Russian tanks (was Re: BMW)

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 08/29/2001 3:53:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Bapopik at AOL.COM writes:

> It's like ten people in a Russian tank.
>  (Poland version of crowded, "like Grand Central Station"--ed.)

This is NOT an ethnic slur.

A desirable feature in tanks is "low profile" (no relation to foreign policy)
because tanks are frequently hide in holes in the ground or behind obstacles
and the lower the top of the tank is, the easier it can hide.

The Russians a generation or so ago decided to go all out for low profile
tanks.  They limited tank crews to men who were below a certain height (I am
told it was the metric equivalent of 5' 6") and built the body of the tank
around crewmen of this size.  The result is a tank that is notoriously
cramped on the inside.  (An Israeli who had experience with Russian tanks
told me that in one particular model "the loader had to be a left-handed
midget.")

           - Jim Landau