In progressive circles, the most recent clarification for every thing from growing numbers of pedestrian deaths to local weather change to that annoying seam in your underpants is the phenomenon they name “automotive bloat:”
Not solely are the automobiles 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 favored this as an evidence. Sure, a few of us are driving some moronically giant autos, and definitely the general measurement of our autos isn’t serving to. Plus, quite a lot of automobiles at present–even small sedans–appear to have horrible visibility and make you’re feeling such as you’re sitting in a closet with a louvered door. I rented one in all 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 automobiles to SUVs didn’t occur in a single day; it occurred progressively. (A cursory Web search means that in 2010 the typical automotive on the highway was 10 years outdated.)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 automotive which lately has changed the Camry because the bestselling “automotive” in America. (The bestselling car after all has lengthy been the Ford F-150.) Most of the automobiles the David Zipper sorts name “SUVs,” and those individuals are shopping for now, are actually what the automotive publications name “crossovers” that developed from the sedans that preceded them, and are mainly 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 clarify the sudden reversal in pedestrian deaths. Actually an F-150 is larger now than it was, besides, the concept all of America out of the blue hopped in jacked-up vehicles within the span of a yr strikes me as a handy mischaracterization.
However what did change nearly 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 through digital supply units in portions that can immediately soften your face. Plus, it’s typically consumed whereas driving, and definitely in New York Metropolis you’ll be able to odor it wafting out of just about each different automotive–I may even odor it from different automobiles after I’m in my very own automotive on the freeway. Between the telephones and the weed, it looks as if in case you’re keen on understanding why pedestrian deaths are growing that that is one thing value contemplating, as clever individuals have famous:
Alas, you’re not likely allowed to query the pervasiveness of marijuana in progressive circles, so no one ever implicates it–although it does sneak in often, as on 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 “automobiles are evil” narrative so we simply maintain listening to about “automotive bloat” as a substitute.
By the way in which, opposite to the “automotive bloat” article, Europeans are completely driving SUVs too:
In addition 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 unquestionably a factor, as tires maintain getting fatter because of the gravel pheonomenon (or, in Gravel-ese, the GRVL PHNMNN). In reality, 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 one more reminder that gravel shouldn’t be new or authentic in any manner. On this case, the largest “downside” 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 aspect 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 permit vowels?
Anyway, it’s actually too unhealthy all of the gravel grinders are working out of locations to grind collectively in giant numbers:
You hate to see it. However no less than the bike trade 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.
