ianbrettcooper

I used to live less than 200 yards away from my local corner store. On occasions when I was walking there (there was a nice big sidewalk all the way there), I've seen at least two of the people on my street (people who lived closer to the store) driving there to get snacks or groceries, and then driving straight back to their house.

The thing that used to really annoy me though, was that they would leave their cars running while they shopped.

webtwo

We have a neighbor who sometimes leaves their minvan running with the AC on because they don't want to wake their sleeping tots. I can see socially inept spoiled brats in the making...

Artkansas 

You can probably call child protective services on them. You are not supposed to leave children alone in the car these days.

himespau 

that was my first thought. they leave their kids in the car?

webtwo

Oh, they stand outside the car and smoke while they are waiting. They are not really neglecting the children, they are neglecting common sense.

Roody

That's against the law here, since a number of idling cars ended up going through the store fronts while their owners were shopping.

ace587

my sister doesnt mind riding, but my mom is too paranoid

frantik

I live just down the block from a 7-11.. my neighbors used to drive there and back all the time

Hippiebrian

Back in September there was a protest against a refinery who was pumping money into defeating clean air initiatives. There was a march from a local park, and when I got there I watched as people parked SUV's and got into line to march! I got angry, kept silent, and did not attend the march, just rode home.

Roody

Just because some supporters don't live up to your ideals doesn't mean that the cause itself is less worthwhile.

Hippiebrian

I know, but if I were protesting drunk driving, I wouldn't stop off for a few beforehand, ya know? It was, at that point, a better idea for me to leave than to open my big mouth in anger...and anger me it did. How do you make a point against the oil industry when you drive an SUV?

Roody

What would be so bad about opening your mouth in anger? If this is something you believe is important, you have a right to bring it up. Just bear in mind that we're all dependent on the oil industry, and to some extent we have all been brainwashed on this issue. It's possible that some of the SUV driving protesters have never thought about the inconsistency between their words and their actions.

Hippiebrian

I know I'm dependant on the oil industry also, however it still seems rediculous to use a car to go to a refinery protest. Kind of like lighting up a smoke against big tobacco...just doesn't make sense. Really, when you buy a product when you don't have to, like gasoline, and you are protesting the makers of that product, isn't that the definition of inconsistency? How could one not know how inconsistant that is when you pull up to the pump? Should I have to point that out?

Roody

Probably the main reason they're so mad at the oil industry is that they were hoodwinked into buying impractical vehicles, and now they're stuck with them as gas prices are going up again.

frantik

i'd rather they drive their SUV to the protest than not show up at all..

Ratzinger

I have a friend who moved from Nova Scotia to a suburb of Charlotte, NC.
She walked to school sometimes- a 40 minutes walk- which is not down the block, but reasonable for someone who wanted to exercise etc...

People would stop to offer her a ride. STRANGERS. In her suburb, everyone drives everywhere, and to see someone walking...it's so disconcerting that it made kind strangers stop to see if everything was OK.

Where I'm from, sure, we're too dependant on cars. Plus this city (Dartmouth NS) is so hilly that it's hard to bike for someone who is out of shape. But still, the car culture in my friend's suburb seemed like some kind of social sickness.

frantik

most modern suburbs are designed in a way which actively discourages walking and biking.. housing tracts with no sidewalks and only one outlet to major streets, the major streets are like small highways, and then you get to your big box strip malls which are surrounded by giant parking lots. the whole time you have to dodge soccer moms in their SUVs telling their kids to shut up while they're on the phone..

Oil_LOL

One of the teachers at my school, my study hall teacher, and a total roadie (is a total snob about bullhorns and randonneurs, says they're for tools), live 3 or 4 blocks away from my school, just has to walk down the street to get there. And almost everyday (especially if it's raining) he drives to school. Come on, he has almost no reason to do so (granted, it's a Honda Fit, not some earth-raping SUV). It's just kind of annoying.

Hippiebrian

One more...last year, before I decided to give up driving, I picked up a mountain bike. I actually drove 50 plus miles with my bike in the truck to go mountain biking for a couple of hours. Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought it may be stupid to drive somewhere to ride my bike!

Long story short, I put slicks on that mountain bike and it is now my commuter, as the roads here at the plant are really hard even on my touring bike. Looking back, that little voice was right, and now it seems totally insane to go driving to ride, when there's so much good riding right in my back yard, never mind all the good riding I get in now just getting things done!

frantik

^ yeah driving to go riding sounds kinda crazy.. but i'd love to actually ride my MTB in the MTNS

Artkansas 

Hopefully, they carpooled.

DX-MAN

Car-pooling was kinda gonna be my point. That, and maybe -- just maybe -- that was the only time that week the SUV had left the driveway....

Baby steps, my friend, baby steps. I can kinda get with them anyway, because refineries likely pollute about 1000x more than all the SUVs there.

etroutski

I was on a bicycle tour one time and camping in a campground either in Mississippi or Alabama. It was full of construction workers staying in camping trailers while they helped rebuild after the ravages of Katrina. All night long I was awakened in my tent as they would crank up their diesel F350's and big pick-ups to drive 50 yards or so to the bathhouse. I kid you not, they ALL seemed to do it!

Artkansas 

Don't "baby steps" imply they get out of their car?

Freakin'Chickin

I have to admit, it has happened to me sometimes: when you are doing field work in forestry, in 15 year old forests of more than 20 000 stems/ha, with sleet and rain pouring, you are totally soaked and absolutely chilled (even though you have the best GTX gear around) 'cause it's been 6 hours that you just spent crawling under those small coniferous trees, and still have 6 hours to go... yes I do start my (loaned by the job) pickup truck, pull the heater at max and eat my little sandwiches while trying to change into dry clothes and warming up my fingers :-S Usually on those nasty weather days, I try to keep moving as much as I can, but you are always stopping for 30 min, then walk for 15 then stop again, measure and take notes, so I have no choice but to rewarm a little bit. That's the same with winter forestry field work: you get too hot, then you get cold, then hot, then cold, then chilled, then chilled to the bone, then freezing, and then you start the truck somewhere near the end of the day. Even if you fumble with the best layered system; well I haven't found it yet :-) But, I have to say, I stop the engine when I'm done, though!