Saturday, October 3, 2009

The pickup truck debt ...

Today's quote is from a wonderful but underrated Montana movie called Rancho Deluxe, which was made back in 1975. Filmed around Livingston and the Paradise Valley and featuring a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack, the movie is entertaining and scenic and has surprising moments of insight, at least for one cross-section of Montana. As an example of that insight, here's a bit of monologue from the film:
"I've seen more of this state's poor cowboys, miners, railroaders and Indians go broke buyin' pickup trucks. The poor people of this state are dope fiends for pickup trucks. As soon's they get ten cents ahead they trade in on a new pickup truck. The families, homesteads, schools, hospitals and happiness of Montana have been sold down the river to buy pickup trucks! ... And there's a sickness here worse than alcohol and dope. It is the pickup truck debt! And there's no cure in sight."

2 comments:

  1. Just had a wild hair idea...I'll survey the FB webcam for awhile, just to count pickups. I've seen days when both sides of the street were lined with trucks. This morning I only see 1 of 7 clearly visible vehicles that classify as 'rigs'.

    Maybe I'll do a comparison survey somewhere...not fair to use local numbers...Dave Smith Moters is our largest employer...and has probably sold to people from FB once or twice.
    Everybody seems to have a pickup here...even us.

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  2. Yeah, I think it definitely depends on where you are. Here in Bozeman, for example, pickups aren't all that common but you see a million Subaru Outbacks on the road. Missoula's the same way. But you get up on the Hi-Line and there are pickup trucks everywhere ... and almost no imported vehicles of any kind.

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