I have betrayed you all...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Nov 21 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]542439[/snapback]</div>

That's how my wife traveled when she was a kid. But you need to add one extra baby.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Nov 19 2007, 03:20 PM) [snapback]541681[/snapback]</div>

Of all the info presented, these are the sort of comments that I have issues with. You have complained of the spite and personal attacks from others - but haven't commented on the main point of my initial post (the one with the BIGGER truck). In that first post I spoke of making these important decisions based only on "what's best for me" - and the dangers of doing that. Do you see ANY of that problem here? Have you considered the effect BEYOND you and your family? Your choice of "lifestyle" effects mine in a negative way. And that's what I take issue with.

Safety of your family means respecting the safety of everybody's family. You simply cannot protect your family if everybody else is doing things that puts your family in MORE peril. "Convenience" comes at a huge price. Not cost at the car dealership, nor at the gas pump. That's insignificant. The cost comes in our screwed-up energy policy, our nation's economy, our national security, and, possibly most importantly - our health.

Many will say that I am judging you. I am not. I'm judging your actions, and trying to figure out why they were chosen. I have no need for a defense of your choice - that's already quite obvious.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Nov 22 2007, 02:17 AM) [snapback]542439[/snapback]</div>

When was the last time you saw the driver of a Lincoln Behemoth smiling like that?

MPV is a Mazda term for Multi-Purpose Vehicle, rather than a minivan which I would have thought was like a Suzuki Carry or Daihatsu Hijet.
SUV is an American Auto Industry invention to try to convince Americans that there is something sporty about a utility vehicle when in reality it's just a ute with soft seats, alloy wheels and metalic paint. In the end it's a truck more likely to be driven by a overweight, hard drinking loading dock worker than a sportsman/woman.

As a young person I had a Mini Panelvan

That is a minivan or

The little Daihatsu Hijet!

 

guys... the horse is dead, ok?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ 2007 11 21 15:52) [snapback]542673[/snapback]</div>

Ohhh, that looks painful. Please make him stop.

 

That's right, a van is a van for carrying stuff, a people mover like a Tarago is designed for moving people, a Mazda MPV is a multi purpose vehicle which can be used to move stuff and people.

Sometimes you do need a 4 wheel drive.
We hired 3 4X4s for a work trip to Innamincka in the north east of South Australia. A remote desert area but when it rains it becomes even tougher to get around. This is the car we used, after the trip. There was about 5mm of rain, some parts of the Strezelecki Track we were down to 25km/h for 10s of kilometres, this most likely totaled 60 to 80km. We came across several road trains stuck in the mud.

Hiring this type of vehicle rather than driving it every day makes a lot of sense.

We did clean the vehicles before returning them, there was so much mud under the vehicle it compressed the suspension about 50mm!
There was so much mud that both Toyota Landcruisers locked the right rear wheel due to mud buildup under the mudguards. Balls of mud the size of basketballs were coming out of the rear of the vehicles. 5mm of rain in clay makes for very slipery, I'm guessing some areas it was heavier than 5mm as there were puddles on the sand either side of the road but average was 5mm at Moomba and Innamincka. Just so you know, Innamincka to Lindhurst, the nearest town, is 475km of dirt road, the Strezelecki Track.

 

Drive kid#1 to school - fill it up - return home
Drive kid#2 to soccer game - fill it up - go shopping - fill it up - go home
Drive kid #3 to piano lesson - fill it up - go to Starbacks - fill it up - pick up kid #3 - fill it up, go home

etc. etc. etc.

Anyhow - enjoy the new toy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Nov 19 2007, 05:20 PM) [snapback]541681[/snapback]</div>

I'm sorry, but that darn comment about the second transaction and holding the filler thingie for so long...well, it got me thinking about this joke from a while back...and you'll have to admit that set-up like this doesn't come along every day...


Soooooo..........this guy pulls into the gas station in his brand new Hummer.

He gets out and starts pumping gas. And pumping, and pumping, and pumping. I mean, cars come and go and *still* he's standing there, pumping.

Then, just when he's really beginning to wonder why it's taking so long, he realizes that he forgot to turn off the engine...

<rimshot>

Thank you, ladies and germs!!
;-)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 22 2007, 12:59 AM) [snapback]542833[/snapback]</div>

But...it's true. When I lived in South Florida, dim bulbs would pull up to the pump, and leave the Hummer going, because they did not want the A/C to turn off. It's true.

Despite how that may be dangerous. I think that the human race is sometimes being run by the lowest common denominator.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Nov 20 2007, 06:17 PM) [snapback]542147[/snapback]</div>

I'm not afraid to be public! I wholeheartedly, 100% agree with EVERYTHING you said. Thank you for having the courage to say what many of us think but are too scared or polite to post.

 

I still love ya Doc, I'm just dissapointed in the decision. Have a great Thanksgiving man.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 21 2007, 10:59 PM) [snapback]542833[/snapback]</div>

i normally dont reply with the entire post i am refering to, but Pinto, this deserves a reprint... you just made my day!!

 

I'd still like to know what 9,000 lb thing you have to tow on a regular basis.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TJandGENESIS @ Nov 22 2007, 03:03 AM) [snapback]542844[/snapback]</div>

One would hope the Darwin Awards would take care of a few of these. Unfortunately, not enough.

 

I'm disappointed in Doc's decision as well but have to wonder how his critics live on this planet without having some degree of a negative impact on the planet and it's residents. Maybe they'd like to post up their most recent consumer decision so that we can serve as judge and jury and advise them of the negative impact that this purchase has served for the other inhabitants of this planet.

I'm very careful to weigh the affects of my consumer purchases and I'm not exempt from this.

 

you know, people choose to share these things with us freely. DocVijay didn't have to post any of this. i'm sure he knew he'd take a lot of flak but he put it up here anyway.

me personally, i think that SUVs that massive are a waste. Doc, i am disappointed that you're buying into the mentality that has put bigger and bigger vehicles on the road- that is, everyone else is less important than my family. yes, i understand putting your kids first, that's parental instinct. but what if YOU have a slip of attention? you know, kids fighting in the back or a long night of studying for a big case, and YOU run a red light? your vehicle is very powerful, you know, and that hangs a great responsibility upon you.

i'm sure that while your kids will be safe in that situation, and of course that's important, someone very important to someone else will be in a world of hurt if they're in a regular sized car. if DH were to get broadsided by an SUV in his car... well he's about all i've got.

THAT attitude concerns me most. i don't give a damn what you pay for gas, what you paid for the car... if you can afford it then really it's your money to waste in the short term. i can't understand it because we're still in the scraping-by phase of life.

the emissions... yeah that sucks. the dependency on foreign oil... also sucks. you know better. you know the long term consequences. do i think it's worth it to use personal information you've posted against you to make my point? no.

there, i said it. hopefully i said it respectfully and without being an donkey.