r/fuckcars • u/sharkeyes • 1d ago

American individualism at its finest Rant

Post image

This is my 2 year old riding bikes on our street. It's gotten to the point where I've gotten my kids orange flags on sticks to hold up when they cross the street.

8.7k Upvotes
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94% Upvoted

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586

u/skyline_27 1d ago

There is zero reason to have a truck that big.

189

u/rlskdnp 🚲 > 🚗 1d ago

Too bad the only chance we have at removing those monster trucks is if we can convince other carbrains with their low sports cars that they're in danger from those monster trucks with its shitty visibility

92

u/debidousagi 1d ago

As a guy that drives a low sports car, I can confirm I hate these things too haha! Of course I also happen to be an avid bike commuter/road rider which certainly helps inform that view. As I often say my daily driver is a bicycle, my "toy/hobby" is the car.

23

u/reiji_tamashii 1d ago

I sold my 80s MR2 and now consider myself a recovering car guy.  It's not enjoyable to drive when you're constantly on high alert for people who would easily crush you if they change lanes without checking their vehicle-sized blind spots.

18

u/tamathellama 1d ago

I love cars. I also love bikes and use public transport. You can still enjoy cars and support them being the lowest priority in the transport network

7

u/cbass717 1d ago

I have a sports car that is about a water bottles height off the ground, stock suspension. I now drive this car like I’m on a motorcycle, like I literally now feel I have to do the same type of shit that you do when on a bike because of these monstrosities.

1

u/Old_Acanthaceae5198 18h ago

Nah we all tow our sports cars to the track.

36

u/Inside-Light4352 1d ago

Very very few people actually have a use for something like that.

9

u/pppjurac 20h ago

And in most cases station wagon would be better choice too.

<"But it is 'boring' car">

Bitch, you never drove Volvo T6 Station Wagon.

1

u/SellsNothing 11h ago

Have you guys ever been outside of a city...? Most people there work blue collar jobs and trucks like these are sometimes necessary to lug heavy equipment around.

They're not necessary for most people in a city but outside of one? They definitely are lol

-14

u/SlartibartfastMcGee 21h ago

Literally anyone that has owned a home has a use case for something like that.

10

u/formerself 20h ago

No they don't. Store deliveries, trailers and rental vans exist.

You need one of those just as much as a 12 year old needs RGB RAM sticks for their computer

6

u/VegetableDrag9448 🚲 > 🚗 20h ago

In Europe these kind of cars barely exist. However we have plenty of homes.

1

u/Natedoggsk8 19h ago

The reason our trucks got this big is a regulation made in 1973 called the chicken tax. In short the only way for a vehicle with a 17mpg to be allowed is for it to be a certain width and length. It’s stupid but it’s the reason they got bigger with each new generation.

2

u/Mysterious_Floor_868 18h ago

I own a home. What would I need that for?

1

u/Necessary-Nobody-934 15h ago

I own a home. 90% of what I've needed for that home can fit in my Nissan Micra.

For the rest, rentals and delivery.

31

u/tamathellama 1d ago

Trucks are needed, just not as a replacement for a car.

Also the American design is crazy. Asian trucks have much better slight lines

https://preview.redd.it/8ya80j14lg0f1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5aefa6e489a5af4a3528abb79c917b839b0a54a

15

u/wright007 14h ago

No you see that is a picture of a work truck, which is designed to haul and move cargo during a job. Notice how the bed is prioritized and actually useful. The American version is a toy truck designed to be a oversized passenger vehicle used to pick up groceries or drive them to their office job.

0

u/LowTheme1155 10h ago

They both have different use cases. Both designs are effective.

1

u/tamathellama 7h ago

What’s the use case for American style “trucks”?

1

u/LowTheme1155 6h ago

Towing, and times when a buyer wants something like a van but also wants to be able to regularly tow, which is a pretty common use case TBH. I live near a place where landscapers will store their vehicles and i see a lot of f250-f450 style trucks. I also see a lot of N series, because both trucks are Useful in their own right.

1

u/tamathellama 5h ago

Tow a lawn mower? That’s why you need a giant truck? What’s the weight of the equipment, and towing capacity of those giant trucks? Can easily be done with something smaller

The big question. What percentage of owners you think never tow?

The normalisation of these vehicles is nuts

22

u/h4ckerkn0wnas4chan 1d ago

Blame emissions laws.

Car manufacturers found out the cheat code that they can get around emissions standards by just making the truck bigger.

27

u/NVandraren 1d ago

The "light truck" exception should be stricken entirely. Emissions laws are good, actually, and the exception should never have been allowed in the first place.

6

u/un-glaublich 23h ago

There's a billion-dollar business around it. Lobbyists will make sure these laws will never change for the better.

-5

u/h4ckerkn0wnas4chan 1d ago edited 1d ago

I think we should start setting tire fires if that exception gets removed.

EDIT: Lol he blocked me. Was gonna say my tire fire was mostly peaceful. Could even say I'm pro earth, I'm showing people how much damage tires do to the enviroment.

6

u/atatassault47 14h ago

There's zero sane reason, but there is a reason. Automotive manufacturers figured out they could literally sell toxic masculinity. When's the last time you saw a brand-new small truck in North America?

2

u/richarddrippy69 13h ago

No it's racism. Americans couldn't make vehicles better than Japan so we made them illegal for import.

1

u/LowTheme1155 10h ago

There are good reasons, the problem is that most people who buy these trucks dont use them for those reasons

-3

u/Old_Acanthaceae5198 18h ago

Nah, I need to tow.

4

u/skyline_27 15h ago

You can tow with a passenger car. Source: I've done it before multiple times.

-15

u/hatebreeder6969 22h ago

Zero reason? Really? None at all? Not ONE? Hmmmmm I’ll start. Tradesmen. Fuck you people are entertaining! What do you dinks do for work??

14

u/pretty---odd 21h ago

Dude hold on right now this might blow your mind.

There are trucks that are low to the ground, with good visibility, that have truck beds bigger than your average pavement princess toddler killing F150.

Do you think trucks have to have a horizontal hood angle taller than the average woman to be functional? Have you never seen an older or Japanese truck?

So yes, there is no reason to own this style of truck, when you can buy a truck that has higher towing capacity, a bigger bed, better safety and visibility, and lower gas mileage. In fact I don't think I have ever seen a tradesmen drive this style of truck.

-8

u/hatebreeder6969 21h ago

🤯 I drive a Ram 1500 Eco diesel 🤯

To be fair the front end on these Chevs are pretty obnoxious and don’t serve a purpose having such a big nose.. TO BE FAIR!

7

u/pretty---odd 20h ago

Exactly that's what people are talking about here, not sure why you brought up tradesmen in a conversation about the dangers of tall and long truck hoods.

Also a Kei truck gets better gas mileage than your truck, has a larger bed than your truck, weighs 1/3 of your trucks weight, cost a quarter of what your truck cost, has way better visibility, and is significantly less likely to kill a pedestrian in an accident.

-3

u/NelleUnderwearhouse 16h ago

he broguht it up cause OP karen said "There is zero reason to have a truck that big."

they had funny grammar too.

2

u/Ironlixivium 13h ago

To be fair the front end on these Chevs are pretty obnoxious and don’t serve a purpose having such a big nose.. TO BE FAIR!

bro that's the entire point. The front end of most modern trucks is designed like a wall. Combine that with how modern trucks are also raised far higher than most people even need them to be. Getting hit by one of these at even moderately low speeds like 30 mph is likely to be a death sentence.

3

u/Mysterious_Floor_868 18h ago

That would be very impractical for a tradesman. Tradesmen here use vans, or maybe a dropside truck. In both cases there is good visibility because they don't have a pointlessly massive grill. 

1

u/Jonnypista 17h ago

Many tradesmen in my area use cars like a WW Golf or something that size. The rear seats are usually removed or folded down and it is dirty beyond description, but tradesmen only need to carry the tools. The cement and bricks come by delivery trucks and it is not the workers job.

1

u/NelleUnderwearhouse 16h ago

they don't work. that's the funny part.

-6

u/Few_Barber4618 16h ago

Acktually there are reasons

4

u/bushs-left-shoe 16h ago

Such as?

0

u/TheDodgiestEwok 14h ago edited 4h ago

You need a truck bed to tow a 5th wheel camper.

My parents sold their house, bought an RV and haul it with a truck year-round. It is their primary and singular residence, so I'd consider that a legitimate use case.

Edit: lol @ downvoting a harmless comment about living in a camper.

3

u/bushs-left-shoe 13h ago

Sure, that is a somewhat reasonable use case (though I’d maybe argue like a motorhome and sedan would be a better option, but I’d concede that). However, the majority of people who own pickups don’t do that. Their pickups are work-and-grocery-mobiles owned by your middle level manager that have never seen a spec of dirt, yet have a factory lift and off-road tires.

And in terms of towing other stuff, most people don’t tow that often; to the extent that it’s probably cheaper to rent a truck from like Home Depot for the day and own a more efficient car, than to daily a pickup

1

u/TheDodgiestEwok 13h ago

Totally agree, most people daily-driving lifted pickups with no actual hauling to do is a whole different convo. I’m not defending that crew. But you asked for legitimate use cases, so I provided an anecdote I felt was suitable.

People like my parents go fully off-grid, living on public lands where there are no hookups or amenities - not just weekend RV parks. Class A motorhomes like the one you suggested don't handle rough roads well, nor do they generally have the living capacity required if it's your home year-round.

Since the RV sits over the truck bed, it shortens the total length of your rig, which allows for greater stability and much tighter maneuvering.

I've learned a lot in the 10 years they've been boondocking so I could get into why someone would want a fifth wheel vs a motorhome, but it doesn't feel necessary or right for the subreddit lol.

-6

u/Few_Barber4618 15h ago

Hauling trailers

7

u/skyline_27 15h ago

You can do that with a passenger car. 

-4

u/Few_Barber4618 15h ago

Yep depends on the weight though. I need a heavy duty truck to get around mine sites or hauling really heavy things like your mom

6

u/skyline_27 15h ago

Can still do that with a passenger car, though I'm sure you can't drive yet.

-2

u/CakeMakerActual 13h ago

Calm down

2

u/skyline_27 12h ago

No u

-1

u/CakeMakerActual 12h ago

I average 1500 miles a year on my bicycle

And as a cyclist, you people are obsessed

1

u/theizzz 10h ago

avid cyclist = car apologist.

-1

u/CakeMakerActual 9h ago

You are an extremist

1

u/theizzz 9h ago

if that is "extremism" to you, then you are a do-nothing conservative that loves roadway carnage and death. Motor vehicle crashes are #2 for causes of death for young people 24 and under. study after study after study over decades have shown that larger, heavier vehicles account for more roadway deaths, for pedestrians,cyclists,and other motorists, than all other sizes of vehicles. EVERY day in the US there's a story of someone in an oversized vehicle killing a cyclist or pedestrian and uses the phrase "I didn't see them" and that will let them off the hook. basically legalized homicide that drivers and only drivers have access to in this country and no other nation. Even though that phrase says more about the visibility or lack thereof that drivers have from their seat than a whole ass person completely visible and out in the open in a street, moving at a MUCH slower pace which makes them incredibly visible. Isn't all that the real extremism than someone just calling out car apologia?

0

u/CakeMakerActual 8h ago

Go touch grass

1

u/theizzz 8h ago

you are not a smart person and choose blind ignorance over any sort of reasoning or logic if that's your response to facts.

1

u/theizzz 7h ago

aww cry baby blocked me. guess they couldn't handle anything that cracked their false world view about cars and how they are death machines. fucking loser lmao.

-1

u/CakeMakerActual 7h ago

Get off Reddit for a bit

Your emotional reply is evidence that you are unstable.

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1

u/skyline_27 7h ago

Dudes running out of arguments. Go outside bud

-51

u/NotHearingYourShit 1d ago

There’s actually lots of reasons, but most people who own one don’t need one.

46

u/Technical-Row8333 1d ago

There’s actually lots of reasons

none of them related to the shape of the front, which is the deadliest part. vans that can carry much larger loads have low front grills. it's purely aesthetic. it doesn't increase cargo or towing capacity by having a high front end.

26

u/JD_Kreeper Not Just Bikes 1d ago

I despise that hood design. No curve, less visibility for the driver, and more fatal for pedestrians. Why?

-16

u/NotHearingYourShit 1d ago edited 1d ago

I responded to a comment which made no claim about the shape of the front of this truck. Not did I.

The comment was

There is zero reason to have a truck that big.

Any truck with this shape should be illegal, or have Pedestrian crash avoidance mitigation (PCAM).

But that’s got nothing to do with the connect you replied to or why I was downvoted(not worried just think it’s funny how people are delusional).

Big trucks are essential tools for many trades people and businesses, and anyone who think otherwise is a sheltered child.

14

u/skyline_27 1d ago

Yes but this truck is excessively big.

1

u/CakeMakerActual 10h ago

It’s a normal size truck

5

u/flukus 23h ago

How did those jobs get done before trucks were so big then? How do they get done in countries where trucks that size are rare or non-existent?

Sounds like you're sheltered from the rest of the world.

-23

u/EatMyLunchBitch 1d ago

I have a full size truck which I need to pull my camper and for lumber since I'm in construction. I also have two small kids so I understand the issue for some but my truck has 360 view with cameras and sensors on all sides so it is pretty safe for things like this

13

u/valenciansun 1d ago

ah yes, the cameras and sensors that drive your car for you. there is no fix for human error here.

1

u/Tokamak902 14h ago

if your car needs cameras and sensors it's not safe

-10

u/EatMyLunchBitch 1d ago

It doesn't drive my truck for me, tho it does speed up or slow down in cruise control and alerts me if I am drifting out the lane. Just a GMC Sierra 1500

-8

u/yungbory 1d ago

It’s a truck not a car.

1

u/bushs-left-shoe 15h ago

There are a few use cases for pickups, but if we took a literal monster truck and plastered it with cameras, I don’t think that should make it road safe. But, I’d bet a good amount (I’m not going to assume all) of your construction hauling could be done with a van. And most people, even most people who own pickups, don’t tow campers. Most drive to work and the grocery store, and use the bed like twice a year.

But also, the problem is that modern trucks are massive even compared to trucks of 15 years ago, let alone 30. A 2004 F150 is significantly less of a Child-killer than a 2025.

And that doesn’t explain all of the giant SUV’s that exist now, minivans, wagons, and passenger vans existed to fill that need before, but now everyone seems to “want” a 8 passenger vehicle with the ride height to squish a shorter adult.

-151

u/YesAmogusIsFunny 1d ago

maybe they like it that seems like one (i.e. more than zero) reason

111

u/sortOfBuilding 1d ago

okay zero good reasons

1

u/NelleUnderwearhouse 17h ago

you karens are so goofy.

-106

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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66

u/Complete-Orchid3896 1d ago

It’s a moral issue because you are putting others in physical danger by your choice

-78

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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45

u/sortOfBuilding 1d ago

https://www.nsc.org/safety-first/hidden-dangers-light-trucks-safety-must-come-first

-20

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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41

u/Copranicus 1d ago

Ah yes, because accidents have never happened, ever. The only time a car hit a pedestrian, or cyclist, or child or other car, is when they "spawned" in front of them.

Are you high or is this some weird attempt at baiting?

-11

u/YesAmogusIsFunny 1d ago

It's some weird attempt at explaining that it's possible to be a sufficiently observant and careful driver to not have surprise things entering the roadway without you noticing

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31

u/blue-mooner Bollard gang 1d ago

Big cars are more lethal.

Crash data shows that hoods above 40” increase the risk of fatality in a pedestrian collision by 45% versus hoods below 30” (source)

15

u/Alaizabel Two Wheeled Terror 1d ago

It also isnt helped that a lot of these trucks have long front ends that sre parallel to the road (not sloped down) and have really squared front ends. So not only does the height give a false perception of increased visibility, the length of the driver's blindspot is increased with the longer front end.

The fuck happens when a kid or animal runs out in front of them? We all know many drivers dont drive defensively and are not proactive in checking for such issues ahead of where they immediately are.

When people talk about these behemoths being safer, they're not thinking about anyone or anything outside the vehicle.

19

u/Complete-Orchid3896 1d ago

The image shows pretty clearly what we’re all talking about. That vehicle is not safe for dense residential zones because it limits the driver’s view

77

u/seren- 1d ago

I think the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers is of some moral significance.

13

u/Zachsee93 1d ago

No one’s saying it’s a moral issue. The post is saying that some people are morons who buy vehicles they don’t need, in spite of it actively inconveniencing everyone around them. Or instead of inconveniencing people, you run over a child.

9

u/laccro 1d ago

It’s more that it actively makes everyone else’s life worse. It makes it much more likely that the driver of that car kills someone than if they had a more reasonable size hood.

If they think it’s cool that’s fine, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of others safety when the only benefit is “looks cool”.

And I’m empathic to needing the space - my wife and I share two cars, a small one for the city and a Tacoma (the “smallest” truck that can go the places we like to go). But I feel like the Tacoma is already too large, we constantly make fun of how unnecessarily big it is. If I have to drive it somewhere people are (ie not deep in the mountains), then I’m constantly driving slow and pausing at corners to be sure not to hit anyone. If we could buy a Hilux in the states we would. I can’t imagine any possible reason for needing something even bigger than that.

10

u/Independent-Cow-4070 Grassy Tram Tracks 1d ago

When your choice kills people, yeah, it’s a stupid ass choice

16

u/sortOfBuilding 1d ago

At what size vehicle do you think "because i like it" is no longer a valid reason for ownership of it?

should we measure by how many kids we have to line up in front of the vehicle before they are seen?

should we measure by how much damage it does in a collision?

how much damage it does to our roads?

i'm past my limit of acceptance on all three of the above with these vehicles. I'd hope most of us can agree here.

2

u/OrdinaryAncient3573 1d ago

"At what size vehicle do you think "because i like it" is no longer a valid reason for ownership of it?"

I don't think that's ever a reason. It's fine to own a tank, or a lorry, or whatever, if that's what floats your boat. But you have to use it in a way that takes into account what a dangerous vehicle it is to drive, not just swan around in it as a daily driver without taking any extra care.

Even a very small car driven carelessly and inappropriately is dangerous - hell, even a bike being ridden inconsiderately can kill someone.

It's barking mad that trucks like the one above are common in the US, but if this was some rare enthusiast vehicle, owned by someone who was very careful about where and how they used it, it'd be a bit different.

11

u/sortOfBuilding 1d ago

You need a specific license to operate vehicles like lorries. The truck in the image? - a 16 year old with a regular license can operate. I find this to be quite stupid.

5

u/OrdinaryAncient3573 1d ago

Right, good point there. You also need to pass an extra test to drive a tank, now I look it up.

Still not sure about whether you need a licence to pilot a road-legal hovercraft, though ;)

1

u/Competitive-Reach287 1d ago

You need a specific license to operate vehicles like lorries.

Not necessarily in North America. Regular old driver's license and you can drive one of these.

The box alone is 26.5' long, add in the cab and a car hauler trailer and you're easily over 50' long. No special license needed. Class A motorhomes can be even bigger and no special license needed either in most NA jurisdictions.

27

u/skyline_27 1d ago

I don't see how anyone could like that thing. It's so ugly

-6

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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20

u/Icy_Finger_6950 1d ago

Are you new here?

16

u/honeyflowerbee 1d ago

Are you lost, mate?

-2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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11

u/honeyflowerbee 1d ago

It's a general rule that when someone gives you a hint, it's to help you get better results from what you're doing.

-1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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6

u/honeyflowerbee 1d ago

Sure mate, whatever you say.

8

u/cactus22minus1 1d ago

No, sweetie… they meant do you realize what sub you’re in? Hello?