Author Topic: Big truck culture in the city  (Read 7414 times)

Ellipsis_has_expired

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Big truck culture in the city
« on: September 07, 2015, 03:16:46 AM »
I just wanted to share this image. I've been living with my wife in Honolulu for 1.5 years and have not owned a car while here. This city has some of the worst traffic in America, and owning big trucks or SUV's is really popular here. Here I am biking in the empty bike lane, while watching a jacked up Jeep sitting in traffic at 3:45 on a weekday. Why everyone thinks they need off-road vehicles for driving around on the level pavement I will never understand, especially with gas as expensive as it is here. I can't say I "like" biking during rush hour, but I do kind of smile as I pass all these morons during rush hour, wondering why they won't just give up their stupid cars and actually try biking the 2 miles down the road instead of planting their fat asses in their trucks to get down the road.


slugline

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2015, 08:20:12 AM »
Very jealous of the dedicated bike lane. Is there an extensive network of those in Honolulu?

Rightflyer

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2015, 08:30:44 AM »
Worked last year on a contract in Honolulu. Spent about 4 months there.
You are absolutely right about the traffic. Crazy rush hour. Everyone seems to have a car and they drive everywhere.

Scandium

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2015, 11:54:43 AM »
Well duh! Of course they drive everywhere. I would too if I lived somewhere with such awful weather! Oh wait...

solon

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2015, 11:59:54 AM »
Hey OP, is your user name a reference to Casino Royale?

Ellipsis_has_expired

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2015, 02:42:01 PM »
Very jealous of the dedicated bike lane. Is there an extensive network of those in Honolulu?
It's very nice, they just opened this one on King street this year. I heard a lot of grumbling about it by drivers, haha. It's not that bike-friendly of a city due to all the cars and traffic, but obviously they are working on it. I can really only think of one other bike lane which runs by the ocean, so no, we don't have a lot.

Ellipsis_has_expired

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2015, 02:43:49 PM »
Hey OP, is your user name a reference to Casino Royale?
Yes, loved that movie. Actually the quote was "When does Ellipsis expire?" His big plan to make a ton of money in one day. I think my plan will be much more successful, though. Much less risk in mine.

Syonyk

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2015, 07:12:01 PM »
I can't say I "like" biking during rush hour, but I do kind of smile as I pass all these morons during rush hour, wondering why they won't just give up their stupid cars and actually try biking the 2 miles down the road instead of planting their fat asses in their trucks to get down the road.

I feel about the same regarding my bike (really, ebike) commute to work.  I describe it as "the least miserable way of getting around I've found so far."

Even in the rain, I can still get home in constant time. :D  Which makes biking in the rain worth it.

I've got a big truck, but I don't drive it to work... it gets used to haul things. :)

JAYSLOL

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2015, 07:34:42 PM »
Clearly living in Hawaii everyone should drive a jeep, how else will you outrun the T-Rex and other dinosaurs living there?

Rightflyer

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2015, 08:43:21 AM »
Clearly living in Hawaii everyone should drive a jeep, how else will you outrun the T-Rex and other dinosaurs living there?

I think you'll find that, technically, the dinosaurs live on islands off of the Chilean coast.

They only used Hawaii for some stock footage in the Jurassic Park documentaries. 

MgoSam

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2015, 10:09:44 AM »
I've never understood the appeal of a big truck. At one point, I thought that maybe they were popular because they were powerful and cheap but then I looked at how much they actually cost and was blown away. People actually pay that much, even knowing that their gas bill will also be very high? Yikes!

mm1970

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2015, 12:22:02 PM »
I have a friend who lives on Oahu. Probably commutes from North Shore, based on her FB posts.

So many posts of traffic.

FunkyStickman

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2015, 08:27:44 AM »
Saw this truck a while back... made a meme out of it.

Tons of stories (and fights) about trucks in the Wall of Shame and Comedy.

eljefe-speaks

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2015, 08:50:55 AM »
U-turns are perfectly legal at most intersection in my city. Big-ass trucks/SUV's can't make the turn and often stop trafic in order to do a 3-pointer. Drives me insane.

Le Poisson

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2015, 09:01:23 AM »
It gets worse. Big truck culture has made a lot of the roadside protection obsolete.

Most guide rail and side slopes were developed to prevent deaths to drivers of the vehicle fleet in the 60's - 70's. And they do a fine job of it. Those cars were low to teh ground, and although heavy, not as heavy as a modern fourdoor pickup truck.

Over time new stuff has been added to the arsenal to overcome the gradually growing size of the fleet but the vehicle standard is still a four-door family sedan. Except that the four door family sedan is now an Expedition/Yukon/F350.

So in the past few years NCHRP 350 (a big report) has recommended that road authorities upgrade to the new MASH standard which means that new and replacement devices be updated to reflect the growing vehicle fleet (read more here).

This means your taxes (YAY!) go to pay for more bigger, higher, stronger crash attenuation devices to prevent SUVs and pickuptrucks from rolling over. It also means that the devices beside the road will be less forgiving to vulnerable road users like cyclists and motorcyclists since they represent a small demographic (save the masses, harm the few).

Sorry 'bout your luck responsible citizens, but thank Ford/GM for the sales job on big trucks.

Fishindude

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #15 on: September 10, 2015, 09:03:14 AM »
When I grew up it was cool to have a muscle car.   Still think they are pretty cool.
Seems like the trend with kids today is the big jacked up, loud, black smoke belching, 4wd diesel pickups.

SK Joyous

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #16 on: September 10, 2015, 03:28:56 PM »
When I grew up it was cool to have a muscle car.   Still think they are pretty cool.
Seems like the trend with kids today is the big jacked up, loud, black smoke belching, 4wd diesel pickups.

When we asked our son what kind of vehicle he was hoping to get, his first response was 'fuel efficient'. It was a very proud mom moment! It is true that a lot of vehicles in the high school and university parking lots here are large vehicles though, so I know he isn't quite the norm... 

AZDude

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #17 on: September 10, 2015, 04:21:57 PM »
Big truck culture is insane in Arizona. Everyone here seems to drive an F150 or equivalent. One of the things I really dislike about this town. Living on the California coast, there far, far fewer of the lifted 4 wheel drive behemoths.

paddedhat

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #18 on: September 10, 2015, 07:58:15 PM »
Heading down the Massachusetts Turnpike today. The limit is 65 MPH, and there are state troopers EVERYWHERE. Much to my surprise, a tiny dick special is rolling coal in the left lane, doing at least 90MPH. This guy has a lifted diesel that's all black. Limo tint windows, and at least $10K in stupid shit bolted on, including big rims, and all kinds of special grilles, bumpers, etc ...

The best part, gentle readers?  This pathetic pile of look at me has TEXAS plates. I quietly smile and tell the wife we will be seeing him sometime soon.  Yep, it doesn't take long before he is on the shoulder, parked in a sea of flashing lights, and awaiting the various performance awards being written by the state trooper. What a tool.

 I live in PA. and marvel at the out of state idiots who sit beside I-80 getting tickets, before and after every Penn State game, undoubtedly all pissed that they can't return to their Alma Mater, while driving their Land Rovers and seven series BMWs with NY,NJ and CT plates, across PA. at 90 MPH. How this tool thought he could drive a Texas plated rig pig mobile through Mass at that speed is beyond me.  That must be one empty cowboy hat, LOL.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #19 on: September 11, 2015, 07:28:19 AM »
Slight topic hijack here, sorry: 65 mph = 105 kph, which is fast but not super fast.  Here (Ontario/Quebec) we can usually go about 115-120 (say 70-75 mph) before we get stopped.  Does Massachusetts have an "understood" overage or are they super strict?  I know I was warned when I drove in Alberta that the 110 km limit (68 mph) was strictly enforced.

Heading down the Massachusetts Turnpike today. The limit is 65 MPH, and there are state troopers EVERYWHERE. Much to my surprise, a tiny dick special is rolling coal in the left lane, doing at least 90MPH. This guy has a lifted diesel that's all black. Limo tint windows, and at least $10K in stupid shit bolted on, including big rims, and all kinds of special grilles, bumpers, etc ...

The best part, gentle readers?  This pathetic pile of look at me has TEXAS plates. I quietly smile and tell the wife we will be seeing him sometime soon.  Yep, it doesn't take long before he is on the shoulder, parked in a sea of flashing lights, and awaiting the various performance awards being written by the state trooper. What a tool.

 I live in PA. and marvel at the out of state idiots who sit beside I-80 getting tickets, before and after every Penn State game, undoubtedly all pissed that they can't return to their Alma Mater, while driving their Land Rovers and seven series BMWs with NY,NJ and CT plates, across PA. at 90 MPH. How this tool thought he could drive a Texas plated rig pig mobile through Mass at that speed is beyond me.  That must be one empty cowboy hat, LOL.

Le Poisson

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #20 on: September 11, 2015, 07:37:54 AM »
Slight topic hijack here, sorry: 65 mph = 105 kph, which is fast but not super fast.  Here (Ontario/Quebec) we can usually go about 115-120 (say 70-75 mph) before we get stopped.  Does Massachusetts have an "understood" overage or are they super strict?  I know I was warned when I drove in Alberta that the 110 km limit (68 mph) was strictly enforced.

Heading down the Massachusetts Turnpike today. The limit is 65 MPH, and there are state troopers EVERYWHERE. Much to my surprise, a tiny dick special is rolling coal in the left lane, doing at least 90MPH. This guy has a lifted diesel that's all black. Limo tint windows, and at least $10K in stupid shit bolted on, including big rims, and all kinds of special grilles, bumpers, etc ...

The best part, gentle readers?  This pathetic pile of look at me has TEXAS plates. I quietly smile and tell the wife we will be seeing him sometime soon.  Yep, it doesn't take long before he is on the shoulder, parked in a sea of flashing lights, and awaiting the various performance awards being written by the state trooper. What a tool.

 I live in PA. and marvel at the out of state idiots who sit beside I-80 getting tickets, before and after every Penn State game, undoubtedly all pissed that they can't return to their Alma Mater, while driving their Land Rovers and seven series BMWs with NY,NJ and CT plates, across PA. at 90 MPH. How this tool thought he could drive a Texas plated rig pig mobile through Mass at that speed is beyond me.  That must be one empty cowboy hat, LOL.

Also from Ontario here - but with a bit of a different perspective...

The 400 series' design parameters are a whole lot different from some of the older MA roads. MTO designers are very generous with lane widths, shoulder clearances, etc. on our major freeways so the margin of error is pretty good. Because of that, Ontario freeways have really good safety record, which leads to more relaxed enforcement to around 15 km/h over the posted speed.

In areas where the safety record is not as strong (for instance provincial highways built to lower standards in the Sarnia/Windsor/Central Ontario area) you may find that OPP are less relaxed about speeds. Travel along Highway 7 on a long weekend between Ottawa and Toronto and you will definitely see OPP out enforcing.

I can't speak to MA's safety record, but I do know that some of the highways out that way are very - erm - "historic" in nature, with lane widths, shoulder clearances and grades a lot less forgiving. In areas like this you will find enforcement doing a good job of keeping speeds down because if they don't, the laws of physics will.

SK Joyous

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Re: Big truck culture in the city
« Reply #21 on: September 11, 2015, 09:15:01 AM »
Slight topic hijack here, sorry: 65 mph = 105 kph, which is fast but not super fast.  Here (Ontario/Quebec) we can usually go about 115-120 (say 70-75 mph) before we get stopped.  Does Massachusetts have an "understood" overage or are they super strict?  I know I was warned when I drove in Alberta that the 110 km limit (68 mph) was strictly enforced.

Heading down the Massachusetts Turnpike today. The limit is 65 MPH, and there are state troopers EVERYWHERE. Much to my surprise, a tiny dick special is rolling coal in the left lane, doing at least 90MPH. This guy has a lifted diesel that's all black. Limo tint windows, and at least $10K in stupid shit bolted on, including big rims, and all kinds of special grilles, bumpers, etc ...

The best part, gentle readers?  This pathetic pile of look at me has TEXAS plates. I quietly smile and tell the wife we will be seeing him sometime soon.  Yep, it doesn't take long before he is on the shoulder, parked in a sea of flashing lights, and awaiting the various performance awards being written by the state trooper. What a tool.

 I live in PA. and marvel at the out of state idiots who sit beside I-80 getting tickets, before and after every Penn State game, undoubtedly all pissed that they can't return to their Alma Mater, while driving their Land Rovers and seven series BMWs with NY,NJ and CT plates, across PA. at 90 MPH. How this tool thought he could drive a Texas plated rig pig mobile through Mass at that speed is beyond me.  That must be one empty cowboy hat, LOL.

Speed limit was 65 mph (105); douche in truck was going 90 mph (145)