God this fucking masculinity bullshit. It’s not masculine to drive big trucks that are impossible to park and maneuver. It’s masculine to provide for your community, and to care about people without fear of how you’ll be perceived.
Sure, but how’s many miles per gallon do you get on this “community care?”
/s
You mistyped “Gallons per mile”
I’m tempted to get a bumper sticker that says “The bigger the ride, the smaller the rod.”
I get the sentiment and that it’s fun to get a rise out of these kinds of people. But that’s still a type of body shaming and penis size isn’t something that determines your worth. Think about what normalizing this sentiment does to good people who happen to have a small penis
Well yeah, that’s why I’m tempted, but not going to do it. But you just know it would piss that type of person off. Not like I want to make myself a target though.
Medium-sized guy here (no horse in this race mostly) to chime in and say I have seen a lot of penises and know a lot of men.
A size-to-awesomeness ratio does not exist, but a lot of men are unnecessarily dissatisfied with their bodies. When we imply, as a society, that you can overcome perceived body deficiencies by buying bigger vehicles, it seems possible we would be encouraging the kind of behavior and city budgets we don’t want in this world.
I live on google maps shortcut street. It’s about 1/4 mile long and kids used to be able to play street hockey and basketball in the street.
Now it’s treated as a drags strip by loud motorcycles, brodozers, and moms in SUVs late to drop off their kids at the preschool.
The bikes and trucks are so fucking loud that I’ve been thinking of building a noise meter with an animated dick that gets smaller the louder you are. This summer might be the year to do it.
Truly repugnant
What else are local governments going to buy with the opiate settlement money? Rehabilitative support options?
Don’t forget all the money they get from the civil asset forfeiture auctions.
They bought it? I thought they are surplus from the army?
There’s always money changing hands. If not, there’s no way to steer some into the pockets of politicians, their friends, or their owner donors.
MRAPs are army surplus. This looks like a recreational vehicle they bought for monster truck rallies.
This says it’s an MRAP and that they didn’t pay anything for it: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/prosper-police-departments-emergency-vehicle/3560134/
Which is a lie, they are responsible for shipping costs, conversion cost, and maintenance.
They probably spent 150-200k just getting in and set up.
What the fuck are the cops even gonna do with an MRAP. The vehicle is made for resisting mines and IEDs, most police will never come across that shit.
Using the 2014 Ferguson unrest as an example, they drive around in minority neighborhoods wrecking the streets, sidewalks and parks, whoop and hollar and lob CS-gas grenades willy-nilly so the whole neighborhood can’t breathe.
Cross posting my post the last time this was posted elsewhere, asking “Why Do They Need This?” The Police Problem sublemmy post
Police don’t but they often want a vehicle for SWAT related reasons, but SWAT trucks costs hundreds of thousands. Meanwhile MRAPs are “free”.
Prosper, Texas is home to 40,000 people. In 2010 their population was under 10k. They have quadrupled in size and are near the DFW area, so it’s not really a surprise they took the 1033 offer for an MRAP. That said most of these decom’d heaps of shit are loathesomely expensive. “High Cost of Free MRAPs” by Strongtowns. Most MRAPs being given out are first and second gen versions. And for those first gens, they got sent to the front lines of the GWOT and got beat to shit while newer ones were tested and approved. These old models they’re “giving out for free” have tire drum parts never used on later versions, transmissions like that of an F650 with half the reliability, and are ticking time bombs of use. Most cities often estimate maintenance costs at $5k per year, until something actually breaks and they have to get a second MRAP to cannibalize to fix the first. (Hint - that’s why you often see them picked up in pairs or more)
That’s before the optics. Petaluma, California has one and the police chief has even said “yeah it kinda has some bad optics sending police around in a former war machine”.
If your city is wanting to pick one up, it’s because someone who has zero experience with them really likes the idea of a big scary diesel monster rolling up on drug houses, and hasn’t actually considered that if they can’t pony up thousands of tax dollars every 6 months to keep the moneymonster fed, the only place it’s gonna drive is into a storage shed.
Edit: I should add that these vehicles are incredibly versatile and aren’t necessarily a bad thing for municipalities. With their ride height, sheer bulk, and high torque engines, Fire and rescue could probably make great use them in several cities. They make fantastic road clearing vehicles in the event of large accidents needing to move to the side of the road, or pushing debris out of the way. Additionally in flood prone areas they make very good rescue vehicles due to their ride height and “crew space” inside. They DO have value outside of terrorizing civilian populations, just that that’s all PDs will use them for.
So it’s a subscription service…
Yeah, cities that get them have no clue about the long term costs. A lot of those ‘free’ units are now just sitting in a fenced parking lot and are unusable.
When I was younger and a volunteer firefighter in a small rural town, we needed to replace one of our ‘grass rigs’ for fighting wildland fires. We had used it for over 35 years - and we got it second hand from our state DNR for free. We thought a Humvee truck style bed would make a fantastic grass rig. We checked in on it and the DOD straight up told us nope, you can’t have a used one - no one can get one. We use them for target practice. Perhaps they saved us from a money pit. We ended up with another used pickup from the DNR return pool.
Nah, this is lemmy, dude. No one here is going to read that logical reason why this happened and change their minds.
their post is right in line with how lemmy thinks about these though. The whole thing is about how stupid they are in terms of costs, how the people who get them like it because they look tough, and provides statements from a police chief about how it makes them look bad. The edit discussing some of the possible usefulness of them, are things you never see these being used for. I don’t understand the reason for your comment. Did you read the post?
One of the interesting things for the possible usefulness though is you never see firehouses acquiring these. They already have tools that achieve all the use cases. That’s half of fires deal, being prepared for all sorts of emergencies - not just fires.
Yeah I started typing about the equipment emergency services have that cover everything they are likely to encounter, and they use those, instead of MRAPs, because they are better specialized for their job, and far more cost effective. I ended up not feeling like finishing it.
thank god you are here, the only sane person in the ocean of insanity! 😂
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now that’s the person of logical reasoning…
No one said I was logical, you silly sexy robot.
i clearly did, just above your last comment
Cylons are not people, y’all are robots. So…
I’ve read it!
You gotta take the officers’ perspective into account. They need this as a hiding place for when there are active shooter situations at schools.
The on-board generator powers the coffee maker and popcorn machine and keeps the drinks cold. Where else will they safely get snacks and refreshments while waiting out the school shooting?
The police union is one of the strongest in America, most Presidential candidates make promises to them during their election campaign.
…probably because of their roll in riot supression. Rulers don’t want that service faltering on them at an inopportune moment.
…probably because of their roll in riot supression. Rulers don’t want that service faultering on them at an inopportune moment.
Like on January 6?
Who said Jan 6 was faltering?
Suspended with pay. But I was implying the cops didn’t “falter.” Enough of them were in favor of it and some were actually there as part of the insurrection.
I’m not sure what your point is. They failed the elected members of Congress which means they faltered
My point is is that the cops, who you quote replied their role as protest/riot suppression for the government, were on the side of the rioters and insurrectionists on Jan 6.
You admitted that enough of them were in favour of the insurrection and some were part of it.
Suspended with pay. But I was implying the cops didn’t “falter.” Enough of them were in favor of it and some were actually there as part of the insurrection.
Thing is Texas cops now know they need this kind of vehicle before they’ll feel safe approaching a single school sport shooter in an unlocked classroom, and you wouldn’t want them to feel unsafe, now would you?
Don’t mess with Texas. Seriously, they’re delicate and can’t handle being messed with.
Do you know that phrase is from an anti-littering campaign?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Mess_with_Texas
And you’d think those big, tough Texans wouldn’t care for being told not to litter.
Yep! And it worked incredibly well at the time. I remember Shamu and the Texas Tuxedos singing about it when I was a kid. I can still sing the song 35ish years later.
Holy shit, I forgot about the Texas Tuxedos! But I totally remembered watching John Stamos perform with the Beach Boys at Sea World…
Also, my family went to Sea World San Antonio the year they opened and got deeds that made us part-owners of the ability to have fun.
My little brother and sister went the first year with my aunt, uncle, and the cousins. I didn’t want to be around them because I hated them, they didn’t really like me much, and I was kind of a little shit.
I’m not a part time owner of fun at all.
I was too young to remember going, but I was a shit, too. You’re not you, I’m you!
How dare you! I’m going to fall apart now!!1!!ONE!
As a fellow Texan, I’d like to officially nominate this as our state’s national anthem.
#ONE!
Look, I know that in the rural communities here we don’t have the best book learnin’ but wouldn’t that make it a state anthem?
You’re obviously not drunk enough to appreciate the nation of Texas. Do we gotta go watch the Fiesta Texas laser show again??
You expect me to get to San Antonio in this condition?!? I’m barely going to get my Uber to take me over to the all night taqueria.
Multi-purpose? Name one (that isn’t better served by another vehicle).
This vehicle is ludicrous and Prosper shouldn’t have it.
But a “multipurpose” device is almost never the best thing for any given purpose.
My Leatherman is an amazing tool, but I have much better standalone knives, screwdrivers, pliers, and scissors.
Running over protestors? Yeah, maybe a tank would be even better, but I don’t think that counts, also less comfortable to drive.
Excited for the American reenactment of Tianamen Square, except the tank guy doesn’t back up and try to drive around, he just guns it.
I don’t think you understand the meaning of multi purpose.
Low speed chases
Announcing their micropenises
Crushing mobs of plebs.
What is a vehicle like that even for?
Running over protesters.
Spreading managed Democracy!
It’s apparently a “Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle”. What is it for: “It’s designed for high-water rescues (which saved many people this past week during the floods), active shooter situations, hostage rescues and other critical incidents, ensuring the safety of our officers and community,”
Military surplus. Cheaper than buying a tahoe and loading it up with police equipment.
There’s absolutely no fucking god damned way in the 7 hells that a Tahoe with Police shit in it $700,000.
And if police departments are spending that much on a Tahoe, they need to be dismantled and investigated for embezzlement.
They did not pay 700,000 on it. They get them for basically scrap value.
I hope you realize what you’re saying is that taxpayers paid less for the same vehicle the second time than they did the first time.
The police didn’t pay anything for it, apparently. It’s on loan from DoD
But, in exchange they pay to maintain it and the DoD can take it back any time they want.
Well yes. I dont see the problem with reusing stuff. Hell, isnt the motto Reduce Reuse Recycle?
“Reusing” and “rebuying” are two different things.
Theyre buying the truck from the military for near scrap value, its not like they’re paying 700k twice. And yes it is reusing.
Do you have any idea how much it costs to service something like that??? You don’t take it down to the local garage. The thing probably costs 30k a year just in service costs.
Its a good job they’re pointing at it otherwise I wouldn’t have known it was there.
“The MRAP that was reutilized through the 1033 program was declared excess by the Defense Department, it was not purchased using taxpayer funds. It was transferred to Prosper Police Department as a conditional loan, and it will be returned to the DOD when Prosper PD no longer requires it,” according to the Defense Logistics Agency.
So the taxpayers did pay for it, just not only local taxpayers. It was taxpayers nationwide through the DoD budget, proving they don’t actually need everything we’re paying for. So the rest of the country is paying for some bumblefuck police department to get an MRAP.
What is the supposed justification for this department “requiring” this MRAP be “loaned” to them? DOD equipment and functionality should NEVER be utilized by police. The two are different groups for a reason. If the police need assistance at that level, they can call in the National Guard for that help. That’s why they exist. There is no reason a local police department ever needs an MRAP.
To be fair, the military never wanted these. They were a political requirement because Congress wanted a war with zero casualties. But they failed at stopping casualties and they failed at being useful military vehicles because they couldn’t drive off road reliably. So we spent hundreds of billions on these things and now we have to replace them with vehicles that actually work off road and protect soldiers.
DOD equipment and functionality should NEVER be utilized by police. The two are different groups for a reason.
“There’s a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people.” - Commander Adama in Battlestar Galactica
A bit idealistic in the police serving and protecting but I agree with the sentiment.
Okay… then by that logic you’re ok with America’s defence forces being deployed against citizens?
Literally the exact opposite. There is absolutely no scenario where these tools should be needed against American citizens. The fact police have them means they will be used against citizens already.
Good police need good tools to respond to anything that could happen.
Imagine a 9/11 variation with an armed group instead of planes.
That’s going to need a rapid and powerful police response. Armed forces are not an option with such short notice.
The real issue you should concern yourself with the the quality of the police themselves, not the tools they used.
I’ll back you any day on that front.
Why not? It carries a lot of people amd equipment. Sure its overkill, but its cheaper than a tahoe.
It’s so heavy that it destroys most rural roads, can’t be driven across most bridges, and it’s too big to maneuver safely in most urban areas. The department, aka the taxpayers, still have to foot the bill for gas, repairs, and maintenance as well as refitting it for police use. They can cost up to $70000 to refit which is already pretty damn close to the price of a fully loaded Tahoe. The department is also responsible for the cost of shipping the MRAP which can cost up to $150000 to airlift depending on the model.
There is literally no benefit to the police having these unless they regularly deal with land mines in their jurisdiction.
And even then, if it’s that much of a problem I’d go for the M-ATV that’s getting phased out as the L-ATV comes in. Failing that you’d go for the Caiman, Cougar, or Buffalo in route clearing setup if available. The Maxpro looks slick but it’s the earliest of the bunch and was a napkin design meant to field something as soon as possible, and it shows.
Its no heavier than a semi
A semi weights 10000-25000lbs. A Maxpro weighs 28000-32000lbs.
All of this information is publicly available and easily accessible. Maybe try doing 30 seconds of research.
A semi, as in a proper tractor with fifth wheel, is usually about 20,000 lbs. Loaded with a trailer, it maxes out at 80,000 lbs before you need permits.
All of this information is publicly available and easily accessible. Maybe try doing 30 seconds of research.
Which is higher 20000 or 28000? The trailer isn’t really relevant since spreading the weight over additional axels makes it significantly less likely to damage roads.
Speaking of which, Texas roads have a single axel weight limit of 20000 lbs and a tandem axel limit of 32000 lbs. Under normal operation, a semi should be fine. A Maxpro can potentially reach the the tandem axel limit on its own and could put it’s full weight on a single axle if it his a speed bump going too fast.
Also, many rural roads and smaller bridges won’t accommodate a full size semi with or without a trailer. They certainly couldn’t handle the even heavier Maxpro.
Not even counting the fuel, the MAINTENANCE up keep on something like that is huge. Like ten times a Tahoe. Probably cost 30-40 grand a year just in up keep…
They can run over all the kids with that thing…
What are the multiple purposes of this vehicle?
Just looks like a jacked up six seater truck.
Running over black people.
And left-leaning protestors.
Found this: “It’s designed for high-water rescues (which saved many people this past week during the floods), active shooter situations, hostage rescues and other critical incidents, ensuring the safety of our officers and community,”
A small cost of “freedom” - starving children, dilapidated schools, no healthcare, and a $689,000 truck
They cropped out the no parking line.
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