A Dodge Ram 1500 is bigger than a Panzer I tank and campaigners say heavy trucks are ‘lethal’ in collisions
  • Optional@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    4 hours ago

    Reminds me of America in the 80s when for a brief time the Jeep Cherokee or Ford Bronco were cool sort-of-rare vehicles. A few years later it was obvious it had become a trend and was A Very Bad Thing and I couldn’t wait for it to die out.

    Still waiting.

  • where_am_i@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    111·
    6 hours ago

    Lemmy, open the article. It’s 6k vehicles per year in a continent of half a billion people.

    It’s on the rise, as in before it was nobody, and now 0.1% of the farmers bought one. And a 100 lunatics.

    It’s still illegal to drive and park in most places due to size, so as a pesky city dweller, I probably still won’t get to see any.

    • daddy32@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      23 minutes ago

      They are already somewhat regulated: In europe, they are considered trucks, not personal cars, so you can’t practically use them in the cities, park them on regular parking spots etc.

    • Lennny@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      7 hours ago

      With significantly fewer school shootings in Europe, kids need to learn fear from somewhere. Why not fear the yank tank?

  • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    1151·
    14 hours ago

    Those have to park somewhere and can’t do so legally due to size and permissible gross weight. I usually get out of my way to report incorrectly parked SUVs, BMWs, Audis and such (we have a nice app from an indie dev for that in Poland). I’ve been averaging a dozen or so towed or wheel locked cars per week based on responses from city guard. I’ll keep on doing this until those fuckers learn to stay away from our cities.

      • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        7·
        9 hours ago

        We have guys like that too, some even document their work on YouTube and gave me much courage and inspiration. You need to reach critical mass where people don’t park badly because other people don’t do it either.

      • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        20·
        12 hours ago

        Depends entirely on willingness to cooperate so it differs from place to place. My city guard will not fine driver unless they come and confirm offence in person but I’m sending so many reports that I have a fairly high success rate. I also asked nicely to respond to my emails with separate case numbers for each offence so that I can track them.

  • witty_username@feddit.nlEnglish
    651·
    13 hours ago

    Parking spaces in the Netherlands do not easily accommodate these child-killing machines. So, they often end up clumsily parked over multiple spaces or blocking sidewalks. I have taken to submitting complaints to my municipality every time I see this happen.
    It is not much but I am doing my little part. I did notice that one of these abominations has gone absent from my neighbourhood. I like to think my complaints have contributed to this

    • Caveman@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      9 hours ago

      They should fine them for not parking correctly. I’m also on the opinion that you should need an extra licence to drive something that big

    • Thorry84@feddit.nlEnglish
      23·
      11 hours ago

      Have you gotten any traction on this with the police or municipality?

      I’ve seen a lot of these huge American trucks parked like assholes and I’m seeing more and more custom lifted trucks. The other day I was riding my bicycle from work and saw this huge custom lifted thing. It was as wide as a bus and generally enormous. It was going 60kph in a 30 zone. Then proceeded to jump the kerb, drive across the bicycle path and park on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant. Four douchebags in suits stepped out.

      I was shocked and didn’t really know what to do. I thought about taking a picture, but was worried such characters could be organized crime. I thought about calling the police, but frankly I don’t think they would take it seriously. So I just went home bummed out about the state of the world.

      • witty_username@feddit.nlEnglish
        6·
        6 hours ago

        With the municipality I think I did. I use the relevant web portal to report the hindrances. I make sure to include photos.
        Never tried contacting the police directly

  • brewery@lemmy.worldEnglish
    411·
    15 hours ago

    Been seeing these more and more common in London, along with most people buying massive cars generally. I just don’t get it. They really struggle with the tight roads, parked cars, small lanes, car parks etc. Its embarrassing to watch frankly!

        • TheEmpireStrikesDak@thelemmy.clubEnglish
          17·
          13 hours ago

          Every time I walk through that car park, half the vehicles are those awful 4x4s. And I always think how nice it would be if all that tarmac was replaced with grass and wildflower beds and footpaths and cycle paths and bike stands and trees. But instead it’s just a rogue’s gallery of these monstrosities.

          I wish there was some sort of e-cargo bike taxi service or something so that the “but how will I carry my shopping home” crowd don’t have an excuse.

          • teft@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            7 hours ago

            I wish there was some sort of e-cargo bike taxi service or something so that the “but how will I carry my shopping home” crowd don’t have an excuse.

            Time to bring back tuktuks.

          • chingadera@lemmy.worldEnglish
            101·
            13 hours ago

            Unfortunately they won’t need one, it’s usually just a dick measuring contest on how absurd the vehicle is vs how much they paid for it. It’s more of an education/social problem, unfortunately.

    • Baggins@piefed.social
      20·
      14 hours ago

      Meet my sister in law. Hardly goes anywhere as she can’t park it. Doesn’t visit my wife anymore as she says out car park is too small. Even though workmen and delivery vans get in and out OK. She had a Peugeot 208 which she could park anywhere, but ‘upgraded’ to a 3008 to fit in with her posh friends. She’s retired. And lives in Hertford UK. Not known for it’s wide sweeping vistas. FFS.

  • BluesF@lemmy.worldEnglish
    291·
    15 hours ago

    There’s one of these pricks nearby my house. We have these tiny narrow roads and this prick is taking up 30% of it with their giant truck. Why? I have never seen them put anything in it. Right now the through road is blocked and you have to turn around awkwardly… Bet they regret that thing now.

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.worldEnglish
      244·
      15 hours ago

      Follow the lead of activists in Britain. Flatten the tires by pressing on the valve stem. No property damage to people that might have been out of options, and sends a clear message that large vehicles aren’t welcome

      • Destide@feddit.ukEnglish
        75·
        15 hours ago

        Pressing on the valve stem? Just put a lentil in one and replace or use a valve core tool to take the valve core out

          • mipadaitu@lemmy.worldEnglish
            21·
            10 hours ago

            It takes less time to remove a valve stem then it does to sit there and let the air out.

            Removing the valve stem is not permanent damage either as long as they don’t let the truck sit on a flat for a long time.

  • Technus@lemmy.zipEnglish
    201·
    16 hours ago

    So it’s not an uniquely American problem after all. Fuckers everywhere want bigger and bigger cars.

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.worldEnglish
      461·
      15 hours ago

      It’s not just people wanting bigger vehicles. It’s an intentional move by vehicle manufacturers to push light trucks, which have less strict safety and emissions standards, leading to higher profit margins.

  • gencha@lemm.eeEnglish
    412·
    12 hours ago

    While I am not necessarily a fan of needlessly large trucks, I can buy an actual commercial transport vehicle or an actual bus and nobody would give a shit. You can get a 12 seat bus, drive it around alone all day long and never come up in these discussions. Hell, buy an RV of any size and you’re off the hook.

    And then this “despite safety fears” bullshit. When in the history of man has a car buyer been thinking: Hmmm, I wonder if other people would be safe around me when I drive this vehicle? Nobody gives a shit.

    Car is about ME, not the people around me. This will never change. Making cars about YOU and your emotions is what their entire marketing is all about. You have to be incredibly naive to expect that it won’t work.

    • Skua@kbin.earth
      14·
      10 hours ago

      You can get a 12 seat bus, drive it around alone all day long and never come up in these discussions.

      I’m pretty sure it would come up if people started actually doing it en masse

      • gencha@lemm.eeEnglish
        35·
        10 hours ago

        Where I live, this is common and unnoticed. I see plenty of VW vans being driven by a mother on her way to the store after dropping off the kids at school. Maybe pickup trucks outrank those in other countries, but the mindset is all the same.

        I’m not trying to apologize for trucks, but we need to expand our view.

        • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldEnglish
          7·
          9 hours ago

          Right, because a minivan is a high-hood vanity “utility” vehicle purchased by affluent individuals who never regularly carry a bunch of kids in them, but just want the appearance of a cool suburban soccer mom.

          You’ve missed the point entirely.