Posted by Ex (203.173.168.190) on November 28, 2002 at 04:51:50:
In Reply to: Re: SUV Haters posted by Epoxy (66.26.80.19) on November 28, 2002 at 00:37:46:
> > Well I am, or have at some stage been all of those things, but anyway...I hate em becasue they are constantly claimed to be "safe" when in fact they are top heavy and unsafe. They are purchased by people who drive them to the shops and to drop the kids off to school - i.e. basically inexperienced drivers. These people also really don't need something the size of a sherman tank to get around in.
> [So you hate them because of your compassion for their drivers? Because you worry about their increased potential for injuring themselves? You must be a 2! LOL. Most of the people I've known personally with SUVs are people with families, who have to choose between SUV, minivan, or station wagon. What is the difference? Safety? Gas mileage? Pleasing the elitist urbanite 4's around you?]
> > You also can't see through them, over them or around them, and that means you are relying in the SUV driver to be a good driver, properly anticipating traffic ahead of them. This is often not the case, but they don't mind because they ususally also have a f*cking great bull bar attached also.
> [Well you must drive differently from me; I don't rely on the cars in front of the car in front of me, but rather the one *directly* in front of me which I will impact if I drive improperly. I guess you must not be from America, where anytime you get on the highway there are semi trucks and RVs and stuff. WTF is a "bull bar"? Those cow-horns Texans mount on the front of their Cadillacs?]
> > My favourite former PM recently called them "a pox". He is right.
> [How much of a problem with SUVs do you have in Canada? Or is it Britain? I can't imagine there are many in Britain, so you must be Canadian. Well, Chretien's advisor was right - Bush is a moron. Nevertheless, SUVs are here to stay, unless something untoward occurs with oil prices. Even then I suspect they'll just make electric SUVs. The fact is, people like them: they are spacious, drive like most other vehicles, and are safer in collisions (since you will smash over smaller cars). Also you typically have the option of 4-wheel-drive (which 10% or fewer ever use, but people like having options!). Hating SUVs is like hating Wal-Mart: you can hate it all you like, but it's just going to keep on growing because the majority of people like the advantages it offers.]
They may be safe for those driving them, but not for anyone else on the road.