We are in a gas crisis in all but the name, gas in my area is over $6 a gallon and even in states where it’s normally “cheap” (taxpayer subsidized) it’s still well over $4. Its been six years since COVID and since then we saw it peak, drop to slightly lower but still higher than ever before covid, and now this. It also appears that gas, even if it does go down, will never be “cheap” again.

and yet, even with all of that I still see new giant cars rolling off the logs. Giant Santa Fes, brand new F150s, brand new plates. People are still buying these. Not luxury “I can spend whatever I want” rich folks, everyday people buying these things.

What is going on in peoples heads? I know most never take gas into account when buying a car and then are all shocked pikachu at the pump, but seriously even now it’s not an issue?

I have seen maybe, maybe one new car that was a hybrid out of my anecdotal experience. No one considering those, or an EV, or god forbid biking or taking transit. (In my area both are very viable alternatives).

I’m just so exasperated at how stupid people are being. They think 50k for a car is expensive and then never take into account what powers the damn thing.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

  • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.techOPEnglish
    6·
    21 days ago

    There is actually, it is called “crash compatibility”. When everyone drives small cars or roughly the same sized cars it’s considered crash-compatible, meaning the cars will crumple correctly. With everyone driving 2-ton tanks now though that’s more or less gone out the window, as you driving a reasonable car compared to someone who was convinced that they needed a military vehicle to pick up groceries, theirs will win. I’m definitely not defending that though, because it did kick off this arms race, where now it’s “Well I killed everyone else in this accident, but I survived” when before it was simply “Everyone (probably) survived”

    • Dan@aus.social
      2·
      2 days ago

      @scrubbles @HiddenLayer555 i recall a few months ago walking down a main road near my house and witnessing the aftermath of a serious accident.
      Fire and Rescue were there cutting a family out of a destroyed BMW sedan, with paramedics trying to stabilise the trapped occupants… Did not look good.
      It’s not a very fast road, but the sedan was hit by a massive (by Australian standards) pickup truck that had basically driven over the car from behind.
      If it had been a similar sized sedan there would have been some dented panels and an argument between the drivers about insurance…
      Huge cars at killing people. Australia road safely starts are getting worse at a rate that tracks with the number of those trucks sold.