This is not out in some rural town. This is in Portland, OR about 2 miles from downtown. Personal vehicles this large are simply incompatible with urban living and pressure their owners to continually break traffic law. Technically that Miata is parked as close to the stop sign as it can legally be, but as the Denali doesn’t fit in many places around here it’s owner is compelled to park across both the stop sign and the crosswalk.
Trucks should NOT be this tall, if you get into an accident with this asshole he’s gonna walk away and you’re going to the morgue.
Should’ve bought a bigger truck
You get the sense that petrol is too cheap in the US
i feel like people would insist on this shit regardless, even in the rest of the world people seem to not even consider the concept of forgoing a car for economic reasons, same with owning a house.
they’d rather eat less and stop heating their house than rent an apartment and stop driving everywhere.
It’s maddening the percentage of my taxes that go towards the gas prices that makes this dick compensator feasible to own.
We more than make up the discount with federal taxes that fund our military-industrial complex which then commits violence all over the world in our name to make that oil cheap at the pump :(
In comparison to other countries? Yeah.
Shame that every country that’s balls enough to raise gasoline prices gets Iraq War’d.
I guarantee that the mx-5 has carried more passengers and more cargo then that truck ever has or will.
It sounds like the “vehicles this large are simply incompatible with urban living” is a self solving problem as long as the police actually enforces traffic regulations: if people chosing excessivelly large vehicle for the environment were they live keep on getting repeatedly fined because such vehicles in such environments “pressure their owners to continually break traffic law” they’ll chose differently.
This is probably part of the reason why such vehicles are very rare in European cities: in such places it’s even more likely that they have to break the law to park such a vehicle (smaller cities and parking space) and were the police is probably more likely to enforce such laws with a stern hand (in some countries fines even grow proportionally to one’s income), especially in some countries were it’s far more common for people to simply phone the police to denounce a vehicle parked in a way that outrageously breaks the rules.
I find that a lot of Europeans entertain the delusion that they arrived at safe, livable transit and streets by calling the cops a lot. I guess that’s an easy misconception to pick up if you grew up with those safe streets, where all that was left to maintain them was to pay taxes and occasionally call the cops, and when there’s a decent chance that those cops aren’t murderous racist fascists who don’t respond to the call.
But Europe, western and northern in particular, got their infrastructure by pitching a long and eventually successful political fight against automotive culture as a whole throughout the 60s - 80s. They redesigned their cities to accommodate walking and cycling, they staged mass protests, they passed automotive regulations to mostly ban the sorts of personal vehicles that are fundamentally incompatible with that sort of city. They didn’t oust motor culture from their city centers by calling the cops a lot. No, that’s just maintenance upkeep long after the win. The boomer-aged Europeans of today had to take up a long hard fight in an organized fashion to create that world for themselves and their kids.
It’s the exact same reason why Europe has better Labour Laws: decades ago the many fought to change the system so that they were not being constantly fucked up by the few.
The cops are just a mechanism for applying said good laws that people fought for in the past.
This is also why as many such laws have regressed in the last couple of decades, the utility of the cops for the general public regressed with them, and more and more what’s visible as the utility of the cops is the only kind of use of the powers of the state that has never wavered: the protection of the property and physical integrity of the wealthy and powerful.
None of this is transport specific, though it definitely gets reflected in transport (partly in terms of traffic laws, their application and the size of the penalties when they are broken, but even more so in general transportation policies such as public transportation and even the very design of streets putting more importance on non-car transportation and less on car transportation, which is why, for example, sidewalks are more common in Europe) because of its outsized impact in quality of life.
In fact I would say that the much broader availability of public transportation in Europe too is the product of the very same fights in the past to put the interest of the many above the interests of the few.
calling the cops about small things in the US can very easily destroy lives. Only do it when something is life or death.
I work on a building sites here in Ireland,can someone tell me why use this? It’s like a van but less good in every way
I work in construction and pickup trucks definitely have their place. This however is not a usable truck . It’s a medical treatment for small dick syndrome.
Aye see working, and you’ve to load 5 tonnes of stones,a 4 foot clearance is not your friend
Very tl;dr: In the 70s, the was a gas shortage, so Congress passed minimum mpg laws, but exempted trucks, to not kill small business. Manufacturers lobbied Congress to expand the definition of “trucks,” and now you see these giant troop carriers everywhere.
I’ve heard that insurance on a truck used to be 1/2 the price of that for a car too… cannot verify the validity surrounding that though.
You are correct. Times have changed unfortunately.
The 70s? You guys know it’s been 50 years since carter right
This lets people know you have a penis and that’s very very important.
*small penis
Unless it has that idiotic hers not his sticker on it and a pink yeti sticker.
I guess then it let’s them know you have a critical case of Freudian penis envy and that’s very, very important?
You should see some of the vans we have
Anyone with a raptor in this country is a bellend.
The Hilux was only ever a boss mans car, the sites were littered with focuses and octavias for the longest time. There is a plant hire lad near me that uses an 07 Mondeo to put the trailer.
Pickups are tradie fashion statements.
Pick ups are for trades who don’t work. Ice seem many old school hilux because they don’t brake,but even then,they’re not the everyday. Hilux is for crossing fields. Vans are for working.
Yea like most of workers I know drive hatchback,nippy wee fuckers for getting off site asap
I’m not going to pretend I know better than the people who are buying them if they offer any real utility, but it’s not like they’re new. The Hilux has been around donkey’s years. It’s only the last couple of years they’ve started to catch on big-time. I don’t understand what’s changed that’s pushed a lot of lads away from the likes of a Transit into a Ford Ranger.
Although I’m sure there were plenty of people driving Land Cruisers before who are in Rangers now, and are carrying precisely the same amount of absolutely fuck all in them.
It’s huge tires and clearance are an advantage in a country with crumbling infrastructure.
Now that makes sense but also,most good vans can have mad clearance
Even most sedans and hatchbacks can be lifted a few inches which is enough to clear bad dirt or gravel roads.
Fucking A
I mean, not practically. Maybe if you routinely need to go to industrial plant construction sites for the early parts of construction before they’ve done things like generally flatten the area and cut something resembling a road. But even then it seems like overkill.
These vehciles should be banned for personal use and only allow businesses to buy them. That will reduce the amount of morons doong shit like this
We need a height limit. I have a 2010 1500. Even stock height on that was unnecessarily high. I lowered with a 2/4 kit. Perfect height and I can still do all the truck stuff, legit truck stuff, that I want. No issues in snow either.
The 1500 line has only gotten taller since. Again, completely unnecessary. There are tons of douche mobiles like the OP pic around here. Tons of idiots with those 2500s, or equivalent, around here. Those are usually because “muh diesel!”
Even businesses though. Why? The AF buys 1500s. Those haul auxilary power carts that weight the same as a VW bug. It takes 2 or 3 of us to push them.
Also, why would I buy a raised on as a business. I’ve just made it very difficult to get shit out of the bed for my employees now. I’ve just raised the chances that my employee is going to cause an accident because they can’t see shit around them.
“but I wanna off road!” I’ve done it in an 05 Colorado, stock height, at a local ORV park. That includes those ruts, driving up difficult inclines and even through a puddle almost up to the windows. If I can do that in one of those, you don’t need to raise your doucheness above for the world to see.
Interesting that drop kits are an easily-sourced thing nowadays, I’ve looked at modern trucks and genuinely wondered how one is supposed to access the bed without a stepladder as they come from the factory. I think it’s subtly damning that GMC, among others, has been marketing their multi-position tailgate’s ability to function as a bed step. They’ve made trucks so tall as a vanity thing that it negatively impacts the their ability to actually work as a utility vehicle.
I’ve been begging (sometimes literally, I know a guy who works at Ford) for a small Maverick or Ridgeline-sized PHEV pickup for years now, and the Big Three seem to be specifically avoiding making such a thing. I don’t need to be able to tow a guided missile cruiser, I don’t need to sit ten feet in the air to feel safe, I don’t want dual 30-gallon fuel tanks in case I need to drive to Cape Horn without stopping for some reason. I just want to be able to commute in town on electric power, handle small home-improvement hauling tasks (mulch, appliances, lumber, etc), and still be able to road trip or pull a small trailer in a pinch. And there are dozens of us, at least! I see people asking “PHEV Maverick when!?” anytime I search the Net for news on the topic. But nope, no PHEV pickup for you, unless you want to buy a Ramcharger – and deal with being associated with the kind of person who drives a Ram product. No thank you!
I love my 1500, I’m original owner and take meticulous care of her. That said, I’d absolutely love a PHEV Ram 50 or 2nd gen size S-10. Those are perfect for tooling around as a daily. I’ll be keeping Hemrietta until I’m Looney Tunes style sitting on the ground holding a steering wheel over getting a Brodozer.
I used Belltech’s 2/4. Their shocks sucked and produced a very rough ride. I replaced the rear shocks with QA1 single adjustables (drag racing and hobby track racing with her, so I need the adjustable range.)
IHC also makes kits. You may need their rear axle control arm relocation kit with Belltech’s 2/4. I needed it for mine. The Belltech track/panhard bar relocation bracket flexes too much. I had to ditch that and drill new holes in order to eliminate that bracket. She’s solid as a rock now.
I expected better handling, and it’s there, but it didn’t dawn on me that I’d see better acceleration. Those single adjustable shocks let the weight roll back and really dig those tires into the ground. When set to aggressive handling, they are amazing. Night and day corner and responsivness. Up to 60, solid handling. 60 to 75, responsive, smooth, fantastic. 75 to 90 (the fastest I’ve pushed so far until I can get a better track day), driving a race car made of clouds held up by angels.
Winter driving was a significant improvement. I didn’t have much issue before, but I had the usual bit of sliding on acceleration. I didn’t have to feather near as much. I try to use 4wd as little as possible. I didn’t have to touch it this year at all.
I have some significant medical issues as well. Getting in and out easily is a must. Getting in and out of the cab is much easier. Especially in the winter. Getting stuff out of the bed doesn’t require that awkward half tire step, or slight hop and resting painfully on your stomach over the side. I wish I’d have done this years ago.
But they need the 2500 HD Super Duty Ultra Platinum Tungsten edition with 4 inch lift to tow their lawnmower. Or maybe a pressure washer.
Honest question is what businesses would ever buy a jacked up and off dude bro truck for anything other then to make an executive feel like they have a bigger pp?
These things are not even good at being a truck, short bed that is too high to load/unload and a fuel economy of if you have to ask you can’t afford it does not make a good fleet truck.
A very small amount need massive pickup truck in the first place. Trailers or vans are generally more efficient in different metrics.
But banning them completely is hard, hence I suggest banning them for individuals at first
its owner is compelled to park across both the stop sign and the crosswalk.
To me, it’s more a case of the owner feeling entitled to do this. They have the (likely easier and much cheaper) option of buying a vehicle that’s appropriate to the primary environment they’ll be operating it in, and chose not to. This isn’t compulsion, it’s just another in a chain of selfish decisions.
Compelled to compensate for their insecurities about their masculinity
Yup! It always comes back to this
put a note on the windshield: “please take care to better manage your genders affirming vehicle.”
Funny enough the right front fender of the Miata has a bunch of trans rights stickers. I’d rather not make assumptions about the Denali owner but it would sure make for an even more stark contrast.
I think you’re allowed to make a bunch of assumptions about the Denali owner here. That’s kinda what they did all that for in the first place.
They’re clearly being a dick with nothing more than a parking job, so it’s far more likely they are actually dicks IRL and noticed the same thing on the miata and chose to be dicks about it.
Sometimes, the other person being an intolerable, selfish, bigoted asshole, is exactly the thing we can and should assume about people in certain situations. Situations like this one.
Funny enough the right front fender of the Miata has a bunch of trans rights stickers
Well yeah, it’s a “hairdresser’s car.” Obviously, all Miata owners are inferior girly men, so of course the trans rights sticker fits right in!
(I own a Miata myself, so I’m entitled to make that joke. BTW, other cars I’ve owned include a VW New Beetle and two minivans, so I’ll let folks draw their own conclusions about my confidence in my masculinity. But just to be clear, anybody else trying to make that joke without heavy, obvious sarcasm is gonna get banned for violating rule 2, though.)
Also, maybe there could be an ambiguity between “trans[gender] rights” and “[manual] trans[mission] rights,” LOL. “Save the manuals” is a big deal among Miata owners, after all.
That gives me an idea for a new bumper sticker, for a very specific kind of car owner. Not 100% sure where it lies on the line between funny and insensitive, though, so I’m gonna put the quick mockup I just made in a spoiler tag so folks don’t see it unless they specifically want to.
hopefully clever and not offensive
am transfem, can barely drive a stick, but you get a pass from me
Or maybe, someone who has the strength of character to choose a car on merit, without needing a tank to make them feel safe, is more likely to NOT be hostile to those who may be different from the norm, again because they’re not scaredy little fucks who are afraid of everything and have to appear intimidating all the time.
Sure! Sounds like that particular Miata owner was actively expressing support above and beyond not being hostile, though.
Emotional support vehicle
i’ve got dozen++ neighbors with that kinda vehicle.
I guess some people are scared to drive in the USA without covering every inch of themselves in steel, fake carbon fiber, and Truck Nutz.
In all fairness, I’d be terrified to drive that Miata with that monster sitting in front of me. It makes you realize just how crazy the size difference is between these monstrosities and everything else on the road. If this Denali hits this Miata, it’ll decapitate anyone in the Miata. Full stop.
Crash testing needs to account for people outside the car, both in other size classes of vehicle (including bicycles and scooters) and pedestrians. This is policy failure. The Denali should not share road space with the other modes of transportation! Even if this person is an unrealistically perfect driver, their low beams are so high they’ll blind anyone in a shorter vehicle.
I can sort of understand huge semis and delivery vans since they literally need the storage space and they’re generally driven by people with CDLs. But even those should be smaller in urban environments (and suburban, and small towns).
Tragedy of the commons. How many people drive big SUVs because they’re blinded at night by tall vehicles otherwise, and they’re afraid of their children (or themselves) being killed in a crash in a small car? The only way to solve this is government, lawmaking, and enforcement.
The thing about America is that it’s full of loud, obnoxious assholes who do not take kindly to you if you point out the fact that they’re assholes (even subtly and without using that verbiage).
So nailed it, they get so mad for being told a simple truth that anyone can plainly see. Is it possible that inside their heads they’re the good guy? That simple reality enrages them?
I think many of them know they suck deep down somewhere as well. If anyone points it out, it confirms their innermost doubts and pisses them off immeasurably.
Narcissists always see themselves as the hero or the victim. Either way, you’re wrong for suggesting they change a god damned thing about themselves.
Where I live the speed has recently been reduced from 30 mph to 15 mph in an effort to make the area more livable. Roads have been narrowed with more room for trees, sidewalks and bike paths. As well as artificial choke points and high speed bumps, all in an effort to improve life for the people living there. This is done alongside an effort to create larger high speed roads around the area and push cars to use those, which are the long way around but since they are higher speed still faster.
However fucking idiots driving these huge trucks can just go across the speed bumps at 45 mph and they rush all the choke point no matter if they have the right of way or not. When such a huge thing comes rushing at you, you move out of the way. They also regularly cut across parts where cars aren’t supposed to go. For example tight corners where the side walk is lower so larger delivery trucks and busses can still make the corner by cutting across the side walk a bit. Regular cars are supposed to just drive around them and in a regular car the kerb will make sure people don’t normally do that. The big trucks however use them all the time as they don’t even notice the kerb.
Since car brains experience the efforts to slow everything down as obstacles to overcome, more and more choose to drive these huge trucks and drive any speed and route they want. This actually goes against all the efforts to make the area better for pets, bicycles and people.
We desperately need max weight and size limits for cars.
Get the city to install chicanes with trees planted in them. You can’t just roll over those and a landship like that is going to have to slow down a lot to maneuver through them.
But yeah, I’d love tax brackets depending on car size. Huge trucks pay more, kei cars pay less. That would make a lot of sense for city liveability and road maintenance.
But yeah, I’d love tax brackets depending on car size. Huge trucks pay more, kei cars pay less.
Ironically, that effort is what landed us in our current predicament. There was a clean air push, and the government wanted to start regulating fuel efficiency in vehicles. They were going to start requiring vehicles to hit certain efficiency minimums. But auto manufacturers lobbied to add a tiny little “efficiency can reduce as vehicle size increases” provision. They said it was because larger cars were naturally less efficient, so they needed that exception to be able to reasonably hit the efficiency targets.
In reality, what happened is the auto manufacturers started making larger and larger cars, so they didn’t have to deal with making efficient vehicles. Because the less efficient engines are cheaper to produce at scale and they can sell them for more. They started doing huge advertisement and astroturfing campaigns, to get people into the “bigger is better” mindset for cars… And it fucking worked. Americans almost universally drive massive cars now, purely because auto manufacturers didn’t want to be held to efficiency standards.
Well, yeah, if the car makers can add exceptions to the law and turn it upside down then the law becomes useless.
I explicitly wouldn’t allow that exception. If larger cars are less efficient then disincentivizing their use by means of higher taxes is clearly beneficial to society. If you want to drive that three-ton gas guzzler then you can surely afford that 30% higher vehicle tax. If you can’t, might I interest you in this comparatively efficient and tax-reduced Subaru Sambar?
Mind you, I would apply different rules to things like semi trucks that (at least in my part of the world) you can’t drive without a special license. But if you can drive it with a regular European class B license then the tax should scale progressively with size and mass because making larger and less efficient cars unattractive is specifically the point.
Holy shit, TIL about Chicanes! I’m definitely going to lobby my city for those!
Time to start hucking bricks at passing trucks
Your city is doing riiiiight! I hear you regarding the growing pains, but the successes are glorious. I’m proud of you!
Email your council people. Ive done it before and they’ve made them move it.
Luxury pickups are such a stupid class of vehicle.
pavement princesses
If your truck is that clean, you should not have a truck.
You just spat in the face of 90% of full size truck owners, and I’m here for it. Well done good sir/ma’am. Carry on.
I have a F150 for work. Today I towed my 10K trailer for two loads with 4,750lbs and 6,500ln on it. I also drove offroad for around 20 miles. I would love to drive a smaller vehicle. I got the smallest vehicle that I could find the job. It’s stock on everything except for some all terrain tires. I still hop in my wife’s car to drive around town.
My neighbor has a truck like the one above. He got groceries in it today. He’s an pharmacist.
Your neighbor has fantasies about cowboy hats and wheat fields. You use your 1/2 ton properly.
I’m am pretty sure I’ve hauled more with my little hatchback than this person has with their truck.
To put that thing to shame, I’ve traveled internationally in a Honda Fit that was packed like a clown car.
I know a guy who got seriously mad that kids drew hearts in the dust on his f350. Sir, if you are concerned about the paint on your vehicle being scratched, sell your truck and get a car.
I’m old enough to remember when trucks were tools and not fashion statements. It’s a completely bewildering experience to go to a modern dealership and see the cheapest truck be a $70,000 luxury minivan in a trenchcoat.
“B.B.BUUUT MY FRAUDULENT RURALITY”
to be fair its function is to make people in 1800s-platted, narrow downtown Portland streets afraid that they’ll be run down by this idiot who can’t see where he’s going. If he actually went out with his vehicle he’d probably own a Land Cruiser like the rest of the Portland off-road bros
The fuck is wrong with people? This is why we need the big press machine that turns cars into a cube.
