LV2TNDM

I highly recommend reading Keith Bradsher's book about SUV's. It's called "High & Mighty, SUVs: The world's most dangerous vehicles and how they got that way"
A very worthwhile read.
And to one previous poster about busses and trucks....
These large and potentially dangerous vehicles require proper licensing and regulation. They also serve a purpose - moving goods and passengers.
SUV's just go to Starbucks for lattes, brush guards and all!
Sure, drive a Hummer, just keep it off the streets and make it meet the same pollution emissions standards of other vehicles!

RonH

SUV??? Don't need one! My bikes and my average sized 9 year old car get me everywhere I have to go.
Cell Phone??? Don't need one! If I'm home, I'll answer the phone. If I'm not home, leave a message.

lilHinault

OK I'm mean..... I was walking along today and there was a guy in a Hummer waiting as I crossed. OK, I was hauling a hand truck full of packages, working with my muscles oh dear! So, I look closely because I'm kind of curious, what type drives one of those things? I wanted to count the fat rolls under the chin and see if I could glimpse how many Big Gulps the guy had in holders maybe. I was kind of thinking, ok, if you have a vehicle built expressly for reliability in adverse conditions, you must REALLY rely on being able to drive everywhere right? It was a fairly normal looking guy though, no fat rolls, kinda sour looking, I guess if the guy was my neighbor I'd probably think of him as Neocon John lol. So, I pass, traffic's clear, so the guy pulls out into the main road, and I noticed because he did all but lay two strips of rubber on the road! Somehow, even if you drive a $50k vehicle, some insignificant person walking along hauling a hand truck f'god's sake, can still injure your delicate ego.

I should have made a figure with my hand showing something about 2 inches long.....

mac

Disagree here. We are a 24/7 business world, especially if you work in the I.T. or financial sector where you must be accessible for support.

Turbonium

that is the last thing i want! someone phoning me about how to print 1 page out of 5 when i am on the john. if you can't figure something out at 7 at night, RTFI read the * instuctions!!!

Seanholio

As a Libertarian, I depend on market forces to hold me up.

trackhub

Holy Crap! Is that for real?!? They actually sell these?



On Cell phones: I finally broke down and got one two years ago. Reason: When cycling, I always figured I could find a public pay phone, if I needed to make a call. This is no longer the case. Public pay phones are pretty much another piece of Americana that has gone the way of the paper boy, and the 25¢ box of movie theater popcorn. (Uh, have you younger members ever seen this "¢" before? )

Pay phones will still be found in places such as airports and large grocery stores for now. I have read that pay phones in open areas are just too costly and under-used to maintain at this point, and the phone companies are simply removing them. A Verizon tech told me they can't keep up with the vandalism. If they repair a vandalized phone, it will be vandalized and unusable again within the week. Pretty sad, isn't it? I know, I know,,,, It's angry youth, expressing their feelings,,,,,,

mac

Check out the Spinnin' video.

CommuterRun

I suffered through it. It wasn't funny. Just more sanctimonious liberal, anti-SUV BS.

The truth of the matter is econo-cars are crap. They do nothing, but point A to point B. A total waste of resources. The biggest wasters of all are sportscars.

Of course, for people that do nothing, a do nothing econo-car is probably perfect.

I don't have to justify my choice of vehicle, but will anyway.

I have what Toyota and the DOT call an SUV. I call it a big station wagon. It doesn't fit my definition of SUV. In my business of private contractor, in a rural area in Florida, it is necessary to have a vehicle that has a lot of cargo room and can pull a utility trailer. This one does all that and is very comfortable and roomy. I am fortunate to be able to leave my tools, food for lunch and have a place to shower and change on my current job-site. Not all job-sites have these aminities. As a result, I currently often ride one of five bikes to work, usually the Specialized Allez Elite. If I want to take more than I can carry on a bike, but don't want to drive, I also have a Burley Flatbed Utility Trailer and a Burley Solo Trailer. I can also go fishing, castnetting and/or crabbing everyday if I desire, and hunting, in season. Sometimes I take a bike for these things, sometimes I drive. Ever have to clean up after a dead deer or load of fish or crabs in a carpeted econo-car? Me neither, and don't care to try. Will a deer even fit in an econo-car?

The wife and I share one car, one car family. If we decide to get another car, anything other than a full-size, four-wheel-drive, crew-cab pick-up would be a pointless waste.

Sure the world will run out of practically extractable oil in a matter of decades, but this is going to happen, and all the associated chaos that will go along with that. What people choose to afford to be able to drive makes no difference. There are simply too many do-nothing cars.

jamesdenver

a friend of ours has the H2, and last year we went to a small neigborhood italian restaurant. it was on a small mostly residential street, (pennsylvania in denver), and i was so embarrased getting out with everyone dining al fresca, thinking the same thing i think when i see a huge H2 bumbling down a tiny street.

scarry

If you had paid attention, the film DID NOT make fun of folks that drive a large vehicle for work or utility. The film was aimed at folks who drive large vehicles simply for vanity.

lilHinault

The other day I saw an SUV that looked like one of the ones in the cartoon! In the cartoon they're distorted, they've made 'em stretched in the vertical direction, but this one reminded me of that in real life!!

And yes, the criticism here is not aimed at those who NEED an SUV, notice we're not picking on plumbers and those glass guys with the racks full of glass on the sides of their pickups etc.

CommuterRun

I don't buy it. One vehicle that will do everything the owner needs a vehicle to do, will always beat one do-it-all and an econo-car.

If you see me driving, how are you going to know if I'm working or just running down for a loaf of bread and quart of milk?

Not that I particularly care. I drive what suits me.