Ryan and other SUV owners,
I don't feel like I'm being picked on. I have the same debates with a
co-worker. However, I will stand on my position that most (again, not all)
SUVs are way overkill and not the best vehicle for their owners. I can't
think of a single person I know that has ever utilized a SUV properly (two
of my friends switched to cars and haven't looked back since). And during
my drive to work, most of them showed no signs of being used off-road.
While I couldn't see the back of them, I wouldn't be surprised if most of
them didn't have trailer hitches either.
Because I get to travel a lot with my job, I have noticed that this is also
very much a regional thing. During my last trips to Salt Lake City, UT and
Colorado Springs, CO you would be hard pressed to spot an on-road only SUV.
They are very obviously used off-road a lot. In contrast, when I was in the
LA area, not a single SUV showed signs of being off-road. They were all
perfectly clean and waxed with large custom wheels. Here in Portland, OR
it's more mixed, but with a majority still in the "not utilized" category.
And with that, this will be my last reply on this topic. This has become a
"my opinion versus your opinion" off topic thread. I find these can become
very annoying and a waste of other peoples' time. My original point was
those that bash SUVs are not jealous, but simply don't like sharing the
road with under utilized SUVs for various reasons. If anybody wishes to
discuss this further, please contact me off-list.
Thank you,
Chris
At 11:30 PM 2/15/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>LOL... Such generalizations! I don't think you have any clue what
>complete strangers do with their vehicles.
>
>During the week, my wife takes our SUV on errands around town. It's
>primarily her vehicle - I'm driving the DeLorean. I'm sure people like
>you look at her and think, "Hmph! Stupid soccer mom. What does she
>need that gas guzzling huge monster for? And look, she's just picking
>up groceries! She never hauls anything or goes off road!"
>
>On the weekends, I use the same vehicle to haul all sorts of things. I
>climb mountains with it. I load it up with gear and people and take it
>on trips. Let me assure you, I am not an abnormal SUV owner. If you
>really think "most people" buy them for status symbols and just to
>drive on paved road, never hauling anything, you're wrong. "Most
>people" are reasonably intelligent and actually use the capabilities
>of their vehicle from time to time. Even if I only hauled something
>once or twice a year, it's worth it not to have to go through the
>hassle of renting or borrowing someone else's vehicle.
>
>-Ryan
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