this post was submitted on 08 May 2025
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Fuck Cars

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A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

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[–] visikde@lemmings.world 25 points 5 hours ago

For three years we've used this GEM[global electric motors] LSV[low speed vehicle] as our primary vehicle.
Legally I'm restricted to roads with 35mph speed limits or less, my maximum legal speed is 25mph, I never bothered to modify the top speed. I'm registered & insured in Reno. Driving the GEM is like towing a trailer, if the line of cars forms behind me, I pull over & let them pass Maybe 4 times a year someone rage passes me & generally ends up waiting next to me at the next light
With the lumber rack, beacon & safety triangle, I probably appear to be a city or university worker.

The notion that everyone must drive at or above the speed limit isn't true in my experience. Every trip does not require getting on a limited access highway & blasting along at 70 mph. The time saved is minimal, Small mistakes become serious accidents at higher speeds Every vehicle forum I've ever been on has a large contingent of Boys who want their toys to go fast.
The older model Kei mini trucks is too short & narrow to go faster than 40 mph or so safely. Making it wider reduces the ability to lane split :D

[–] MetalMachine 18 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Should've been okay from the start.

[–] PresidentCamacho@lemm.ee 14 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

But isn't that the story of America? Making things illegal that would prevent you from maximizing profits to the detriment of every one of your countrymen.

[–] FahrenheitGhost@lemmy.world 2 points 42 minutes ago

100% agree and an awesome username.

[–] ssfckdt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 hours ago

Probably not on interstates. But for most roads it ought to be okay.

[–] PanArab@lemm.ee 6 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

In many export markets kei trucks are sold with larger engines than is mandated by the keijidousha regulations of Japan, and come in left hand drive. For example here's the Suzuki Carry in one export market. These international variants might be more suitable for the US market.

[–] Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

What's the point of one of these over a small commercial van?

[–] mdd@lemm.ee 7 points 2 hours ago

The trucks appeal is its utility. The bed is lower than any US truck. the sides and tail drop down for easy access. The bed is just as big as a regular truck. They often come in 4WD. The engine is tiny so they sip gasoline. Most important is they are very cheap.

[–] Crikeste@lemm.ee 23 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Considering?! Just fuckin’ do it, who does it hurt?

[–] kevin2107@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Itll hurt the cyber cucks for sure

[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I don't think the customers of small, affordable, useful trucks are the same customers as the cybertruck owners.

[–] kevin2107@lemmy.world 1 points 19 minutes ago

It takes away more of teslas marketshare. Eventually making it not economically viable to produce them.

[–] ebolapie@lemmy.world 20 points 5 hours ago

It hurts GM and Ford. They don't want competition! And worse yet they don't even build anything to compete with kei trucks! Think of the shareholders, you monster!

[–] NoSpiritAnimal@lemmy.world 110 points 11 hours ago (12 children)

So many conspiracy theories in these comments about why American manufacturers don't build smaller cars.

It's very simple, American Auto Companies are loan companies, not auto manufacturers.

Why would they produce a $10k go-kart with a useable bed when they can get people to finance a $110k SUV at 18% APR?

It's not about oil, or other resources, or even labor and tooling.

It's just much more profitable to put you into debt.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 hours ago

That sounds more conspiracists than “Americans like shit vehicles”

The Canyonero Simpsons episode came out in 98 to make fun of this

[–] gradual@lemmings.world 3 points 3 hours ago

Anyone who cares about american auto manufacturing shouldn't be taken seriously.

Americans make shit cars.

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 25 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

I've noticed that Americans do not consider using an armed rebellion against evil corporate practices but talk about 2A rights all the time.

[–] PresidentCamacho@lemm.ee 3 points 3 hours ago

As an American I can break it down for you. The people who wont stop about 2A are sheep, sheep get told what to think, so when the "news" tells them that doing anything to make life better in America will actually make life worse and is some form of evil -ism (communism, socialism, etc.) that they have been programmed to hate, they believe it without question. These clowns are incapable of creating a personal opinion, they just accept the narrative that their favorite talking head gives them, and think they came up with it all on their own.

This is without even getting into the tribalism that makes these beliefs they have been given feel like a part of their identity, and thus making it near impossible to change.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 20 points 8 hours ago

but talk about 2A rights all the time.

Most of the 2A talks come from people who want to start evil corporations.

[–] Nasan@sopuli.xyz 14 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

No armed rebellion is complete without a technical built from a Toyota Hilux, which we sadly only get the slightly larger variant, the Tacoma.

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 5 points 5 hours ago

The truth about the perfect vehicle for armed uprisings isn't that they only use Hiluxs. That's simply a myth. The truth is that no other vehicle has ever been able to complete even a single mission. You send 20 Hiluxs and 40,000 Tacomas into battle? You'll soon have 20 Hiluxs and 40,000 heaps of burning inferior pieces of junk. The Hilux has proven time and time again that it isn't just the perfect vehicle for an armed rebellion, it's the only vehicle able to survive.

And them's the facts.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 34 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Especially because we are a captive market. Public transport is essentially non existent in most areas. You have to get a car, and you have to take a loan on it. Without a car, a lot of places won’t even hire you.

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 4 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

you have to take a loan on it.

Can't you buy cheaper or 2nd hand cars?

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago

It’s still going to be at least $10k or so, unless you scour Facebook marketplace or know how not to get scammed.

My stepfather’s job was to negotiate deals between the car dealerships and the banks. They were all fucking sharks. Used car salesmen are terrible people as a rule.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Yes. It is quite straightforward. First you figure out the kind of car you want - eg, Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Peruse fb marketplace / Craigslist / etc to look at your options, note typical price for what you want based on model year and condition. Check your market once per day for a few weeks or months, and eventually a deal will come up - or else you can search in other areas you'd be willing to travel to. When you find a good (or at least reasonable) deal, you message the seller, and tell them the following things:

  1. You are very interested.
  2. The earliest time you are available to meet - ideally "right now or any time today". Also ideally, this would occur during normal business hours for mechanics and banks.
  3. You can pay in cash.
  4. You want it inspected by a mechanic before you buy.

When you agree on a time / place to meet, start looking up mechanics nearby. Getting a pre-sale inspection is a service offered by most shops for a small fee. Call ahead and ask if they can do an inspection around the time you are meeting the seller.

Before you meet with the seller, look up a checklist of things to inspect yourself. These are basic things that are easy to check - do the lights work? The blinkers? The AC/heat/defroster? You can find inspection lists pretty easily online.

Meet with the seller. Ask them about the car, its history, maintenance records, and why they are selling it. Take it for a test drive on neighborhood roads and on the highway. Drive to the mechanic and have them inspect the car.

After all this, it is time to negotiate. If you or the mechanic found anything concerning, you can use this to haggle with the seller, who is likely ready to take a few hundred less in order to be done dealing with the headache of selling their car. With an agreed upon price, head to your bank.

Most banks provide members with free notary services. You can have them notarize a bill of sale or the car's title if necessary. Once the title is signed over to your name, go to the teller, withdrawal cash, and hand that fat stack to the seller.

Drive away with your new car.

Also make sure the shop knows its a pre-sale inspection

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[–] seaplant@slrpnk.net 33 points 11 hours ago

This passed a couple days ago and will be signed by the Governor today! Takes effect July 2027.

[–] trslim@pawb.social 35 points 12 hours ago (10 children)

I would kill for one of these trucks, its so fucking stupid that they are banned

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[–] yarr 48 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

This is an echo back to the 70s, when gas prices were high and there were strict controls over Japanese economy cars. Why didn't American manufacturers make smaller cars? Well, "no one wanted them" was the line. Miraculously almost as soon as those same Japanese cars started to be allowed on our streets, suddenly Detroit figured out how to make them and dragged them kicking and screaming into the next eras.

Good companies innovate to keep their customers. Bad companies legislate to keep their customers.

Which one do you think is happening more today?

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago

Detroit never made them; they bought them and rebranded them with trim packages.

Here's news: the US cannot make cars. They only know one style, and that's land yacht.

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[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 24 points 12 hours ago

This is COMMUNISM! TRUE FREEDOM is FORCING us to use OVERSIZED Cars that use a LOT of EXPENSIVE Gas! ANYTHING else is WOKE!

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