What to do when you see an extra large SUV

[Blue_State_Elitist]

Personally, I have adopted the habit of flashing the peace sign to SUV drivers. I see it as kind way way of saying, "Nice car you fucking jackass!" A lot of the time the person inside freaks out and goes into what I can only describe as the "SUV dance." It includes violent waving of the arms, puffing out of the chest and an open mouth simulating that of a howling baboon. I recommend the peace sign to any fellow SUV haters out there. Got any other ideas?

[TheMightyFavog]

1. Why not this?

http://fuh2.com/

[Blue_State_Elitist]

3. I love that site

I have yet to make a contribution but will soon. There is a particular yellow H2 around here just wating to be submitted.

[pippin]

62. You are what you drive

from the article in the New Yorker:

"Market research shows that S.U.V.s tend to be bought by people who are "insecure, vain, self-centered, and self-absorbed, who are frequently nervous about their marriages, and who lack confidence in their driving skills."

http://www.newyorker.com/online/content/?040112on_onlineonly01

Ha! ha!

[NNadir]

39. I'm old fashioned. I just give them the finger. n/t

[SmileyBoy]

79. Here's my really funny Hummer story:

Last summer when I was the assistant manager of a Minneapolis convenience store, there was a guy who pulled in to get gas for his gargantuan behemoth Black Hummer H2. I was rolling my eyes and insulting him to myself, and my boss, and equally liberal and sweet wonderful old lady (and good friend) and I were doing the same and talking behind his back, insulting him and his H2, what with the small penis jokes and all. (We were inside the building, and he was outside anyway.)

He was outside at the pumps filling the monster up with the stuff that makes the Republican party go round, and my boss and I were joking about it, asking each other how he could own such an abomination.

The guy comes in to pay for the 100 gallons of gas that he had just pumped out of our now-malnourished tank, and he was a REALLY big guy (big biceps and pecs, but no doubt tiny in other regions, if you catch my drift), so I figure I don't want to insult this guy for threat of getting my spleen torn out, and my boss (sweet old lady) asks him how much MPG his thing gets, and he told her "About 26." I said quietly that my tiny Nissan Sentra gets 26 MPG as well. Luckily I didn't get my ass kicked.

He and my boss then go on to talking about his car, and even though we haven't provoked him or anything, he starts getting immediately defensive about his choice in automobiles, saying that it's his choice to drive whatever he wants, etc. I tell him (bald-faced lie, but keep in mind, this guy is huge) that I agree that it's his choice, and kudos to him for driving it if he wants to.

He then says, "You know, I don't understand WHY people always give me the finger while I'm driving it. It's like everyone does that to me as they pass!"

Even though a retard could understand the reason why people on the highway give him the H2 Salute while he's driving his terrorist-supporting mobile, he didn't understand. So I just say, "I don't know what to tell ya. I don't know why people could do such a thing." But like I said, any idiot could figure it out.

He left without any of my or my boss's body parts being mangled or torn, and the guy left seeming frustrated and defensive.

My boss and I then gave him a Double-Deuce H2 salute as he drove off into the distance.

The End.

[Logansquare]

104. LOL-Thanks, I have never seen that site

[hlthe2b]

2. generally try to get way out of their "line of fire..."

half of these idiots drive in both lanes-- even when they AREN'T attached to their cell phones, screaming at the kids in the backseats, smoking a cigarette, gabbing at their passenger, or otherwised involved. It is a given that most are already "self-involved."

[Bozita]

4. I count the number of occupants

Usually it's the driver alone.

Last week, I did see one with 4 people in it.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

7. Too true

One 90 pound yuppy mom on the way to pick up little Tyler from soccer.

[madmax]

5. I like both ideas

I hate those freakin SUV's. I can see owning one if you live in remote areas but, every asshole in Central New Jersey has one. And they drive like maniacs. As if to say I can kill you with this so piss off.

[MAlibdem]

41. The only place I could realistically see needing a Hummer

Or any SUV for that matter, would be a place like Monte Verde, Costa Rica, with pot holes you can lay down in. If you can't lay down in the pot hole, you dont need an SUV!

edit: it and in are different, woah!

[afraid_of_the_dark]

6. I shed a tear

like that Native American from the anti-littering commercials, and curse them for sucking gas and sending us to war with oil-rich middle-eastern countries.

[Mountainman]

8. I'll never understand the hangup with SUVs at DU

How about truckers do you give them the peace sign? How about bus drivers? How about RV drivers? How about pickup drivers? Or do you specialize in only SUV discrimination?

[Shakespeare]

14. My reply:

Truckers use their vehicles to perform an important job. I don't enjoy being stuck behind one on the interstate, but I have no gripe with them. Pickups--for the most part--are not giant hulking behemoths, and I have no problem with them, either. Hell, my dad owns one, and I've been known to drive the thing around when I'm visiting my parents.

My problem with SUVs is as follows: They're huge, and a hazard for those of us in normal-size cars, because you can't see around the damn things (and god help you if you get hit by one). I have lost count of the number of times an SUV in front of me has whipped into the other lane, and left me speeding up on the bumper of the car in front of them that I was unable to see. Even following a safe distance behind an SUV and driving within the speed limit STILL makes that a dangerous position to find oneself in.

MOST SUV owners have no practical use for such an enormous vehicle. They buy them for status or for the false sense of security and safety of being behind the wheel of such a large vehicle (Explorer rollovers, anyone?). They are gas-guzzling monstrosities that speed up the wear and tear of the streets my taxes pay to maintain. The emissions from the beasts are a disaster. The ego-driven fad has significantly increased our "need" for foreign oil, and will continue to do so for as long as Congress refuses to un-classify them as "light trucks" and require the automakers to manufacture more fuel-efficient SUVs.

I've noticed a consistent mentality among SUV drivers, in that most of them tend to be aggressive drivers, frighteningly unaware of the traffic around them, and a high percentage of them tend to have a cell phone glued to one ear while they're attempting to drive.

It's a free country, so you're free to own one of these if you want it--knock yourself out. But I'm also free to be as annoyed as hell by them, and to express my annoyance in any way that floats my boat.

edited for typo

[forgethell]

24. Arrgh!!!

"MOST SUV owners have no practical use for such an enormous vehicle."

Who made you God, that you can decide what other people need??

"They buy them for status or for the false sense of security and safety of being behind the wheel of such a large vehicle "

Nothing false about the safety concerns, and so what if they like a little status.

"They are gas-guzzling monstrosities that speed up the wear and tear of the streets my taxes pay to maintain. "

The more gas they buy, the more taxes THEY pay.

"The emissions from the beasts are a disaster. The ego-driven fad has significantly increased our "need" for foreign oil, and will continue to do so for as long as Congress refuses to un-classify them as "light trucks" and require the automakers to manufacture more fuel-efficient SUVs."

Or, we could drill our own oil. Alaska, anyone? We could use coal, or God we could follow the lead of the sainted French and other Europeans and use nuclear energy.


Or, we could just leave them alone. No need to stir up trouble, or give the finger, or even a 'peace' sign, just so we can feel self-righteous and pure in our environmental concerns. there's enough trouble in the world without it. If you don't like it, write your Congressman.

[Shakespeare]

28. Take the chip off your shoulder and re-read

Did I not say it's a free country and you can drive whatever you damn well please?

And from a purely objective standpoint, no, most people DO NOT need a huge, 4-wheel-drive vehicle to meet their limited suburban needs.

Yes, the safety "myths" are very overrated (look at the crash test ratings of SUVs), and then there's the whole other issue of the threat these over-sized vehicles pose to other cars in multi-vehicle accidents.

The more gas they buy, the more taxes they pay. So fucking what? It's still a waste.

Or we could drill our own oil. Well, we already do that, as I'm sure you know. What we theoretically could get out of the Alaskan tundra is miniscule at best. What we need are higher CAFE standards, which Congress refuses to mandate (spineless bastards), and tax credits for hybrids. Oh, and more hybrids would be nice--thankfully, Toyota has gotten the hint and will be producing almost every vehicle in their lineup as a hybrid option, even the SUVs. Yay for that.

Yes, I do feel justifiably righteous, and will continue to vent my spleen over SUVs. And my congress persons get an earful from me about it on a regular basis, by the way.

[forgethell]

44. There's no chip on my shoulder

I just disagree with practically everything that you say, and see no reason whatever to stifle myself to promote civil discourse when people are shooting me the finger about my (actually my wife's) SUV. I drive a Corolla myself as I spend many hours on the road each day.

But hey, it's a free country. Congress doesn't mandate higher CAFE standards because they know they will pay a price if they do. Isn't that what democracy is about?

[CanuckAmok]

61. I love it when people say...

..."when I'm passing an SUV in traffic..."

Pot, meet kettle. If you drive, you are part of the problem. Your honda accord is still a huge burden on the environment, still a menace to other motorists and pedestrians if driven incorrectly or uncontrollably, and still part of the problem of the automobile and how it shapes the needs of our society. If you get into your Civic alone for every little two-block trip to the 7-11, etc, are you less of a drain on the environment than someone who owns an SUV but carpools with it, or (like me) walks often and drives the SUV on average three days per week?

Being anti-SUV is just a matter of splitting hairs.

I drive a 4Runner. It's huge, and I suppose, an SUV. It's also an efficient 2.4L 4-cylinder motor which I keep running at maxumum efficiency and with no leaks or other 'hard' impacts on the environment. How I USE it isn't for anyone else to judge. I often go off-road on it (for work and for pleasure), and it's one of the only vehicles in my circle of friends which is big enough to shuttle carless activists (five at a time) and their protest gear to progressive rallies. And, it's 12 years old, which means it hasn't had a manufacturing impact on the environment since 1991. I wonder what the enviro impact is of someone buying a new hybrid every three years. I don't know, I'm just speculating it's not great.

I'm often surprised by the blind-hatred toward SUVs on this board, too. It's judging someone by what they drive. I suppose there's some merit to that mindset, but it doesn't strike me as a very progressive one.

[Shakespeare]

69. studied criticism does NOT equal blind hatred

Again: chip, shoulder, chill. Nice try at hyperbole, though.

Referring to my previous points: Are you suggesting that SUVs are fuel efficient? Are you suggesting that CAFE standards do not need to be revised upward to require automakers to produce more efficient vehicles? Are you suggesting that SUVs should continue to be erroneously labeled as "light trucks" so that automakers are able to avoid even standard CAFE requirements? Are you suggesting that it's not a hazard to be behind a vehicle so large that you cannot see anything on the road in front of it?

I stand by my points.

I:

Drive an extremely fuel-efficient 6-year-old LEV Honda Civic (which I plan to drive for at least another 4 years, at which time I will donate it and buy a hybrid or whatever manner of alternative fuel vehicle is available four years from now); take public transportation approximately 60% of the time (for both work and pleasure); use my bike whenever feasible (and don't get me started on the whole car v. bike issue); keep my car maintained in such a way as to get the greatest fuel efficiency from it (check air in the tires every 2 weeks, etc.). I hold myself to the same standards I advocate for society as a whole. I'm glad that you carpool and do use your SUV for purposes for which it was actually engineered, but I still think they're gas-guzzling behemoths that make up far too much of the nations' highway population.

[forgethell]

73. for myself, I am suggessting nothing

I am flat out denying, disagreeing with, disputing, points 2, 3, and 4. As for point 1, I do not care. Efficiency is a hobgoblin of these kinds of disputes. If the car is too inefficient for the public, the public WILL NOT BUY. But, as a pro-choice type of person, I say let the market decide.

In the meantime, I have decided my next car will be a Landrover,if I can afford it.

[Shakespeare]

80. Cool. Gas-guzzle your little heart out, then.

Hummers are atrociously gas-guzzling, but they're being marketed as intimidating, prowess-endowing must-haves. People, in general, are not very smart. They can quite easily be led to do something against their better interest. The market acts only in its own interest, so please spare me the overly-pure capitalist theories that have no clear connection to reality.

:eyes:

[forgethell]

99. Yet, don't you think

that they would have, no matter how dumb they may be compared to you, a much better idea of what they need, or want? They have information about their personal and familial necessities that you could never have. This SUV thing is just what the Puritans have latched onto now that they have figured out they will never put the sex genie back in the bottle. They did pretty good on cigarettes, so now it's SUVs and food that tastes good. Some people just can't stand for other people to get any pleasur from life.

[Shakespeare]

106. My, what a lovely little strawman.

You've completely misconstrued what I've said--but I'm sure you're quite aware of that.

Am I free to question whether somebody is doing something based on want v. need? Yep, I sure am. But nowhere have I suggested taking that choice away from them, so it's really specious of you to twist things in that manner. My biggest point of advocacy has been to make SUVs more fuel efficient--not quite the same as advocating getting rid of the things, as much as I may dislike them. There IS a need for them; it's just not quite as wide and vital a need as the number on the road would seem to indicate, and yes I DO have a problem with it. It has nothing to do with my not wanting anyone to get any pleasure from life--what a ridiculous thing to suggest (and something not supported by what I've written). Of course, that's something you and the other poster have never addressed--you simply refuse to respond to my arguments and jump right to hyperbole.

I've said I don't like them, and said why I don't like them (with very sound reasons that have nothing to do with denying pleasure or flipping people off), and I'm being viciously attacked in a curiously defensive manner. Clearly, you have a problem with my not liking SUVs, but kindly note that I've not asked you to give yours up. Now, either argue intelligently (e.g., explain why CAFE standards aren't important or try to convince me that I CAN see around that monstrous hunk in front of me on the road) or get the fuck off my back.

[CanuckAmok]

81. If dou define 'studied criticism' as...

the decision to look at the driver of a vehicle YOU decide is unnecessary, and judge that person's motivation and right to own such a vehicle, I suggest you switch schools.

I see your point, but you are painting all light truck (and they are, by definition 'light trucks', unless you define a truck as how it's used, in which case a lowrider pickup which has never been used for cargo hauling wouldn't be a truck, but your Honda would be if you move cargo in it :shrug: ) owners with the same brush.

So, by that argument, all Camaro drivers beat their girlfriends, all Mustang drivers break speed limits, all import drivers are anti-union, all Cadillac drivers are rich republicans, all Harley riders are Hell's Angels, etc...

Basically, by the criteria you state in your 'studied critcism', I'd deserve to have some self-righteous motorist (who will ultimately just take slightly longer than I will to polute the environment to the same degree) flip me the bird because of what I'm driving.

Thanks for that.

You should reconsider your definition of 'hyperbole', too.

[Shakespeare]

83. Nope, you're the one making assumptions.

I always qualified my statements by saying most, not all SUV drivers don't need a four-wheel-drive in wild and woolly suburbia. And I stand by that--I'd really love to see you try and explain why such a rugged vehicle is a necessity in Niceville, USA. Nowhere have I said "all" and extrapolated it to that extent, so your hyperbolic attempt to extend the analogy doesn't work, because that wasn't my analogy in the first place.

Your light truck argument doesn't hold up to facts, especially when you start looking at how much the vehicles weigh, etc. No, most of them are not light trucks. In a stretch, SUVs like the Rav4 or CRV could, I will happily agree, be classified as such, but your Esplanades and Excursions really abuse the definition.

As far as owners' motivations, just look at some of the responses on this thread if you really want to suggest that nobody buys these things because they're marketed as cool status vehicles. Plug in a Who song and a cute kid in a mocked-up mini Hummer, and damn, that's a cool ad.....

I'm also puzzled by your "you'll just pollute a little slower" position. I'm continually looking for ways to increase fuel efficiency on my already-fuel-efficient car, I use it as little as possible, and I bug the shit out of my representatives in Congress to improve all vehicles in that area (not just SUVs). That's really kind of a baby-with-the-bathwater position you're using to justify the way an SUV uses gas--"hey, we'll all pollute eventually, so what the hell." At least I'm trying really, really hard not to contribute to that any more than I absolutely have to. :shrug:

Please find anywhere in my previous posts where I agreed with or defended the poster who wanted to flip off SUV drivers--you'll have a hard time doing so, 'cause it ain't there. I've never suggested being rude to anybody who drives one, but merely stated--with qualified, detailed reasons--why I dislike the damn things so much.

[CanuckAmok]

84. Okay, here's my thoroughly thought out reply:

Meh.

[Shakespeare]

85. Thanks. I appreciate your thoughtful reply.

:eyes:

[blondeatlast]

76. Why do the suburban moms in PHOENIX lust after these things?

I swear, I know women who would just die if they didn't get an SUV--the bigger the better.

There is no reason that a minivan wouldn't work in this climate.

I'm with you. They are wasteful, enormously extravagant, and a danger to other drivers. The time has come to "de-chic" them. They are an effing blight. Period.

[forgethell]

101. You don't have any children, do you?

If you did, you would know why parents, not just Moms, need a vehicle with a large carrying capacity.

[RedEarth]

32. Your post expresses just the way I feel also.....nt

[Mountainman]

37. All that negativity doesn't hurt the SUV owners one bit

But it is having a bad effect on you. It reminds me of the people who are so anti diversity. The diversity has happened and will continue to happen. You can't do anything about it but you can do something about how you will react to it. You way of reacting is hurting you.

[Iris]

49. Diversity? I'd say SUV drivers are anything but.

[forgethell]

102. But if you eleiminate them

you have contributed to less diversity.

[Shakespeare]

107. The poster has not suggested eliminating them.

But you knew that already.

[Shakespeare]

70. LOL--no, not at all.

That "negativity," as you describe it isn't negativity so much as it is being well-informed and using that information to lobby my congress critters for positive change. Yes, I can do something about the problems I see--limited, perhaps, but at least I'm doing something positive and progressive.

I'm not hurt at all. I'm informed and edified, and that only helps me grow as a person. I wish the same for you.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

16. Yes

I do give truckers a piece sign also. I wish there were more strict regulations on trucks especially on the crowded So Cal freeways.


edit:typo

[Red State Rebel]

45. Amen to that !

While you may only see me driving my Suburban, with the tinted windows you can't see what I haul on a daily basis. A 400 lb. gym floor cover,24 6ft. flag poles with flags, 8 38" stainless steel performance sabres, 8 38" wooden performance rifles, 1 Box of miscellaneous supplies for repairs on the above items, 1 Shelf Stereo System duct taped to a luggage cart.

All of this is for a non profit, competitive, youth performing arts group. It is in my vehicle on a daily basis as we aren't allowed to store our equipment at the site we rehearse at.

This weekend it also included 4 teenagers as we drove to Nashville for a competition.

So, go ahead and flip me off if you see me - I don't give a rip. Who are any of you to judge people for what they drive? Sometimes outward appearances are deceiving.

[Iris]

54. Yes, but I still don't believe a "soccer mom" really needs a truck

with a cover on it to take her kid to soccer.

[forgethell]

103. It's taking 8 kids

to soccer in her carpool.

[Shakespeare]

111. LOL--I've never seen ANYBODY take 8 kids in a carpool

3 or 4, yes, but not 8.

Oh, the poor, maligned, misunderstood soccer mom...she carries entire classrooms full of children in her car, over rugged terrain for miles and miles, all while talking on her cell phone and reaching back periodically to slap little Jimmy in the backseat.

See, I can do hyperbole, too.

[jmowreader]

59. Congratulations! You're a one-percenter!

I figure about one percent of all SUV owners actually use the things as trucks. You're in that one percent.

Last night it snowed, but someone actually came in. He bought insulation, of course--I always sell a lot of insulation on snow days. It wasn't much, just five bundles of unfaced R-19 to beef up what was already in the attic. He then bought some little shit, gloves and face masks, and put the insulation on delivery. I walked out to the car with him...he had a Suburban with no child seats, no big toolboxes, nothing blocking the load floor. You can fit five bundles of insulation easily in an unloaded Suburban; I do it all the time. Question: what the hell good is it owning a vehicle originally designed to haul work crews--the Suburban has been on the market since 1937--if you won't haul anything in it?

We do occasionally get people come in and load up their Suburbans and other Full Size SUVs so heavily the springs sag, but they're an exception.

[Chovexani]

63. I live in Brooklyn

Where the roughest terrain is parking lots with speed bumps (or potholes around March/April :)). And there's SUVs EVERYWHERE. FFS I saw a double parked H2 on Flatbush Ave. (the main thoroughfare in Brooklyn) the other day that literally blocked like a lane and a half of traffic. Wtf is up with that?

Truckers are just doing a job, bus drivers perform a public service (I ride the bus myself), pickup drivers around here usually need their truck to cart construction equipment, landscaping stuff, etc. SUVs? Without fail it's always some yuppie assclown (or conversely, a P. Diddy wannabe) with one hand on the gi-normous wheel and the other on a cell phone or double grande latte or some crap. They're the most obnoxious people on earth, and the worst drivers.

Seriously where I live is as urban as you can get, there is no frelling need to have an SUV other than tiny prick syndrome.

[Momgonepostal]

9. I'm home!

It's so nice to find people who hate those things as much as I do. Why would anyone want to drive something so enormous? Cripes with gas here over $2/gallon, I'd need another job just to pay for the fuel for one of those barges on wheels.

It's funny how people think they look so cool. They look like tall station wagons to me.

[blondeatlast]

22. Welcome to DU--you'll like it!

:toast:

[peacebuzzard]

95. welcome momgonepostal!!!

glad you are here.:hi:

[ComerPerro]

10. I get the hell out of the way

And make sure that the jerkoff driving it doesn't kill me or force me off the road because he either isn't paying attention or isn't following the traffic laws.

[hatrack]

11. Try to ensure a port-to-port passing

Starboard-to-starboard requires a special signal, which is a pain!

[HawkerHurricane]

15. Remember, the vessel to port is the 'give way' vessel...

If you can see his port running light, you are required to give way.

However, if he is to your port, you are the 'stand on' vessel and should maintain course and speed.

Of course, the Law of Greater Tonnage applies.

[hatrack]

38. Aye, Matey, arrrrrrrgghhhh! (and other assorted pirate noises)

;-)

[Screaming Lord Byron]

12. My wife is determined to get us a Ford Escape. Will DU shun me?

[catzies]

21. Print this out and read it with your wife.

http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html

Why does she want one? That article will explode many of the myths behind the reasoning of why people think SUVs are safe.

[Iris]

52. then read this article, also from The New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/online/content/?040112on_onlineonly01

[catzies]

71. That's cool. See what I get for not checking their site?

:)

I had no idea they posted an online Q&A. I wish their website was a little better; archive-wise. It's difficult to find an article over an issue old.

When I looked for the original Gladwell 1/12/04 article I couldn't find it until I googled the author. His website posted it in a .pdf which is exactly like the magazine layout, including the cartoons!
:hi:

[geniph]

31. The Escape is a very small SUV

plus, Ford is working on a hybrid version of it, which hopefully will sell like hotcakes.

As SUV's go, the Escape's a pretty innocuous one, not like the Excursion, which is so large it should require a CDL to drive.

I drive a mini-SUV - a Subaru Forester - myself. I get nearly 30 mpg.

[fishnfla]

13. Um get in it and start 'er up!

nt

[Rainbowreflect]

17. If it's a man driving, I just say "sorry about you penis".

[doc03]

55. The penis is inversely proportionate to the size of the SUV

Think about that poor Hummer owner!

[demsrule4life]

97. And if he whips out a big one what are you going to do

run home to momma?

[radwriter0555]

18. I just assume the driver has a REALLY large penis...

doesn't everyone...

[Rainbowreflect]

25. And we posted at the same time too.

[mitchum]

19. My wife sticks her arm out the window and holds her thumb...

and forefinger 2 inches apart anytime she sees a guy driving one of those compensators.

She doesn't mind at all that I drive a Honda...

[ncrainbowgrrl]

30. ROFL n/t

[forgethell]

20. I drool with envy myself

I need a big car, or truck.

[dweller]

23. Cut the f***er off

put my subaru in front of it, dare the overcompensating wienie to get up on my bumper, tap the brakes, put the rearview on nitevision, and truck on at the exact speed limit.

don't you?

dp

[Pillowbiter]

27. But doing that might cause a rollover of the SUV

and that might cause other drivers to get hurt because of their unsafe vehicle.

PB

[dweller]

34. well, don't they know the safety factors of their

tank?

prone to rollover, dangerous to others in collisions...

what, i'm supposed to run from them?

dp

[geniph]

33. Nah, I've already had my car totaled in a rear-end collision

and THAT was at a stoplight!

[demsrule4life]

98. I like this scenrio

Some guy is driving home from work in his big SUV. He just found out that his job is going to be going overseas. He has two thoughts on his mind, what to tell his wife and secondly how is he going to make the payments on the SUV. Along comes an environmental commando wannabe playing stupid games. The problem about how he is going to make the payments are solved.

[geniph]

26. Don't be hatin' on 'em...

they get their comeuppance every time they go to the gas pump (which is approximately every 15 minutes).

Just pass on by and pay 'em no mind.

[INTELBYTES]

29. When I see an SUV....

I want to buy one for myself. And if I had the money I'd buy one for my wife as well. I'm not hung up on that SUV crap. They are vehicles, get over it! Unless you carpool with 5 people in your vehicle everytime you get in it then you have no room to bitch.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

36. My Saturn

gets around 35 mpg and I do carpool on a daily basis. Have fun with your SUV, I hope it doesn't flip over.

[INTELBYTES]

75. Well if it flipped over, I'd just have to buy another one wouldn't I?

:bounce:

[HawkerHurricane]

40. I get tempted to buy one too...

If I only had $100,000 to throw away...

Actually, I think some armor plate, a 88mm pak52, a couple of MG34's... I'd be all set to join a Panzer Division!

[blondeatlast]

77. I carpol in my Camry and get about 22 MPG in the city.

My carpool often includes my son, my passenger, and her daughter.

[Streetdoc270]

108. Gee so do I

I Get 22mpg in my vehicle also, so that makes me a good person right, oh wait I forget I drive a Cherokee otherwise known as 'the scourge of the earth evil satanic SUV who deserves to be Fuc*ed with at every turn' I really love the post from the person who said they love to cut suv's off and tap their brakes... I just hope someone does that to me especially when I'm trying to respond to a rescue where its their family member dying. You have no Idea why the person is driving that vehicle it may be a necessity for them not just personal preference, so don't be so quick to judge! I have more trouble from the 'Fast and the Furious' wannabes who go speeding around weaving in traffic in their fuel efficient Honda Civics with the little tires and humongous spoilers. Save your indignation for those who deserve it.

[Cuban_Liberal]

35. Resist the urge to pull out my Glock and shoot it in the engine block.

Just kidding....:P

[sistersofmercy]

57. ...

Now that's funny! :D

[latebloomer]

42. I left a note on the windshield

of a huge hulking one, in the middle of a death valley globally warm summer. Something like, "Driving this monstrosity wastes resources and helps hasten the death of this planet."

I consider buying one of these abominations monumentally selfish. It basically says, "I've got mine, fuck everybody else. Fuck the planet. Fuck the air. Fuck our finite resources. Fuck our children's future. Don't I look cool?" No, you don't-- you look incredibly selfish and ignorant.

Other than that I think they're fabulous.

[regularguy]

64. It basically says......F- this, F-that......

Doesn't driving in general - and thus partcipating in all the evils of the car culture - say all these things. As someone stated here already, the SUV angle is just easy, cheap, self-righteous hair-splitting. Take the freakin' bus.

[MAlibdem]

43. Social Distortion Rules!

nt

[jonnyblitz]

46. hell yeah they do!!

:thumbsup:

[Blue_State_Elitist]

66. Mike Ness

and Social D are brilliant. They absolutely can't stand the chimp either. Cheers

[libertad]

47. That is so funny, we had a reace protest before the war and alot

of the suv drivers did that same thing as they drove by!

[alwynsw]

48. I usually reach into my pocket, take out my keys,

unlock the door, and climb in.

[Iris]

50. Here's a New Yorker article about the SUV demographic

http://www.newyorker.com/online/content/?040112on_onlineonly01

[MissMillie]

51. Isn't it amazing

that something as innocuous as a peace sign could get anyone that angry?

[bleedingheart]

53. I avoid them because the drivers of SUV's normally do not know

how to drive a big vehicle...

[ohiosmith]

56. How many of you who make rude gestures (peace sign excepted

I'd flash it back), have the balls to pull over and take your ass kicking?

[Lorien]

58. I always refer to those ugly pieces of crap

as "Osamamobiles". NO vehicle is as anti-American!

[ConcernedCanuk]

60. Hmm - I'm waiting to see one bigger than mine !! - SUV - I mean - -

.
.
.

This has been my ONLY vehicle for over 12 years and well used it is!












It gets me to all those neet places, last summer spent TEN weeks camping !!




I LIVE for my camping, so my "beast" is sort of a necessity !

But I must add, I don't just cruise around much, only 6,000 kliks in the last two years - it IS a wee bit of a gas hawg . . .

[Blue_State_Elitist]

67. That's a beastly automobile

Glad to see someone out there uses there oversized vehicle for the reason it was intended.

[BiggJawn]

65. I say, "Oh, now EVERYONE knows...."

"...you have a small penis!"
Had a woman clue me in on that years ago. She told me that women laugh when they see a guy in a big truck, because he's compensating for a small something else.

:7

[blondeatlast]

74. She's right, but I wonder about the women--in my area, they seem to

be the preponderance of SUV drivers.

And I thought my Camry was estravagant...

[BiggJawn]

78. Don't know...Penis Envy?

Or could be they want to be "safe" while they run over everything they can't see because they're too busy yakking on the Cellie?

[blondeatlast]

89. You should see them in my son's school parking lot--one damn

near ran over her own kid becuase she couldn't see him, not to mention the ones that nearly get run over every day.

If ya need 'em, fine. But about 1% of the people who drive them actually have a practical use for them. I figure if it gets washed every week and there are no scratches--that's just plain insecurity.

[DEM FAN]

68. Say To My Self. I Want One.

:shrug:

[damnyankee2601]

72. I prefer the "reverse" peace sign.

In Germany, you signal a stupid driver with 2 fingers (index and middle) tapped against your head. This means "use your head, idiot." I like this for SUVers. Who cares if they understand, they can tell it's not polite.

[Dees]

82. Where do I fall on the DU SUV hate-o-meter? Jeep Grande

Cherokee. Six cylnder, less that 100 miles per week and well tuned.

[Mountainman]

86. Someone who drives a SUV 100 miles a week

Burns less gas and pollutes less than someone who commutes 100 miles a day in some small sedan. Take for instance a rich woman who doesn't work but drives her Cadiliac SUV to the club down the street and then maybe to her dress disigner's and to her spa and then to her hair dressers. All these places are within a few miles of her 50 acre palacial home. Now she doesn't cause half the social harm that some factory worker who lives 50 miles from work and drives 35 MPH to work on a clogged freeway giving every SUV driver the bird. And being so mad all the time he makes himself a driving hazzard to everyone else.

What SUV haters don't take into consideration is the amount of driving the owner does. Also how about the off road motorcycles and such? Should they get the peace sign too?

[Dees]

87. I agree entirely. A tank of regular last me nearly a month.

[CanuckAmok]

88. The term "Fashionable scapegoat" springs to mind...

n/t

[Blue_State_Elitist]

92. I don't hate SUV's because of the pollution as much...

as the fact that they are so big and often block my view on the road. They are just plain dangerous because of size and height.

[CanuckAmok]

94. There's a school of thought about that.

What you say is true, but it's also arguable that drivers with high driving positions have better medium-and-long-distance visibility.

I know from driving my 4Runner, which is basically the size of a small pickup truck, that I can see potential dangers ahead before other motorists. In fact, I have put that theory into practice.

But, yes, more tall vehicles does 'up the ante' for visibility.

edit: typo, typo, typo...

[demsrule4life]

90. DU is a strange place

There is more talk here about penises then there is on a male enhancement site.

[demsrule4life]

91. DU is a strange place

There is more talk here about penises then there is on a male enhancement site.

[Hammie]

93. Hop in and fire it up.

Everyone here is supposed to be vested in Democracy, but when people cast the votes that really matter, the ones they cast with their hard earned dollars, people here are standing by to call them "Jackasses", "A-holes", &etc. Some F'n tool claims he tries to cause accidents with them at every opportunity. (BTW pal, if you try that with me, I promise you I'll hit the gas instead of the brake).

So what, does democracy mean that we all have to vote on what I'm going to drive to work, or what I'm going to eat for breakfast, how big my house can be? I live 12 miles from work, I burn less gas in my SUV than some guy that drives 90 miles each way in his damn Saturn. He made his choices, I've made mine, and as far as I'm concerned all the rest of y'all can kiss off.

[Baclava]

96. Heh heh heh... that's great...

Most of these "SUV haters" are teenagers who only come out from under their covers and spout their shit long enough to get their ritual twinkees snacks from their mommies...fuck em.

I pull a 26 ft boat behind my truck...let them try that behind their rice-burners bought with mommy and daddys money...

[ScreamingMeemie]

100. Hey Mom and Dad are here!

:hi:

[Logansquare]

105. Car rental tried to "upgrade" me to a Durango last fall

when they ran out of mid-size cars. I guess I was supposed to be thrilled about filling up that huge f*cking tank and trying to corner in the automotive equivalent of a hippo on stilts. Imagine the stunned looks when I said "I hate SUVs!" They gave me a full-size car instead.

[Endangered Specie]

109. Break out the flak 88

[IronLionZion]

110. Roll baby roll!

If you think SUV's are safe, then you've never been in one where it rolled. Yes a high center of gravity will cause a vehicle to tip over when going around a curve at high speeds. It also makes it slip more easily on ice. If you are in a wreck and hurt someone in a small car, they can and should sue you. American vehicles in general don't crumple as well as Toyotas and Hondas in crashes so your body takes a bigger impact during a collision. I'd rather have the vehicle take the impact than my body. I could go on and on. These motherfuckers are not safe at all. You don't need to be an engineer to figure that one out.

[IronLionZion]

112. safe?

The truth, underneath all the rationalizations, seemed to be that S.U.V. buyers thought of big, heavy vehicles as safe: they found comfort in being surrounded by so much rubber and steel. To the engineers, of course, that didn't make any sense, either: if consumers really wanted something that was big and heavy and comforting, they ought to buy minivans, since minivans, with their unit-body construction, do much better in accidents than S.U.V.s. (In a thirty-five-m.p.h. crash test, for instance, the driver of a Cadillac Escalade--the G.M. counterpart to the Lincoln Navigator--has a sixteen-per-cent chance of a life-threatening head injury, a twenty-per-cent chance of a life-threatening chest injury, and a thirty-five-per-cent chance of a leg injury. The same numbers in a Ford Windstar minivan--a vehicle engineered from the ground up, as opposed to simply being bolted onto a pickup-truck frame--are, respectively, two per cent, four per cent, and one per cent.) But this desire for safety wasn't a rational calculation. It was a feeling.
- http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html