Societal Collapse Illustrated with Pickup Trucks

A couple months ago, I shared another video from this content creator. There, he described the decline of modern cars. Here, he specifically discusses the problem with modern pickup trucks.

I don't currently drive a pickup. I drive a quirky little economy car. It's not the best automobile for me but it's what I can afford. I could greatly benefit from 4-wheel-drive in winter and when driving up logging roads in the mountains, and I would like to have cargo capacity for odd chores,, but prices for new and used pickups are insane right now.

When I was a kid, my dad had a early 1980s Dodge Ram with a basic slant six engine. It wasn't a powerhouse, but it absolutely exuded utility. Sure, it only had 2 doors and a bench seat for up to a mere 3 passengers, but it could tow stuff. It could be loaded with cargo and move that to where it was needed. I was small, but the bed was still accessible. It was a truck that could do truck stuff.

Later on in the later 90s, he sold that beast for a smaller Mazda. he didn't need the full cargo capacity of a half-ton pickup, but he still needed to do truck stuff. It would still haul a boat, carry a load of landscaping materials, and got better fuel economy as a commuter rig as well. It served all roles effectively.

Now, trucks suck. Sorry, fanbois, it's true. Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota, it doesn't matter, they're all crap. While metallurgy and manufacturing have undeniably improved, the regulatory framework governing design combined with consumer demand have led to a jack-of-all-trades truck that tries to be a work rig and family hauler while failing at both. In a bid for profits, the corporations shoehorn in every new technological failure point they can to add the illusion of value while driving prices higher faster than even our absurd rate of inflation.

Meanwhile, as cabs grow, bed shrink. Hood height creates visibility challenges and increases danger to pedestrians hit by these rolling mansions masquerading as vehicles. Heaven help you if one of these rolling apartment complexes blocks your view at an intersection. Buyers should be required to demonstrate some basic competence at parking such behemoths in a standard parking lot before driving off the dealer's lot, too.

Unfortunately, demand for real pickups from buyers who still need to do truck stuff instead of show off in the parking lot has also inflated the cost of those older vehicles without any unnecessary bells and whistles. Clapped-out trucks command an absurd premium even when they basically need a new drivetrain and suspension system while the body is rusting away.

Once upon a time, and old pickup was a viable first vehicle for a rural kid who needed transportation and a starting point for a career with a work truck. Those days are gone. Now we have craptastic plastic and obsolete electronics masquerading as an upgrade from the past.

Fuck this reality. Fuel economy is no better, but utility is worse, and costs are astronomical. We were promised flying cars and fusion batteries, Instead, we get inflation and corporate collusion.