New Rant Thread

[Twelvefret]

I gave trouble keeping up with the flow of this thread. I post an example of fake news regarding a pick up. Then the flow turns into a rant about people between the ages of 13 to 28 buying expensive pickups. This is proceeded by a rant about this same age demographic purchasing sports cars and Hummers, which is no longer a viable brand. Then I am asked where you can get a $1500 pickup. I respond and a member says this isn't possible in where they live. Now the topic is Facebook.

 

[Zorro]

Roughly anywhere from 4 to 8 percent can afford to buy a pickup truck, keep in mind there are young generations who are millionaire in their early twenties.

I’ve seen younger generations millionaire can afford to buy a two hundred thousand dollar car, and a multi million dollar house.

The younger generation have always tried to project an image of wealth, often based on overstretching credit.

During the so-called "Yuppie" boom of the 1980's i worked with and knew many contemporary professionals who were up to their neck in debt, but still called their generation "the wealth creators".

6 bedroom house + BMW + lots of clothes and holidays, leveraged off multiple loans and credit / store cards.

 

[Rufusdog]

I gave trouble keeping up with the flow of this thread. I post an example of fake news regarding a pick up. Then the flow turns into a rant about people between the ages of 13 to 28 buying expensive pickups. This is proceeded by a rant about this same age demographic purchasing sports cars and Hummers, which is no longer a viable brand. Then I am asked where you can get a $1500 pickup. I respond and a member says this isn't possible in where they live. Now the topic is Facebook.

It is the “New Rant Thread” after all. Happy New Year chaps.

 

[chazt]

What’s with the blindingly bright headlights on cars these days? Yeah, I get it, the lights’ output have been boosted for safety’s sake, but I can’t stand driving at night anymore. Oncoming vehicles’ headlights seem freakishly bright. It’s like they’re stabbing through my eyeballs with piercing beams. And if it rains? Forget about it! Nowadays, if it rains at night I stay put. If I’ve made plans they stand a good chance of being cancelled. And wtf is with all the people who feel the need to run their high beams on well lit highways and city streets?! Turn ‘em the eff off!
Thank you, rant over.

 

[Northam Saint]

What’s with the blindingly bright headlights on cars these days? Yeah, I get it, the lights’ output have been boosted for safety’s sake, but I can’t stand driving at night anymore. Oncoming vehicles’ headlights seem freakishly bright. It’s like they’re stabbing through my eyeballs with piercing beams. And if it rains? Forget about it! Nowadays, if it rains at night I stay put. If I’ve made plans they stand a good chance of being cancelled. And wtf is with all the people who feel the need to run their high beams on well lit highways and city streets?! Turn ‘em the eff off!
Thank you, rant over.

They are indeed very bright these LED lights they fit now. Not sure if they all do it but mine go through a self levelling routine when I start the car. They move up and down on their own until they are happy. They adjust when driving too, all very technical and no doubt expensive to fix should they go faulty.

Whilst they do light the road ahead brilliantly I struggle due to the cataract in my left eye. The coloured halo they cause me is annoying and like you say when wet like you say it makes it much worse. Seems as well on some cars now they have an auto dip when on hi beam to stop dazzling others. But even on dipped they are still very bright.

 

[R181]

The younger generation have always tried to project an image of wealth, often based on overstretching credit.

During the so-called "Yuppie" boom of the 1980's i worked with and knew many contemporary professionals who were up to their neck in debt, but still called their generation "the wealth creators".

6 bedroom house + BMW + lots of clothes and holidays, leveraged off multiple loans and credit / store cards.

Well, it is called deficit spending and governments have been doing it for years.

My parent's generation had few if any credit cards and they were paid off in full when due. They normally saved up to pay cash for things and the only long-term debt they had was a mortgage which eventually was paid off too. They drove used cars and let someone else absorb the high initial depreciation on new cars. Vacations were short weekend trips by car and not the 2 vacations a year to the Caribbean. In the end they were net savers and could pass on their wealth to us baby boomers. This type of fiscal prudence was likely the result of surviving the great depression and a world war.

All that is quite a contrast to what later generations have devolved to.

Both my current wife and I inherited most our parent's financial ways and that has stood us in good stead over the years. Our modest home has been mortgage free for many years, I retired at 56 with a good company pension plan and benefits and we have savings. The end result is that we are comfortable in our retirement. To me that was what being middle class got you.

As far as current generations go, I think they can go screw themselves if they haven't figured out the mess that they have gotten themselves into.

Bob

 

[SpeedyPC]

What’s with the blindingly bright headlights on cars these days? Yeah, I get it, the lights’ output have been boosted for safety’s sake, but I can’t stand driving at night anymore. Oncoming vehicles’ headlights seem freakishly bright. It’s like they’re stabbing through my eyeballs with piercing beams. And if it rains? Forget about it! Nowadays, if it rains at night I stay put. If I’ve made plans they stand a good chance of being cancelled. And wtf is with all the people who feel the need to run their high beams on well lit highways and city streets?! Turn ‘em the eff off!
Thank you, rant over.

Spoiler: MY EYES!!

 

[Chris]

What’s with the blindingly bright headlights on cars these days? Yeah, I get it, the lights’ output have been boosted for safety’s sake, but I can’t stand driving at night anymore. Oncoming vehicles’ headlights seem freakishly bright. It’s like they’re stabbing through my eyeballs with piercing beams. And if it rains? Forget about it! Nowadays, if it rains at night I stay put. If I’ve made plans they stand a good chance of being cancelled. And wtf is with all the people who feel the need to run their high beams on well lit highways and city streets?! Turn ‘em the eff off!
Thank you, rant over.

It is a massive pain in the arse, especially with the number of SUV / crossover things on the road so they're not only stupidly bright but they're high up if you're driving a normal car. My daily commute is entirely on unlit roads so on a daily basis I'm having to deal with some ignoramus with their lights on full beam who refuses to dip them unless I flash mine at least twice. Honestly, trying to aim just to the left of the lights and hoping that the road's there is no fun.

 

[Rufusdog]

Well, it is called deficit spending and governments have been doing it for years.

My parent's generation had few if any credit cards and they were paid off in full when due. They normally saved up to pay cash for things and the only long-term debt they had was a mortgage which eventually was paid off too. They drove used cars and let someone else absorb the high initial depreciation on new cars. Vacations were short weekend trips by car and not the 2 vacations a year to the Caribbean. In the end they were net savers and could pass on their wealth to us baby boomers. This type of fiscal prudence was likely the result of surviving the great depression and a world war.

All that is quite a contrast to what later generations have devolved to.

Both my current wife and I inherited most our parent's financial ways and that has stood us in good stead over the years. Our modest home has been mortgage free for many years, I retired at 56 with a good company pension plan and benefits and we have savings. The end result is that we are comfortable in our retirement. To me that was what being middle class got you.

As far as current generations go, I think they can go screw themselves if they haven't figured out the mess that they have gotten themselves into.

Bob

That’s my analysis too; couldn’t have put it better.

 

[Rufusdog]

Whilst we’re on the topic of the younger generation and their profligacy and the current rants about the cost of living, the attached table might help to put it in perspective. I started my first full time job in mid-1970 following graduation from uni. My timing was impeccable, being just in time to live through two waves on high inflation (nearly 13%p.a.), which make what we’ve recently experienced look like amateur hour. The Current Rate in the Table is for April 2022. Over this period my wife and I managed to buy our first house (mortgage interest rate of 18%) and bring three children into the world (no nannies or state childcare) and to enjoy the occasional modest holiday within driving distance of our home; eating in a restaurant was almost unheard of. We survived quite well with absolutely no financial help from our parents for anything; all four of them grew up in the Great Depression in “working” class families, so they knew what real deprivation was like.

 

[Twelvefret]

I am not going to disparage younger people in the US. While I may have paid 11-12% mortgage on a first house and high gas prices, they cannot get a degree without taking out loans. I was glad to hear there was an effort to forgive some student loans.

My family had a saying, if you want to have anything you must go in debt. Fortunately, I had friends who showed me a different path along with Larry Burkett's daily radio broadcasts. It took several years to downsize and only drive used cars. So, was all must learn to use money wisely.

My children never had student loans. We adopted a lifestyle of turning down the heat and wearing sweaters indoors in Winter (as Mr. Carter suggested).

 

[Rufusdog]

My 23 year old grandson just informed me that he has bought a secondhand Ford F150 pickup truck. Why I don’t know, but he is gainfully employed, so it’s his money.

 

[TobyC]

I gave trouble keeping up with the flow of this thread. I post an example of fake news regarding a pick up. Then the flow turns into a rant about people between the ages of 13 to 28 buying expensive pickups. This is proceeded by a rant about this same age demographic purchasing sports cars and Hummers, which is no longer a viable brand. Then I am asked where you can get a $1500 pickup. I respond and a member says this isn't possible in where they live. Now the topic is Facebook.

Sounds normal.

 

[TobyC]

The younger generation have always tried to project an image of wealth, often based on overstretching credit.

During the so-called "Yuppie" boom of the 1980's i worked with and knew many contemporary professionals who were up to their neck in debt, but still called their generation "the wealth creators".

6 bedroom house + BMW + lots of clothes and holidays, leveraged off multiple loans and credit / store cards.

Buncha wannabes.

 

[TobyC]

What’s with the blindingly bright headlights on cars these days? Yeah, I get it, the lights’ output have been boosted for safety’s sake, but I can’t stand driving at night anymore. Oncoming vehicles’ headlights seem freakishly bright. It’s like they’re stabbing through my eyeballs with piercing beams. And if it rains? Forget about it! Nowadays, if it rains at night I stay put. If I’ve made plans they stand a good chance of being cancelled. And wtf is with all the people who feel the need to run their high beams on well lit highways and city streets?! Turn ‘em the eff off!
Thank you, rant over.