• solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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    23 days ago

    what are these people expecting everyone’s reaction to be when they buy these cartoonish giant clownshoes trucks?

    because i see those things and think “oh look, another sensitive douchenozzle”

    • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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      23 days ago

      Back when I was young, I had a job building, and installing, custom stereos for cars. The place I worked at also did a lot of modifications, one of the most popular things we did was lift trucks, add huge wheels, move exhaust to end above the backs of the cabs, etc. People who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck. They also rarely used them for work, or took them off road. They liked to cruise them down the night life areas, and show off. They would talk about how excited they were to do this. This was the same with people who tricked their cars out like something from TFATF movies. They never raced, they just showed off.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        23 days ago

        A lot of that is for the same reason people dress nice or have nice accessories like watches and handbags: Conspicuous consumption makes it look like you have money to at least some people.

        And anywhere there are vehicles there’s going to be a vehicle culture, from low riders to pickups to rice tractors

        • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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          23 days ago

          correct, and fast fashion, precious metals, and gems, etc for this are bad. it is a lot harder to deal with the fast fashion thing, because it took over the industry needed for clothing. but yeah, I feel the same about doing things like buying jewelry without concern for where it came from, as jewelry is something that can be easily boycotted. The big difference is, someone wearing a ring with a big old blood diamond on it will never inject its way into my life, and what I am doing, like getting stuck in traffic with some big coal-rolling d-bag, or someone whose muffler is replaced, or their stereo is as loud as a stadium concert, and so on.

            • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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              23 days ago

              I mean, you can make cars cool without making them obnoxious, inefficient, intrusive, poorly fit for local infrastructure, etc.

              Unless you think things that cause greater issues for other people are the only ways in which cars can be cool. Then I don’t know what to tell you, at that point it is a personal problem.

              • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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                23 days ago

                I love my $30k Miata. 2339 lbs, 35 mpg, its fast enough, handles better than enough, can go for 200k+ miles, I’ve driven faster and more expensive cars, but that one is by far the most fun. Yes, cars can definitely be cool without having 13 mpg, and annoying other people, without blocking the vision of others to operate safely. The only issue is that it forces you to drive aggressively to avoid these giant fucking emotional support trucks killing you cause they can’t see you.

                • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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                  22 days ago

                  Yes, I am glad to hear that the feds are at least looking at new regulations on truck/suv design due to the increase in pedestrian death.

              • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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                23 days ago

                Most of what are generally considered coolest cars are loud, inefficient, and hard to maneuver around a city. Think Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys, low riders, hot rods, in addition to lifted trucks and fart-can Hondas.

                • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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                  23 days ago

                  It doesn’t have to be that way though. A lot of that desire was created by car companies using massive advertisement campaigns over decades, to convince people the cars with the most profit margin, and dependency on the system, are cool. All the reasons beneath the obnoxious parts, that ultimately are what people like, can be done differently now. You don’t need a loud car, with shitty normal road compatibility, to have a fast, agile, car, that could be targeted at the consumer. You don’t need loud, smog belching, monster trucks, that fit nowhere, to be able to do all the off road shit. The rest are aesthetic desires, which are easy to manipulate, through advertising, over time.

                  The whole car industry could just start an unrelenting ad campaign on the side of those who do not like coal rollers, and paint those using them as bad people, and, since a huge amount of the population hate them already, it wouldn’t be all that long before they are a thing of the past.

                  • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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                    22 days ago

                    As someone who loves and talks up her subcompact, a lot of people won’t ever see it as cool. In part because it’s so practical in an unobtrusive way. It’s cool like getting regular cardio or eating a diet high in vegetables: once it’s a part of your life consistently it’s awesome, but it’s not showy, decadent, or immediately fun (ok actually it is if you like a zippy vehicle). At least where I live a lot of people see trucks as both a part of their cultural identity and as associated with things they enjoy like hunting and hauling.

                    Making the smallest practical vehicle cool will be difficult. I think bicycles are actually one of the easier for it because it’s the only practical form of transportation that actively makes you more attractive. But it’ll generally need to involve more appeals to fun and coolness than being a nag or appealing to practicality.

                  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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                    23 days ago

                    I agree that advertising did that for trucks, but race cars are loud and fast and terrible on the road and people will still think they’re cool because they’re loud and fast and agile. The loudness is because muffling the exhaust reduces horsepower, the lack of ground clearance is for handling. These are physics problems and people who want to go fast with internal combustion will always trend that way.

                    Plus if Lamborghini or Ferrari or Porsche could sell a fancy car without some insanely complex engine and suspension for the same amount of money they’d absolutely do it. Often those cars are built because there are rules in motorsport that require a certain number of production cars that often end up costing the company money.

                    And there will always be people who modify their cars for whatever reason. No car company in the world makes a car with an adjustable suspension that can make the car so low it scrapes the road, but people do it anyway.

                    But, like I said, car companies are doing a great job of making cars uncool by just making them electric, and then spitting out crossover after crossover after crossover that aren’t just ugly, but are also uninspiring. Cars are turning into appliances like microwaves and dishwashers, which are very much not cool.

                  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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                    22 days ago

                    They put a great big resonator in the exhaust of a four cylinder car, generally a Honda Civic. They think it makes them sound cool but it really doesn’t.

                    Sometimes they’ll even remove the catalytic convertor for extra fart sound.

      • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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        23 days ago

        At least performance mods can improve efficiency, with the focus of getting more power from the motor to the pavement. If they are actual performance mods (as opposed to just making exhaust louder or adding a rear spoiler on a front wheel drive car), with exceptions of ones that do that by increasing fuel use.

        Though even with that one, driving style can matter. Anecdotal, but my car has a sports mode and an eco mode, as well as a fuel use indicator. I found that using sports mode and then having a range of speed I’d drive at (accelerate hard to top speed of the range, then reduce power so that it slows to the low end then accelerating again) was the most efficient way to drive it. If I tried the same in eco mode, the reduced power meant I spent more time doing the acceleration, and either of those was more fuel efficient than just maintaining one speed. Though it was a frustrating way to drive (both for me and I’m sure for anyone who ended up behind me). You couldn’t go on auto pilot doing it that way and had to pay constant attention to your speed.

        It’s kinda like the race to idle strategy for CPU/GPU efficiency. Use lots of power when it’s needed so that it can go back to using much less power.

        • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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          23 days ago

          Yeah, I don’t mind mods that make things better for daily use. I also don’t mind big performance mods, or truck get bigger mods. There is a caveat though, please put the mods to use. If you spend 10k turning your car into a racing/performance car, and you take it to the track, good for you for having a hobby, and skill. Need a big fucking truck to hall around your construction site worth of tools, and materials? Awesome, you have what you need. Modify it for off road use? If you go off road, even just for fun, sure, fine. If you need it because you work in remote locations, or something, wonderful, you have what you need.

          Having these loud, intrusive, difficult, gas hog, emission machines, and all you do is daily drive it, and show off? Well, I will look down on that behavior.

          • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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            23 days ago

            Can we say the same about motorcycles? I feel like leftists give a pass to motorcycles because of efficiency, but they’re always the loudest vehicles on the road, one fucking boomer around me loves cruising the neighborhood blaring his ambiguously gay 80s hairband music louder than I can even get either of my vehicles.

            • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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              22 days ago

              I absolutely feel that way about motorcycles. You love your motorcycle? Hell yeah, but if you’re driving past and I have to stop talking because you’re drowning my conversation out I think you’re an asshole. Honestly, I don’t even get why people think super loud motorcycles are cool. Motorcycles definitely can be cool, but obnoxiousness removes all coolness

              Hell, I’m generally sympathetic to loudness, I’m hard of hearing and can struggle with volume control and need things louder than some people like, but there’s a line.

              • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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                22 days ago

                Yeah, the line is causing hearing loss apparently lol. But yeah there’s no way those guys don’t have hearing loss on those things. And I swear to God, if I ever catch someone wearing earplugs on a loud motorcycle? Hoooo boy! Someone’s gonna wish they WERE back in 'nam!

        • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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          23 days ago

          A spoiler on a fwd car is not always for downforce. Yeah a giant wing on a fwd car puts more weight (both from the weight of the spoiler, and from the down force acted on it) on the back, and less on the front, reducing grip. However a lot of spoilers just make the car a little more slippery through the air, giving a passive, mild efficiency bonus.

      • Socialist Mormon Satanist@lemmy.world
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        16 days ago

        peoople who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck.

        Yep! This past weekend, my girlfriend and I were waiting to be seated at Texas Roadhouse, and we saw something interesting.

        Some young guy pulled in with his tricked-out, shiny truck, meeting friends who were all decked out in cowboy hats, boots, and big belt buckles—total urban cowboy vibes.

        They were laughing and showing off around his truck, talking about the truck, being impressed. But then something odd happened: they took off their cowboy hats, swapped their boots for tennis shoes, untucked their shirts, and walked over to the Kohl’s next door!!

        I was like, what the fuck did I just see? They switched personas from country to urban real quick—they def cared a lot about how they were perceived.

      • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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        23 days ago

        Y’all can’t fathom using the vehicle or having fun.

        with the trucks on the market at this point, the actual “use case” functionality comprises maybe 10% of the reason people buy them. the rest is pearemoved feathers sticking out your ass

        and the “you can’t fathom having fun” bit LOL – classic “you just don’t get it” defense of anything dumb. and the fact that there’s always always someone who has to chime in and come to the defense of stupidly large obnoxious emotional support trucks just proves the point: “y’all” can’t handle anyone not thinking you’re cool because your goofy ass truck

        • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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          23 days ago

          Oh we’re just inventing numbers now? I’d say 98.72 % of raptor owners use them as intended 62% of the time!

          Now go hit up Google and link me a secondary source leading back to a 2018 study done by a trade group (axios) that you didn’t have access too.

          • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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            23 days ago

            LOLOLOLOL

            https://www.axios.com/2023/01/23/pickup-trucks-f150-size-weight-safety

            Instead, experts say, much of the big pickup mania is being driven by consumers’ self-image. “Today, personality and imagery are playing an even more important role in how consumers choose which truck is right for them,” Strategic Vision researcher Alexander Edwards told Axios.
            The firm surveys owners each year about the character traits they associate with their vehicle. Two words set F-150 owners apart: “powerful” and “rugged.”

            dude, the trucks are just stupid security blankets. which would be fine if they weren’t such a nuisance, a danger to others on the road, and didn’t take up 4 parking spots. congrats, you are doing the exact opposite of making a case for buying one of these ridiculous bullshits

              • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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                23 days ago

                LOL you’re literally demonstrating my point with every comment you make. it would be adorable if it weren’t so sad. best advice i can give you is stop being SOOOOO concerned about what the entire world thinks about your own perceived lack of manliness

                • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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                  23 days ago

                  It’s amazing how folks get off topic and start personal attacks when you point out they are making things up.

                  Been a year and not a single one of you have been able to actually pull the data on trucks y’all love to removed about.

                  It’s cult/GOP like.

                  • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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                    23 days ago

                    “giant land-blimp trucks are cool because you can’t find a quantitative study that says they aren’t !!!”

                    good job champ. keep up the good work standing up for those poor sensitive unmanly truck drivers

                    i’m honestly glad you’re here. thanks for the entertainment

      • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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        23 days ago

        Hi, I use a truck daily for work.

        If I could trade in my current truck for something more economical, with similar cargo space for the things I actually use it for, I’d take it. Can’t afford a new vehicle, but if I could trade my truck in for one of those stubby EU type trucks, whose beds are almost the same size, I’d do it.

        I used to love bombing around the winding roads in the middle of winter at night, you can see people coming for a mile down the road and can go fast. It was fun. I don’t need a big 2,000lb monstrosity to get the same feeling. An ebike and woods will do it.

        • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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          23 days ago

          Lmfao at “2,000 lb monstrosity” sir, my Miata weighs 2339 lbs. 2k lbs is featherweight. Pray I never get hit by a cyber truck.

        • lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          23 days ago

          You should look at importing a kei truck from Japan. They’re tiny little things but the bed is still about the same size as an American pickup. They’re cheap too, including any extra import fees, still less than a truck here, I think like $10,000 total. And if you like working on cars, it seems like it’d be fun to convert to an EV.

      • Grappling7155@lemmy.ca
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        23 days ago

        Ah yes, so much fun to be had on the daily commute, stuck with everyone else from your sleepy suburb on a congested highway moving at glacial speeds because there’s no other option to safely and effectively get around for the people who don’t want to be there and can’t get out of your way.

        Sure, you can take that thing out on weekends on country roads, mudding, camping, hauling ATVs to your favourite trails, building you or your buddy’s cottage, whatever you dream - but that still leaves 5 days of the week in traffic hell if you work in a city. Do you really want your neighbours to be left with no options to get out of your way so you can enjoy driving more on those days?

        • Excrubulent@slrpnk.net
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          23 days ago

          Most of these oversized trucks you wouldn’t really want to take offroad. They’re built to exploit a tax loophole, not to actually be good trucks. Because they’re generally pavement princesses anyway the makers know they can skimp on the parts that make good offroaders, like suspension and transmission. The people who know anything about offroad wouldn’t look at them twice anyway, so it’s not where their market is.

          Being giant and heavy is actually pretty bad for offroad performance, which is why people will cope by talking about “towing capacity” instead, where weight is an advantage, although most of these trucks don’t get used that way. If you want good offroad performance something like a Jeep is a way better investment.

          Whistlin’ Diesel is pretty good at beating on these trucks and showing how weak they are. Although one time he tried to kill an older model Hilux and it was hilarious to see the dangerous lengths he went to try and fail to break anything on that truck.

          Some trucks are made to do work, and it’s not these giant hunks of overpriced garbage.

        • IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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          23 days ago

          Wat?

          What does that even mean?

          “Do you really want your neighbors to be left with no options to get out of your way”

          Jesus 🤦‍♂️

          • grue@lemmy.world
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            23 days ago

            LOL, your inability to comprehend is your problem, not his.

            The point is that making transportation alternatives available to the people who don’t like driving leaves more room on the roads for the people who do.

      • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
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        23 days ago

        The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Every single time anyone posts something vaguely critical of these emotional support vehicles, we always get someone with a bruised ego in here trying to fight the entire community over it. Which is hilarious because it kinda just proves the whole point. If it’s not about image then why are people so sensitive about it?

        There really isn’t any other explanation for why these monster trucks have become so popular than vanity. Larger trucks with higher, smaller beds have become the norm, and they’re actually less useful for the things you might need a pickup for. And there’s similarly no reason to think that Americans have suddenly discovered a huge need for pickups that didn’t exist 50 years ago. Yet their prevalence on the road has increased dramatically.

        It’s just another fashion accessory. But unlike the fedora, it’s a deadly one, and so of course we will criticize you. Don’t like it? Easy solution: stop choosing fashion accessories that kill people. There are plenty of other ways to cosplay wealth or rugged individualism.

    • AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space
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      23 days ago

      They’re probably not thinking about it as such, but rather it’s an atavistic dominance display, like a gorilla beating its chest, coming directly from the hindbrain.