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I've observed this first-hand. All vehicles are getting taller, and it's a race to see who commands the highest elevation. The analogy is trees having evolved to become taller and taller, as a necessity of garnering better access to sunlight. The tallest trees have survival-advantage, being able to make the most chlorophyll.
Drive-up ATM screens are now physically higher, evidently with the assumptions that most drivers will be in trucks, vans or SUVs. Sitting in my Miata, I have to strain to reach the ATM buttons. Sometimes I have to exit the vehicle, walking up to the ATM instead. Parking-lot barriers are also rising. Often I can drive right under a closed barrier without scraping my roof.
The observations about sports-cars being useless in urban traffic are also true. Many sports cars aren't all that light or compact. But with a truly small car, it's possible to parallel-park where others would have no options, or to drive around stalled traffic by using the road's shoulder. I don't advocate illegal activity that takes advantage of having an especially maneuverable car, or annoying drivers sitting there helplessly in regular vehicles. But being small does offer advantages, as much as being large occasionally has advantages. Our society just tends to overemphasize the advantage of being large.
Whole lotta people got something to prove
Separately, in response to a note above which I am not quoting: many of us have more than enough money to waste all the fuel we want, yet choose not to. It's not always about the money. For some of us, it's almost never about the money.
KCMO, while your liberal topic might be of some value, did it ever occur to you maybe some folks do use their truck as a truck, just when you don't see them happens to be the time they're driving in the city with an unloaded bed?
Ever heard of the old saying "clean up your own backyard first"? KanASS ****ty Missery SUCKS! Try focusing your efforts on making the city better instead of worrying about what Bubba is driving.
I just don't get it. People buy these huge trucks and then use them to commute in etc. They seem like such as waste of vehicle. Sure, they are great for going to home depot a couple times a year or moving large furniture, but what about the other 360 days a year?
All people are doing is hauling around a giant cargo beds everywhere they go that is mostly empty, meanwhile, the usable part of the truck is just not very user friendly for normal day to day living (grocery shopping, commuting etc).
And you pay like twice as much in gas to haul around a cargo bed everywhere, take up two parking spots in urban areas etc.
I tried a truck once, bought a brand new Nissan Frontier extended cab. It was a nice truck, but completely worthless most of the time and traded it in after a year.
And the redneck trucks with all the big smokestacks and what not spewing black smoke???
If you are a contractor or something like that, I get having a big truck, but other than that, I just don't see why people like them.
A compact car can be fun to drive, have superb cornering, and park in one of the two spaces that the truck is hogging.
Guess I'm glad I don't see too many compact cars at Rural King, lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo
Can't argue too much with that. I guess it's the bed part that I was asking about. I have never owned a large pickup, so I don't know how much room they have, I'm sure when the vehicle is twice the size of a car, even if you don't use the bed, the inside is still huge.
And you don't have to buy a slow car...Trucks make a lot of noise, but they are rarely very fast.
I have a 1995 F-150 (inline 6) with over 300K miles, and I just had to replace a battery and brakes, other than that, runs like a top, quiet and plenty of room to haul everything I need to.
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Originally Posted by PDD
I love my Mustang but I really miss my F250 4X4 PS. I may have to get another.
Your just backwards from me, I used to have a Mustang, and now I have a truck, and occasionally I miss my pony.
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Originally Posted by Parsec
He meant there are men who work with heavy equipment for a living. Not sit in an office.
There are women that do the same thing too! Although I'm on withdrawal at the Hall, I'm still a Teamster in good standing.
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Originally Posted by everwinter
I'm conservative, but the US should tax the crap out of truck owners unless you can prove that you need one at least 2 to 3 times a month, or live a reasonable distance from a place where you can rent one, or need one for emergency reasons etc.
Wow, what a good little Communist you are.
We use our truck multiple times a DAY, between hubby using it for work, and me hauling stuff all the time; there is NO WAY we could replace it with a car, and why would I want to replace a STEEL vehicle with a new plastic one?!
Quote:
Originally Posted by oh-eve
What about fuel economy ($$$) and environment (killing our kids future aka our planet)?
Don't hate me ... just asking.
I get right around 22MPG in my truck, and since it is an older model, it's not been trashed into a landfill or junkyard wasting space, it was a gift from my Dad. I can fill up both tanks for around $125 and that will last on average a month, so not too bad IMO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oh-eve
Tiny women in SUV's might have alot of kids and strollers, kinda makes some sense to me. But how is a tiny women able to haul big items in her big RAM1500 if she can't even lift more than 10 lbs of stuff? It looks - to me - as a waste of truck (trying not to be judgmental).
I'm considered a "small woman" (under 5'4" and between 125-130 (at 19.4% body fat) pounds) and I can bales of hay or 50lb bags of compost all day long, and so can my "tiny" sister who is 100 lbs at 5 foot even.
I use my truck to haul garden supplies, trash, lumber, pet food and supplies, dead deer, turkey, goose, duck, rabbit, quail, etc... She uses her's for her job in the vet's office and to haul her 4 monster dogs, lol.
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Originally Posted by everwinter
I'm not sure what could change the mindset of those who think they need excess (truck, camper, horses, motorcycles, 4 wheelers, even land etc). Maybe we need more incentives to award intelligent buying choices perhaps? Maybe punishment for those who make dumb decisions & buy gas guzzlers like SUVs and trucks when they don't need them (& I doubt the majority do)?
What's wrong with buying land?!
If you own land, you can USE that land.
As far as my truck, it was a GIFT. Why would I willingly give up my FREE truck (which I use daily), for a car payment for a car that ISN'T practical for me? Not to mention the SKYROCKETING cost of insurance and registration/license/taxes!
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Originally Posted by phlinak
Thank you.
I totally get where you're coming from because I see it and ask myself the same thing everyday. All of that fuel and money being wasted to carry one or two people and a bed full of snow in the winter.
That bed full of snow in the winter helps stabilize the truck on the road, and levels out the weight ratio of the truck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phlinak
When you figure in the cost of fuel, maintenance, and insurance versus a car or even a smaller CUV or SUV, I think you'll find that "incredible" deal becomes a raw deal.
Not true.
My insurance is less than$47/month, and my yearly tags cost $26.50. Maintenance is cheap since I do it myself, and fuel averages $125 a month. Not to mention it's paid off, so no additional car payments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NickofDiamonds
A 6' X 8' trailer is really the way to go. You can leave it at home until you need it or you can rent one if you don't do a lot of hauling.
You can even pull it with a car.
Can't put horses on a 6x8, lol. Also can't get a lil car back to the deer stand to put the deer on the trailer.
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Originally Posted by h_curtis
You are correct. I had a friend from Germany in town and he asked, why are there so many empty pickup trucks driving around? I just said, it is a status symbol and really most aren't used at all. They are stupid for most all people. They don't handle well, don't brake well and really are horrible in most everything unless you need to haul something. Judging by the countless empty pickups all over the place, they aren't used much. Better off driving a good car for safety of yourself and others and renting a pickup if you need it. Way cheaper and way more intelligent. The German guy laughed and said, there aren't many real drivers in the US I guess. How could one drive such a thing all the time if they were a "driver". I just laughed with him as we cruised down the road in my Audi which is 100 times any pickup if you are a "driver".
Hun, I'm a driver thanks. I have my Teamsters card to prove it. If it's got wheels, I can drive it, I promise you that.
I learned how to drive on an old red belly tractor, and have driven everything from a combine to a semi truck, front loader, ditch witch, truck, cars, and motorcycles, and everything in between.
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Originally Posted by phlinak
It's called exercising my freedom of speech as guaranteed to every American by this wonderful document called the United States Constitution. You don't have to like what I say but you have to respect my right to say it. If you don't like it, then maybe you don't understand or respect what it truly means to be an American.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhotoProIP
Why? so you see a sea of cars?
I can justify having a truck (or a 4x4) in a mountainous/snowy area where it is harder to navigate otherwise; we live in Florida, flat lands no snow...that's why it is hard to justify aside from construction/landscaping/hauling type jobs.
Plenty of swamp land to go muddin in and hunt hogs and gators.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Perfect Stranger
Right, so you drive a huge, thirsty industrial vehicle with a huge uncovered bed you don't use and poor handling on the road just because you're afraid if you don't women are going to think you're not a real man?
My truck handles just fine, it does have that new fangled "power steering".
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiVegas
Maybe because some people value their money? You know, saving on gas, insurance, parking, registration and the car note?
I don't like to burn up my money just going about my daily business. I want a fuel efficient car.
See above, but a re cap, I have No payments, pay less than $30 a year for registration/taxes/license, spend less than $50/month or insurance, and about $125 month in gas. Not to mention in hubby's slow winter season, he's more than MADE his money back with the plow on the front.
It's good to have a truck when you can clear almost a grand in one night by using it.
Why is it people assume truck drivers waste money on fuel when used Hondas always have more miles on them than a used truck of the same age? I bought a 96 truck with 150,000 mile on it. Some Honda or Toyota Camrys in that age have 300,000 miles on them.
Nothing stopping anyone from having both. I have a large truck for doing work AND a fuel sipping EV/hybrid for the commute.
I think everyone gets why people have pickups for work. Obviously if you're a contractor or something you need a pickup.
The original question is why do people drive pickups if it isn't essential for work. In that respect, I agree with the original question.
Obviously people have a right to buy whatever car they want, but, to me (admittedly not a car guy), I would never spend extra money on a gas-guzzling, expensive, impractical car. I would only buy a pickup if it was essential to my employment, since I have better things to do with my money than burn it on gas and other truck-related expenses.
Obviously people have a right to buy whatever car they want, but, to me (admittedly not a car guy), I would never spend extra money on a gas-guzzling, expensive, impractical car. I would only buy a pickup if it was essential to my employment, since I have better things to do with my money than burn it on gas and other truck-related expenses.
And you obviously don't have any hobbies that would require a vehicle that can tow over 10k lbs. Got it. You don't need a truck.
Nothing stopping anyone from having both. I have a large truck for doing work AND a fuel sipping EV/hybrid for the commute.
Same here, although my car isn't all that fuel efficient by today's standards ('89 Caprice, 20-22 MPG). Still a lot better than my 1990 Dodge, though.
On top of that, I bought the Dodge 10 years ago for $800, and the Caprice was given to me by a family member in exchange for mowing her lawn last summer. Wo when you look at the big picture and consider purchase price + gas expense, I think I'm doing pretty good.
Of course, those with strong environmental leanings will want to call me out for driving such old, inefficient, polluting vehicles. But the truth of the matter is, the carbon footprint of me driving these old bombs for another 10 years won't even come close to that of building a new car.
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Although I'm on withdrawal at the Hall, I'm still a Teamster in good standing.
