Edit: What do you judge them for?

  • Mark@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Yeah Sorry, I should have said I’m not American. I’m Dutch. I’ve been to the USA and these things “fit” better in a car-centric society. At least there is room.

    But even there I still question it’s usefulness, you cannot see right in front of you. You’d miss wheelchairs, children, etc. And van’s can usually carry more the the flatbed of a truck.

    • Opinionhaver@feddit.uk
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      1 day ago

      I’m not American either - I’m from Finland. I’ve been to the Netherlands, and I can’t quite imagine owning a truck there either.

      However, your criticism was about clean, scuff-free trucks broadly. If you had said that you judge people for owning a truck when they have no practical need for one, I wouldn’t have any issue with that. But that’s not what you said.

      I don’t own one of those gigantic American trucks, but a mid-size one - think Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara, or Isuzu D-Max. The external dimensions and hood height on those are comparable to similarly sized work vans. So when someone needs a vehicle capable of hauling cargo, it’s basically a choice between a truck and a van - and there’s not much difference between the two in terms of pedestrian safety.

      I’d even argue a truck might be safer, because you generally have better all-around visibility. Vans tend to have very limited rear visibility due to the enclosed cargo area. You could argue that a van is more convenient for hauling certain types of cargo, but that’s a separate discussion about practicality - not safety.

      • Mark@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Well I agree. My first reaction was a bit tongue-in-cheek. On purpose to conjure a very specific image; A person owning a huge monster truck without the intention of using it for it’s intended purpose but for propping up one’s ego.

        A Toyoto Hilux is not something I would consider. More along the lines of: https://www.hotcars.com/the-sickest-lifted-trucks-weve-seen-in-2020/

        Or these: p.s. Vans have camera’s these days, allowing you to even see the ground underneath your fender. So even better then you could ever get with just your mirror’s.