Totally agree with that. Fine if you need that kind of vehicle, in fact if you ever drive it off the road once and get it even slightly muddy then I might say fair enough but the number of people who have them to drive around built up areas and motorways is ridiculous. Of course my opinion is nothing to do with the woman in a 4x4 who tried to drive us off road as we over took her last week. There should be another license required to drive them, like there is for hgv's imho. But hopefully they're all paying massive road tax so that the gov can improve roads lower petrol prices (and maybe force 4x4's to drive in a ditch at the side of the road all the time?! pls... )
i go to a private highschool 20 miles from my house, there is no public transportation so i have to drive, luckily my old toyota pickup gets abaout 27 mpg, its falling apart tho.
Stop blaming SUVS for polluting the air. Consumer vehicles are only part of a larger problem that is much more complicated to solve than simply banning SUVs. Vehicles barely account for 50% of nitrogen oxide pollutants and are far less than at least four other major health air pollutants (who account for the more serious health concerns).
Are you trying to justify that driving a truck is somehow the only choice for economy? What a joke dude. But seriously, nice try... If you were really concerned about transportation costs, you could get a late 80's diesel volkwagon rabbit for hella cheap and get about 40 mpg as well. But we all know that aesthetics are more important than economics, and when I was 18 I would have done anything for a Ford Bronco too. I'm not attacking you, but just call it what it is. BTW, I drive a 2000 Tacoma and I got a 3.5 inch fabtech lift. I get about 15 mpg when I drive like a grandma. I'm saving up for an Audi though. It's getting ridiculous living in LA and trying to park this thing - plus I'll get way better milage. edit: Before anyone jumps down my throat for driving such a "large" vehicle in the city, I drive to the ski resorts in it several times a year, and the 4 wheel drive saves my life at LEAST once a year. Last year I got caught in a blizzard and had to drive 60 miles down an unplowed road in the blizzard to get to my friend's cabin and a bed to sleep in. So it's gotten its use I'd say
Lol you guys complaining about those cars and "chauffeurs" (spelling) at your schools? Come to HongKong and take a visit at my school KGV ... Everyday and after school you can see loads of cars, half of them with private drivers for that littly year 7 kid with his extremely heavy backpack sitting in Benz cars, Rolls Royce's , BMW's, Pickups, and the second most famous: "People Movers"!111oneone lmao... 7 person car moving 2 people... makes sense Our school is about 1500 people large and ... every morning before school and after the whole road is just queued with cars... I take the minibus, im 16 years old why can't those little kids do the same, damn spoilt brats. TBH, owning a car in Hong Kong is a joke... it's a large city basically, why would you need a car? Public transportation is very good over here, MTR, KCR trains covering most of Hong Kong then there is the good bus service, cheap taxis even, minibuses, ... ridiculous... [/rant over]
I think we all know that SUVs / 4x4's whatever are not only or the biggest reason for air polution... But the [b[fact[/b] is that a car doing 14mpg is hella more pulluting than one doing 40mpg. And back on topic - when I lived in the UK I used to detest the school run times, and tried to avoid them whenever possible.
i live within half a mile of TWO! junior schools and within 2miles of TWO senior schools and i hate the morning times when i was at school i always walked to school. But i suppose that mums will feel save driving there brat kids to school in basically a tank.
A tank. Now there's an idea! Sure would be a good way to move the 'school run' traffic out of the way If we lived in the states we could probably afford to run one as well 4x4s (SUVs) are actually less safe than normal road cars as well, you try making emergency manouvers at 35mph in a Discovery or something like that, not pretty at all! I saw a test on 'Fifth Gear' or something and it was pretty scary. And while we're ranting about unecessarily large cars WTF is it with Bull Bars? Where I ask you are the Bulls? Now in OZ and some parts of North America you really need them as a decent sized Roo or Moose will batter your car (and you) but in central London or Birmingham? I DON'T THINK SO! The only thing they're going to be smashing out the way is 'little Jonny' when he runs into the road to get his ball and 'a.n.other mummy' in her 4x4 ploughs into him cause she's too busy shouting at her kids in the back! The goverment banded the factory fitment of them for saftey reasons and people just go and put aftermarket ones on
I guess I will join the rant! <rant> I agree about hummers (h2) being ridiculus, but not so much because of polution but because they use up so much gas that OTHER PEOPLE NEED! It shouldn't take a tank of gas to take someone to school. I need to drive on the otherhand, but I only use the A/C if I am using the defroster, so I save as much gas as possible and I drive a smaller car that gets 20-30 mpg (a hyundai tiburon). And I need to drive. My school is over close to 20 miles away, and no public transport....I don't mind most SUV's if the people need them and not even for off roading. Some poeple haul a lot of stuff. I do hate the hummer though....its pointless. </rant> that was fun....
I'm most likely going to get flamed for this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I'd be willing to bet a month's pay that if gas were as inexpensive over in the UK as it is here and your "interstate" system and roads were like they are here (wide & straight) , most of you would be driving cars like we do too. The fact is that most people in the UK can't afford to drive a vehicle that gets 14-20mpg with the gas prices like they are. Look at the wealthy people near you, what are they driving? I can garuntee that when they buy a car they aren't looking at gas milage. Edit:: Plus many people drive trucks/suv's here because we haul a lot of stuff. If you buy a tv, lumber, large appliances, or whatever there are VERY few stores that deliever and if they do, it's expensive. I have a Volvo 240dl and at least once a week the thing is LOADED with stuff that I bought to fix the house (paint, etc), groceries, etc, plus my kids in the back seat. Many times I've wished that I had a truck instead. Now having said this, I agree that Hummers, Excursions and the like are serious overkill for the average family. People buy these to feel safe, but in reality, they give a false sense of security.
Yea, I know, that's why I brought up my "argument". It's actually getting out of had over here too. I get about 25mpg and go through $20 - $25 a week in gas on my Volvo and can't imagine spending the kind of money that someone with 15mpg would have to.
"Gas" in blighty is about $7 a gallon, and it's set to get more and more expensive. I a week i usually go through about £20 of petrol. That's driving a tiny-engined car that gets about 35mpg... But, i drive to college when there's public transport. The whole area around my college explodes with traffic in a morning, and it's tough really. Half of it is dozens of buses (all of which are uncomfortably full and more expensive than driving...).
You think its bad. My school happens to be a grammar school meaning 50% of the kids are posh/rich. This means while us more 'regular' people share lifts, get on packed out buses (like myself) and the like , the other half regualrly get dropped off in school by their stupid mothers int heir huuge great X5's, merc's Range rovers Jags, you name it. And the thing thats just so stupid is that they have one kid, not 7 like the beasty 4 liter tank-of-a-car can hold, just one. Plus they park in the bus stops and on double yellow lines causing havoc on what probably is one of the busiest roads in Rochester of an afternoon. and another time, one of these twàts ina jag actually jumped the red light at the crossing knocking my mate over and him flying onto the side of the road. GRRRR
Come here with $1500 and buy me anything that gets better mileage and can handle the 40mi freeway round trip every day. I don't give a **** about aesthetics. Perhaps you should come here before you tell me I'm shallow. Yes, it is nice to have the bronco when 4wd is necessary or for mini-vacations (take many trips out in the country, nice to have open space to wheel). But there's not much I wouldn't do for a bike or a small car. The thing most people don't understand is that Texas truly IS the truck capitol of the US (if not the world). There honestly are more trucks per capita here than anywhere else. THAT means, there are MANY more trucks for sale here than cars. If you have ANY knowledge in economics you know that there is a simple law that states if there is less of a product, or higher demand for a product, the price of that product will go up. That's not only for new products, it also goes for used things, like cars. So the next time you want to jump on and tell me I could've gotten anything else, think again please. Edit: Dad, how much is gas up there? I get 11-14mpg and I spend ~$35/week Sucks having to work 30 hrs/week just to pay gas and insurance (and my insurance is CHEAP compared to most guys my age)
Im one of the few in my school who cycle. LOADS of people get the bus. BUT the majority of kids get picked up in their HUGE 4x4's, with parents that can barely see over the wheel! I, like many here, HATE the school run traffic with a passion. Why on the way home today i almost got run over. Its people paying more attention to their kids or doing anything possible to get to where they are going that are the most dangerous. If you made dedicated cycle/bus lanes on main roads, many more people would use their own steam/public transport.
dad: what year is your volvo? i have an 86 740gle wagon, when i first bought it 3 years ago it got 30hwy/25city ... that was at 214k miles ... last week i rolled over 250k. now get about 21mpg avg ... and i drive I75 about 65 miles a day for school. 4 nights a week. and taking the 4 year old to school. (before y'all start harping about that - he has behavioral difficulties due to my brother and his wife not knowing how to raise a kid- and his ride to school on the bus was over an hour and 30 minutes) - i go through at least 35$ a week in gas .. and being unemployed with no insurance sucks. then i gotta pay for parking at school, being city streets with meters - and overzealous meter maids. dayton sucks.
It's a 1988 Volvo 240dl sedan with a 2.3l inline-4 and only 155k miles. I need to replace the blower and "unfog" the headlight plastic, but other than that, it's in near perfect condition. << pic >> Over the summer my father bought an 850 turbo. Let me tell you, that thing is FAST! I'm trying to talk him into letting me take it to Watkins Glen to drive it on the track. No insurance? It's not illegal to drive without it where you live? I can't even register a car in NY unless it's insured.
