Title text:
‘They really shouldn’t let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I’m going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.’
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3167/
Just a few thousand truck flipping cars on the road might be a good start
What’s the Lancia logo doing on there?
I don’t know where that’s from, but it kinda has Lancia Stratos concept vibes to me.
Idk I just hot linked some random image on the internet
Mad Max time is coming!
This could be solved so many different ways.
The most obvious is getting read of the stupid CAFE regulations and Chicken tax that basically incentivise the fuck out of making these monstrosities.
The others are less likely to be done in a country like the USA with its 2 party system where the options are conservatism and fascist conservatism.
Im sick and tired of this bullshit claim that we can only choose beyween conservatism and fascism. This completely overlooks the Christian fascist theocratic option that is also available to those who really love “freedom”.
The number of massive trucks I see without a speck of dirt in the bed that are used mainly for commuting and groceries is pathetic.
So much this. I can somewhat forgive a stupid sized truck if it was used for work or some kind of off roading.
If I could have a Fully electric mid 90s chevy S10 style pickup with modern safety features and no surveillance I would be sooooo happy. But no, if I want a truck I can buy old as fuck or get a wanktank. Closest option to what I want in the US currently is a Ford Maverick (which is literally just a rebadged explorer sport trac for the modern age) but that would mean supporting Ford, and like, fuck Ford.
Same, I recently looked for vehicles and this was an option we desperately wanted. We have a great ev now that’s tiny and efficient, but a small truck would have been great
You’re basically asking for what slate promises to be.
Also, you totally didn’t say it, but I feel like whining about it so: A lot of people think that the infotainment in cars could be stripped out to lower the price, but a big touch screen is actually very cheap and it might even be more expensive to have a bunch of bespoke buttons per model, so really, the idea of a gutted out vehicle wouldn’t save any money. The only actual money savers would be in areas like the suspension, build quality, engine size, that sort of thing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, is Slate not Amazon backed? No judgement either way, I just know that rubs some lemmings the wrong way
You don’t need software developers for a button
You need someone to figure out how to get the car to interpret that button press. Whether it’s an electrical engineer or a dev doesn’t make too much difference to the argument.
the software route actually makes a bit more sense at scale, as you can abstract all the same functions into the car’s computer regardless of what human interface device is activating that function.
What’s crazy (and sucks) is they DID have an EV S10 from the mid 90’s (hence why it sucks: it’s exactly what you want, but they killed it)
Of course it doesn’t have the modern safety features, but I bet you could still find one if you’re determined enough! Although it’s possible you already knew this 😉
Interesting to read that and see how far we’ve come with EVs and charging.
I had no idea, I’ll have a to keep an eye out for those 👀
I think Toyota just teased an EV Hilux
Someone pointed out the shape is very Tacoma-esque, so maybe an EV Toyota quarter ton is on the way
It’s become a wealth/status symbol for people who don’t like the more traditional bougie shit. Lets them still delude themselves into thinking they’re salt of the earth types.
I can afford for 2/3 of my vehicle to be functionally useless! Dohohohoho!
t’s become a wealth/status symbol for people who don’t like the more traditional bougie shit
It’s because they are actual luxury vehicles. Get inside one of the new ones, and it’s basically what you would imagine a lexus or lincoln would be like. All the fanciness, all the nifty little features… Finding one that is actually made to ‘work’ is hard.
Lucky! I’d love to live somewhere where that was a SMALL number
INTRODUCING…GRAVE DIGGER!!!
Oh he’s about to flip over.
You’ve fallen for one of the classic blunders!
i like fire truck and monster truck. walter
Fucking with a coworker back in the day who drove a monster SUV with zero need. I don’t noramlly make judgement on that but I knew the family well. Her husband had a nice truck and their one kid was adult and moved out.
“I drive it because it’s safer.”
“So you’re happy to kill someone in a tiny car like mine, as long as you’re OK?”
<stares motherfuckerly>
“Aren’t you Christian? What do you figure Jesus would say about that?”
“Get out of my office Shalafi.”
🤷🏻
It bugs me when people refuse to acknowledge they’re being a selfish prick. At least have the strength of character to look someone in the eye and say “Yes, I’d rather you die than me”. Fucking cowards.
Old joke, but Jesus drove a Honda sedan.
He and his disciples were together in one Accord.
Maybe he doesn’t mention it cause it’s all dinged up since he’s shit at parking. Thinking you’re a god means fuck off fuck off in parallel
John 10:18:
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father”.
He didnt just drive it, he raced it, using NOS given to him by god!
It isn’t safer if all of the other drivers are also in massive suvs.
There’s also humans in the world. Not just drivers.
Just gonna keep on posting this
I’ve driven a Volvo L120H. It had. A pretty great visibility forward, better than my own car (Peugeot 108) lol. But that’s due to sitting so high up and only when I took the front loader off. Backwards it had a camera, which I was so jelly of when backing
“Your honor, I got the M1 because it was safer than an F150 in my neighborhood with lots of small children.”
I should get an M1 Abrams and write off as a business expense
I remember hearing years ago how the M1 Abrams was a battlefield domination machine that could only be killed by another M1. That was clearly propaganda. Those overweight, overpriced pieces of shit got lit the fuck up after being shipped to Ukraine.
Russian invasion of ukraine has been the only war in quite a long time where a major power has been fighting against a major power. most other conflicts in many decades have been asymmetrical warfare/symmetrical warfare between outdated militaries. Ukraine has shown that drones are the new thing in warfare, they provide excellent intel, cheap short range pinpoint accurate light artillery. unmatched spotting for heavier artillery and with a bit more expense long range strategic strikes are also possible. With drone warfare MBTs seem to be mostly just the juiciest of targets.
Where previously M1 could be resistant to most attacks, now with drone spotting a direct hit with guided shells can score a direct hit of 155mm shell on top armour of tanks.
It would probably be quieter than any of the diesel pickup trucks on the road too!
A 0.2m tall 3 year old??nope, reading comprehension, that’s distance
Don’t forget your bullet proof windows, solid steel armor and spikes:
Is this in Houston? I’m pretty sure that’s the only place I’ve seen rims like that.
Yup
Slab culture keeps rolling.
I can’t even imagine howuch shit I could buy to keep my family safe with the money used to buy and pimp that cyber truck…
Like a house
Or moving to a different area
I’m not even against large vehicles as there are legit use cases for them. I just think they should cost more, be taxed more, and be forbidden to park in certain areas.
I just think they should cost more, be taxed more, and be forbidden to park in certain areas.
This won’t help with rich assholes who want to drive around an F-950 or whatever, but will make groceries more expensive.
What really needs to happen is to mandate a special license to drive anything over like 2500 kg, and only be able to register it to a business with a valid use-case. To get a “small car” license (B-type), you have to pass an easy theory exam and drive around a tiny sedan around a city for 30 minutes (at least in europe). Trucks have different driving characteristics and are way more dangerous, so the driving tests should be way more difficult too.
Also, maybe this?
Oh, also, ban private cars in cities. Like, completely. Cars are so dangerous that their amount in populated areas needs to be kept to an absolute minimum.
They already cost more and considering they have worse gas mileage, they paying more taxes on fuel as well.
I agree with the parking though, back of the lot with ya.
in reality most (all?) states in the US don’t charge progressively more for vehicle registration based on weight, and even when they do, the thresholds are really high. So a F-150 weighing over 5000 lbs may pay the same as a Honda Civic weighing half of that.
Right but the comment you’re replying to is talking about sticker price and gas, not registration.
the original (my) comment mentions tax
Which they already pay, the sales tax would be higher and they’re paying more in gas taxes.
and yet, people keep buying these things to buy groceries and drive on asphalt, so just fuel inefficiency is clearly not enough
Yeah, but I’m with the OP here. It should cost significantly more tax wise than it does to disincentivize it
Texas used to, maybe still does. You made me try to look it up and couldn’t find a simple source. Plenty of states use MRSP or some measure of the vehicle’s value.
Back in the day (Tulsa, OK) my friend had a 2-ton dump truck with antique tags (over 25-yo), paid $20. Meanwhile, someone buying a super-light Corvette was paying $650. (early 90s money)
I say go on weight, maybe some factoring of value. Registration fees are paying for roads, if your monster vehicle is doing more damage, you pay more.
Registration fees are paying for roads,
Fuel taxes are paying for roads.
Registration fees are paying for roads,
Fuel taxes are paying for roads.
The F350 is the smallest vehicle where they charge by weight. Unfortunately they don’t check for how much you use it, so for the 6 times a year I use mine I’m paying $.10/mile - while someone else who uses it for hauling as a job is paying $.01/mile.
That’s your state. Just looked and registration fees and tags are all over the place.
True, but as a general rule until you get to the F350 class or higher states don’t charge that extra tax.
If they’re EVs they’re heavier, causing more road wear, and don’t pay gas taxes
Except in NJ where you get raked over the coals for your yearly car tax… errr… “registration”.
It’s the damnest thing; they seem to lose my vehicle registration every year but my marriage registration is good indefinitely.
Yep. And now we have little old ladies, who should’ve had their license yanked years ago, driving 4 ton trucks to get groceries.
While net even being able to see over the steering wheel.
C’mon! I’m in the South and never saw some shit like that. Spent 6-months loading cars at Lowe’s, not one elderly person in a monster truck. Old dude’s like me stick to “normal” pickups like my 2004 F150.
Make sure you get your teenager a massive suv to keep them safe too, nevermind that they are the highest risk drivers and that you’ve just armed them with something twice as likely to take the life of a pedestrian.
Reminds me of the lead up to WW1 where Germany and Britain were in a race to see who could crank out the biggest dreadnaughts.
“We’re also going to make cars uglier as they get bigger too. Can’t have style, that might distract other drivers”
This is how Mad Max was made.
Clearly we need to start actively destroying larger vehicles to address this problem.
