this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2024
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Fuck Cars
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Requiring CDLs for these huge monstrosities would finally put pressure on automakers to return to more reasonable car bodies and it would make sure that people who have to drive big vehicles at least are qualified to do so. Traffic tickets should also scale with the size of the vehicle since a speeding Range Rover presents different risks to the public than a speeding Smart Car.
Real investment in walkable cities and suburbs is the harder solution but the better one. If you could walk your kid to preschool that eliminates a car trip. Walking exposes you to the elements, but walking speed doesn't amplify rain, cold, or heat like biking does. Zoning laws should allow a preschool, a grocery store, a pharmacy, a community space, and a hardware store to exist within easy walking distance for you. Bike paths should connect you to the next community. Miles of uninterrupted residential-only zoning is choking our planet.
Some people do “need” their pickups for recreation, but they’re almost all GHG emitters…towing boats, carrying ATVs/dirtbikes, etc. Campers are another thing, not so bad but I wouldn’t call those glampers anything close to camping.
But then these giant pickups become their daily drivers, and because of that they’re ubiquitous. And because of that, people who have absolutely no legitimate reason for driving a pickup truck or other huge vehicle, end up buying one to feel safe.
And in a way they are right. It’s insane how many people look at me like I’m trying to kill them for backing out of a space real slow. No, there is a giant iron fucking curtain that’s blocking my view of you and any other cross traffic. That’s why I turned on my backup lights and waited a few seconds before inching out. Not because I’m an idiot or I’m trying to kill you, but because I have absolutely no other option than to blindly back out of the space.