Title text:
'They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.'
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3167/
Just gonna keep on posting this
"Your honor, I got the M1 because it was safer than an F150 in my neighborhood with lots of small children."
"And here is the data to prove it."
audience gasps
I should get an M1 Abrams and write off as a business expense
I remember hearing years ago how the M1 Abrams was a battlefield domination machine that could only be killed by another M1. That was clearly propaganda. Those overweight, overpriced pieces of shit got lit the fuck up after being shipped to Ukraine.
Russian invasion of ukraine has been the only war in quite a long time where a major power has been fighting against a major power. most other conflicts in many decades have been asymmetrical warfare/symmetrical warfare between outdated militaries. Ukraine has shown that drones are the new thing in warfare, they provide excellent intel, cheap short range pinpoint accurate light artillery. unmatched spotting for heavier artillery and with a bit more expense long range strategic strikes are also possible. With drone warfare MBTs seem to be mostly just the juiciest of targets.
Where previously M1 could be resistant to most attacks, now with drone spotting a direct hit with guided shells can score a direct hit of 155mm shell on top armour of tanks.
The number of massive trucks I see without a speck of dirt in the bed that are used mainly for commuting and groceries is pathetic.
It's become a wealth/status symbol for people who don't like the more traditional bougie shit. Lets them still delude themselves into thinking they're salt of the earth types.
I can afford for 2/3 of my vehicle to be functionally useless! Dohohohoho!
t’s become a wealth/status symbol for people who don’t like the more traditional bougie shit
It's because they are actual luxury vehicles. Get inside one of the new ones, and it's basically what you would imagine a lexus or lincoln would be like. All the fanciness, all the nifty little features... Finding one that is actually made to 'work' is hard.
A wealth symbol you can finance for 84 months 🤣
If I could have a Fully electric mid 90s chevy S10 style pickup with modern safety features and no surveillance I would be sooooo happy. But no, if I want a truck I can buy old as fuck or get a wanktank. Closest option to what I want in the US currently is a Ford Maverick (which is literally just a rebadged explorer sport trac for the modern age) but that would mean supporting Ford, and like, fuck Ford.
You're basically asking for what slate promises to be.
Also, you totally didn't say it, but I feel like whining about it so: A lot of people think that the infotainment in cars could be stripped out to lower the price, but a big touch screen is actually very cheap and it might even be more expensive to have a bunch of bespoke buttons per model, so really, the idea of a gutted out vehicle wouldn't save any money. The only actual money savers would be in areas like the suspension, build quality, engine size, that sort of thing.
You don't need software developers for a button
While you do not need software devs for a button, once you have enough buttons doing enough things controlling them with a computer becomes much easier than controlling them using mechanical circuitry. This is the whole reason for SBCs like the Arduino, so people can make the transitionary step between "my project is simple enough to have physical logic built into it" and "my project is so complex it no longer makes sense for me to hand build the logic"
If you haven't messed with physical logic gates before, I recommend it! If you don't have a physical workspace to do it in, Minecraft actually Makes a 'great' sandbox for playing with logic circuits. Superflat Creative worlds are the bomb for that.
Start with a simple yes gate, then learn a not gate, then an And, then an Or, and build up from there!
You'll find very quickly that once you need persistence involved, projects with physical logic can scale massively with each additional bit of storage added. Doing something with that storage? Good luck! As a result, nowadays we pay someone for a tiny computer they already made, and program it to make our buttons do stuff, instead of just having the buttons do stuff directly.
Edit: removed a word, analog does not mean mechanical, mea culpa.
Correct me if I'm wrong, is Slate not Amazon backed? No judgement either way, I just know that rubs some lemmings the wrong way
Perhaps, but having tactile options like buttons and dials is considerably safer as the ui can't change and you can keep your eyes on the road
I think Toyota just teased an EV Hilux
Someone pointed out the shape is very Tacoma-esque, so maybe an EV Toyota quarter ton is on the way
I'm not even against large vehicles as there are legit use cases for them. I just think they should cost more, be taxed more, and be forbidden to park in certain areas.
They already cost more and considering they have worse gas mileage, they paying more taxes on fuel as well.
I agree with the parking though, back of the lot with ya.
in reality most (all?) states in the US don't charge progressively more for vehicle registration based on weight, and even when they do, the thresholds are really high. So a F-150 weighing over 5000 lbs may pay the same as a Honda Civic weighing half of that.
If they’re EVs they’re heavier, causing more road wear, and don’t pay gas taxes
This could be solved so many different ways.
The most obvious is getting rid of the stupid CAFE regulations and Chicken tax that basically incentivise the fuck out of making these monstrosities.
The others are less likely to be done in a country like the USA with its 2 party system where the options are conservatism and fascist conservatism.
Im sick and tired of this bullshit claim that we can only choose beyween conservatism and fascism. This completely overlooks the Christian fascist theocratic option that is also available to those who really love "freedom".
Or just apply the CAFE standards to all vehicles equally, don’t create loopholes that enable this kind of shit.
Fucking with a coworker back in the day who drove a monster SUV with zero need. I don't noramlly make judgement on that but I knew the family well. Her husband had a nice truck and their one kid was adult and moved out.
"I drive it because it's safer."
"So you're happy to kill someone in a tiny car like mine, as long as you're OK?"
<stares motherfuckerly>
"Aren't you Christian? What do you figure Jesus would say about that?"
"Get out of my office Shalafi."
🤷🏻
It bugs me when people refuse to acknowledge they're being a selfish prick. At least have the strength of character to look someone in the eye and say "Yes, I'd rather you die than me". Fucking cowards.
Old joke, but Jesus drove a Honda sedan.
He and his disciples were together in one Accord.
Maybe he doesn’t mention it cause it’s all dinged up since he’s shit at parking. Thinking you’re a god means fuck off fuck off in parallel
According to The Simpsons, it was blue.
Yep. And now we have little old ladies, who should've had their license yanked years ago, driving 4 ton trucks to get groceries.
While net even being able to see over the steering wheel.
Just a few thousand truck flipping cars on the road might be a good start
The thing that really frustrates me is that I can't buy the car I want. I would like a successor to my Chevy Volt but it's become very difficult to find a compact hybrid hatchback in the States. It's basically Prius Prime or bust, and the Prius is not nearly as fun to drive as the Volt.
Don't forget your bullet proof windows, solid steel armor and spikes:
I can't even imagine howuch shit I could buy to keep my family safe with the money used to buy and pimp that cyber truck...
Like a house
Is this in Houston? I'm pretty sure that's the only place I've seen rims like that.
Slab culture keeps rolling.
Yup
Clearly we need to start actively destroying larger vehicles to address this problem.
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