Without reading, I’ll read it after this, but I’m zero percent surprised. Only people I’ve seen buy ram trucks are ones who do not care about others and want to be seen as big and tuff.
Hell the vast majority of truck drivers too, sorry not sorry folks but you do not need a truck to drive to your office daily, or to drive the family around, you got it as a status symbol. RAM drivers are just the worst of them all.
There are many people in my highly liberal and progressive PNW town that drive trucks. The majority seem to be decent people based on my interactions on the road with them as a pedestrian and cyclist.
I do agree most people don’t need trucks, and it’s more of a performative masculinity thing, or maybe that’s just what they’ve been conditioned to like.
Hello fellow PNW person. I am likely one of those people. I try to represent the good side of this example whenever possible.
Also have a tiny ev that is my daily driver, especially in the city where parking a full size pickup is just not worth it. That said, on the days when my partner needs the car for longer trips and I have to take my truck around othered, I’m constantly on alert to not be a dick.
I think this is honestly how a lot of folks are around here. It’s a little different when you head out east but near civilization, I am generally given hope.
We as an American people have been conditioned for decades that we need larger and bigger vehicles when we absolutely don’t. This is because smaller cars have stricter regulations thanks to the “light truck” loophole in the CAFE standards. It’s literally less regulated, and thus highly profitable to get people to buy trucks instead of cars. The masculine thing, the “It’s safer because it’s bigger”, the “I need space for my family” - it’s all generated by marketing teams for car companies to convince each of us that we need a bigger (and less regulated) car.
When really… we don’t. We don’t at all, and it choosing a truck whether it’s intentional or not, is a selfish move. It’s large, it’s unnecessary, wasteful, it’s proven extremely deadly to pedestrians, bicyclists, and children. Choosing a vehicle like that is inherently accepting that you are risking other people’s lives, and that’s why I’m so against them.
Ignorance is excusable, but once informed then it’s no longer ignorance.
Why didn’t you buy one with a lower height but the same load capacity? Safer and makes loading stuff easier.
Us Australians look at weird American raised utes and scratch our heads in puzzlement. You’ve got a higher driver position, granted, but it’s also a higher centre of gravity, it’s harder to park in garages and underground car parks, it’s harder to see pedestrians, it’s harder to load stuff into the tray, etc.
You clearly aren’t just driving it to look pretty, like many people that we both probably get annoyed by. What’s the story?
I got a friend who bought a RAM last year. he was previously hauling construction equipment in his partner’s crossover and his own sedan. a pickup was an appropriate buy
HOWEVER he got a RAM (thankfully no LED headlights, though they are mounted way too high still), and tbh I’m not really sure what his alternatives were. “small” pickups like the Maverick are too small, and expensive
also he’s like 6’4" 250+lb so he physically needs a bigger cabin lol
Honestly, it just seemed like the best option. Admittedly, it’s also fun to drive, but yes parking can be a pain. But where I live accommodates it pretty well.
If you do it about once a week or more, then you do need it. If you need it any less than once a week, congrats it’s a status symbol. How do I know? Because the numbers don’t lie, and if you only actually haul monthly - or even every 2 weeks, it’s actually phenomenally cheaper to rent a truck from either a rental shop or something Home Depot. Trucks are crazy expensive, their fuel already was astronomical before, and now it’s even worse. It’s much much cheaper to have a modest sedan/van than it is to own a truck.
Speaking of vans, it’s actually more spacious and more carrying capacity to own a decent van than it is to own a truck. Go ahead, test out my knowledge. Vans have more carrying capacity, better fuel mileage, they’re closer to the ground so they’re easier to load, and they’re even covered so you don’t need a topper or tool box that takes up even more space.
So in short, if you haul less than once a week, you should have rented and saved a few dozen thousand dollars. If you haul more frequently than weekly, you probably should have bought a van.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 17 hours ago
Without reading, I’ll read it after this, but I’m zero percent surprised. Only people I’ve seen buy ram trucks are ones who do not care about others and want to be seen as big and tuff.
Hell the vast majority of truck drivers too, sorry not sorry folks but you do not need a truck to drive to your office daily, or to drive the family around, you got it as a status symbol. RAM drivers are just the worst of them all.
prodaccess@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
There are many people in my highly liberal and progressive PNW town that drive trucks. The majority seem to be decent people based on my interactions on the road with them as a pedestrian and cyclist.
I do agree most people don’t need trucks, and it’s more of a performative masculinity thing, or maybe that’s just what they’ve been conditioned to like.
defuse959@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 hours ago
Hello fellow PNW person. I am likely one of those people. I try to represent the good side of this example whenever possible.
Also have a tiny ev that is my daily driver, especially in the city where parking a full size pickup is just not worth it. That said, on the days when my partner needs the car for longer trips and I have to take my truck around othered, I’m constantly on alert to not be a dick.
I think this is honestly how a lot of folks are around here. It’s a little different when you head out east but near civilization, I am generally given hope.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 11 hours ago
We as an American people have been conditioned for decades that we need larger and bigger vehicles when we absolutely don’t. This is because smaller cars have stricter regulations thanks to the “light truck” loophole in the CAFE standards. It’s literally less regulated, and thus highly profitable to get people to buy trucks instead of cars. The masculine thing, the “It’s safer because it’s bigger”, the “I need space for my family” - it’s all generated by marketing teams for car companies to convince each of us that we need a bigger (and less regulated) car.
When really… we don’t. We don’t at all, and it choosing a truck whether it’s intentional or not, is a selfish move. It’s large, it’s unnecessary, wasteful, it’s proven extremely deadly to pedestrians, bicyclists, and children. Choosing a vehicle like that is inherently accepting that you are risking other people’s lives, and that’s why I’m so against them.
Ignorance is excusable, but once informed then it’s no longer ignorance.
RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
Hey, well here’s one that bought one with a 2 seat cab, to haul drywall and various construction materials.
teslekova@sh.itjust.works 16 hours ago
Why didn’t you buy one with a lower height but the same load capacity? Safer and makes loading stuff easier.
Us Australians look at weird American raised utes and scratch our heads in puzzlement. You’ve got a higher driver position, granted, but it’s also a higher centre of gravity, it’s harder to park in garages and underground car parks, it’s harder to see pedestrians, it’s harder to load stuff into the tray, etc.
You clearly aren’t just driving it to look pretty, like many people that we both probably get annoyed by. What’s the story?
Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 hours ago
Good luck finding one in the US. I miss my old 95 Ranger.
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
The fact that they never brought the Holden Ute over to the US as a new El Camino is frustrating.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 15 hours ago
I think it’s pricing
I got a friend who bought a RAM last year. he was previously hauling construction equipment in his partner’s crossover and his own sedan. a pickup was an appropriate buy
HOWEVER he got a RAM (thankfully no LED headlights, though they are mounted way too high still), and tbh I’m not really sure what his alternatives were. “small” pickups like the Maverick are too small, and expensive
also he’s like 6’4" 250+lb so he physically needs a bigger cabin lol
RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 15 hours ago
Honestly, it just seemed like the best option. Admittedly, it’s also fun to drive, but yes parking can be a pain. But where I live accommodates it pretty well.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 14 hours ago
If you do it about once a week or more, then you do need it. If you need it any less than once a week, congrats it’s a status symbol. How do I know? Because the numbers don’t lie, and if you only actually haul monthly - or even every 2 weeks, it’s actually phenomenally cheaper to rent a truck from either a rental shop or something Home Depot. Trucks are crazy expensive, their fuel already was astronomical before, and now it’s even worse. It’s much much cheaper to have a modest sedan/van than it is to own a truck.
Speaking of vans, it’s actually more spacious and more carrying capacity to own a decent van than it is to own a truck. Go ahead, test out my knowledge. Vans have more carrying capacity, better fuel mileage, they’re closer to the ground so they’re easier to load, and they’re even covered so you don’t need a topper or tool box that takes up even more space.
So in short, if you haul less than once a week, you should have rented and saved a few dozen thousand dollars. If you haul more frequently than weekly, you probably should have bought a van.
greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo 16 hours ago
They even put the ram logo on it.
All of europe gets on fine without comfort pickups. They’re just a stupid, impractical design.
Even if you did need a bed, look at this sucker, dual cab and a decent bed that tips!
And both of these are friend-shaped so they don’t absolutely annihilate the people they hit.