Some of you guys need to be a little more tolerant. Not everyone is smart enough to buy a Prius. I have felt that I was surrounded by "a sea of monsters" since I started driving British sports cars in the 60s. I can remember setting at a stop light in my MG with a Chevy Impalla on one side and a Ford Galaxy on the other feeling very small and vulnerable. But I managed to avoid them through what I thought was skill, and was most likely luck. The American way seems to be (sigh) to buy the biggest vehicle you can borrow the money for, have 6 or 8 kids you can't afford to fill it up with, and complain about the price of gas and how bad we are being screwed by the oil companies and/or the government.
I've overcome my feelings about SUV drivers, but tell me there's any reason to give a Hummer driver the benefit of the doubt...
I am very tolerant now...its not for me to judge. I can promote this technology to my friends but cannot make them accept it or buy into it.
I think Walker1 you touched a little nerve with some people and as soon as it seems like someone is SUV bashing, people starting throwing around the intolerant and you don't know what their need is...etc, etc. Many people get so confused about what they need and what they want. There is no doubt that some people get great use out of their SUV, while there is no doubt that some people don't. Now the percentages who are in this category are hard to determine. A snapshot does make it hard to determine what is needed, but I agree that it makes me think about what they really need. I could look at my labmate who drives around by herself all the time in her Mercury Mountaineer (and has no idea even where her gas mileage) and look at my sister-in-law driving by herself in her pathfinder (on her way to pick up four kids from school). In one instance the snapshot is a good indicator of what she needs, the other isn't. Doesn't mean we can bemoan the fact that many have more than they need. The thing that really gets me worked up is when they buy lots of big toys and then "need" a huge vehicle to pull the toys around. They have every right to do that, just don't say that it is a need, it is what you want.
Just think, even Prius owners would get snuffed at by the 100% electrical contingency! ...or the scooter contingency .....or the bicycle contingency ......or the walker contingency WE'RE the SUV's in their eyes! :lol:
Well, it was supposed to be lighthearted, but clearly you've taken offense. That's what the smiley was for. I just thought it amusing that you were essentially telling somebody else to be more tolerant. See the irony? Ps I know you were being sarcastic, but if you think about it, who wouldn't like to improve?
Warning: incoming blasphemy! Good point, Squid. All said, it's still a car. 'Less bad' than most cars, but not to be confused with 'good'. It's not like it runs on air pollution and replaces roads with forest as it drives along.
Nice post Micheal B) At least there is no hate in you. I must say though someone with toys does "Need" to have a tow vehicle. It is all a play on words though. Do they need the toy(s)?? Maybe...after all they might go out and kill someone with out the recreation the toys provide. Ever see the boat with the words "Water Therapy" on the back? You might not want to meet them on a bad day. LOL Plus they are much safer towing with a larger vehicle than a smaller one. More likely to rear end someone, or loose control of the tow vehicle. Much of this thread seems to be more about money than fuel economy. Correct me if I am wrong. After just spending $31K OTD for an 06 Prius, I see no savings over driving any vehicle that is already owned. My reasons for owning a Prius are not the same as many others on this board. It is a symbol to many on here I am sure, just like driving a Hummer is a status symbol to many Hummer owners. Most large SUV owners could care less about fuel consumption, and the operating costs associated with them. Some people have more money than others, and choose to spend it in ways that are visible. Wish I could afford a Masaratti, too show off LOL I am an evironmentalist at heart, and an avid backpacker, scuba diver, etc., yet I will not support the Sierra Club or Greenpeace. How many people stop and pick up garbage? I do. I am not some whacko tree hugger out to save the world though. Our worlds resources will be depleted at some point, and much of it could be kept in check by population control. Unfortunately that will not happen until it is too late.
Neil Young drives a Hummer. It runs on 100% biodiesel, and he makes a point of yelling back at Hummer Haters who yell at him. When is a Hummer not a bummer?
It would be the way it drove down the street, SEEDS would blast out the exhaust pipe, and would accelerate dramatically when behind a truck with dirty exhaust... h34r:
Let me re-phrase. As long as gas guzzlers don't affect what I have to pay for gas it doesn't matter. But, I don't think things are working out for me. The so called experts always bring up the supply & demand factor to raise prices. Who knows for sure. All I know is they're really putting a hurting on the working middle class people by keeping gas prices way above the realm of reasonable & affordable.
Like I said it is about the money Gas is still cheaper than water. You better also hate on big semi trucks hauling your grocerys and goods around. Along with ships, trains, power plants, plastic plants, and anything else using fossil fuels, at a high rate. After all that is where a large portion of the supply goes.
There is a large gap between the *price* of gas, as in what we pay at the pump, and the *cost* of gas, as in what it costs all of us for its use. (air pollution, loss of habitat, global warming, etc) The price of gas is being subsidised by environmental degradation, which is a big and very real cost not factored into the price. Gas prices are now *below* the realm of reasonable and affordable. In the long run, all costs factored in, fossil fuels are among the most expensive forms of energy, but they're priced among the least. If the price were anywhere near the cost, we might be able to make responsible, informed decisions about our energy use.
This is the 2nd time YOU have used the word hate. Do me a favor and don't use words I'm not using. Even better, why don't you not get involved with any post if you only want to piss people off. You don't know squat.
One always hears about "needs" when the SUV question is posed. When I was younger myself and two brothers were dragged aroung to all of our various activities by my mother who drove a renault le car (which was sweet), chevy hatchback, and finally a Ford Aerostar. We all played sports including football and hockey (you ever seen a hockey bag?) Most Minivans hold the exact amount of people as many of the large suv's and get better MPG. So I really question the need argument, even if a person has kids. I think a lot of people just think the suv is cool and that is why they drive it.
