Reminds me of America in the 80s when for a brief time the Jeep Cherokee or Ford Bronco were cool sort-of-rare vehicles. A few years later it was obvious it had become a trend and was A Very Bad Thing and I couldn’t wait for it to die out.
Still waiting.
Lemmy, open the article. It’s 6k vehicles per year in a continent of half a billion people.
It’s on the rise, as in before it was nobody, and now 0.1% of the farmers bought one. And a 100 lunatics.
It’s still illegal to drive and park in most places due to size, so as a pesky city dweller, I probably still won’t get to see any.
Sounds like a regulatable problem.
“Regulatory capture, got it” -Auto industry
Deadly carbrain contagion
Maybe they should enact the keitruck law… No truck allowed unless it fits in a shipping container etc etc. I think it’s reasonable. Because if we’re not getting kei trucks here in the US, you big manufacturers don’t deserve to sell outside the US.
Speaking as an American, I am so sorry.
With significantly fewer school shootings in Europe, kids need to learn fear from somewhere. Why not fear the yank tank?
Parking spaces in the Netherlands do not easily accommodate these child-killing machines. So, they often end up clumsily parked over multiple spaces or blocking sidewalks. I have taken to submitting complaints to my municipality every time I see this happen.
It is not much but I am doing my little part. I did notice that one of these abominations has gone absent from my neighbourhood. I like to think my complaints have contributed to thisThey should fine them for not parking correctly. I’m also on the opinion that you should need an extra licence to drive something that big
Have you gotten any traction on this with the police or municipality?
I’ve seen a lot of these huge American trucks parked like assholes and I’m seeing more and more custom lifted trucks. The other day I was riding my bicycle from work and saw this huge custom lifted thing. It was as wide as a bus and generally enormous. It was going 60kph in a 30 zone. Then proceeded to jump the kerb, drive across the bicycle path and park on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant. Four douchebags in suits stepped out.
I was shocked and didn’t really know what to do. I thought about taking a picture, but was worried such characters could be organized crime. I thought about calling the police, but frankly I don’t think they would take it seriously. So I just went home bummed out about the state of the world.
With the municipality I think I did. I use the relevant web portal to report the hindrances. I make sure to include photos.
Never tried contacting the police directly
Those have to park somewhere and can’t do so legally due to size and permissible gross weight. I usually get out of my way to report incorrectly parked SUVs, BMWs, Audis and such (we have a nice app from an indie dev for that in Poland). I’ve been averaging a dozen or so towed or wheel locked cars per week based on responses from city guard. I’ll keep on doing this until those fuckers learn to stay away from our cities.
The Polish Anzeigenhauptmeister
We have guys like that too, some even document their work on YouTube and gave me much courage and inspiration. You need to reach critical mass where people don’t park badly because other people don’t do it either.
Wait, your police is acting on those reports? Any hints on how to manage that?
Depends entirely on willingness to cooperate so it differs from place to place. My city guard will not fine driver unless they come and confirm offence in person but I’m sending so many reports that I have a fairly high success rate. I also asked nicely to respond to my emails with separate case numbers for each offence so that I can track them.
Not all heroes wear capes.
You’re doing good work there, keep it up 😉
Credit goes to the guy that made the app, it’s so effortless. It’s also published into a public database. Got one just now: https://uprzejmiedonosze.net/ud-OOWN3OESyFTn.html
These things need to be outlawed.
That’s a Grammy! I’m glad she’s safe 🙂. WTF.
I miss the days when Europeans would justly laugh in our faces about the size of our trucks.
I still do, cuz in the last half a year I probably seen one.
Haze them, I beseech you
It used to be that you would see one every now and then, inclusive the ridiculous red blinkers, and they you would do your civil duty and point at it and laugh, because you knew he payed a lot of money to get a shitty car imported. Now, just like McDonald’s, they are everywhere. Please america, make something that doesn’t suck ass, since people have to adopt everything from over there.
Me too
signed by a sad european
Been seeing these more and more common in London, along with most people buying massive cars generally. I just don’t get it. They really struggle with the tight roads, parked cars, small lanes, car parks etc. Its embarrassing to watch frankly!
Ridiculous things.
I don’t think I’m capable of murder, but holy shit I understand it.
Every time I walk through that car park, half the vehicles are those awful 4x4s. And I always think how nice it would be if all that tarmac was replaced with grass and wildflower beds and footpaths and cycle paths and bike stands and trees. But instead it’s just a rogue’s gallery of these monstrosities.
I wish there was some sort of e-cargo bike taxi service or something so that the “but how will I carry my shopping home” crowd don’t have an excuse.
I wish there was some sort of e-cargo bike taxi service or something so that the “but how will I carry my shopping home” crowd don’t have an excuse.
Time to bring back tuktuks.
Unfortunately they won’t need one, it’s usually just a dick measuring contest on how absurd the vehicle is vs how much they paid for it. It’s more of an education/social problem, unfortunately.
Meet my sister in law. Hardly goes anywhere as she can’t park it. Doesn’t visit my wife anymore as she says out car park is too small. Even though workmen and delivery vans get in and out OK. She had a Peugeot 208 which she could park anywhere, but ‘upgraded’ to a 3008 to fit in with her posh friends. She’s retired. And lives in Hertford UK. Not known for it’s wide sweeping vistas. FFS.
There’s one of these pricks nearby my house. We have these tiny narrow roads and this prick is taking up 30% of it with their giant truck. Why? I have never seen them put anything in it. Right now the through road is blocked and you have to turn around awkwardly… Bet they regret that thing now.
Follow the lead of activists in Britain. Flatten the tires by pressing on the valve stem. No property damage to people that might have been out of options, and sends a clear message that large vehicles aren’t welcome
I say we just send all these huge trucks away to be scrapped.
Pressing on the valve stem? Just put a lentil in one and replace or use a valve core tool to take the valve core out
The point is to do no permanent damage so they don’t sue you.
It takes less time to remove a valve stem then it does to sit there and let the air out.
Removing the valve stem is not permanent damage either as long as they don’t let the truck sit on a flat for a long time.
Cyclists beware
Society beware that we are tacitly allowing these child-murdering horrors into our communities
So it’s not an uniquely American problem after all. Fuckers everywhere want bigger and bigger cars.
It’s not just people wanting bigger vehicles. It’s an intentional move by vehicle manufacturers to push light trucks, which have less strict safety and emissions standards, leading to higher profit margins.
So it’s not an uniquely American problem after all. Fuckers everywhere.
