a fixed price for the taxis regardless of distance, or per since distance, or do they just have a limited allowed range? Or are they subsidized so the prices they charge don't directly matter?
@@Great_Olaf5 Some point 2 point runs have fixed prices. Not all.
But it's also a lovely walk back to the sea if you want to. probably about one hour.
@@HTOP1982 Ah, thanks for clarifying. I have a tendency to wonder about the economics of public transit in other places, since I know a part of the reason the local stuff is so poor is because we don't have the population density to pay for it.
It would be free to walk it too if you're physically fit enough I guess too
As a portuguese, with family in madeira, I'm extremely thrilled to see this on your page! Thank you Tom!
+
@Diogo 1500 A tua casa é famosa carago!
It must be expensive to live there since your on a far off island with a high population
Caralho moment
Same boat
My surprise seeing a Tom Scott video in my home town Funchal about the "carreiros do Monte". Hope you enjoyed your stay :) Bonus fun fact: Madeira has one of the biggest pyrotechnic shows in the world. The Madeiran tradition of letting off fireworks on New Year’s Eve began during the 18th century, when the British community living on the island had their own fireworks displays to mark the new year. A century later, the Madeiran banker João José Rodrigues Leitão resurrected the tradition, and from then on the island’s wealthiest families began to compete with each other with their displays, leading to a pyrotechnic display that could be seen from far and wide. In 2006 this show gained international recognition when the Guinness Book of Records officially recognised it as “the world’s largest fireworks display”.
Nice! Tom get down there again for New Years!!
Loving all these locals coming out of the woodwork to share fun facts about the area.
I've been only a few times for new years (from madeira but live in england) and it's absolutely incredible
I was surprised to see him in my home town, in one of his videos a few years ago. (There again he HAS been all over England)
I would love to see that!
I love old traditions like this, it's one of the big things that makes travel and exploring worth doing. I hope the good people of Funchal can continue to do this forever.
Yes! Thank you! It's so boring when the world is homogeneous.
Who invented this? It's so stupid it's genius
@@kakyoindonut3213 the people who transported wood and the kids who thought it would be fun to ride it probably. They talk a little bit about how it started in the video
You can imagine how hard the EU is trying to legislate this out of existence so everywhere is the boring same.
@@MB-st7be If they didn't by now they won't ever do it. I don't think the EU has much power over these local attractions anyway.
One summer, when we were kids, my friend and I had two spare skateboard decks. We had the genius idea of going to the hardware store and nailing some rubber straps to turn the decks into 'snowboards'. Except there was no snow; we used them to bomb down large hills of dry grass - 'grass-boards' if you will.
It was epic.
@♜pinnedby Tom scott Begone, bot!
Having to replace the soles of your shoes from running with a couch is the most hilarious problem I’ve ever heard brought up completely seriously.
I was actually shocked the soles of the shoes lasted that long, thought they would go through them in a couple of descents.
They actually look like their shoe soles are cut from old car tyres, which if that's the case, is phenomenal recycling.
@@TomOConnor-BlobOpera They actually are.
My grandfather use to work there and this melted my heart, I really appreciated this video thanks Tom!
I took this ride. It was great fun. It didn’t feel dangerous at all when you consider I had travelled to Madeira in a gravity defying metal tube miles up in the sky.
Not forgetting Funchal has one of the shortest, trickiest landing strips in the world.
@@nicksharpe7924 A cat-C no less... one of 7 or 8 in Europe.
Landing in Madeira with cross winds.. once you survive that, everything else is a walk in the park.
Except that flights have a lot of automated systems, heavily regulated, being monitored at all times, and keeping all planes separated. You don't overtake planes or come close to them.
This is on a public road, with intersections. They can likely stop it quickly. But it's certainly not as safe as an airplane. Still looks rather safe, since the staff there is running it, and not letting the passengers go unsupervised.
does the gravity defying metal tube in the sky often come within five feet of other metal tubes whilst defying gravity?
I know a lot of time tourism can destroy the heart of a place through over tourism, but I am glad that it helps to keep these traditions alive, its a piece of history which should be kept alive.
I've been living here in Madeira for 5 years now and known about the basket cars for ages yet never tried them, seeing how much fun Tom is having, I might have some plans for the weekend.
What's it like moving there? How's the rent, if you do rent?
definitely do!
@@esaedvik In most of the Island (except the most contested part of Funchal, the capital) it's one of the cheapest places in EU. Both housing and prices. However, jobs also pay way less too. It's a good alternative to Algarve in the main land
@@esaedvik It´s cheap enough that many people build mansions and stuff there who probably couldn´t afford that in most other places. Though prices have gone up a lot in the past few decades.
I went to Madeira in October of 2019 and I'm really happy that you made a video about this. Brings up the good memories. Thank you Tom.
Ah I went in 2018 - such a gorgeous island!
@@jedcartledge6888 It definetely is!
I went there in 2017. 10/10, would go again.
Come to Dubai ya habibi
Throughout this whole video I thought "neat idea, but it must suck to haul that thing back up this steep mountain" and then I got gently reminded that lorries exist.
They didn't in the old days! You can see old photographs of the men carrying them up on their backs
wtf is a lorrie
@@antiphon000 Google? Its a trailer you attach to the car
@@antiphon000 Its the British term for just about anything one would call a truck in the US.
"A motorized wheeled land vehicle, esp. a large one, with a cab for the driver and a separate rear compartment for transporting freight; called truck in the U. S."
@@antiphon000 its lorry
I took a vacation to Madeira in 2018 and got to experience this. It was honestly one of the most fun things I have ever done!
Portuguese person here! I'm from the continent, but have been to Madeira and this is one of my fondest memories of the entire trip. It's definitely unique and super cool.
Also, I love your videos and it's incredible to hear your own native language in one of them, Portugal is an amazing place, and I hope you'll explore some of the other weird attractions we have in a future video.
viva ao sporting caralho
Gosto do orgulho que temos pelo nosso pais
Portugal! 🇵🇹
Sou Brasileiro mas ainda sim ouvir português vindo do Tom Scott é bem inesperado kkkkk
encontrei-vos! boa tarde, e bom 25 de Abril!
It is crazy how polished the road has become in some of those spots because of how much they have done it
I was wondering if all the grease they smear on the road isn't a problem for cars breaking.
@@florianschlosser1100 There might be more wood dust than grease on that road.
@@florianschlosser1100 there's the sea at the bottom. It cushions the fall
Used to go up that road by car everyday for 9 years. It’s not a problem at all.
It's amazing how such a random thing was kept up and looks to be doing well to this day. Never would have known about this sofa ride if it weren't for this video.
Tom is just living his best life and I'm here for it.
My favourite place on earth!! Been every year since I was born xx
I recommend visiting Madeira in spring.
Everything is blooming even more gorgeous and the walk from the the ride end to the city center or harbor is much nicer.
I am from Canada and it reminds me of sledding. Dogs sleds are made in a similar fashion and are controlled similarly with people standing on the back like the guys controlling the sled in the video. The sofa style of the sled also reminds me of an old horse pulled sled that my great grandfather built and used to get to church in the winters when my grandfather was a child.
Seems human innovation really has its parallels. After all, its as the saying goes, "great minds think alike."
Besides, siding comes very natural to any human
@@njalsand133 do you mean sliding or sledding?
@@duskstorm3560 both, because we're very prone to fall down slippery slopes and kids loves to do it on purpose when there is snow.
Here in england we do the same sort of things with shopping trolly's, handles quite the same,but you can only do it after 8 pints of strong beer.
Ayyy, something Tom's covered that I've actually already done, twice in fact.
If you ever find yourselves in Madeira, do this, it's definitely worth it, just for the unique experience alone.
I loved madeira. So much to see!
@kathan I believe the commenter may have done this twice, not had this occurrence twice.
What a joy when Tom Scott comes to Portugal, and the video goes up on the 25th of April no less! Hope you enjoyed it, Tom!
Really neat that the toboggans seem to have polished the asphalt itself, you can see reflections in it at several point in the video, like at 1:53 for example.
Wouldn't that make them slippery for cars?
I have been on these road and didn't notice tbh. But i haven't been there when it rains.
I think that's the grease.
I loved this in madeira. Ive gone to the island every year since i was born- even during covid- and its honestly amazing. the "speeding sofa" scared both me and dad but it was really fun hundred percent recommend madeira for your holidays
theres been controversy over whether it should say ‘in madeira’ or ‘on madeira’. firstly, when i say madeira i refer to the 2d area marked on a map. additionally, it would be improper to say that the houses of parliament are on london, however the houses of parliament are in london would be correct. apply the same logic to a tourism shop in madeira- that is my point
Isn't it on Madaira?
@@thejumper7282 no its located in the portugese island of madeira
Are you me
@@ragnkja its subjective
@@ragnkja yeh i agree with that all i dont know how you were lead to believe i was challenging any of those facts
I've really got into your stuff lately. As a beginner coder, you really are an inspiration, and I've been enjoying watching all of "The Basics". Keep it up, and have a good day!
good luck in your journey!
programming's really fun.
Wait.... What? I must have missed something.
@@NesrocksGamingVideos missed what
@@NesrocksGamingVideos Tom did a good one about what to think about when coding how many seconds there are between too times, The Problem with Time & Timezones - Computerphile
@@wyrmhand There's also one about the problems of internationalisation with a similar tone, and another one about Unicode and the cleverness of UTF-8 encoding.
One of my best memories from my trip to Madeira years ago, genuinely feels like you're speeding down once they get some momentum going, would recommend madeira as a trip to anyone
Açores is also really good if you like nature, geology or cool landscapes in general
I remember doing this while I was on holiday, it was so much fun, the guys who took us down were a good laugh aswell, really made it a good memory
I'm actually amazed no one's proclaimed the magic phrase for every video of a Portuguese endeavor explored and explained by a foreigner, so here it goes:
PORTUGAL CARALHO!
I'm Portuguese myself but I've never been to Madeira and I had no idea about this attraction over there. Seems super fun!
exactly same!
Me too
same here
Its well worth the trip. I went about 10 years ago and its absolutely stunning
"and...there aren't any seatbelts" Things just got 10x more intense with that sentence alone
Really nice to hear someone speak Portuguese in a video...
Next video on levadas is my bet.
Now used as tourist attractions, walks always accompanied with a little water path, but it was made to transport water from the north side (where it rained a lot), to the south where the sun was out and crops could grow faster.
Also Poço das Neves, a 'iglo fridge' used to produce ice for the English hotels downtown in Funchal. The ice blocks would be transported in these types of carts down the streets 1.8km up
Interesting to see how shiny the road is due to the polishing effect of the toboggans.
thank you for making such an amazing video about the island, and releasing it on our national freedom day! dont know if it was on purpose or just a coincidence, but its very appreciated
Se foi timing foi do caraças. Adoro quando TH-camrs vêm a Portugal ver o que temos para oferecer 😍
Definitely trying this at home.
same
JK JK JK DONT ARREST ME
So will I
Tom usually says if you shouldn't, so I think this is a great idea
Tom is on his way to your house right now
France has the tower, Egypt the pyramids and Madeira has the sofa
Street sofa, you mean
@@MrJJandJim Yes "the sofa"
@@realjohnjones I wonder if it's possible to do this in the US... Then again, there'd probably be to much momentum for 2 skinny dudes to try to stop...
@@MrJJandJim Go for your dreams brotha
@@realjohnjones You're right.. No guts, no glory, no safety, hold my beer!
I loved visiting Madeira now and again when I was a kid. Have great memories of riding these a few times!
I refuse to believe all the gondolas successfully made it back up the hill. No one pulled on a ratchet strap and said that's not going anywhere
The gondelas go back up on trucks, not by hand, thy wait till the truck is full and then take them back up. There is lots of adventure on our Island. You can’t do and see everything in a week. 😊
@sqwoodle you have to slap the load two times after for that to work
Dont you have to say: "this cant possibly go wrong, no way the load will fall and result in a final destination sequel" for it to work?
That part was cut
@@Liggliluff I hope not, the strap is a vital part to holding everything on :)
I went on this a couple of years ago and I 100% recommend it - fast and exciting enough to get an adrenaline rush and tame enough that it's absolutely fine for kids (and cowards like me). If you find yourself in Madeira its a must do!
This is the kind of thing you'd do in chaos simulators; kinda neat you can do it in real life now 😮
Lets go Madeira! Thank you Tom, for sharing a bit of our traditions. It really means a lot seeing our corner of the world in one of your videos. I hope you enjoyed your stay on our little island.
That looks insanely fun!
If I ever get the chance to travel there I want to do this!
Go, madeira is perfect.
Looks fun, all the speed of a gentle DH flow line and all the comfort of a sofa.
Oh my gosh I loved doing this as a kid, I have a distinct memory of one of the guys pushing my sofa losing his hat halfway down, highlight of the holiday! Epic 😁
One question remains unanswered: If they use grease to make the sleds glide smoother over the road surface will that not make the asphalt more slippery for any other road user aswell? Im thinking about bikes, motorcycles or with those steep hills maybe even cars
It might if they use a lot of grease. On a motorcycle you have to be careful of grease spots that accumulate over time at intersections because they can be slick, moreso if it's been raining. The locals would certainly know if the sledding hill gets slick in the rain.
I mean look at how shiny the road looks, you can clearly see the exact path that the sleds take.
Don't worry. The sea helps to break the fall
I used to go up that road by car for 9 years every day. I also walked there sometimes. I can tell you that it’s not a problem at all. Maybe by foot it’s a tiny tiny tiny bit slippery , but with the velocity they achieve , it’s all they need, and it’s completely safe for everyone.
@@Maob08 I'm imagining a car running amok and then just SPLASH.
Been to Madeira a couple of times and this is a must, plus since you’re there Tom, will you be covering the amazing Levada’s irrigation system?
This would be amazing, there's a lot of engineering and history to that system, from the tunnels to the small clock towers used to tell time to distribute the water.
props for Portugal🇵🇹
Tom I don't know how you do it, but your video's are actually as well timed as possible, the toboggan car reaching the bottom of the hill as you were explaining it is just absolute genius
I love how random this channel's subject matter is. Very entertaining.
So this is legal in Madeira, but flying a kite in a public place in the UK is apparently too dangerous 😂
What can I say? Us Portuguese folks love the danger.
we flew a kite in a public place.
Maybe it could be only dangerous during an thunderstorm. But besides that, I don't see how it could be dangerous.
@@ludere222 Ha, I heard the music :)
@@ludere222 We flew a kite in a puuubblic place.
Madeira, "the island for newly weds and nearly deads" as it was once described to me. But it has this going for it. Awesome. Found a reason to get married, thanks Tom!
This guy is the most knowledgeable and the most happiest on TH-cam
Best part of Mondays is the Tom Scott I get to watch!
Ive been there and watched people take part, it looked kinda cool but there was a huge queue so I didn't go on it, and I was only in Funchal for a day.
I've been to Madeira like 6 months ago, and absolutely LOVED IT, but didn't get chance to ride those
tom scott needs to be in the next super smash bros
Glad to see its still going!
I did that a few years ago and it’s amazing if you ever go to Madeira it’s a must do
Tom Scott and Places That Are Very Cool To Visit On Holidays
I haven’t watched the video yet… and I have so many questions.. this is gonna be good
+ I'm sorry sir but we have to take your sofa
- I will never move from here!
+ Ok.
My honeymoon was in Madeira and we got to experience this downhill ride. Honestly, it was one of the most fun things we have ever done! Never for a moment we felt danger or anything close to that. If we return to Madeira (which we loved it), we will ride it again.
Love from Portugal!
Here in Brazil we have something similar called "Carrinho de rolimã" where you get on a wooden cart and go down the streets in a similar way. I wonder if they are related! As always nice video Tom.
Pensei na mesma coisa quando ouvi o som do sofá descendo. Ia ser daora botar o Tom pra descer um ladeirão de asfalto tendo só a fé como segurança kkkk
Ta faltando um video do Tom no Brasil
@@loganandremueller "Eu estou aqui, sendo roubado em são paulo, um dos mais comuns passa tempos da cidade"
This Cars have no wheels and the steering is made by the pilots pushing or braking their side of the car.
They have very few in common with the "carrinho de rolimã" wich also exists in Portugal and is used just for fun mostly by kids
@@tiagogomes3807 in Brazil it's also used just for fun by kids. I've never seen an adult using it.
Ive tried this i was on vacation with my family in 2019-2020 i spent new years there
Me and my uncle tried this together it was great fun
I've been on this! It's a lot of fun, and not really something you could do anywhere else in the world since Funchal is one big hill.
This made my entire day! 😅
Looks amazing
I can imagine someone lost their sofa in a storm and was like "Hey this looks like a fun way to get tourists in!"
Oh wow, only thing you need now is a Leyland Mini under the thing and you're good to go!
I sorta hoped for a bit more history to this!! How did such an unusual practice get started? Is it older than motor cars? If so, how did they return the toboggan to the top? Time to go digging, I 'spose!
Originally they were used to transport rich people, mostly English, from their Villas in the mountain to downtown Funchal.
They pulled the cars uphill carring people inside.
Biggest honour a place can achieve is a video from tom
Love it ! Never stop this it's your tradition !
Ungespielt ich habe an dir rumgespielt
brudi...
This was like watching an episode of 'Last of the Summer Wine'!😄
N.B. There's lots of fun things you can do with a sofa. The various caving clubs in the Mendips have a tradition of playing a game called 'sofa rugby'. It's a bit like the Eton wall game but played indoors in one of the caving huts (bunk houses) and with a sofa instead of a ball. The sofa doesn't usually last the game. It's best played after a night in the pub!🤪
So how do the toboggan men get back up the hill? Walk? Van ride? Cable Car? Run?
To see that my favourite TH-camr made a very video about my country, it's a massive thank you.
Short but sweet. Thank you!
tom scott in a sofa.
I want to see the reaction of tourists who aren't aware of this tradition 😂
To muito a fim de ir nesse lugar em Portugal!
I'm dying to go to this place in Portugal! :D
Madeira is a paradise! Glad you're there and having a good time. It's where I'd like to retire to
So good to hear Tom Scott saying "Obrigado " 😁
Was there a week ago
The hill was so steep that our car broke down
It looks very dangerous
Did you see many sofas zipping by? 😜
A steep hill doesn't make a car break down, your breakdown was unrelated lmao. Unless you fried the clutch while trying to go up it. Then that's your problem though
@@skrimper so frying your clutch and not being able to move doesn’t count as breaking down? Not sure I follow your logic here
Not to detract from the toboggans, they're a lovely traditional, novel bit of fun, but they're one of the least interesting things about Madeira! The entire island is an absolute stunning marvel! I love that place.
Appreciating one thing doesn’t exclude appreciating all things. This is a funny little odd thing and that’s why it got highlighted.
@@DiogoStuart I agree. Which is exactly why I said 'Not to detract from the toboggans, they're a lovely traditional, novel bit of fun'. Please read and understand before pointlessly trying to start an argument.
@@bchurch19 proceeds to say “one of the least interesting things about madeira”
@@vascopinheiro10 Correct. Relative to a lot of Madeira, it is. In Isolation, it is not. Yet another muppet that needs to engage his brain before pointlessly arguing 🙄
Looks like the type of thing you would do if you are bored
Madeira is gouuuuuurgeous......i loved the sledge ride... Best vacation ever.
Thanks for discover Portugal 🇵🇹
Didn't know Tom was Mr. Bean
Here in Brazil it's common for kids to make small wooden karts and ride downhill in the streets kinda like these (they're called "rolimã"). I wonder if there is some correlation.
Carrinho de Rolamentos, in Portugal. A lost tradition here. Was big in the 60s and 70s.
PORTUGAL CARALHO!!!
Hi Tom, love from Portugal
Came here for this, not disappointed
i like they keep this old tradition going just for the tourists
videos like this I can't tell if Tom Scott is out of stuff to do or if I'm watching pure gold.