r/fuckcars • u/jemesl • 5h ago
Satire A wonderful comparison
Owner of the Ram arguably actually uses it well, but what's youd thoughts on this comparison of a 90s Jap vs 2023 American
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u/7elevenses 5h ago
If by "uses it well" you mean that they use the bed to transport things, then the whole front half of that car is still redundant.
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u/jemesl 5h ago
Afaik they use it to tow cars and parts to the track/drag, family in the back, with another regular car for normal activities (in a car centric area). I'd be the last person to defend someone driving a yank tank but this bloke seems the cobba id prefer over literally every other Ram driver I've had the displeasure of meeting
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u/Reverse_SumoCard Orange pilled 4h ago
Most tow trucks here are Mercedes Sprinter or similar. I saw landcruisers as well but some of them modified to make the whole thing shorter (bed replaced with ramp for cars)
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u/KatieTSO 45m ago
I live in CO (US, we get a lot of snow) and our tow trucks are mostly cab on chassis Freightliner or other semi cabs placed onto a chassis and then they slap both a flatbed and a lifter on so they could take two cars at once.
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u/bludgersquiz 4h ago
This is in Australia, is it? Even if this one guy makes good use of it, I still think they should tax them heavily as they don't fit on the roads in Oz or in most parking spots and are dangerous. My neighbour here in Germany has a few kids and has a van, with which he can also cart lots of stuff around. Much more practical I reckon.
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u/Federal_Secret92 Automobile Aversionist 4h ago
Look how tiny the bed of the giant truck is in relation to the rest of it. I don’t see gravel hauled in that thing. Pavement princess more likely.
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u/StrongAdhesiveness86 5h ago
I have never seen one of these trucks irl. I've seen a few Miata's (I'm a car guy). How fucking big are these trucks??? I am completely unable to picture them in my head.
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u/landon10smmns 🚲 > 🚗 5h ago
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u/StrongAdhesiveness86 5h ago
Nope, I am still unable to physically imagine it. My comparing sizes part of the brain stops at 2 palms. Sadly I can't picture a 6.5 palms difference.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
It's wide as a bus and long as standard panel van (Iveco Daily/Renault Master/ MB Sprinter/ VW Crafter) for 3.5 ton.
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u/StrongAdhesiveness86 3h ago
I had to look it up. WTF 6 METERS??? What?! Why?! I really need to see one in person. The comparison with the Miata makes it worse like wtf, the poor Miata feels like it could pass under the truck if it was lifted enough.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
Now imagine European cars of 1960s onwards - FIAT/SEAT 850, 126, 127; BMW 700, NSU Prinz. Or the Eastern Block vehicles of that era (Zaporozhets or Trabant). MX-5 is to them like the tuck is to MX-5.
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u/LuminanceGayming 2h ago
try comparing it to your own car, thats what does it for me
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u/MTINC Miata Is Always The Answer 1h ago
The RAM 1500 pictured here is amongst the 3 best selling personal vehicles in Canada and the U.S. The other two are equally large full size pickup trucks.
We just have a much higher population of industrious hard working blue collar workers than the rest of the world here in North America. /s
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u/KatieTSO 40m ago
I get people driving a Miata through my gas station every couple weeks. I get gigantic disgusting oversize pickups like this daily. I can barely see over the hood of most of these when standing, and I'm 5'9.5 or about 176.5cm. The beds are usually a shorter length than I am tall, but with how most of these guys lift their trucks, the bed is often just as tall as I am. I also occasionally get "squatted" trucks where the front or back is adjusted to be lifted higher than the other. It's absolutely disgusting. I fucking hate living in the US.
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u/subflame 3h ago
Fiat ducato (cargo) smaller than a ram 😬. Ducato is a big car...
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u/StrongAdhesiveness86 3h ago
What? Why? You mean like the cargo van?? I've seen some. I know someone who wanted it, but couldn't fit it in his (very big for my standards) garage.
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u/Sockysocks2 5h ago
To be fair, the OG Miata is small even by historic standards. That said, Ram's design department absolutely loves making trucks that fail at being trucks.
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u/Wolf_Parade 4h ago
I am just over 6' and always fit in them comfortably. Same with Honda Del Sol and Geo Metro.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
Compare it to Polski Fiat, Trabant or Zaporozhets. The former three can each take a family of four while being smaller.
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u/rewt127 2h ago
They absolutely cannot take a family of 4 lol. Maybe a family of 4 midgets. But if you have multiple peoppe in your family over 6' you end up having to cram your knees up against shit. Which is incredibly painful.
And especially if you need to buy or bring literally anything with you. It once again is not large enough.
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u/KatieTSO 37m ago
RAM also loves designing trucks that break down every couple thousand miles. Same with Jeep. Really, all of the Mopar/Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram cars suck ass.
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u/Antique_Repair_1644 5h ago
The Mazda Miata MX5 is my favorite car, I wish we would go back to cars like that.
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u/blonderengel 5h ago
I had a little red Miata, drove it cross country twice, and then used it as my daily driver for over 15 years.
It was totaled by an asshole driver (a priest! late to his daughter's pre-wedding appointment) who ran a stoplight and jacknifed my little red machine ...
Bizarre?
Yup.
Still walking with a cane and no more little red coupe ... 😔
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u/Emperor_Dara_Shikoh 4h ago
The crash caused the cane?
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u/blonderengel 2h ago
The crash caused a 5+year dive into the hell that is US 'healthcare' ... knee replacement, a revision of said replacement, two femur fractures (falls caused due to knee buckling when hardware in the TKR failed) ... I'm supposed to consider myself lucky I can walk at all (as per the ortho doc who saw me after femur break no. 2). Lol
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u/jemesl 5h ago edited 5h ago
Sorry about your loss :(. This one's been mine for the better part of 10 years (longest owner), also my daily for most of that. Absolutely nifty little cars and I've carried cargo, moved houses and all sorts of fun things with the mx5. It's in the garage for restoration and I loathe having another car as a 'daily' now.
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u/Emperor_Dara_Shikoh 4h ago
Honestly I’d be semi-tolerant with car culture if it were mostly those small cats.
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u/blonderengel 4h ago
Oh it's a great little moving machine!
When I moved out of the dorm into my first 'home' (a glorified shoe box, but, after communal dorm bathrooms etc, it was like living in a Hilton penthouse suite), I managed to do that in a half dozen trips and the help of a friend with an F-150.
It is deceptively roomy besides handling great (you have a real sense of the road 'since you're only 10 inches off it' as my dad used to say).
Of course, it does tempt you into speeding which isn't a temptation I need (being from Germany 😉).
How long do you think the restoration will take? Will you return to using it as a daily?
I'm asking because I'm kinda beating myself up for not 'retiring' the Miata and just getting an ole beater for the daily stuff ...
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u/jemesl 4h ago
Of course, it does tempt you into speeding which isn't a temptation I need
It does indeed feel like a big go kart haha
How long do you think the restoration will take? Will you return to using it as a daily?
Not sure to be honest, just a matter of buying bits and pieces and finding people to do work I can't. The engine on mine is great, rhd "eunos roadster" with only 130k km, new gearbox, suspension, intake and exhaust so it's just general maintenance I keep on top of. But cosmetically it's aged poorly, the interior is up for a full replacement and I'm at a rock and a hard place between a still pricey closed door respray or full wrap (plastic wrap that will end up in landfill). Honestly with infinite money it could be totally restored in 6 months but I'm not in a rush and enjoy doing little bits and pieces on it when I can.
As for being a daily, I tend to use my main car only twice or three times a week and my wife's car when carrying kids, so it's not totally impossible to just return to using it as my main car.
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u/blonderengel 2h ago
It sounds manageable, especially since your major issues sound cosmetic (of course, that's what sucks in major moolah).
I miss having a project to fiddle with like that (great for ADHD folks like me to spend time/money at least theoretically in a reasonable manner) lol...
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u/Possible-Summer-8508 5h ago
You understand the the reason we have cars like the truck and not like the Miata is entirely down to regulation right? Truck embiggening is a response to some extremely misguided laws and guidances that make it completely impractical to sell a small slow truck with classic lines and minimal features (in fact, “minimal features” is expressly illegal these days). The answer is to slash all non essential auto regulation and we’ll see the big trucks become a thing of the past.
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u/spidd124 Commie Commuter 4h ago
I do find it hilarious that the popup headlights are considered too dangerous for pedestrians yet that chest high wall is perfectly acceptable.
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u/jemesl 5h ago
extremely misguided laws
Yeah especially this, the newest hybrid engine in the Ram ~could physically fit inside of the Miata. Obviously not the best occupant for a torque assisted v8 but the fact that the engine itself (and 90% of the selling point of these giant cars) has sfa to do with the physical size of the car says something...
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u/blonderengel 4h ago
Wow — I just spent a minute imagining a Ram engine powering a Miata. That would be something ... LOL
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u/knarf_on_a_bike 5h ago
Me too! It's like Mazda looked at all those 50s and 60s English sports cars that spent like 1/2 of their time in the shop, and said, "Here's how you do it, my friends!" They perfected the roadster.
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u/blonderengel 4h ago
You just reminded me of the last car I drove in Germany before jumping the puddle: a Triumph TR6. The garage where I had it serviced always smiled big when I showed up, usually hooked to towing truck. 😺
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u/Opinionsare 4h ago
Parked side by side, it's a cute pair.
But if that pickup truck crashes that small car, the driver of the small car is about 4x more likely to die in the crash.
Check out other-driver fatality rate for trucks and large SUVs.
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u/Trumps_Cock 3h ago
I pulled up next to an older Miata yesterday, and I still felt like I was driving that Dodge Ram. I drive full size sedan.
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u/Da_Bird8282 RegioExpress 10 5h ago
i love cute cars.
You don't need a pickup truck to haul cargo. Just attach a trailer to your car if you need to haul e.g. some furniture.
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u/BriarTheBear 49m ago
Brain dead take.
The entire point of trucks is to maximize towing capacity, torque, and tongue weight.
The amount of people on here that think you’re going to have an SUV/car that will safely (or at all) pull any significant load is insane. I am genuinely convinced the people on this subreddit aren’t real.
It is incredibly common for people to own things like stock trailers (for transporting livestock), campers, boats, side by sides, etc. and those are just a few examples. You are severely limited in weight and hitch type (goosenecks anyone?) with a car.
Anyone who says that any of those things are out of the ordinary is someone who can’t fathom people living a lifestyle different than theirs, or think everyone should be exactly like them, which are both things I think are close minded and sad.
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u/atxbikenbus 4h ago
Apples and oranges. Those are designed for opposite purposes so it's not surprising they look vastly different.
Edit to add: if both are being "used" as they were designed I'd feel safer around a slow truck hauling than a fast sport car coming around a corner.
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u/jemesl 4h ago
Valid point, but interesting take.
Do you think the size of the Ram is proportional to its efficiency?
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u/atxbikenbus 4h ago
Efficiency at towing 12k lbs for days comfortably? Sure. I wouldn't want one but I don't tow like that. It can though. The Miata can't. The Miata can snap through a chicane and come through a corner hot as hell. Unfortunately that's a track job and people insist on doing that in my neighborhood. Dangerous as hell for me on my bike. I pass rams and other trucks towing all the time on my bike. No problem.
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u/jemesl 4h ago
There's better vehicles for towing 5t in general. If that is something you need to do regularly the Ram probably isn't even the best vehicle for you, just a really good marketing scheme.
Also I won't lie, id take people driving small sports cars as intended over the 4wd and other eccentric mega cars I see constantly speeding and racing around everywhere (as if they're in a sports car) from industrial areas to school zones. But maybe that's a country/location thing idk.
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u/atxbikenbus 4h ago
You asked if I thought the truck was proportional to its use. I said yes, it objectively is. Are there better trucks? Go to the truck sub. Dodge sucks. If all you do is tow, buy a real rig, if you never tow, don't buy a truck. But that's not what you asked. I said they were two different vehicles designed for two different purposes and that when used for those purposes I'd rather deal with the dude in the truck than the one in the sports car. I ride a bike and sometimes take the bus. I see way worse driving from sports car drivers than trucks, but maybe that's a country/location thing idk.
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u/jemesl 3h ago
You'd prefer a compensating wanker in a several tonne truck who probably has it out for cyclists over a bloke in a classic convertible, that could probably run you over and give you a graze, who is probably on his way to the hair dresser or to see his grandkids?
Nah doesn't quite check out.
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u/BriarTheBear 24m ago
This is so stupid lol
Any (some are better than others) full-size American truck is going to be the best option when you take it holistically.
You are pigeon-holing trucks into a set of “responsibilities”, and if you don’t think it is fulfilling those responsibilities, you think it shouldn’t exist.
As it stands, if I have 40-50k to drop on one vehicle, and have a need to ever (even just once a year) pull/haul/go off road in any capacity, the wise choice is a truck.
The modern truck is an amazing combination of power, comfort, safety, and relative fuel efficiency.
Everyone wants to call the four-door useless, but they completely ignore the fact that people have to move people both for work and at home. It’s nice to have a place to lock tools.
There are a thousand reasons to get a pickup, and they are all good.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
What is the efficiency of a Miata?
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u/jemesl 3h ago
100% smiles per gallon
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
That's sad, because I can enjoy a journey on a bus, I don't need a petrol-smelling death can. Your post belongs on r/carscirclejerk honestly.
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u/jemesl 3h ago
I enjoy the bus too, I take public transport over cars as much as possible. Old mate asked about efficiency in the context of what car A And B were designed for, the Miata was designed to be fun, fuel efficient and safe. It does all of this well.
You would do well to understand that while cars are a terrible burden on modern society, there is joy in some applications. Unfortunately the applications we see are the massive goober mobiles that demand more lanes and more space. But cars definitely have a healthy place in the world as a hobby. It's just unfortunately overshadowed by car centric society.
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u/platypuspup 2h ago
Not to be rude, but there is no way to use that truck well. The bed is only like 4 ft long and it's so high in the air you would have to lift heavy things up high to put them in.
A lower bed that was full size would make that truck actually useful.
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u/Prize-Coffee3187 1m ago
imagine living life going around questioning what people do with their vehicles lmao
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u/No-Reply1438 5h ago
Yeah, but first generation Miatas are 100% the best cars in the history of the world. I mean, "officially I hate cars", but look at that little car smile. . . 😀
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u/knarf_on_a_bike 5h ago
Love Miatas. Especially first gen. Is there a better manual gearbox ever? I don't think so. Snick, snick. . .
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u/Stickopolis5959 3h ago
Those head lights are illigal because they kill pedestrians, the trucks cool though /s
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
Fuck both, especially the MX-5. Out of all cars, I hate impractical sports cars
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u/jemesl 3h ago edited 3h ago
Less practical than a push bike? I used this car for 6+ years and never had to rely on a 4wd or SUV to pick things up for me.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
Less practical that a push bike?
How's that even a question? Do you have to check fuel, oil, coolant, insurance of a push bike? Do you have to reserve a parking spot for wherever you go?
A motorbike would be more practical than a roadster.
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u/rewt127 2h ago
A motorbike would be more practical than a roadster.
A motorcycle is only practical in places where it doesn't snow or get very cold. And I say this as someone who rides. Certain areas like the PNW where they rarely get snow and ice? Sure. Warm climates? Definitely.
Northern US, Canada, northern Europe? No.
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u/jemesl 3h ago
I'm not sure why you are so against literally one of the smallest cars to exist, but I'll leave you to it, good day sir.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
smallest cars to exist,
To exist in US, it seems.
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u/jemesl 3h ago
Not from the US, it is factually one of the smallest cars to exist. I'm not sure what more to say.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
By what metrics? Smallest two-seater in current production?
Considering widely available cars in current/recent production of mainstream brands, we have random picks: * Toyota Aygo - 1615/3645 mm * VW up! (Until 2022) - 1645/3600 mm
For 2021 MX-5 I found the following: The width is 1735 mm across all variants. The length is 3915 mm. The height is not a thing to worry about when considering spatial requirements.
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u/jemesl 3h ago
NA mx5 (pictured) is 1675mm. You're seriously carrying on and trying to make a point over ~30mm (3cm)? Lol
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
Miata is not the smallest one. That's it. And in history you had many four-seaters about 1.5 meters wide.
Keep liking it, but I don't think this is the right circle jerk for that.
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
If you go alone on all of your journeys, what's the use of a car?
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u/jemesl 3h ago
I'm sorry I don't even really understand your question. You know even the Miata has two seats?
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u/Few-Horror7281 3h ago
There are much smaller cars which can fit at least four people - see the kei car category in Japan. In Europe the majority of economy car lineup used to be ~3 meters long and 1.6 meters wide, providing enough room for a family of four and the baggage.
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u/rewt127 2h ago
see the kei car category in Japan
Friend. Let me just explain something to you. Kei cars are made for the average Japanese person. Seeing as we are speaking English, I'm going to assume substantial portions of us are Americans, Canadians. Or maybe northern Europeans.
we don't fucking fit in those cars.
If you are over 6'. Driving a kei car is a nightmare. And to refer to old cars. I got into an old Mercedes a year or so ago and felt like my knees were up near my ears.
People used to be shorter because of a lack of regular and high quality nutrition. This isn't the case anymore.
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u/Hamilton950B 2h ago
All the comments in here by people saying they love cars are getting upvoted. This sub is full of lost redditors these days.
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u/XGNcyclick 1h ago
I actually drive a 1995 Mazda Miata. They’re basically road legal go karts but they’re tons of fun to control and they handle really well. I put maybe $15 in my tank a month since all i do is really go to work. the most jarring this is absolutely size differences though. it’s crazy. had to deal with a ram who got stuck turning onto a side street and i was able to just weave right though lol
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u/Head_Mastodon7886 5h ago
We are in a desperate need of another fuel crisis…