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0 pointsEnginerrrd2y ago0 comments

As much as I think it's futile to argue with people willing to make such sweeping generalizations, I exist, and I drive a large, relatively new, high trim half-ton truck and I LOVE well thought-out bike infrastructure.

I am however frequently opposed to the sort of half-assed, dangerous, bikes-as-an-afterthought band-aid ideas that I've seen coming out of my city. (The ideas from the county and surrounding cities are much better.) They're almost worse than nothing because they let the people in charge pat themselves on the back for being so pro-bike while doing almost nothing to improve bike safety.

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8 comments · 1 top-level

oooyay2y ago· 7 in thread

Seconding this. My truck isn't half ton, it's a Tacoma, but I live in the PNW where having a truck is pretty invaluable.

I also ride my bike around my city, ride the bus, and ride the train. In fact, not that long ago I did a two week train ride to Chicago; somewhat ironically most of the people willing to make pithy statements about trucks won't ride a long haul train. They fly in planes.

addicted2y ago

Long haul trains in the U.S. are awful.

If you’re riding it it’s for an experience. Not as a practical realistic alternative to traveling instead of flying.

So yeah, people who believe train infrastructure should be high quality enough that they’re a real alternative to flying for the right distances will not be keen on traveling on the terrible sight seeing focused (I’m being generous here) long haul trains in the U.S.

oooyay2y ago

I agree that train infrastructure isn't good, much less good enough. I was merely making some commentary along the lines of "put your money where your mouth is."

sokoloff2y ago

> a two week train ride to Chicago

That about sums up the utility of long-distance train travel in the US.

ChainOfFools2y ago

Taco buyers tend to be a much more balanced and pragmatic sort of truck owner, and I seldom find anything obnoxious about them. Not sure why this is but it doesn't generalize to Tundra owners unfortunately, who are more in the first category. I'm just stating (in another thread branch post - I'm not OP) what I see on the ground in my own environment; an area which was somewhat notorious for attracting these types of desperately attention-seeking characters long before the PPP scamming became widespread.

jrajav2y ago

> Taco buyers tend to be a much more balanced and pragmatic sort of truck owner, and I seldom find anything obnoxious about them. Not sure why this is

I can tell you exactly why, in middle America at least. Buying a Toyota means you prioritize reliability and getting work done. Buying a Ford or Chevy (invariably a large cabin, premium leather comfort model wearing a pickup truck as a costume) means you prioritize image. Sure you might get work done with it - though I know way too many who don't - but it wasn't what you set out to purchase. It has to be American, it has to be big and have a fancy grille silhouette, and it has to be nice and cushy to sit in.

olyjohn2y ago

This is such annoying generalization that is mostly not true. It's just a smug attitude. Tacos get horrible gas mileage and they're every bit as bad for the environment and are not actually any more reliable than an American full size truck.

olyjohn2y ago

Tacos get the same if not worse mileage than full size trucks most of the time. Then they all put huge tires on them, load them up with $20k in overlanding gear that they never use and hurts gas mileage even worse. Maybe they think they are superior to big trucks but the fact is that they're not. It's just a smug attitude that people carry. It's shitty generalization to be honest.

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8 comments · 1 top-level

oooyay2y ago· 7 in thread

Seconding this. My truck isn't half ton, it's a Tacoma, but I live in the PNW where having a truck is pretty invaluable.

addicted2y ago

Long haul trains in the U.S. are awful.

If you’re riding it it’s for an experience. Not as a practical realistic alternative to traveling instead of flying.

oooyay2y ago

I agree that train infrastructure isn't good, much less good enough. I was merely making some commentary along the lines of "put your money where your mouth is."

sokoloff2y ago

> a two week train ride to Chicago

That about sums up the utility of long-distance train travel in the US.

ChainOfFools2y ago

jrajav2y ago

> Taco buyers tend to be a much more balanced and pragmatic sort of truck owner, and I seldom find anything obnoxious about them. Not sure why this is

olyjohn2y ago

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