• YearOfTheCommieDesktop [they/them]
    hexbear
    13
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    It literally already feels like that here in states that salt the roads heavily in winter.

    People commonly go to other states to buy their bottom of the barrel shitboxes because at least they have solid frames that haven't rusted out yet. feels like most people here (besides the bazingas) drive beat up, smashed in, rusted out, or all three, 10-20 year old vehicles that they just barely keep on the road and functioning. Every winter there are fresh accidents galore and people just keep driving that shit because who can afford a new car, or a repair that costs 1/2 or more what they paid for the car?

    This is probably enabled by the fact there are no government inspections for roadworthiness, and that only liability insurance is required so people can just drive whatever and the cops don't care to pull anyone over for things like: broken or missing headlights, taillights, turn signals, broken exhaust, no tread tires, out of date registration, major fluid leaks, smoking, anything really... unless the driver is brown

      • YearOfTheCommieDesktop [they/them]
        hexbear
        3
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        for me it was the fuel tank skid plate that got that treatment, on the side of the interstate, after it randomly started sagging, catching the wind, and scraping the road as I drove.

        And it was copper wire picard which I later replaced with galvanized strap.

        or numerous other fixes that were similar. I don't do much driving these days but I've had a good number of shitboxes over the years

        And honestly with how dangerous it is to walk on the icy sidewalks (again no municipal clearing and not much enforcement on property owners who don't clear snow/ice), bike on the icy roads in mixed traffic with cars, etc. I have a hard time blaming people for choosing to let the car get smashed up instead of their body...

        I'm young and more or less healthy and pretty cautious and I've still had a couple gnarly falls walking in the winter (ice on sidewalk on a hill, ice hidden underneath snow, etc.) Luckily I didn't sustain any serious injury but someone older or less lucky would have. And it did break some electronics in my bag. And that's not like I'm trekking miles and miles, those were mostly just walking to the bus or somewhere in my neighborhood (1 mile max)

        No falls on my bike yet but it'll probably happen eventually. I have studded tires on it thankfully. I might have to get some slip on studs for my boots too.