Your unpopular (non-political, non-offensive) opinions!

[rikitikitavi]

Driving license should (actually) be earned, not just given to people showing up to rudimentary exams that are embarrassingly easy. I passed two class 5 (car) in different countries (non-transferable licenses) and class 6 (moto) all on the first try... and then I hear people who went through the same driving schools as me, had more experience than me (cause majority gets the car/moto before the exam, so they can practice, sometimes even for months)... and still f****** fail the exam.

 

Better and more observant drivers (lower quantity due to better filtering) on the road - less congestion, less pollution, less consumption, safer streets, happier people

 

Although it is not just driving - I see people hug the sidewalk or not able to walk straight and (almost)bump into you daily... so... there is more there... sedentary people with 0 coordination and 0 observation skills?! Should this be taught in the elementary schools?!

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, rikitikitavi said:

not just given to people showing up to rudimentary exams that are embarrassingly easy.

My niece in law had her license 8 days before she totaled her car. 8 days........ She got no punishment. Due to circumstances the car had full coverage and she got like $9500 check from the insurance company. I guess the responding officer gave her a ticket, but it was lated deleted. (We have a friend who works for Uncle Sam and is friends with all the local Sheriff's and she checked on the status on the ticket). So she got no fine, no points and got money to buy a new car. For the record it was her fault, but Michigan is a No Fault state. Her boyfriend broke his pelvis in the accident and was later fired due to the fact he walks to work as he doesn't have a license. 

[IPD]

1 hour ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Public money should not be used towards rebates for electric vehicles at least until they're not priced like luxury vehicles. If you can afford the cheapest electric vehicle new which is roughly the price of a new Mercedes A Class, you don't need help purchasing that car. That money is better spent for better electrified public transportation for the masses. 

 

Similarly electric cars should not be exempt from other road use fees such as congestion charges, parking fees, road tax, etc. If you can afford an expensive electric vehicle, you don't need those fees subsidized. 

I am a firm believer that electric cars are a fool's errand.  The technology has great promise--but the interstate transportation grid is the wrong focus.  How about we focus on stuff like outdoor power equipment, motorcycles, and lawn mowers, and things of that sort.  Stuff that you know will never be used outside of the immediate property; or in the case of motorcycles--likely never used outside of the local area.

 

The <$10,000 electric motorcycle market pretty much doesn't exist.  Seems to me that would be a great place to start offering subsidies/rebates.  No sane person is spending $30,000 on a Harley Livewire--those who can afford it are merely doing it for novelty status; it makes 0 financial sense.

 

And these motorcycles need viable battery replacements.  Not the $20,000 that it takes to replace batteries on a Tesla.  That's a gently-used-gasoline-engine-car-price.  This "save the planet" BS is going to contribute more cars to landfills as these electrics wear out and the cost of keeping them going is prohibitive.

[IPD]

57 minutes ago, JohnathonWick said:

So we should all just give up and do nothing to improve our lives and die in a climate catastrophe got it

 

52 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Well remember 50% of the US population doesn't believe in climate change. A good portion of the population is already tax poor as it is, so no funding. The government is corrupt. Im just telling you how it is. People are more worried about putting food on their table and a roof over there heads then worried about climate change and mass transit, considering inflation is over 8% now. Also according to the experts EV's are the solution to climate change. Again just tell you how I see it presented. Also again Im for mass transit and high speed rail, but just like I know Social Security will be depleted when I get to retirement age, I know that Ill never see mass transit or high speed rail in the US in my life time. 

Well TBF, I think most people believe in climate change; they just disagree about the man-made assertions about it.  Moreover, forcing the population of developed countries to live like cavemen "for the planet"...while other countries plainly give 0 shits about the environment--fixes nothing.

 

And I have yet to be convinced that the CO2 from obtaining and refining rare-earth required to create batteries + CO2 from power-generation < CO2 from IC engines.

[rikitikitavi]

24 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

My niece in law had her license 8 days before she totaled her car. 8 days........ She got no punishment. Due to circumstances the car had full coverage and she got like $9500 check from the insurance company. I guess the responding officer gave her a ticket, but it was lated deleted. (We have a friend who works for Uncle Sam and is friends with all the local Sheriff's and she checked on the status on the ticket). So she got no fine, no points and got money to buy a new car. For the record it was her fault, but Michigan is a No Fault state. Her boyfriend broke his pelvis in the accident and was later fired due to the fact he walks to work as he doesn't have a license. 

F**d up and sad.

 

17 minutes ago, IPD said:

I am a firm believer that electric cars are a fool's errand.

Well it is more like a patch work atm and proof of concept. There should be some better ways to fix/improve the transportation system.

 

14 minutes ago, IPD said:

Well TBF, I think most people believe in climate change; they just disagree about the man-made assertions about it.  Moreover, forcing the population of developed countries to live like cavemen "for the planet"...while other countries plainly give 0 shits about the environment--fixes nothing.

Afaik, you don't have be extreme and live like a caveman or sacrifice many luxuries of modern age to reduce your footprint on the planet.

[Bombastinator]

30 minutes ago, rikitikitavi said:

Driving license should (actually) be earned, not just given to people showing up to rudimentary exams that are embarrassingly easy. I passed two class 5 (car) in different countries (non-transferable licenses) and class 6 (moto) all on the first try... and then I hear people who went through the same driving schools as me, had more experience than me (cause majority gets the car/moto before the exam, so they can practice, sometimes even for months)... and still f****** fail the exam.

 

Better and more observant drivers (lower quantity due to better filtering) on the road - less congestion, less pollution, less consumption, safer streets, happier people

 

Although it is not just driving - I see people hug the sidewalk or not able to walk straight and (almost)bump into you daily... so... there is more there... sedentary people with 0 coordination and 0 observation skills?! Should this be taught in the elementary schools?!

So you’re saying because the test (which apparently varies a lot by country) was easy for you but not for some, a larger number of people should not be able to drive.  Or walk, apparently.  So what would you put them in?  Wheelchairs?  Imagine the life of one of these people. 

[JohnathonWick]

Just now, Bombastinator said:

So you’re saying because the test (which apparently varies a lot by country) was easy for you but not for some, a larger number of people should not be able to drive.  Or walk, apparently.  So what would you put them in?  Wheelchairs?  Imagine the life of one of these people. 

they could walk, bike, or take public transport

[Bombastinator]

Just now, JohnathonWick said:

they could walk, bike, or take public transport

Apparently not walk.  That one was at the bottom.  Some countries have much harsher drivers tests than others.  It did used to be taught btw.  Called “driver’s Ed”. A lot of things have been cut from school programs over time.  Gym didn’t used to exist, for example.  Everyone was on a sports team.  They weren’t always very good teams.  This is where the term “junior varsity” comes from.  Something else that doesn’t exist anymore except for schools for rich children.

[Donut417]

10 minutes ago, JohnathonWick said:

bike

Reminds me of that morning that I drove to work and someone was biking. The road I used was posted at 55MPH, people generally did 60 to 70 MPH because its Metro Detroit an no one gives a shit. The road is a two lane high way each direction. This guy was in the right lane peddling his heart out on his bike, as disgruntled people passed him in the left lane doing 60 or 70 MPH. Biking in this area can prove deadly. Because no one cares. Im one of the few who follows the law and the speed limit. Every day Im passed by people speeding, just to be stopped at the same red light. These are the people who need to be to work at 8 AM and when you look at the clock its 8:15 AM because they have no time management skills to speak of. I worked with someone that was literally 5 to 10 min late EVERY DAY.  

[rikitikitavi]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

So you’re saying because the test (which apparently varies a lot by country) was easy for you but not for some, a larger number of people should not be able to drive.  Or walk, apparently.  So what would you put them in?  Wheelchairs?  Imagine the life of one of these people. 

Yes. That driver who blocks the intersection, or parks crooked taking over the extra space, or hugs/slowpokes the lane creating congestion, or doesn't know how to turn... these people should not be permitted to drive. That's my experience from some regions of North America, and post-Soviet countries.

Either you are someone I describe, or you live in a place where such thing is not common. I hope it is the latter.

 

59 minutes ago, JohnathonWick said:

hey could walk, bike, or take public transport

Yeah, about the bicycles... at least in BC, Canada - it is the same story as drivers, so cyclist should also have some education and a licence... cause...

Here's a story - bicyclist rams me - automatically my fault cause no videocam or witnesses - had to pay the insurance to cover cyclist and also pay the shop to fix my door, cause cyclists are at no fault in such. Or my gf just a week ago going into the ditch cause a cyclist decides to go off the bike lane right into her front fender (apparently to overtake another cyclist). And that's not mentioning every other 'almost happened' story.

 

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

Gym didn’t used to exist, for example.  Everyone was on a sports team.

Here you go - people aren't 'physical' enough. Every other day - encounters with people with tunnel vision... or who can't walk more than a couple of blocks without taking a cab.

[Donut417]

12 minutes ago, rikitikitavi said:

ugs/slowpokes the lane creating congestion

Around me this is caused by people who follow the law and do the speed limit and you have about 1/3 of the people on the road who do care about the law and speed limits. For instance if the sign on the side of the road is 45, thats what Im doing, because doing more could result in a traffic ticket or getting shot ( I mean it is the US and Police can be unpredictable). No amount of training is going to teach people respect for the law. 

[rikitikitavi]

11 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

For instance if the sign on the side of the road is 45, thats what Im doing, because doing more could result in a traffic ticket or getting shot

Sure, drive the speed limit, but not while in the left lane abreast another car to your right and blocking everyone from passing you... that's the baseline courtesy.

[Donut417]

4 minutes ago, rikitikitavi said:

Sure, drive the speed limit, but not while in the left lane abreast another car to your right and blocking everyone from passing you... that's the baseline courtesy.

Courtesy doesnt exist on Michigan roads. Most of the roads I take the work are one lane each direction. Every day theirs that one DICK HEAD you has his front bumper 6 inches from my rear bumper. Being late for work is not my problem. In my opinion if you get caught multiple times speeding they should require you to take some kind of driving course or something that teaches the law. Speeding is illegal PERIOD. Also these are the same pecker heads who pass a school bus with their lights on, which is VERY illegal. Its so much of a problem they are talking about putting license plate cameras on School busses so they can catch the offenders. In my opinion the issue is not the people following the law and no one should have to be courteous to the people who are not following the law. 

 

In my opinion we have a fundamental issue in our society where people just dont care. Case in point some guy today was break checking and obstructing traffic over some road rage. He was raging against a dump truck behind him. The dump truck was one of the county road crews, basically the government. Why would any one break check a dump truck or Semi truck? Its because in their screwed up head they think they are above the law and their shit dont stink and that kind of attitude needs to be dealt with. 

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, rikitikitavi said:

Yes. That driver who blocks the intersection, or parks crooked taking over the extra space, or hugs/slowpokes the lane creating congestion, or doesn't know how to turn... these people should not be permitted to drive. That's my experience from some regions of North America, and post-Soviet countries.

Either you are someone I describe, or you live in a place where such thing is not common. I hope it is the latter.

 

Yeah, about the bicycles... at least in BC, Canada - it is the same story as drivers, so cyclist should also have some education and a licence... cause...

Here's a story - bicyclist rams me - automatically my fault cause no videocam or witnesses - had to pay the insurance to cover cyclist and also pay the shop to fix my door, cause cyclists are at no fault in such. Or my gf just a week ago going into the ditch cause a cyclist decides to go off the bike lane right into her front fender (apparently to overtake another cyclist). And that's not mentioning every other 'almost happened' story.

 

Here you go - people aren't 'physical' enough. Every other day - encounters with people with tunnel vision... or who can't walk more than a couple of blocks without taking a cab.

The problem is everyone is stupid some of the time and the ones that aren’t are insane.  All it takes is not paying attention.  Never dropping anything ever is not what people do.  They can drop it less often though. The trick is finding the people that drop it so often they are a problem. People are less attentive than they think they are just as they don’t see as much as they think they do.  A thing that the entire profession of stage magic more or less lives off of almost entirely.   What you are describing is something called hyper vigilance and it drives people crazy.  People have thought about this one for a very long time.  That’s several other professions. 
 

As to tunnel vision, believe it or not everyone has tunnel vision.  Most of vision is just memory.  Ask any stage magician.when people get brain damage and experience tunnel vision the part of the brain that is affected is often not the visual cortex.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Bombastinator

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, rikitikitavi said:

Sure, drive the speed limit, but not while in the left lane abreast another car to your right and blocking everyone from passing you... that's the baseline courtesy.

It’s also likely illegal.  Do it too often any you become a problem.  There is an age at which you have to start taking your drivers test every year.  It varies by state.

[Donut417]

6 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

 There is an age at which you have to start taking your drivers test every year.  It varies by state.

My dad is 65, he has never had to take another test. Michigan doesnt care. Hell I think at a certain point they dont even require you to come in any more to take a new picture, you just send them money and they send you a new license. 

[VirusDumb]

Motorcycles are more suitable as commuting and grocery getting vehicles than cars.

[pythonmegapixel]

30 minutes ago, VirusDumb said:

Motorcycles are more suitable as commuting and grocery getting vehicles than cars.

Or indeed conventional bicycles, with the correct infrastructure in place.

[VirusDumb]

1 minute ago, pythonmegapixel said:

Or indeed conventional bicycles, with the correct infrastructure in place.

nah, bicycles aren't good if your workplace or the market is far away.

[pythonmegapixel]

29 minutes ago, VirusDumb said:

nah, bicycles aren't good if your workplace or the market is far away.

High speed rail is great on land but no good if there's an ocean in the way. Farm tractors are great for driving over fields but rubbish for highway journeys. Cars are fine for individuals or small groups, but if lots of people want to make the same journey, a bus or train works better. And, combined with the correct infrastructure, bicycles are an efficient, convenient way of travelling within a small to medium-sized area but useless if your destination is too far away.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that every transport mode has its place, and the fact that it doesn't serve a particular need doesn't mean that it shouldn't be used when it is suitable - so if you live too far away from your local supermarket to cycle, or don't have the physical strength to get your shopping home on a bicycle, that doesn't mean a bicycle is of no use to people who live closer.

[VirusDumb]

2 hours ago, pythonmegapixel said:

High speed rail is great on land but no good if there's an ocean in the way. Farm tractors are great for driving over fields but rubbish for highway journeys. Cars are fine for individuals or small groups, but if lots of people want to make the same journey, a bus or train works better. And, combined with the correct infrastructure, bicycles are an efficient, convenient way of travelling within a small to medium-sized area but useless if your destination is too far away.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that every transport mode has its place, and the fact that it doesn't serve a particular need doesn't mean that it shouldn't be used when it is suitable - so if you live too far away from your local supermarket to cycle, or don't have the physical strength to get your shopping home on a bicycle, that doesn't mean a bicycle is of no use to people who live closer.

my opinion is just that if you are just a single guy or don't have kids, you can use motorcycles or mopeds for going to workplaces and supermarkets, as they are usually cheaper than cars, more fuel efficient than cars, and can slip in between cars in traffic jams, so in my opinion they are better than cars (in that particular situation)in my opinion, as for bicycles are only suitable if your workplace is only a few kilometres away, or you're really a proffessional cyclist, otherwise, you'd get tired by the time you get to work, or wont reach in time.

[Bombastinator]

3 hours ago, pythonmegapixel said:

Or indeed conventional bicycles, with the correct infrastructure in place.

Situational.  Depends on distances and layout.  Many agree with you though. The history of the most popular and most copied vehicle in the world, the Honda cub, is interesting, at least to me.  It was originally designed as a service vehicle for ramen shops.

[HanZie82]

4 hours ago, VirusDumb said:

nah, bicycles aren't good if your workplace or the market is far away.

Dont ever say that to any Dutch person!!!!

Also electrical bikes.
I dont have any stamina, having one i can easily work 40 miles away and bike there.
 

I think comments like these come from ignorance. Sorry, dont mean to offend, we cant know everything.
But with the right infrastructrure the bycicle is indeed a valid alternative. Also reason why there's so many over here.

 

Specially if you see next picture, even tho very inefficient use of space since most bike storage is 2 levels now.

Just look at how many bikes you can park in the same area as if you would park a car. (also our cars are generally smaller then US variants).

So yeah want to be efficient use a bicycle, want to take up more room then needed, be lazy and stink up the air get a car. i joke. (every means of transport has its cons and its pro's, dismissing just one because you dont know all the pro's and con's it a bit dimm.).

 

[IkeaGnome]

4 minutes ago, HanZie82 said:

Dont ever say that to any Dutch person!!!!

Also electrical bikes.
I dont have any stamina, having one i can easily work 40 miles away and bike there.

Wanna bike my commute?

99.9% shitpost btw.

[HanZie82]

1 minute ago, IkeaGnome said:

Wanna bike my commute?

99.9% shitpost btw.

Only if you do mine.