Driving a pickup truck as your commute vehicle. The mileage is terrible, and you have reduced visibility in front of the hood. Get a safer and more efficient vehicle. It’ll be cheaper!
The way to restrict them to industrial purposes is to require a CDL or at least a higher level license to drive them. It would make sense too, they’re objectively more dangerous so why shouldn’t the licensing for them be more strict?
I think this might be a potential disconnected between rural and urban folks. A lot of trucks are big and stupid; and unsafe. But an old style reasonable pick up doesn’t need a CDL. It’s very useful for moving things that you don’t want to mess up your interior. During the summer my family takes one with a small motorcycle and inflatable kayaks to raft rivers in Colorado; quite useful. But I get it in the cities; even our reasonable sized sedan felt big having the parallel park when I’ve visited them.
Not ban, but make the licensing process more rigorous for a vehicle that takes more skill to operate safely compared to a standard car. Anyone can get a higher class drivers license if they pass the test, but the majority of people won’t bother so you end up with less trucks driven by people who just want to look cool.
Because the rest of us have a right to life, too. Ever heard the saying, “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins”? That’s colorful, but it’s not even true; people have an expectation of a certain reasonable amount of space around their bodies, and even entering it with your fist might be considered assault. The concept that one’s actions and choices affect other people is what’s important here.
That’s the problem with giant pickup trucks: They affect other people on the road, and the problem with giant pickup truck drivers is that they either refuse to recognize this fact, or they enjoy infringing on the rights of other people to enjoy life. Either way, it’s bad for society, where we all have to live together somehow. Mullets and man-buns, by contrast, don’t materially affect anybody else in the slightest.
Because trucks have been proven to be more dangerous and make any accident more likely to be fatal? They also present unique safety challenges not present in smaller cars, namely they have a huge blind spot in front of them like any other tall commercial vehicle. If you’re going to drive a more dangerous vehicle, you’d better actually know how to drive it safely.
I agree, 90%. That being said, some people can’t afford a car that isn’t provided by their construction employer. Some people have hobbies that involve moving things (motorcycles, mountain bikes, wood, etc) and can only afford one car. And I’m sure there are reasons I’m not thinking of.
Most people with pickups around me do not need them, but having owned a small S10 years ago for a similar to above reason, I try to see why they exist, and try not to judge if it’s not obvious.
All that being said, Why oh why are they so big now?
You can usually tell the difference, because the tradesperson’s truck is full of crap all the time and probably worn out, while the parking lot princess in empty and pristine.
Lifting is also a strong hint, since it makes the bed very hard to reach. I have seen a lifted pickup with a full bed exactly once since I started paying attention.
Also, the people actually using their trucks don’t get the ones with 5 “genuine leather” seats, extra legroom, top of the line speakers which they’ll definitely blast with the windows down for the whole street to hear, and a bed barely bigger than the compartment on a hatchback.
I see mostly two door trucks at construction sites. Never seen one of those luxury ones with the huge cabin.
Mountain bikes can easily be carried with a car, motorcycles are normally self propelled and don’t need to a pick up truck to move them and they make trailers for moving them that can be towed by a normal sedan, wood is another thing that’s not normally transported unless you are using the truck for work and can be easily transported by a trailer or a rental truck for infrequent use
A family of mountain bikes is not great on the back/top of a car. Not all motorcycles are for the road. And wood is very normally transported if that is your hobby.
Driving a pickup truck as your commute vehicle. The mileage is terrible, and you have reduced visibility in front of the hood. Get a safer and more efficient vehicle. It’ll be cheaper!
I rented a Hybrid Toyota Camry over the weekend, that thing was awesome. 18 dollars to refuel for the return.
The way to restrict them to industrial purposes is to require a CDL or at least a higher level license to drive them. It would make sense too, they’re objectively more dangerous so why shouldn’t the licensing for them be more strict?
I think this might be a potential disconnected between rural and urban folks. A lot of trucks are big and stupid; and unsafe. But an old style reasonable pick up doesn’t need a CDL. It’s very useful for moving things that you don’t want to mess up your interior. During the summer my family takes one with a small motorcycle and inflatable kayaks to raft rivers in Colorado; quite useful. But I get it in the cities; even our reasonable sized sedan felt big having the parallel park when I’ve visited them.
I wouldn’t want one myself, but I don’t understand trying to ban something just because I don’t like it.
But apparently, that’s a popular sentiment
Not ban, but make the licensing process more rigorous for a vehicle that takes more skill to operate safely compared to a standard car. Anyone can get a higher class drivers license if they pass the test, but the majority of people won’t bother so you end up with less trucks driven by people who just want to look cool.
If people want to look cool, why not let them enjoy life? Should we perhaps ban hairdressers, in favour of a mandatory buzz cut?
Because the rest of us have a right to life, too. Ever heard the saying, “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins”? That’s colorful, but it’s not even true; people have an expectation of a certain reasonable amount of space around their bodies, and even entering it with your fist might be considered assault. The concept that one’s actions and choices affect other people is what’s important here.
That’s the problem with giant pickup trucks: They affect other people on the road, and the problem with giant pickup truck drivers is that they either refuse to recognize this fact, or they enjoy infringing on the rights of other people to enjoy life. Either way, it’s bad for society, where we all have to live together somehow. Mullets and man-buns, by contrast, don’t materially affect anybody else in the slightest.
Because trucks have been proven to be more dangerous and make any accident more likely to be fatal? They also present unique safety challenges not present in smaller cars, namely they have a huge blind spot in front of them like any other tall commercial vehicle. If you’re going to drive a more dangerous vehicle, you’d better actually know how to drive it safely.
I agree, 90%. That being said, some people can’t afford a car that isn’t provided by their construction employer. Some people have hobbies that involve moving things (motorcycles, mountain bikes, wood, etc) and can only afford one car. And I’m sure there are reasons I’m not thinking of.
Most people with pickups around me do not need them, but having owned a small S10 years ago for a similar to above reason, I try to see why they exist, and try not to judge if it’s not obvious.
All that being said, Why oh why are they so big now?
You can usually tell the difference, because the tradesperson’s truck is full of crap all the time and probably worn out, while the parking lot princess in empty and pristine.
Lifting is also a strong hint, since it makes the bed very hard to reach. I have seen a lifted pickup with a full bed exactly once since I started paying attention.
Also, the people actually using their trucks don’t get the ones with 5 “genuine leather” seats, extra legroom, top of the line speakers which they’ll definitely blast with the windows down for the whole street to hear, and a bed barely bigger than the compartment on a hatchback.
I see mostly two door trucks at construction sites. Never seen one of those luxury ones with the huge cabin.
Mountain bikes can easily be carried with a car, motorcycles are normally self propelled and don’t need to a pick up truck to move them and they make trailers for moving them that can be towed by a normal sedan, wood is another thing that’s not normally transported unless you are using the truck for work and can be easily transported by a trailer or a rental truck for infrequent use
A family of mountain bikes is not great on the back/top of a car. Not all motorcycles are for the road. And wood is very normally transported if that is your hobby.
Yes, but how will you pose as a tough salt-of-the-earth guy while driving to your HR job?