God d*mned SUVs

WARNING: This post serves no purpose other than to rant and rave.

Last night we went to our first antenatal class. Nice, small group (5
couples), all very friendly, how nice. As we all left I saw parked behind my
MX5, back-to-back so to say along the curb, one of those ludicrously huge
SUVs. I remember thinking to myself "Look at the size difference between our
cars; I hope I never have a tangle with one of them". One of the other
couples got into the monstrosity, started up the engine and - you guessed
it - reversed right into the back of my car with a sickening crunch.

They got out and were very apologetic. We had a look at the back and
couldn't really see much damage to the bumper which seemed surprising
because of the loud noise, but I said I'd look closer in the daylight and
then let him know what the damage was. After we got home I thought about the
scrape-marks on my
bumper and thought they were odd: the main damage to the bumper was scrape
marks on the top of my bumper. After thinking about it I thought that what
might have happened was that due to the height difference of our two cars
the underside of his bumper might have scraped against the top of my bumper,
with his entire bumper then riding up mine and proceeding to smash against
the actual back of my car into the license-plate panel, rather than the two
bumpers colliding. I got out my flashlight and had a look, and sure enough,
that's what had happened - there's a big crack in the license-plate panel,
and only scrapes to the top of my bumper.

I've always hated SUVs out of principle, because they're plain stupid
vehicles, but now I have a personal grievance with them as well. They really
should be banned; there's absolutely no reason why a mid-30s couple with no
kids living in Cambridge which is as flat as a pancake should be driving
such a monstrosity.

Amen. Thank you for listening.

Eric

I agree wholeheartedly. Curiously, If it's "Peoples Republic of
Cambridge,Ma." you refer to, That's exactly where I acquired my "Roadster
fetish" as a young man. Triumphs everywhere, TR3's, Spifires, TR6's. They're
were plenty of other roadsters also,
some gorgeous long-hooded Austin Healey's I remember to this day. But I was
partial to Triumphs. What goes around, comes around, I guess.

--
I work for the ILEC ...." stuff happens! "



"Eric Baber" > wrote in message
...
> WARNING: This post serves no purpose other than to rant and rave.
>
> Last night we went to our first antenatal class. Nice, small group (5
> couples), all very friendly, how nice. As we all left I saw parked behind
> my MX5, back-to-back so to say along the curb, one of those ludicrously
> huge SUVs. I remember thinking to myself "Look at the size difference
> between our cars; I hope I never have a tangle with one of them". One of
> the other couples got into the monstrosity, started up the engine and -
> you guessed it - reversed right into the back of my car with a sickening
> crunch.
>
> They got out and were very apologetic. We had a look at the back and
> couldn't really see much damage to the bumper which seemed surprising
> because of the loud noise, but I said I'd look closer in the daylight and
> then let him know what the damage was. After we got home I thought about
> the scrape-marks on my
> bumper and thought they were odd: the main damage to the bumper was scrape
> marks on the top of my bumper. After thinking about it I thought that what
> might have happened was that due to the height difference of our two cars
> the underside of his bumper might have scraped against the top of my
> bumper,
> with his entire bumper then riding up mine and proceeding to smash against
> the actual back of my car into the license-plate panel, rather than the
> two bumpers colliding. I got out my flashlight and had a look, and sure
> enough, that's what had happened - there's a big crack in the
> license-plate panel, and only scrapes to the top of my bumper.
>
> I've always hated SUVs out of principle, because they're plain stupid
> vehicles, but now I have a personal grievance with them as well. They
> really should be banned; there's absolutely no reason why a mid-30s couple
> with no kids living in Cambridge which is as flat as a pancake should be
> driving such a monstrosity.
>
> Amen. Thank you for listening.
>
> Eric
>
>

> They really
> should be banned; there's absolutely no reason why a mid-30s couple with
no
> kids living in Cambridge which is as flat as a pancake should be driving
> such a monstrosity.

How about "Because we got it free via a 100% business tax writeoff"?

Oops, that's stupid government, not people.

miker

Eric Baber wrote:
> WARNING: This post serves no purpose other than to rant and rave.
>
> Last night we went to our first antenatal class. Nice, small group (5
> couples), all very friendly, how nice. As we all left I saw parked behind my
> MX5, back-to-back so to say along the curb, one of those ludicrously huge
> SUVs. I remember thinking to myself "Look at the size difference between our
> cars; I hope I never have a tangle with one of them". One of the other
> couples got into the monstrosity, started up the engine and - you guessed
> it - reversed right into the back of my car with a sickening crunch.
>
> They got out and were very apologetic. We had a look at the back and
> couldn't really see much damage to the bumper which seemed surprising
> because of the loud noise, but I said I'd look closer in the daylight and
> then let him know what the damage was. After we got home I thought about the
> scrape-marks on my
> bumper and thought they were odd: the main damage to the bumper was scrape
> marks on the top of my bumper. After thinking about it I thought that what
> might have happened was that due to the height difference of our two cars
> the underside of his bumper might have scraped against the top of my bumper,
> with his entire bumper then riding up mine and proceeding to smash against
> the actual back of my car into the license-plate panel, rather than the two
> bumpers colliding. I got out my flashlight and had a look, and sure enough,
> that's what had happened - there's a big crack in the license-plate panel,
> and only scrapes to the top of my bumper.
>
> I've always hated SUVs out of principle, because they're plain stupid
> vehicles, but now I have a personal grievance with them as well. They really
> should be banned; there's absolutely no reason why a mid-30s couple with no
> kids living in Cambridge which is as flat as a pancake should be driving
> such a monstrosity.
>
> Amen. Thank you for listening.
>
> Eric


I will make a guess on the reason. It is called fashion. Their neighbors
and friends had one, gas was very cheap, and it let everyone see their
trend-mobile in the driveway, because it probably didn't fit in the garage.
I'll bet that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, they are
lucky to get anything near the "value" of the vehicle back on a
trade-in, and SUV's are not exactly commanding top dollars with private
buyers either. Compare that to the long waiting list for electric hybrid
cars.
People thought that gas was going to stay at just over a buck a gallon
forever.
I do see a difference between the huge monstrosities and the "large,
high-riding station wagons", as I call them, but I would still just
rather have a station wagon if I needed to carry kids and cargo.

Pat

"Remove This" > wrote in message
news:h5TPg.830$I.579@trndny05...
>
> I agree wholeheartedly. Curiously, If it's "Peoples Republic of
> Cambridge,Ma." you refer to,

It's not, I'm in the original one in the Queen's Realm. Though I think the
two are probably equally flat, aren't they.

> That's exactly where I acquired my "Roadster fetish" as a young man.
> Triumphs everywhere, TR3's, Spifires, TR6's.

On account of the high student population perhaps?

Eric

> How about "Because we got it free via a 100% business tax writeoff"?

That might apply to you left-pondians, but not to us over here on the
island. All the less reason for people to have one over here.

> Oops, that's stupid government, not people.

Erm... And the difference is??? ;-)

Eric

> I will make a guess on the reason. It is called fashion. Their neighbors
> and friends had one, gas was very cheap

Gas (or petrol as we call it over here) has never been cheap so that one
doesn't wash. The fashion part can be the only reason.

>, and it let everyone see their trend-mobile in the driveway, because it
>probably didn't fit in the garage.

Too right, especially not the tiny garages you get over here.

> I'll bet that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, they are lucky
> to get anything near the "value" of the vehicle back on a trade-in, and
> SUV's are not exactly commanding top dollars with private buyers either.

From what I could see it was pretty new. Actually, come to think of it, he
must have caught the SUV bug in the US: he said that he flies to the US
regularly on business, so that was probably where he got the idea. Hopefully
this accident will jack up his insurance premiums even more (they must be
astronomical as it is - insurance for any decent-sized car in the UK is very
expensive) and encourage him to get rid of the thing. Mind you, that doesn't
completely remove it from the road, but at least it might be some form of
discouragement.

Eric

Eric Baber wrote:
>>I will make a guess on the reason. It is called fashion. Their neighbors
>>and friends had one, gas was very cheap
>
>
> Gas (or petrol as we call it over here) has never been cheap so that one
> doesn't wash. The fashion part can be the only reason.

I forgot that you live across the pond.

The effect of the gas price increase over here has been funny in a way.
I don't like paying more myself, but it has not greatly impacted my
lifestyle.
With literally half of the vehicles in my area being pickup trucks and
SUV's, the bitching about gas costs is constant and people are driving
much slower in general when driving these behemoths, doing anything they
can to delay the next $80.00 fillup.

It sounds like this guy has money, which lets him roll in a Hummer if he
wants to.
At least you are likely to get your car repair paid for. When I was hit
from behind, it was much lesser but it did do damage and the driver had
no insurance and a vehicle that barely ran.

Pat

Replied inline..

"Eric Baber" > wrote in message
...
> "Remove This" > wrote in message
> news:h5TPg.830$I.579@trndny05...
>>
>> I agree wholeheartedly. Curiously, If it's "Peoples Republic of
>> Cambridge,Ma." you refer to,
>
> It's not, I'm in the original one in the Queen's Realm. Though I think the
> two are probably equally flat, aren't they.

Cambridge, Ma. is quite "flat"

>
>> That's exactly where I acquired my "Roadster fetish" as a young man.
>> Triumphs everywhere, TR3's, Spifires, TR6's.
>
> On account of the high student population perhaps?

No doubt. We're talking Harvard, MIT, and a slew of other schools.

--
I work for the ILEC ...." stuff happens! "

Can't tell you how many times I've gone out into a parking lot and haven't
been able to find my car...walking around...looking...I know I parked right
by here!...oh there it is...hidden between a Suburban and and Expedition.

My boss drives one of those monsters. I tell her we could save a lot of
money if she'd just get a removable ramp and let me park my car in the back
of her SUV for carpooling.

Oh!Oh! My other "Why I Hate SUV" problems? HEY! You! In the tank! Yeah, YOU.
The one going 50mph on a 30mph residential street? Yeah, YOU. Did you really
HAVE to drive through the water standing by the curb without slowing down so
I feel like I'm going through a car wash when you heave that wave over the
top of my car? ASSHOLE???

Truly though I think the worst thing about them is what that kind of mass
and power does to the psychology of the driver. When you get behind the
wheel of one of those things you feel invincable. Seriously. SUV drivers are
the most aggresive drivers I've ever seen. I think they don't worry about
getting in an accident because they're going to win that crash almost every
time. And red lights? P'shaw.

"Eric Baber" > wrote in message
...
> WARNING: This post serves no purpose other than to rant and rave.
>
> Last night we went to our first antenatal class. Nice, small group (5
> couples), all very friendly, how nice. As we all left I saw parked behind
> my MX5, back-to-back so to say along the curb, one of those ludicrously
> huge SUVs. I remember thinking to myself "Look at the size difference
> between our cars; I hope I never have a tangle with one of them". One of
> the other couples got into the monstrosity, started up the engine and -
> you guessed it - reversed right into the back of my car with a sickening
> crunch.
>
> They got out and were very apologetic. We had a look at the back and
> couldn't really see much damage to the bumper which seemed surprising
> because of the loud noise, but I said I'd look closer in the daylight and
> then let him know what the damage was. After we got home I thought about
> the scrape-marks on my
> bumper and thought they were odd: the main damage to the bumper was scrape
> marks on the top of my bumper. After thinking about it I thought that what
> might have happened was that due to the height difference of our two cars
> the underside of his bumper might have scraped against the top of my
> bumper,
> with his entire bumper then riding up mine and proceeding to smash against
> the actual back of my car into the license-plate panel, rather than the
> two bumpers colliding. I got out my flashlight and had a look, and sure
> enough, that's what had happened - there's a big crack in the
> license-plate panel, and only scrapes to the top of my bumper.
>
> I've always hated SUVs out of principle, because they're plain stupid
> vehicles, but now I have a personal grievance with them as well. They
> really should be banned; there's absolutely no reason why a mid-30s couple
> with no kids living in Cambridge which is as flat as a pancake should be
> driving such a monstrosity.
>
> Amen. Thank you for listening.
>
> Eric
>
>