this post was submitted on 01 Nov 2024
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Fuck Cars

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Honestly, it just feels like a matter of time before we're gonna see tractor sized vehicles around in cities and people are still gonna say they NEED them for groceries. Yet when I actually visited America and we went grocery shopping with a pickup the size of my room back home, I got the experience of having shopping bags on my lap in the passage seat for the first time ever. Like where else you gonna put it? The trunk? The back seats??? Oh you jokester! There's like legit no space inside these things.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

These absurd large cars (factory setuo tho, no lift kits here) have been increasing on our roads in the Netherlands.

I was told we pay some hefty taxes when importing these gas guzzling beasts from american origin.

But it seems when a company does the importing it doesn't count for some reason? These big built beasts with crawling tires the ones with treads running up the sidewalls cost a mere €50.000 when a regular old vw golf starts at €35.000.

And the fuckers are so tall you can't even reach the bed without a damn step.

We don't need those cars here because we can't fit them. I wish all these contractors would just get vans like normal contractors do, where you can lock your shit and fit loads more in an enclosed space.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago

It doesn't count for the same reason it doesn't in the US I bet. They count them as work vehicles so they're taxed and regulated differently. At least in your country a company has to buy them. Here anyone can just buy them and get the benefits.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago

But it seems when a company does the importing it doesn't count for some reason?

If lobbying is legal in your country then political representation is literally for sale which allows the rich buy to special privileges.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

The worst part is that vans are better work vehicles for 99% of applications.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I can't tell you how much happier I was to move to a neighborhood in the city where the grocery store was a 5 min walk away. I always see old ladies with a wheelie cart walking home from the store. And one day I said Fuck it I'm getting an old lady cart! And it's the best! I can comfortably buy more groceries and walk them home. Only time I ever need to bring the car is if we're buying cases of beer or something else large.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago

Walking to the groccery store is my weekly routine that gives me peace. Even if its completely miserable weather wise i always feel better after the walk. I tend to buy less junk too as I have to carry every ounce home, which also helps ensure I don't let food go off. I have a lot more respect for my food and my effort now that I walk to get my grocceries.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

6 minutes for us. A daily activity.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Ah, someone brought their emotional support truck for the bread and burger run

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago

If we filled that with groceries at these prices they'd bankrupt even Bezos lol

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

We're cosco guys, of course we killed a kid on the way here.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

Whoa whoa whoa, way too subtle.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Peak "big dumb truck" was the International Harvester XT in 2004. Truck sizing has thankfully shrunk to a more manageable size.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

...I honestly don't understand this meme. Where do you live that people are using huge vehicles to fit all their groceries? I guess I've seen it visiting a friend's family that lives out in the country. The "big" grocery store was an hour away, so they would get like several weeks of groceries at a time. Maybe I'm just not understanding the point of the meme.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As I understand it is that the 240t dumper obviously is not being used for groceries, because (supply side) no grocery shop or even wholesale gives out groceries in that scale and (demand side) no household needs as much haulage; simply put, current trucks are as ridiculous to everyday life as these dumper trucks are to standardised roads and shops.

Same gist, but more explicitly gendered: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZByvjgem6E

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Maybe I misunderstood the OP. I thought they were saying they were in a huge truck and the person they were with got so many groceries that it filled the truck bed and full-size cab and they even had to have groceries in their lap. I get they're trying to be critical of large vehicles, which I'm all for, but the way they went about it is so confusing that it pulled all my attention trying to figure out the bizarre context they were trying to manufacture in order to say big truck bad.

It seems like a tremendous amount of groceries would actually be the extremely rare case where having a truck might serve a purpose. You know... once.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The Americans I visited live in Indiana. Tho it's less about them actually buying a lot (about a week's worth), but rather that when talking about cars and how ridiculously huge their's is, they always say that they need it for hauling and groceries. Meanwhile the rest of the world doesn't experience this problem.

And on top of that you can't put anything into the trunk (or bed I suppose...) and the back seats are just barely spacious enough to fit a rifle case. So if you have around 6-8 bags of stuff, you're gonna put some into the passenger seat. It's especially funny, because even my mom's tiny 3rd gen Clio fits more inside. Picking me up from the airport with barely space for my luggage was another fun one. But they insist on buying these expensive awkward vehicles.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Ah, I see. Well, let me say this: seeing a grocery store parking lot filled with giganti-merican vehicles is always obnoxious.

But why couldn't you use the truck bed?? It's like the one time they could have actually put it to use! You'd think they'd be all about it. Like guys (and it's always guys) that carry a pocket knife and someone actually needs a knife for once. They practically cry they're so happy.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

There wasn't really a good way to secure things back there. At least not something small and squishy like a grocery bag. Besides, the bed is so high up and huge, it's awkward putting anything up there anyways. The one time we actually hauled something, a Gokart, it was a massive pain getting that thing up there. It's too high for a ramp so better get to lifting.

Just for fun I've quickly looked online, and there actually exist accessories that make the bed smaller with little boxes for such things. Just buy a roof and it's almost as convenient as a regular car xD

My favorite is this one tho, someone had enough brains to develop an actual trunk (if a bit awkward to reach and a bit small) but understood the need for a much larger bed for the fragile ego xD

[–] expr 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, the huge trucks and suburbans are pretty insane. I'm American and drive a small-ish SUV (2023 RAV4 Hybrid) and we fill the extra cargo space (and passenger seats) all the time. Groceries can do it (not all the time though), especially if making one of our (infrequent) runs to Costco to restock on stuff that's a lot cheaper/more useful to buy in bulk. The other day I used the cargo space to transport a large (6 ft/1.8m) folding table and 8 folding chairs for my son's birthday party. And speaking of kids: car seats, strollers, diaper bags, etc. need a fair bit of room.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Yesterday I drove behind a new generation RAV4 and was shocked at how big it was. I remembered them as smaller SUVs.

Looking at carsized.com the 2005 gen definitely looks lighter and sportier and smaller than the current 2019 fat slob.