Interesting that the F350 Super Duty is about the same weight, but nobody is complaining about them.....

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I agree that a lot of heavy vehicles are on the roadways. So with increased weight and speeds. The type of guardrail must be more robust.

Interesting that the F350 Super Duty is about the same weight, but nobody is complaining about them.....

The F350 is a petrol fueled vehicle. So it usually passes under the radar.
How about the large lorry vehicles in the U.K. ? How much debate do they stir up?

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How about the large lorry vehicles in the U.K. ? How much debate do they stir up?

Not as much, since they aren't used as a daily driver for doing the shopping, picking up the kids from school, heading to the coast or the mountains for a weekend away, visiting friends, etc.

That's what those of us outside of the US can't wrap our heads around- why, instead of using a car, would you use a heavy commercial vehicle as a car? (although things are getting ridiculous here with the number of people buying Landcruiser's and other large heavy 4WD vehicles & SUVs instead of a car, even though it's not used for work, towing or even going on a dirt or gravel road let alone off road...)

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Grant
Darwin NT

A F-350 is a work truck. Some even get outfitted as a ambulance. A lot are sold without a bed and are fitted with whatever specialized bed is needed for the job. A F-250 is a daily driver for some.

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How about the large lorry vehicles in the U.K. ? How much debate do they stir up?

The amount of debate depends on where they are. Not many complain about the 44 tonner trundling along a motorway, but if the same vehicle heads into some posh housing estate to deliver Mrs.Fortigue-Smythe's new swimming pool then....

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

(although things are getting ridiculous here with the number of people buying Landcruiser's and other large heavy 4WD vehicles & SUVs instead of a car, […]

The good old Ute is no longer liked Down Under?

That's what those of us outside of the US can't wrap our heads around- why, instead of using a car, would you use a heavy commercial vehicle as a car?

Status symbol advertising for greater profits.

(although things are getting ridiculous here with the number of people buying Landcruiser's and other large heavy 4WD vehicles & SUVs instead of a car, […]

The good old Ute is no longer liked Down Under?

Ford and Holden no longer manufacture vehicles here.
The only utes these days are generally dual cabs of the Ford Ranger/ Mazda BT-50, Toyota Hilux and ever increasing numbers of Chevy Suburbans & F-150s & F-250s etc.

If you need a ute for work, hauling large trailers etc then a single cab unit is what you need & fair enough.
But when they're mostly dual cabs only used for shopping & driving the kids around??? Never even go on a dirt or gravel road???
Why spend $75,000 to $150,000+ (along with the increased running costs) when $30,0000 gets you a Camry or similar?

As tight as the economy is, there are still plenty of people with more money than sense.

And all the parking spaces & parking garages were all made for Commodore & Falcon sized vehicles, not high clearance 4WDS with roof racks, and bull bars & long tow bars & extra wide wheels and wheel arches & running boards/ bars from the bull bar to the rear bar.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Now that was close to a catastrophe.

Hidden runway bomb explodes just after plane takes off.

A bomb, probably dropped in World War Two, exploded at an airport, around one minute after a passenger plane passed the site.

No one was injured at Miyazaki Airport, in south west Japan, but dozens of flights were cancelled before normal service was resumed.

It is believed this was an American bomb that has been hidden for decades.

A bomb on wheels, transporting school kids :-(
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y0jm7jpx8o

A sad saga of bodge jobs (other phrases may be applied), just a total disregard for the consequences - and so widespread - just leaves me speechless.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

They were suppose to survey the reef, not plough into it.

New Zealand navy ship runs aground and sinks off Samoa, all crew onboard rescued.

New Zealand says it has rescued all 75 crew and passengers from a wrecked navy vessel that ran aground and sank off Samoa while conducting a reef survey.

HMNZS Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday, Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defence Force, said in a statement.

Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing the crew and passengers who had left the ship in lifeboats, Mr Arndell said.

Video and photos published on local media showed the Manawanui, which cost the New Zealand government $NZ103 million ($93 million) in 2018, listing heavily and with plumes of thick grey smoke rising.

The vessel later capsized and was below the surface by 9am local time on Sunday, New Zealand Defence Force said.......

Adding to the reef? Navigational errors suck.

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There are two ways of surveying a reef.
One is to not sink the boat, and the other is to sink the boat. I guess the Kiwi's decided on the second approach :-(

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

You have to expect that when your eyes are looked on a phone instead of the road.

Jack Doherty crashes new McLaren while streaming.

Streamer Jack Doherty has crashed his $300,000 new McLaren 570S after losing control on a wet road.

He was reportedly streaming at the time and the footage appeared to show he was holding and looking at his phone before the crash.

The 20-year-old American YouTuber has since been banned from the platform Kick over the incident.........

That's a costly mistake and the streaming service has done him a favor by banning him from posting dangerous videos.

Some id10t somewhere would think that simultaneously driving/live-streaming is 'cool' a thing to do, kill someone and/or themselves, then sue him & the streaming service for their own stupidity.

Surveillance video shows boy, 10, driving stolen car across Minnesota playground

A 10--year-old boy was placed in police custody after he drove a stolen vehicle recklessly across a crowded Minnesota school playground, authorities stated.

Officers responded to Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary School on Sept. 20, according to Minneapolis police. Surveillance video shows the car driving on the grass and sidewalk close to the busy playground multiple times. School staff moved children out of harm's way, helping to prevent anyone from being struck.

The 10-year-old boy was identified as the driver and was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center on Thursday for probable cause second-degree assault.
Police stated the boy has been arrested at least twice previously for crimes related to auto theft. He is also a suspect in more than 12 cases ranging from auto theft to robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the family is cooperative with police and has asked for help working with their son.

That Kiwi naval ship is causing some problems for the local inhabitants and aquatic life.

New Zealand launches inquiry into sinking of HMNZS Manawanui amid growing environmental concern.

......The embarrassing incident is NZ's first naval loss during peacetime, and its first since World War II.

It has also launched an urgent clean-up job, and investigation into whether the wreckage can be salvaged from the sea floor.

Defence Minister Judith Collins said her top priority, given all crew were safely transported from the sinking vessel early on Sunday, was "the environmental side".

"It's got a lot of oil on board. It's got all sorts of things. It's got lubricating oil, hydraulic oil, diesel … it's got a lot of stuff in it," she told Newstalk ZB.

"I don't think we can leave it like that."

Samoan man Manu Percival, interviewed by Radio NZ on Monday, said oil was identifiable along the coast for several kilometres which would have a "massive impact".

"The impact is crazy. There's so many green sea turtles in that area. So many sting rays," he said.

"Right where the ship went down just inland, there's a huge lagoon of brackish water and it houses all sort of animals. Coconut crabs, everything. They'll all be affected. Everything.....

Maybe not a "Knight of the Road", but certainly as "Drunk as a Lord"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyz07rd129o

Thankfully nobody was hurt.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

A hoon on an unregisterable dirt bike gets a surprise.

Wild dashcam footage has captured the moment a speeding dirt bike collides with a car at a Canberra roundabout, sending the rider flying onto the roof.

He was lucky to be able to flee the scene.

Beyond belief.

TikToker Jack Doherty has turned to begging for donations after crashing a $300,000 McLaren while texting and driving in the rain.

Controversial streamer Jack Doherty has been roasted online for begging viewers for donations after crashing his brand-new McLaren 570S supercar while texting and driving in the rain.

In a TikTok Live titled ‘Help me make back my McLaren’, Doherty asked, “everyone double tap the stream, we’re almost at a million likes, guys, let’s see how fast we can hit it”.

“I’m going to follow everyone back once we hit it, appreciate y’all,” he said.

Responding to a viewer question, he said, “‘How’d you crash your car?’ I hydroplaned, I literally hydroplaned, I’m in a McLaren in the pouring rain, what do you expect? You guys have never drove a McLaren.”

Thousands of viewers simply commented with the word “gay”, one clip from the livestream showed, even as donations poured in.

Many on social media were bemused. “Everyone who’s giving gifts should not have a right to speak,” one X user commented.

Another wrote, “Donating money to a kid that drives multiple supercars is wild lol.”..........