Tom fulfils a childhood dream

Ever since I was young it's been my dream / To drive that there zamboni machine ■ With thanks to the team the the Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre!
The Technical Difficulties are:
🟥 TOM SCOTT: tomscott.com - / tomscott - / tomscottgo
🟨 GARY BRANNAN: / garybrannan - / brannersatlarge
🟩 CHRIS JOEL, who doesn't do this social media nonsense
🟦 MATT GRAY: mattg.co.uk - / mattgrayyes - / mattgrayyes
Editor: Elliot Gough
Location producer: Jacob Trueman
Audio mix: Dan Pugsley cassinisound.com
techdif.co.uk

[@techdif]

If anyone would like to use Gary's flaming-zamboni disaster plot for a Hollywood movie, reasonable licensing terms are available.

[@smokingspitfire1197]

I think an episode of 911 or something like that used it!

[@WangleLine]

I love this series so much!! It's such a nice watch

[@HenryGK]

10%?

[@MissKoalaFace]

@@smokingspitfire1197 Yes! An episode of Station 19! Fire Department Chronicles on KZbin did a video on it.

[@mygills3050]

How reasonable?

[@charleyatkins9094]

Tom Scott: has flown with the Red Arrows, been on a 0g flight, been to every corner of the globe. What does he dream of? A Zamboni.

[@ragnkja]

Not much left that he hasn’t done yet, is there?

[@AlphaCore_]

I mean, if your everyday, mundane life consists of those things, driving a Zamboni as a dream seems plausible.

[@GrumpyTy34er]

@@AlphaCore_ I think our local hockey team has a Zamboni with an extra seat that kids and people get to ride on during the first period break

[@justmerc1642]

This is all training for Tom’s action movie where, in a climactic sequence, Tom will parkour across a city, get set on fire and thrown out a window into a waiting Zamboni, which he will drift through the streets to a nearby airport, where he gets in a weaponized spaceplane and dogfights bad guys before climbing to low earth orbit, at which point he will dock and enter the villain’s space station and challenge them to a zero-G pottery making contest.

[@nitehawk86]

Tom is such a nice guy, he can be an honorary Canadian with this.

[@doc3255]

"I really wanted to take the piss, but I can't take the piss, because you were having so much fun" Matt being the sweetest of friends as always

[@itbeat7899]

we love matt :)

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It seems like even Gary was at a loss for mockery.

[@eugenielegrand8590]

Matt is always very sweet in everything he appears in. This whole thing was ridiculously wholesome and I'm here for it.

[@ragnkja]

I love that the teasing was entirely about how mundane Tom’s childhood dream was compared to the stuff he’s been doing recently.

[@alansmithee419]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 "At a loss for mockery" sounds like a good title. A title for what I don't know but it should definitely be used for something.

[@Zamboni-ms5iq]

Im a zamboni driver, full time. It doesn’t EVER get old

[@redapplefour6223]

have you drifted on it?

[@dylanthomas3072]

name checks out

[@philvanderlaan5942]

@@redapplefour6223 Frozen and Furious : Saskatchewan drift ( the drifts would be 12 feet high on either side of the road )

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I think Ian from the video clearly confirms that.

[@Numbabu]

This is what KZbin comments should be like. Thanks

[@BazTardSword]

There's nothing more canadian than watching some guy go through a Timmy's drive through on a Zamboni. I've seen it when I lived in Alberta.

[@potatosordfighter666]

It's always a great day when you see a zamboni on the street

[@oscarcacnio8418]

Add to that, in either full Mountie or hockey player kit sans one glove.

[@ferretyluv]

Wait, Zambonis are street legal?! This blow my mind! I didn’t even know you could drive it off of ice.

[@BazTardSword]

@@oscarcacnio8418 you... you get it

[@lawiebe]

I have seen several horses go through the drive-thru. Alberta is a great place

[@garethreece]

"Time spent with an expert is never wasted" is possibly THE most spot on fact I've ever heard on Tech Diff 👍

[@mirjanbouma]

With all the silliness going on we can forget that Gary is, in fact, a really clever dude.

[@garethreece]

@@mirjanbouma all four of them are to be fair 👍

[@mirjanbouma]

@@garethreece yes, you're absolutely right!

[@Zirror]

What an amazing line, I agree!

[@curiousfirely]

As a Canadian, I have never seen a Zamboni on public roads but it makes total sense. That said, I have had students dropped off at school in snow mobiles, and snow plows, so I figure I'll see a Zamboni drop-off at some point!

[@ragnkja]

Do you live near a lake that gets regularly resurfaced each winter?

[@curiousfirely]

@@ragnkja Absolutely - I just haven't seen the Zamboni in transit. We are a pretty high tourism area, so I figure it is an early morning trip, and is only done at the beginning and end of a season. I'm not far enough north for ice roads - Zamboni on an ice road is something I'd love to see!

[@ragnkja]

@@curiousfirely If it’s just the one lake, that sounds likely. In areas with multiple lakes sharing a Zamboni I imagine the weather determines how often it gets moved back and forth.

[@scottmcintyre2809]

I'm in a bigger city and will occasionally spot one early morning in the winter doing the rounds of some of the city parks since most of them end up with an outdoor rink through the winter months.

[@richbuilds_com]

Have you seen one on a lake? As a UK guy, that would blow my mind! :D

[@leafan101]

I'm a Canadian Hockey player and I am pretty sure my oldest daughter is a bigger fan of the Zamboni driver than of her daddy. Our local rink's driver is her hero. This is the first Tom Scott video I have showed her and she loved it. Give it 15 years and she will be fulfilling her lifelong dream of driving one. When he did the drifts, she shouted out "The Zamboni is dancing!".

[@AndrewGordonBellPerc]

Small correction, we wouldn't use a zomboni to resurface an ice road, as the job of a zamboni is to make the surface slippery, which is the opposite of what you want to drive on.

[@liseturner1019]

Yeah, cities spend a huge amount of money specifically making roads non-slippery. I suspect the final touch on an ice road would be to drop some sand or fine gravel to give traction.

[@rjmun580]

There was a reference to lakes which would make more sense as they're used for ice skating.

[@Bobberation]

I appreciate how after Gary makes a joke about Ian losing his fingers, the next two shots show both Ian's hands to prove that he hasn't.

[@TotoDG]

If Tom doesn't organise a race between a Zamboni and a hovercraft, I will lose whatever little shred of faith I have invested into humanity.

[@muenstercheese]

i NEED to see this happen

[@Kafj302]

this needs to happen.

[@notthatcreativewithnames]

Round 1: on grass. Round 2: on ice. Round 3:?

[@minecraftfirefighter]

@@notthatcreativewithnames On a lake?

[@oxybrightdark8765]

@@minecraftfirefighter I feel like the zamboni has a slight disadvantage there.

[@benedictrogers1478]

At this point I expect 2023 to feature the Technical Difficulties to teach me to make a KZbin studio with a washing up liquid bottle, some PVA glue, and a roll of sticky-back plastic.

[@brennensaunders7580]

Canadian NHL Zamboni driver here. This Zamboni model shown is one of the little ones, there are ones much larger for lakes and Olympic-sized rinks. Standard rinks usually have the model that is sized between this one and the larger ones. As for the driving on road in Canada bit, that does happen, but the logistics depend on the province and municipality rules. Zambonis don't come with seatbelts or turn signals so usually they require a pilot vehicle for any travel on public roads. The brake is used frequently on the electric models as they don't have a hydrostatic clutch and will coast much like a car if you take your foot off the gas. There's also a handbrake for hill parking or long-term storage. As for actually operating it, it tskes a long time to master, but is as fun as it looks and still hasn't gotten old for me even after 8 years!

[@joshsuperduty1270]

The 400 series Canada 🇨🇦 best Zamboni model ever period

[@GrumpyTy34er]

Honestly, I love this series. It's just guys having childlike fun, while reporting on things they've learned, explaining the experience, and just smiling. Good series, 10/10.

[@micahphilson]

Haha, elementary school oral reports, but now we actually want to do them!

[@GrumpyTy34er]

@@micahphilson it reminds me of that Tweet where a guy said he always wanted to sit in a fire truck so he walked down to the station and they let him do it

[@mirjanbouma]

Yes! Well said.

[@jamescole4317]

it's just guys bein dudes

[@TheCyberGoblin]

It occurs to me that unlike Tom's normal stuff, this series is just straight up their holiday vlogs

[@Soken50]

Who wouldn't love to write off their taxable expenses on a holiday honestly :D

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Imagine having a friend group where one friend is like, "You wanna do something crazy? We can show it to thousands of people on the internet."

[@sylvainforget2174]

I just realised that Woodstock riding a Zamboni in his bird bath should have been unusual. I guess my Canadian mind found it funny and just normal.

[@jackielinde7568]

Naw, I live in Arizona (a desert) and I've both read and watched a ton of Peanuts comic books and specials. Bill Shultz just made it this normal thing that happens in his world. I don't think anyone questioned it.

[@LiqdPT]

And what's weird about that is that Charles Shultz is from the Bay area in California.

[@2014crew]

@@LiqdPT he was born in Minneapolis Minnesota

[@2014crew]

Though he did live in Santa Rosa California until his death

[@LiqdPT]

@@2014crew ah, I was thinking of Santa Rosa with the museum and stuff

[@shadowmanwkp]

Fun fact: The person who's responsible for the state of the ice, like Ian, is called an ICE MASTER in Dutch.

[@iout]

*ahem* mICEstro.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@iout mIJStro

[@jolenethiessen357]

Also in English! Usually when we're talking curling though.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

There are few things I like more than job titles that makes ordinary professions sound like a kind of sorcery.

[@proloycodes]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 why are you stalking me?

[@Azeria]

Can we get Gary, Matt, and Chris interrupting every Tom Scott video from now on?

[@kyleclark6997]

Tech Diff reacts would be great

[@LJBMOTORSPORT]

@@kyleclark6997 Tom has to do this but only with videos that they find interesting I don’t want them to end up like all react channels reviewing the same random episode of some comedy series or compilation thing

[@thatoneguy9582]

@@kyleclark6997 what we’ve invented here is Gogglebox

[@Zelmel]

"Time spent with an expert is never wasted." Very wise words from Gary Brannan there.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It's rare to see Gary say something unfacetious, but the one time he does, it's wise.

[@Nemo222]

Road legal in Canada. 1, that's pretty easy, Canada's road laws for special purpose vehicles are pretty easy to accommodate. Its basically the same as combine harvesters and big farming or construction equipment. It sure sounds silly when you say it though. And 2, A small town may have a handful of lakes and outdoor rinks in the winter, or a few indoor rinks that share a Zamboni to save costs and you got to get it around. its got a motor, it can drive, let's just drive it there! put headlights, turn signals and a seatbelt on it, and you're road legal! I noticed Tom was wearing his seatbelt. Ian did not XD.

[@ragnkja]

In Norway you’d also need a registration plate (two letters and four digits for anything that isn’t a car), and maybe a spinning yellow light like snow ploughs have. I don’t think we have a lot of lakes in need of regular resurfacing however.

[@axolotllan]

@@ragnkja if you are driving any of these in a city centre vs. small town they will often -ask- that you have a vehicle escort you with fourways on if the vehicle doesn't have them. So like I had a friend who was a safety officer for a construction company and they had to follow behind the cranes as they drove from one site to another.

[@klondikechris]

Where I live (Yukon Territory), snowmobiles are legal on the roads too.

[@bigpatty823]

Zambonis have tie-down points and are rated for transport on a trailer, so I imagine that's how most are moved.

[@BBC600]

@@klondikechris Aren't there specific Snowmobile licenses?

[@afiyakhurshid5571]

Seeing Tom be so giddy and excited was the best part of this whole video

[@borismatesin]

In the immortal words of Auntie Tanis from Letterkenny: "If you can drive truck, you can drive a 'Boni."

[@TheBrainSpecialist]

"And if all else fails youse can drive truck" - Wayne

[@ThatGuy1001000]

'Sko den!

[@MuppetMissile]

Wow, Deadpool really did Zambonis dirty - those things can GO! This series is so charming - it's great to watch you guys having fun and hanging out with experts!

[@jackielinde7568]

To be fair, the writers for both Deadpool and Austin Powers probably only seen them used at events where they're deliberately driven slow. It's not something I've ever seen driven fast until now.

[@MuppetMissile]

@@jackielinde7568 Same! I'm delighted to learn you could drag race zambonis - and honestly hearing about the blade makes that scene way more terrifying, lmao

[@baconwizard]

@@MuppetMissile i always just thought they got crushed in that scene, suddenly the thought of it is a lot more terrifying

[@xpehkto]

@@jackielinde7568 That Austin Powers joke was about roller-compactor, not Zamboni machine

[@identity_undetermined]

And PVZ

[@maple4758]

I drove an Olympia for a lot of years (a different brand than Zamboni), it was nice to hear the correct terms "ice resurfacer" and "conditioner". There are things that weren't touched on; hot water is used because it has less air in it, the blade is at an angle and the horizontal wheel in the middle controls how much you cut, there are 2 water sources, changing the blade is a fun and scary experience, etc but the joy of seeing Tom do it was great. Plus getting to see a fellow rink rat explain his job was amazing. I loved talking about it when I worked at rinks...hell, I still love talking about it, how to build and maintain ice, the refrigeration process, painting lines, replacing rink glass....all of it.

[@reaganharder1480]

wasn't Olympia the silly electric thing that was used at the Vancouver Olympics that had so many mechanical problems they ended up having to borrow actual Zamboni's from the Canucks' hockey rink, despite having like 3 Olympias specifically for the Olympics?

[@Gulliolm]

Fun fact: Ice rinks and the Peanuts comics are very prominent topics in the old "tech diff reverse trivia podcast"

[@borismatesin]

Because it's The Technical Difficulties... ON ICE.

[@avakining]

And Snoopy’s cousin Spike

[@ragnkja]

🟥“This is the Technical Difficulties” 🟨”on ice” Also: 🟥”You’re listening to the shipping forecast” 🟦”covered in bees!”

[@unexpected2475]

@@ragnkja Fisher, Dogger -- OW OW OW OW

[@ragnkja]

@@unexpected2475 German Bight (or possibly “German bite” in this context)

[@GryphLane]

Welcome to the Technical Difficulties... ON ICE!!

[@ragnkja]

Only missing “covered in bees!” now, if I’m not mistaken.

[@GryphLane]

@@ragnkja Have they been up in space yet?

[@doc3255]

@@GryphLane technically *they* haven't, but their garlic bread has, which must count for something?

[@ragnkja]

@@GryphLane Alright, we don’t have “in bed” either (unless you count the discussion in the teaser video a few years ago), and I don’t know whether we’ve had “at night”, but we’ve definitely had Tom on ice and on fire, as well as Gary with the bonus one: with bacon.

[@ragnkja]

@@GryphLane The black backdrop of Citation Needed series 3 might count as “in space!”, if Gary’s exclamation is anything to go by ;)

[@ZeldaCW23]

“How sharp is it?” “It’s a guillotine blade” haha the deadpan delivery 😆 half way through and already fascinated and giggling my head off 😁

[@ZeldaCW23]

“Are you sure you’re okay with that going out on the internet? That’s okay?” *shrug* ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don’t care 😆

[@ZeldaCW23]

Fully aware I’m being That Person right now quoting moments in the KZbin comments section but my goodness that was brilliant! So wonderful seeing you live out your childhood dream, Tom!!

[@FuugaNatsu]

@@ZeldaCW23 It's okay, just be more Ian. Now you've got me doing it :P

[@ZeldaCW23]

@@FuugaNatsu hahaha yessss!! :D let’s all be a bit more like Ian in our day-to-day lives! Maybe without the guillotine blade on wheels though…!

[@umchoyka]

Guillotine blade made you giggle your head off? That's the spirit!

[@sid28]

I'm with brannan. Seeing anyone, but especially tom since most of his videos are meticulously scripted and flawlessly and professionally spoken, have some fun is the nicest thing ever.

[@alextowers5946]

We are finally one step closer to getting the technical difficulties on ice! :-)

[@ragnkja]

While I’m not sure we’ll ever get “The Technical Difficulties-in bed” special, and “at night” probably just means that the time they were all able to get together happened to be in the evening, we’ve had at least one of them On Ice, On Fire and With Bacon. Chris Joel covered in bees next?

[@angee9996]

@@ragnkja dont forget the "on ice" version on the hovercraft!

[@ragnkja]

@@angee9996 *on air

[@quinism1136]

@@ragnkja tom could probably find an excuse to get covered in bees for a video. Like coyote Peterson doing the bee beard.

[@Donderu]

WITH BEES!!

[@TurdleShell]

you know there's gonna be some people here who just saw that thing drift and decided right then and there that they would dedicate their life to becoming a zamboni driver

[@johncarolin51]

Doin' Zambonuts on the ice

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Some kids look to the skies and say, I'm gonna be an astronaut. Others look to the ice rink and say, that Zamboni looks pretty cool.

[@LeifNelandDk]

And some kids are going to break in and drive the zamboni through the barricades and through the loading bay.

[@pacificostudios]

Having grown up in Minnesota, Tom, I assure you the dream of "Driving the Zamboni" or "Meeting the Zamboni driver" is mentioned often in the Northern U.S. and all across Canada. Anyone that has seen a hockey game or a figure skating match knows all about Zambonis. But no one ever explains how the Zamboni works or what it can do. We know all about skating and even playing hockey, but naught about the Zamboni machine. You can see how hard the job is since you have to come right up to the boards around the rink.

[@revolver265]

This is basically self-produced Mystery Science Theatre 3K and I absolutely live for it. Producing a video, subtitles and all, with your in-jokes and commentary and extra info for viewers layered over it :)

[@nayna2442]

ppppp

[@benedictrogers1478]

It's actually surprisingly close to low budget Blue Peter. Which honestly makes a lot of sense, if you go back to their oldest stuff on KZbin it's basically a three episode pilot for a magazine show.

[@bronte_rozee]

Gary's comment "time spent with an expert is never wasted" in this context was very humbling. It was a lovely outlook on passion, and that any form of it is worth commending

[@vector-cloudgaming8397]

That moment when Matt guessed what Tom was doing really felt like it was missing a 'Mystery Biscuits!'

[@Aederex]

Drifting is a critical job skill for Zamboni drivers. The one I used to drive (technically an Olympia) needed about 2/3rds the width of the rink to turn if you didn't get the back end a bit loose.

[@daburgerbandit1598]

As a Canadian, I absolutely love how excited these four are for something that's a regular part of my life. It's so wholesome, and cute... And even I didn't know they could go that fast!

[@88porpoise]

To me it's like they are letting their inner children out. That is how I expect a six year old to react to a Zamboni, before it becomes the same old boring thing to wait to get finished. I don't know about kids today (as I don't go to ice rinks) but 20 years ago, the most exciting thing for kids at the rink was often the Zamboni.

[@barryhomeowner9293]

This isn't the exact brief for this show but I'd love a "fulfilling our childhood dreams" series. Whether it's techdif or Tom alone, or a different guest each week, I think everyone has at least one thing they *really* wanted to do as a kid that they never could because impractical. I think it'd be a really good way to use the contacts Tom has access to. In that vein, I'm gonna guess Matt's VT will be him operating a crane/some sort of large machinery.

[@silmarian]

Between this and Plus, it's been really nice to get a sense of Tom the human again and not just Tom the presenter.

[@VanessaMagick]

After all these years we've finally gotten the Technical Difficulties On Ice

[@TheLonelyGod42]

That was a pure delight! I'm very excited to see what Chris and Matt got up to

[@doc3255]

I'm expecting something absolutely bonkers for Chris, the man's a wildcard

[@richardmillhousenixon]

@@doc3255 It's either going to be absolutely bonkers, or completely normal. No in-between

[@ragnkja]

@@doc3255 This is a man whose hands are, by his own account, mostly made of scar tissue.

[@Qmeister044]

@@ragnkja Never forget Chris won the inaugural imaginary episode of Speed Dibnah.

[@chrisoddy8744]

@@Qmeister044 No no no, he just IS Speed Dibnah 🤣🤣

[@Jnessification]

As a zamboni driver myself you forgot the best part, we steer the thing with just our left hand since we are controlling the water flow with our right while we are resurfacing. Also it's a bit awkward to learn here in Australia, since like the UK we have the drivers seat on the right, whereas all zambonis are on the left so it takes a bit getting used to

[@ronwingrove683]

Tom: Finally fulfils a childhood dream of driving a Zamboni, despite not knowing what a Zamboni is and only learning abut them from Peanuts cartoons. Also Tom: Can't remember Woodstock's name.

[@_mels_]

I assume Woodstock as a festival isn't prone to screaming its name like WESTWOOD, but I don't know about music and I was a little disappointed there was no excited WOODSTOCK scream from the yellow-blue side of the table

[@rocket2739]

''Underfloor heating gone cold'' is the best explanation of an ice rink freezing floor I've ever heard 😂😂😂

[@joebleasdale5557]

“Ian, are you going to be in some sort of show?” I’m from South London, and nothing sums up our crippling sense of passive aggressive mundanity quite like that 😂😂😂😂😂

[@fsodn]

This is great! This is additionally editorially fun because my wife and I were talking about engines last night (external vs. internal, gasoline vs. diesel) and I mentioned that some smaller engines like forklifts were powered by propane. So thanks for the additional example!

[@toadstooltadd3843]

“We’ve all been on adventures” is a good name for the series honestly

[@Ramonatho]

Gary letting slip that he once drove a ride on mower drunk is the kind of video from Tech Dif I really want to see. Matt Gray vs Gary Brannan, drunk on riding mowers. First one past the finish line, or not dead, wins.

[@lamarhenderson8058]

"Why do you have two Zambonis?" "One Zamboni would be a waste. Two Zambonis is a race."

[@Onio_Saiyan]

I love how this group always has a little off the cuff movie script writing session with the things that are said or the things that they've seen. Must have watched the first one with Gary on this channel at least 5 times. I've also noticed in the thumbnails so far that you have put yellow for Gary in the title and red for Tom in the thumbnail because that's what your subtitle colors are.

[@adamsbja]

It displays Tom's typical style that he put Ian front and center.

[@TrevorGeene]

For those that don't realize, 1st floor in the UK would be the same as the 2nd floor in the US.

[@TotoDG]

SPOILER WARNING: After seeing Ian drift it, I just want an Initial D-style manga, but with Zambonis going down mountain roads.

[@tjenadonn6158]

Running in the -90°s!

[@trieuwerts]

What, Initial-Z? (Works better if you pronounce Z as Zee, not Zed)

[@meme__supreme3373]

@@tjenadonn6158 I legit had running in the 90s going through my head that entire section of the video and I kinda wanna make an edit of that now

[@sm1thers]

eurobeat intensifies

[@ashleyhamman]

"Nice scandinavian flick!" "A what flick? I was doing the Woodstock maneuver." "Nani?!"

[@Dusty_Ham]

Oh man, hearing Tom giggle when they drifted the Zamboni is amazing. The whole video is amazing. Ian is amazing. I loved this video so much.

[@sarat6488]

The confession that this is all a scheme to do what you want for free makes me really happy. I'm getting second-hand existential joy from watching yall's faces light-up as you play with trains and zambonis

[@anttibjorklund1869]

"I drove my dad's -- while drunk". Ok, that's one thing we need the full story of.

[@carterlin1719]

Had a bit of an American moment for a second there before I realized that "first floor" in the UK =/= "ground floor" Now that's a helluva place to keep a zamboni

[@TheLonelyGod42]

I don't turn on notifications for most channels, I did for this one and it paid off! Super excited to watch this video. 😁

[@lilybird4030]

SAME, I actually clapped like a little kid when I saw the motification

[@TheLonelyGod42]

@@lilybird4030 I immediately clicked away from a video I was watching on Instagram!

[@tylervaughn7160]

I've been waiting for this channel to go live for months. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl right now

[@TheLonelyGod42]

@@tylervaughn7160 same same same!

[@MagraveOfGA]

I won't lie, I was worried that this new format wouldn't be entertaining but you guys' joy at doing things you've always wanted to do is absolutely infectious.

[@lasinhouseinthetrees1928]

Tom Scott every time he does anything new, it always feels almost dramatized but it never is. He is just so full of emotions and so fantastic. Joy giggles fear. All of it is

[@legowerewolf]

I know you said vlogging isn't your thing, but I am absolutely down with more stuff like this. This format is fantastic.

[@TylerFurrison]

Imagine if Tom did this on the regular. Oh wait he does, go sub to Tom Scott plus

[@radagastwiz]

All-bilingual 'danger' labels, eh? Tell me a device has been built in Canada without *telling* me a device has been built in Canada...

[@ragnkja]

Specifically English and French.

[@radagastwiz]

@@ragnkja Yes! Goes without saying when you live here and it's part of everyday life.

[@peterclarke7240]

*Wales has entered the chat*

[@ragnkja]

@@peterclarke7240 Why would Wales have warning labels in French?

[@JBLewis]

I've seen postings for Zamboni drivers here in MN "No experience required". Let me tell you, it's a sad state of affairs when there isn't a waiting list for a job as a Zamboni driver.

[@TheEternalMetalHead]

I really like this format, and I really like how sweet y'all were about Tom's dream. It's always good to know that beneath all the banter and piss-taking, there's genuine friendship there. Really looking forward to seeing Matt and Chris's days out!

[@chrinschbro]

The reaction Tom had as he drove it kinda reminded me of that one time he got the chance to "drive" an icebreaker ;)

[@saffron6744]

Love this new series!! It feels like the TechDif gang just mucking about with their ever-top-tier banter and it's a joy to watch

[@EvilCoffeeInc]

Canadian here: I've never heard of resurfacing roads with a Zamboni but I would bet that's a thing up north, based on Chris's comment. This is however also my childhood dream so I will live vicariously through Tom for today. Great video.

[@obansrinathan]

That wouldn't make sense. Ice roads don't need to be slick and zabonies aren't that quick. Ice roads are maintained by plowing to remove snow and flooding to help thicken the ice.

[@maccatarquin7098]

Would have loved a bit where one of the others were lying on the ice at one end, crawling away with Tom slowly moving towards them shouting/laughing "You're going to get killed by a Zamboni!!" a la Deadpool 🤣

[@fugithegreat]

I feel like lately Tom has crossed a lot of childhood dreams off his bucket list. I'm actually kind of jealous of all the amazing adventures he's been having!

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

Visiting his parents: "Can you tell me about some dreams I had as a kid? I need to know for my job." I'd love to hear their answers

[@ODISeth]

Shoutouts to Ian for being absolutely amazing

[@stephenwilliams163]

Tom has flown with stunt pilots. He's rappelled off of wind generators. He's learned parkor and tightrope walking. He's operated Tower Bridge, driven a specially built backwards car, raced hovercrafts, been to the anti gravity lab, and been inside a simulated sinking ship. Tom Scott owns a jetpack. And yet. When given a chance to do whatever he wanted for a day, Tom Scott chose to drive a zamboni. Not sure if that tells us something about Tom or about zambonis.

[@michaelkeogh7722]

Everybody loves the Zamboni driver.

[@LaPingvino]

It's so fun to see Tom kicking off from the bell and the mystery biscuits...

[@lawiebe]

I, a Canadian, have driven behind a zamboni. Love to see you discover something that is everyday equipment for us (Kids adore them here too)

[@PlayHiveLikeaChampion]

I have been watching Tom for quite a while now, and I don't know how I missed this one. GREAT VIDEO and great story! I am a native Floridian and became a hockey fan 30 years ago when the Tampa Bay Lightning joined the NHL (Go Bolts!) As you can imagine, in the early years the Zamboni drivers were not experienced. The intermission show of the rookie Zamboni drivers slipping and sliding around the rink (after all it is ice!) was always entertaining.

[@paigecunningham]

And now, on Tom Scott plus, Tom's been down a proper bobsled course in Canada with his production team to round out 2022. Much bigger than the council ice rink!

[@Burnie1601]

Well something definitely hit the cutting room floor at 12:52 🤣😂🤣

[@doc3255]

ooh good eye there

[@lylukk]

as someone who spent a lot of time as a kid/teen in ice rinks i've always wanted to ride on a zamboni too

[@JonesNate]

Funny thing is, I had a similar experience as a kid. I watched Happy Gilmore when I was 8 or something, and there's a scene where Happy rents out an ice rink. A guy is out on a Zamboni. When I saw it, my brain just went, "What the heck is *that* thing?" I actually said it out loud. Someone else was watching the movie with me, and he knew what it was, so he explained it. Like Tom, I said something like, "That's cool." Unlike Tom, I never actually really wanted to ride one. I'm glad Tom got to experience it, though! And for what it's worth, Tom's been doing all kinds of crazy great things lately. Riding rollercoasters, flying with birds, etc; so I'm not too surprised that he went for something more relatively simple with this.

[@krank23]

There are a LOT of people out there, in the world, being absolute experts in their very narrow field. Most of them will never become "famous", they're just quietly very good at their jobs, and maybe a few handfuls of people will ever know about it or know to appreciate it. I absolutely love it when people like Tom shine a light on them. Time with an expert is never wasted! And most of these people are usually very happy to get to show new people what they can do, and like getting a little bit of recvognition for the years they've spent honing their craft. Beautiful, Tom!

[@gwaptiva]

Watching you guys riffing off each other so makes me miss my mates. You are so lucky to be near enough to each other to make these things work, even if irregularly.

[@mirjanbouma]

With all the stuff Tom has done, you'd think his bucket list would have long been checked off. So this was quite the surprise. And very wholesome! Ian, if you're reading this: thank you!

[@lukesmineralogicalshowcase973]

I don’t know how, but a drifting Zamboni is probably one of the greatest thing I’ve ever seen

[@tammyhollandaise]

I recall an episode of "Monster Garage" where they turn a car into a Zamboni. When they received the blade, they promptly used it to cut anything they had around the workshop (including a full brick of cheese). The factory sharpness is absurd.

[@Nooticus]

God I love guys like Ian the Zamboni man from Streatham, I’d genuinely enjoy a whole channel dedicated to him!!

[@katepeterson5478]

I'm not super sure, but I doubt they'd use a zamboni to resurface an ice road because you really don't want an ice road too smooth, right? I have, in fact, seen a zamboni on the road in Canada though. Usually just from the local indoor rink where it lives to a lake or other seasonally maintained outdoor rink.

[@chersegems2315]

I would guess there’s a setting to control the temperature (or some other parameter; anyone who knows chemistry or physics help me out please) of the hot water glaze the machine lays on top, for varying levels of smoothness.

[@1M4C1999]

Youre exactly right yeah. You use a zamboni to resurface a lake or a rink to make it extra slipperly and smooth, which is pretty much the last thing you would want to do on an ice road!

[@alestrius]

Man, seeing a Zamboni brings back childhood memories. I used to do a lot of figure skating until I got to the points where it got serious (actually, maybe a bit past there since I'd already gotten to the point where I needed a personal coach...), and getting to go out on freshly Zamboni-d ice was already a treat since I could *see* my skating.

[@alestrius]

What's further crazy to me is that that ice rink looks EXACTLY like the one from my childhood. Same boards, same enter/exit points, same hard-plastic (or whatever materials it is) panels, same netting up at the top. Given that he's Tom Scott, I'm half convinced he managed to figure out time travel and went back to the 90s to go to my specific ice rink I spent the most time in, despite it being in the US.

[@itbeat7899]

Absolutely wonderful video with beautiful people! Well done! I cant wait for more, Subscribed!! ps: I just love the accessibility part of the video with the subtitle. Thanks

[@AalbertTorsius]

After two episodes, this has the feel of The Technical Difficulties _plus._ Also, Matt and Gary need to switch shirts (or the colours in the description need to).

[@ragnkja]

Definitely shirts, because Matt’s colour is blue, has always been blue, and will always be blue.

[@codingentity]

Petition to make Ian the Patron Saint of The Technical Difficulties.

[@katiek.6333]

As someone who was obsessed with Peanuts griwing up, and has all the decade compliations, the 50 year anniversary collection, ect, and whose absoluter FAVE strip is the one where Snoopy shows Woodstock the Zamboni cave where the Zambonis live, I have never felt so seen in my life.

[@TypicallyThomas]

I like that Matt and Tom know each other so well that Matt could guess based on almost zero setup what Tom did

[@sbs5130]

I misinterpreted what was said last week in Gary's and thought all four of them would be, in some way, eating bacon sandwiches at speed. A silly but specific shared theme might be a good idea for a second installment.

[@MrRcn23]

Same! I spent most of the video waiting for Tom to start eating a chocolate bar or something while driving.

[@thatebsguy4253]

Woo! I’ve waited so long for a technical difficulties video hope we get more soon 🥳 Edit: I didn’t even realised Gary’s was a week ago about to watch that now 😂

[@sambuka57]

Charlie Brown: "There are three things in life that people like to stare at... a flowing stream, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni clearing the ice"

[@Karlandra]

Best line from this episode: Time spent with an expert is never wasted

[@recurvestickerdragon]

I missed you lads so much, and you genuinely make my day. Like, the banter, the positivity and excitement, just everything. Oh, and Matt's totally right, watching Tom do unscripted things is joyous

[@sheilaross1449]

Right, so I had to check for myself whether Zambonis are used to maintain the ice roads up North (obviously not your standard-issue asphalt roads - we do have snowplows, for heaven's sake), because that seemed semi-plausible. Can't find evidence for that, but my sleuthing did uncover some amusing stories, including one from a few years back about a farmer on Vancouver Island who got pulled over by the police for driving a Zamboni - bought used for $300 CDN - on the road when he got tired of waiting for the plow (I mean, I feel you dude - in fact most Canadians feel you, I'm sure). Quote from the article: "Unfortunately, the Zamboni cleared the top layer of snow but flattened the bottom layer, which, if the temperatures dip low enough, could turn into, well, an ice rink."

[@lawiebe]

Yeah, a zamboni's water tank is probably way too small to actually maintain a road and you don't need it that smooth for tires.

[@twistedtachyon5877]

@@lawiebe not just don't need: don't want. Icy roads aren't a good thing! If your road is *made* of ice, you want it to be as un-ice-like as possible. Not more!

[@georgedoty-williams2085]

I'm glad the bell has worked this time

[@pstol53]

This gentleman has the exact same job as my father did at our local municipal ice rink. The man maintained everything and we had the best ice. I always thought it was the coolest job. I would brag to my friends about riding on the Zamboni. Glad Tom was able to do this.