I’m visiting a rural part of the southern US, and I have noticed that about 2/3 of the houses outside the town have yards full of cars and tractors in various states of disrepair, as well as tons of other miscellaneous stuff. Why is that? Is it kind of a culture of self-reliance and a supply of spare parts? Some other reason?
Just because they look rusty and old doesn’t mean they’re junk, but even if they are, there will be no urgency to dispose of them. Most people who aren’t minimalists don’t dispose of things except for aesthetic reasons, unless they’re out of room. Many rural people have a relatively narrow scope for aesthetics that doesn’t include what you might call the front yard, and being rural, it’s really hard to run out of room. Therefore, there is no urgency to dispose of stuff that has become “junk”, and when you do, you will probably do it all at once, as a project, once you start feeling like you’re running out of room, which takes quite awhile, so you’re very likely to see the development of the junk pile in its intermediate stages.
Can’t speak for the rural people of the US, but when you’re working on a bunch of projects, while the life keeps getting in your way, causing delays, stuff tends to… pile up. For example, I have a car in my living room at this very moment.
Did it seem like a good idea at the time? Sure. 24x7 access regardless of the current weather means more time to work on it.
Did I work on it? Nope.
Was there a wasp nest embedded inside, releasing a steady flow of young wasps inside the house? Absolutely!
Is that a reliant robin? Badass.
Wasp nest was definitely worth it, agreed.
Nope, it’s a CityEL. Originally made in Denmark in 1987. The manufacturer went bankrupt several times. Each time someone else took over up until 2018. The design has never canged much. There has been something like 3 iterations of the top cover and 3 different motors throughout the years. Mine was made in 1995 and utilizes a motor originally intended for a forklift.
When I’m done with it, it will hopefully get a proper registration and will be able to recharge either by connecting directly to the DC output of a solar panel, as well as the standard grid outlet, and a type 2 charging station.
For anyone who’s interested in joining this low power EV cult, check out these videos by @bleeptrack
That’s wild and awesome, TIL, thanks!
That’s awesome. How wide is that and how wide are your doors? I couldn’t image other then maybe French doors
Yes, you can see the french doors in the background. The car itself is a little more than 1 meter wide, with rear-view mirrors sticking out even further. I got something like 5cm to spare on either side.
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Because it’s easier to move it from the driveway to the front yard instead of the back yard.
Many of these folks also watch prices of scrap metal. If it gets high enough, you’ll see lots of that disappear and turn into money in their pocket. Prices for scrap, especially steel is extremely low right now compared to a few years ago. Many of them are waiting on the price to recover to cash in.
One or more of the following reasons.
- Cost to dispose of it is greater than zero.
- They or someone they know might need it later.
- They plan on doing something with it, but can’t afford to right now.
- They don’t have a garage or shed to store it in, or they do but those are also full.
- Their backyard has an above ground pool, so no room there.
- They are hoping that someone driving by sees something and makes them an offer.
- They are too overwhelmed working 3 jobs to spend the time and effort to get it cleaned up.
Rural dweller here. This is correct.
Cost to dispose of it is greater than zero.
I was looking for a comment mentioning this. If it’s a rural area, the local waste management facility might take a trek to get to. If you have to make multiple trips, or rent/hire a vehicle to get rid of something (like having to tow an old car), the time and cost can add up.
So if it’s not accepted with a typical trash pick-up, it’s still gotta be somewhere, even if you don’t want it anymore. Keeping it on your own property is at least more ethical than dumping it in the woods somewhere (though you’ll find plenty of that in some areas, too.)
- Mental illness
Don’t forget drugs!
Leaded fuel
hoarders probably, we have a hoarder family members with inside house filled to the brim with junk. its just slightly better than the hoarders on the A and e show.
- It’s still in use, but perhaps seasonally or infrequently.
- It’s gonna get fixed just as soon as I have time.
- It’s got parts for the other one I have.
- Might be useful someday. It’s got parts, and the hardware store is 20 miles away.
- Scrap metal value.
- The dump is 20 miles away, gonna get a load built up and do a dump run with Jimmy, just as soon as his trailer gets fixed.
- The dump doesn’t take that thing.
- Redneck decor.
- The dump is closed
They don’t pay for trash removal.
Just enough money to buy fixxer uppers but not enough energy or money to get them properly fixed, it’s kind of like the sam vimes boot theory of economics or some such, my brother really didn’t expect to have the cheap trucks he bought to fix within a year but then he has no motivation after work to fix work on them and too much pride or not enough money to go to a shop
Because the back yard is already full.
it might be worth something some day.
Like those beanie babies.
…southern US…
I’d say that fundamentally it’s because it’s culturally accepted in those areas.
“Everyone does it” is a frighteningly strong impetus to do something.
Near me - lots of homes have junk in the front yard. No idea why. Those homes also appear to be more likely to burn their garbage in the yard. 🤷
Looking to buy a new home right now, and every time I see one of those I see a multi-month project in my future to remove all that crap. Because I know they aren’t going to do it themselves…
You can make the purchase contingent on junk removal.
You can, but then you never know what the junk is hiding: patches of bare dirt, certainly, but also oil, transmission fluid or other toxic seeping into the ground, small bits of metal parts (you know they’re not going to find everything) that become missiles when bit with a lawnmower, etc.
Rats, snakes, yellow jackets…
This is a good idea even if you don’t think they will do it. When they don’t do it, you can negotiate money back from the purchase to cover the cost of hiring a junk removal team. Then you can pocket the cash and do it yourself or you can pay someone else to do it.
But mind the allure of the trash piles, with their sleek chrome and opulent velvet. Lest you become what you rail against
I felt this warning in my bones. I am weak.
The south, and rural areas, in general tend to be poorer. This often comes with a mindset of “don’t throw that out, we might need it/be able to use it someday”. That’s potential future money saved by keeping that crap on the lawn.
“I know what I got”
Inside of houses are no better just look at Malcom in the middle home. Stuff everywhere.
