In progressive circles, the most recent rationalization for all the pieces from rising numbers of pedestrian deaths to local weather change to that annoying seam in your underpants is the phenomenon they name “automobile bloat:”
Not solely are the vehicles getting larger, however different international locations are literally getting safer, so it’s obtained to be our big-ass SUVs, proper?
I’ve by no means actually preferred this as a proof. Sure, a few of us are driving some moronically giant automobiles, and definitely the general dimension of our automobiles isn’t serving to. Plus, a number of vehicles immediately–even small sedans–appear to have horrible visibility and make you are feeling such as you’re sitting in a closet with a louvered door. I rented one in every of these the opposite day and don’t even know why they hassle with the rear windshield in any respect:
However what bothers me is that, after a gradual decline, pedestrian deaths began going up once more in 2010:
In the meantime, the swap from vehicles to SUVs didn’t occur in a single day; it occurred steadily. (A cursory Web search means that in 2010 the typical automobile on the highway was 10 years outdated.) Moreover, “SUV” is a lazy-ass time period, and there’s an enormous distinction between a Chevy Tahoe and a Toyota RAV4, the automobile which in recent times has changed the Camry because the bestselling “automobile” in America. (The bestselling car after all has lengthy been the Ford F-150.) Lots of the vehicles the David Zipper varieties name “SUVs,” and those individuals are shopping for now, are actually what the automobile publications name “crossovers” that advanced from the sedans that preceded them, and are principally simply hatchbacks and sedans on botox. The individuals who as soon as would have pushed round in Taurus wagons now drive round in Escape crossovers, which doesn’t appear to be ample to elucidate the sudden reversal in pedestrian deaths. Definitely an F-150 is larger now than it was, besides, the concept all of America abruptly hopped in jacked-up vehicles within the span of a yr strikes me as a handy mischaracterization.
However what did change virtually in a single day round that point? The appearance and widespread adoption of the smartphone:
And what about “weed bloat?” Not solely is marijuana more and more authorized and socially acceptable, however it’s additionally now exponentially stronger than it was and consumed by way of digital supply units in portions that can immediately soften your face. Plus, it’s usually consumed whereas driving, and definitely in New York Metropolis you may odor it wafting out of just about each different automobile–I may even odor it from different vehicles once I’m in my very own automobile on the freeway. Between the telephones and the weed, it looks like should you’re excited about understanding why pedestrian deaths are rising that that is one thing price contemplating, as sensible individuals have famous:
Alas, you’re probably not allowed to query the pervasiveness of marijuana in progressive circles, so no one ever implicates it–although it does sneak in often, as in this latest Streetblog article:
This driving teacher’s observations would appear to point that we’re certainly within the midst of an epidemic of stoned and distracted morons:
However that doesn’t actually match the “vehicles are evil” narrative so we simply maintain listening to about “automobile bloat” as an alternative.
By the best way, opposite to the “automobile bloat” article, Europeans are completely driving SUVs too:
Additionally they have smartphones, although I do not know if stoned driving is as commonplace over there as it’s over right here.
In the meantime, “bike bloat” is certainly a factor, as tires maintain getting fatter due to the gravel pheonomenon (or, in Gravel-ese, the GRVL PHNMNN). In actual fact, gravel is getting so bloated that the races are getting banned:
That is just about the identical factor that occurred with mountain bikes many years in the past (municipalities and land managers banning bikes from trails), and yet one more reminder that gravel shouldn’t be new or authentic in any method. On this case, the largest “drawback” appears to be in Eire, the place the races are actually banned altogether:
Gravel likes to promote itself because the feel-good inclusive different to highway biking, however there’s a darkish facet to all of it, and apparently it entails shitting on individuals’s lawns:
This occurred at SBT GRVL, which raises one other essential query:
If gravel is so inclusive, why doesn’t it enable vowels?
Anyway, it’s actually too dangerous all of the gravel grinders are operating out of locations to grind collectively in giant numbers:
You hate to see it. However no less than the bike business retains determining new locations to place batteries on bikes:
I’ve misplaced rely at this level, however I’m pretty positive this takes the variety of batteries on a mountain bike into the triple digits:
Lastly, no less than one Craigslist vendor hopes that the classic BMX bubble has but to pop:
Although his neighbor throughout the road is banking on the power of the highway bike market:
That’s the wildest storage flex I’ve ever seen in a Craigslist advert.
