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> 'USA-size cars' have absolutely no reason to exist in Europe. Our infrastructure isn't built for them and that's a good thing. American infrastructure also i
by thaumasiotes 1y ago
> 'USA-size cars' have absolutely no reason to exist in Europe. Our infrastructure isn't built for them and that's a good thing.
American infrastructure also isn't built to accommodate "USA-sized" cars. A recent car will not fit into a space in an American parking lot, and it makes it a nightmare to pass through toll booths, parking garage ticketing gates, or any other scenario where you're supposed to roll down your window and reach out to something outside the car. Going around corners is problematic too. I now park by looking for a stretch of several empty spaces in a row. I can (just barely) technically fit inside one marked space at my local grocery store, but I can't maneuver into a space if there are cars in the adjacent spaces.
American cars have very recently become much, much, much, much fatter, and they use that extra interior space to... place a bunch of empty space between the seating and the side of the car. As best I can tell, this is a response to crash safety requirements. It is definitely a bad thing.
- agolsme 1y agoreally, why do you think its crash safety that's gotten fatter rather than americans themselves? (obesity prevalence 40% and rising )
- thaumasiotes 1y agoThe seats haven't gotten wider. The cars have gotten wider, but the seats are the same size.
- Aeolun 1y ago> American infrastructure also isn't built to accommodate "USA-sized" cars. I don’t think this is true. Everyone was driving around in the Toyota Tacoma in Hawaii and that was fine. You couldn’t drive the thing in Tokyo. You’d just immediately get stuck at the first corner. The US is definitely built to facilitate cars, and plus sized cars by extension.
- vel0city 1y agoI park in recently striped parking lots with pickup trucks that practically touch both lines. In parking garages these things can extend well into the traffic lane making traversing the garage extremely tight. It's really annoying having to share space with these monstrously sized trucks everywhere.
- dehugger 1y agoI am a bit confused... your car sounds miserable to drive, why don't you find a smaller one? The US certainly has a shit market for ultra-compacts, but you can still find (new) sedans or hatchbacks that comfortably fit existing infrastructure.