5 ms·

I don't disagree, but there would be a political shitstorm if you tried to take away their trucks.

by istjohn 5y ago

systemvoltage 5y ago
Trucks are vehicles. How can they be political? I know plenty of people from all kinds of backgrounds owning a truck.
- benjohnson 5y ago
  The same reasons usually apply to large BMW and Mercedes SUVs. The correct people own those so they don't attract the same Attention.
  - epistasis 5y ago
    Up until this year I would have agreed with you, but grills this year have gotten completely out of control. The lack of visibility and the height of the impact zone has really changed on some trucks.
- ericbarrett 5y ago
  "Rolling coal" (modifying a diesel engine to run rich and increase soot in the exhaust, a.k.a. incompletely combusted fuel) has become a statement in many places of the U.S. that you are opposed to the EPA, clean air rules, regulation, and in general the perceived nanny state. My friend is a Tesla owner in Georgia and has been deliberately blasted by these guys at stoplights a few times. They tried, anyway—hard to do this to a car with superior acceleration and a HEPA cabin filter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_coal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_coal
  - salawat 5y ago
    I don't understand it myself. I'm fascinated by the energy extraction from a properly calibrated diesel engine. They get more efficient the more air you pump in. Ruining that for the sake of pissing people off seems a travesty against the machine.
  - libraryatnight 5y ago
    Ah yes, we have tons of these folks in AZ, frequently they're the same people with the "Don't tread on me" stickers and flags that seem to think "don't tread on me" means "But I can tread on you."
  - systemvoltage 5y ago
    This is something entirely different and reprehensible. I was mostly concerned with the utility of Trucks and how politicization of it is absurd and dangerous. Next time someone wants to buy a truck, they’ll think twice what the society would think of them. What would the neighbors say? All they wanted is a utility vehicle. This is just one example of many things that are dividing the society into factions.
ipqk 5y ago
You don't have to "take away" the trucks, but just make them more impractical: - sales tax on cars/trucks is by weight and exponentially increases the heavier the vehicle gets - increase taxes on gasoline - require a special license to operate a vehicle over XXXX lbs. - rewrite laws or encourage DAs to prosecute drivers that injure other people in cars or pedestrians even if it's unintentional - illegal to have passengers in the truck bed (some states still allow this). These are just off the top of my head.
- nerdponx 5y ago
  People will wail and cry and scream about their freedom being taken from them...
  - Ericson2314 5y ago
    Do a Carbon Dividend and other people will scream when taking away the gas tax means taking away the dividend. We need to stop these cowardly politics appeasing automobile users. This is how.
  - liaukovv 5y ago
    Because it is in fact taking away their freedom
    - NoSorryCannot 5y ago
      The public roadways have never been especially free, not as in beer nor as in speech. It's a pretty unfortunate choice of setting for expressing individualism. Many have put some of their identity into how or what they drive anyway, of course.
    - asddubs 5y ago
      sure, although metaphorically salting the earth through global warming for future generations arguably is also taking away freedom
    - CRConrad 5y ago
anotha1 5y ago
True. In Florida, 1/3 of trucks are raised so there occupants have to literally climb in. These are commonly adorn with "Trump" and "Don't tread on me" bumper stickers and even massive flags (because you know, big truck means big flag...) I once drove one to move something (the cab/bed being five feet off the ground wasn't as helpful as you'd think \s). The experience was somewhat surreal, like driving in an air traffic control tower. Much different than a u-haul (my only other trucking experience). Edit: oh yeah, they do this to go "mudding" (drinking and driving in a giant muddy mess with guns, so much fun!).
- TecoAndJix 5y ago
  Mudding doesn’t mean drinking and driving with guns. It means tearing up the wet muddy ground with your vehicle. Spinning your tires, getting stuck, getting unstuck - just goofing off off-road. I personally don’t see the appeal of it but have friends that enjoy it. They don’t drink and drive (with or without guns).
  - eggsmediumrare 5y ago
    Destroying forests and wetlands while spewing carbon into the air.
  - anotha1 5y ago
    > The park does not sell alcohol, according to its website, but patrons bring their own beverages. https://www.yoursun.com/charlotte/news/redneck-mud-park-has-history-of-traumatic-injuries/article_d9e0ae40-8cb4-11eb-bf94-a392f244adee.html https://www.yoursun.com/charlotte/news/redneck-mud-park-has-...
newsclues 5y ago
Not doing things for fear of political shitstorms is a large part of why everything is so broken these days. Terrible leadership!
- novok 5y ago
  I don't do certain unpopular things at work because I know it will be a political shitstorm, and even if I try to, everyone else will not cooperate and I could possibly lose my job or not get promoted. That is why. They usually cannot even do it if they wanted to. If your voters will vote you out because you do unpopular things, that's democracy at work.
- salawat 5y ago
  Politics is about figuring out what to expend community energy on that'll actually A) Work And B ) Not have to be undone the next time the winds change. Terrible leadership I can agree with wholeheartedly though.
- istjohn 5y ago
  You have to pick your fights. I'm not sure this is the hill to die on.
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
You can take away the CAFE rules that can be gamed by making trucks bigger than necessary.

I don't disagree, but there would be a political shitstorm if you tried to take away their trucks.

systemvoltage 5y ago

Trucks are vehicles. How can they be political? I know plenty of people from all kinds of backgrounds owning a truck.

benjohnson 5y ago
The same reasons usually apply to large BMW and Mercedes SUVs. The correct people own those so they don't attract the same Attention.
- epistasis 5y ago
  Up until this year I would have agreed with you, but grills this year have gotten completely out of control. The lack of visibility and the height of the impact zone has really changed on some trucks.
ericbarrett 5y ago
"Rolling coal" (modifying a diesel engine to run rich and increase soot in the exhaust, a.k.a. incompletely combusted fuel) has become a statement in many places of the U.S. that you are opposed to the EPA, clean air rules, regulation, and in general the perceived nanny state. My friend is a Tesla owner in Georgia and has been deliberately blasted by these guys at stoplights a few times. They tried, anyway—hard to do this to a car with superior acceleration and a HEPA cabin filter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_coal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_coal
- salawat 5y ago
  I don't understand it myself. I'm fascinated by the energy extraction from a properly calibrated diesel engine. They get more efficient the more air you pump in. Ruining that for the sake of pissing people off seems a travesty against the machine.
- libraryatnight 5y ago
  Ah yes, we have tons of these folks in AZ, frequently they're the same people with the "Don't tread on me" stickers and flags that seem to think "don't tread on me" means "But I can tread on you."
- systemvoltage 5y ago
  This is something entirely different and reprehensible. I was mostly concerned with the utility of Trucks and how politicization of it is absurd and dangerous. Next time someone wants to buy a truck, they’ll think twice what the society would think of them. What would the neighbors say? All they wanted is a utility vehicle. This is just one example of many things that are dividing the society into factions.

ipqk 5y ago

You don't have to "take away" the trucks, but just make them more impractical: - sales tax on cars/trucks is by weight and exponentially increases the heavier the vehicle gets - increase taxes on gasoline - require a special license to operate a vehicle over XXXX lbs. - rewrite laws or encourage DAs to prosecute drivers that injure other people in cars or pedestrians even if it's unintentional - illegal to have passengers in the truck bed (some states still allow this). These are just off the top of my head.

nerdponx 5y ago
People will wail and cry and scream about their freedom being taken from them...
- Ericson2314 5y ago
  Do a Carbon Dividend and other people will scream when taking away the gas tax means taking away the dividend. We need to stop these cowardly politics appeasing automobile users. This is how.
- liaukovv 5y ago
  Because it is in fact taking away their freedom
  - NoSorryCannot 5y ago
    The public roadways have never been especially free, not as in beer nor as in speech. It's a pretty unfortunate choice of setting for expressing individualism. Many have put some of their identity into how or what they drive anyway, of course.
  - asddubs 5y ago
    sure, although metaphorically salting the earth through global warming for future generations arguably is also taking away freedom
  - CRConrad 5y ago

anotha1 5y ago

True. In Florida, 1/3 of trucks are raised so there occupants have to literally climb in. These are commonly adorn with "Trump" and "Don't tread on me" bumper stickers and even massive flags (because you know, big truck means big flag...) I once drove one to move something (the cab/bed being five feet off the ground wasn't as helpful as you'd think \s). The experience was somewhat surreal, like driving in an air traffic control tower. Much different than a u-haul (my only other trucking experience). Edit: oh yeah, they do this to go "mudding" (drinking and driving in a giant muddy mess with guns, so much fun!).

TecoAndJix 5y ago
Mudding doesn’t mean drinking and driving with guns. It means tearing up the wet muddy ground with your vehicle. Spinning your tires, getting stuck, getting unstuck - just goofing off off-road. I personally don’t see the appeal of it but have friends that enjoy it. They don’t drink and drive (with or without guns).
- eggsmediumrare 5y ago
  Destroying forests and wetlands while spewing carbon into the air.
- anotha1 5y ago
  > The park does not sell alcohol, according to its website, but patrons bring their own beverages. https://www.yoursun.com/charlotte/news/redneck-mud-park-has-history-of-traumatic-injuries/article_d9e0ae40-8cb4-11eb-bf94-a392f244adee.html https://www.yoursun.com/charlotte/news/redneck-mud-park-has-...

newsclues 5y ago

Not doing things for fear of political shitstorms is a large part of why everything is so broken these days. Terrible leadership!

novok 5y ago
I don't do certain unpopular things at work because I know it will be a political shitstorm, and even if I try to, everyone else will not cooperate and I could possibly lose my job or not get promoted. That is why. They usually cannot even do it if they wanted to. If your voters will vote you out because you do unpopular things, that's democracy at work.
salawat 5y ago
Politics is about figuring out what to expend community energy on that'll actually A) Work And B ) Not have to be undone the next time the winds change. Terrible leadership I can agree with wholeheartedly though.
istjohn 5y ago
You have to pick your fights. I'm not sure this is the hill to die on.

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago

You can take away the CAFE rules that can be gamed by making trucks bigger than necessary.