a few lifestyle questions

[JDTD]

Originally Posted by Woof

I just hate going out for a walk and having noisy, throbbing, obnoxious SUVs swarming all around me. They always seem to contain one mother and one daughter, both wearing sunglasses, or else one angry-looking male in his 20s.

Yes, they also waste gas (unless they're efficiently packed) and pollute. Air and noise pollution.

That's great scientific evidence of wrongdoing ("they always seem"). As far as wasting gas and polluting. All vehicles do that. If you don't ride your bike everywhere, you are being a little hypocritical. Air and noise pollution you point out (again...all vehicles). And...why specifically target SUV's? No one has really answered this question. They have the same motors (make the same noise and use the same gas) as the manufacturers full-size trucks and vans (which are also very large if we're going with that argument). So...why wage a war only on SUV's? I don't even own one, and I want to know the answer to this. I would submit that people who drive hybrids are doing so because they drive way too much. They would have to own a hybrid if they didn't drive so much. Is that a generalization? I would say so, but it could be argued.

[seattlenextyear]

I'm pretty sure that the argument here is "You don't need a SUV to live in Seattle." Not: "You need a snowmobile to drive to school in Eastern Washington" or "Why you shouldn't be angry that SUVs limit other driver's visibility in parking lots and on highways" or "Everyone should ride a bike and then drive an SUV on weekends" or "People who own SUVs need to be defensive about their choices and those who don't own SUVs have no right to even question their decision"

No. The argument here is "You don't need an SUV to live in Seattle". The original thought was: Why are there so many SUV's on the road in Seattle when the average Seattlite has dogs instead of 3 kids, doesn't go around building patios for people, and can easily store a tent and skis in their trunk?

[Woof]

Originally Posted by JDTD

That's great scientific evidence of wrongdoing ("they always seem").

I have an odd sense of humor, and often neglect to append the appropriate smiley to let other know that I've told a funny.

As far as wasting gas and polluting. All vehicles do that. If you don't ride your bike everywhere, you are being a little hypocritical. Air and noise pollution you point out (again...all vehicles). And...why specifically target SUV's? No one has really answered this question. They have the same motors (make the same noise and use the same gas) as the manufacturers full-size trucks and vans (which are also very large if we're going with that argument)....

Two wrongs don't make a right.

In the case of trucks needed to transport goods to stores or factories or whatever, well that's a necessary evil. It's not usually necessary to have noisy, polluting SUV's and often not large pickup trucks, especially in a city.

It's another matter entirely if you're using one efficiently, rather than for the exciting VROOM VROOM factor, as the young guys seem to love.