Holy eff, the color tv! Why, the have COLOR tv in them prisons! Has anyone seen a black and white tv for sale in the past twenty years? And poor people have cars? When's the last time you saw public transportation heading down gravel back roads? You cannot make one-for-one across-the-board comparisons of wealth or living standards. Every country is different, every region of every country is different. I have seen some homes in the US that could easily be described as Third World-esque.
This is nothing new. I've seen plans for this kind of thing in 50's-era DIY mags, and clearly the desk is intended for stationary vehicles. But yes, there will be idiots who try to drive with the desk still attached. Zeus help us.