# Drug Users and SUV drivers: Do you not know or Do you not care? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 3, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523 "2003-02-03T16:33:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/41 "2003-02-03T18:07:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*So how much acid can you get for twenty bucks these days? \*\* Anywhere from 2 to 5 hits generally. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/42 "2003-02-03T18:09:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*I don’t usually fly off the handle like that, but the OP really got to me for some reason. Sorry, **Hamlet**. There’s room for debate about the drug war, addiction, relative merits of solving these problems, etc., but sinking to your level by insulting you was uncalled for, and I apologize. \*\* Even cuter. “My level” indeed. Kinda makes the apology seem, oh, I don’t know, insincere. That’s probably just me. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/43 "2003-02-03T18:14:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sauron \* > \*\*What is an acceptable level of emissions? 'Cause right now the U.S. government says SUVs **are** at an “acceptable level of emissions.” \*\* [This article](http://www.thenewrepublic.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030120&s=easterbrook012003&c=1) and the book do a fair job of describing how SUV’s were allowed to have higher emission levels than other passenger vehicles. My “acceptable level” would be that SUV’s have the same levels as cars. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/44 "2003-02-03T18:19:08Z")
I’m perfectly resigned to the fact that my car has made me a horrible person. I’m willing to be a horrible person if it means I can drive a car that has the ability to turn into a moving van on a moment’s notice, and can get me out of a snowbank or over a muddy dirt road, and so on. It’s the trade-off I made. It kind of amuses me that once I buy my '52 Hudson Hornet sedan in a few years - as soon as I can find one, basically - people will stop passing that “horrible person” judgment on me, because the Hornet’s not an SUV and thus it doesn’t automatically hit people’s jackass switches. Even though it gets the same gas mileage, maybe slightly worse, and it’s even worse for the environment due to the way cars were made 50 years ago. But I’ve had this discussion before. Horrible Person #37819835, signing out. ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/45 "2003-02-03T18:19:56Z")
Well aren’t we quite the sanctimonious dipshit. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/46 "2003-02-03T18:23:12Z")
Before the 18th Amendment, how many cops and treasury officers were killed because of alcohol smuggling? A few, perhaps, but not nearly as many as after prohibition. Without stats handy, I’d be willing to bet that the number dropped after Number 21 got passed. As a non-user, I’d say that you’ve got your chicken and your egg mixed up. Or in other words, you’re trying to treat the symptom instead of the disease. Learning from history, I think many of us can see what happens when a minority decides it knows what is better for all of us. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/47 "2003-02-03T18:25:29Z")
Fucking A!!! And while we’re at it, how about them bbs posters? With their power consuming computers, and their bbs servers. They’re supporting the terrorists too!!! Oh yeah, and the cell phone users! And the tv watchers! Bastard terrorist supporting SOBs! ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/48 "2003-02-03T18:28:21Z")
**racinchikki** , here’s what I said in the OP: “As an additional not, this part also goes for the idiot driving a ‘86 Toyota Camry with a broken catalytic converter that pollutes, and the owner of the ‘90 Cadillac that gets 14 miles per gallon too, so don’t pull that bullshit argument out here either.” If you like, I can change the OP to include a 1952 Hudson Hornet, which, by the way, is a cool looking car, so you can continue to be horrible person #37819835. I’d hate to have you give up your seniority. 😃 **Azael** : And I’m smarter than you too. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/49 "2003-02-03T18:30:19Z")
> [@](#): > > They’re dicks get bigger after they buy their SUV, and as they drive them. So I should sell my guns and buy an SUV? Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/50 "2003-02-03T18:33:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamlet \* > **Maybe because this one is about being concerned about the consequences of your actions, and that one was a bunch of whining about bad drivers. Plus, this one has the added benefit of bitching about drug users too, so you get two for one. Now, are you gonna make a point or insult me, or just make a useless observation.** Whats different from the other OP? A loon making blanket statements about things he doesn’t know about. Btw the other was a 2 for1 as well, SUVs and patriot flags. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/51 "2003-02-03T18:34:08Z")
re: Drug use. Chemical dependancy is an illness. It doesn’t matter whether the chemical is pot, acid, coke or alcohol, this disease respects no boundries of age, race, gender or social status. To lump it in with your shared hate of SUV’s is ridiculous as has no basis in fact. Addicts KNOW what they are doing is wrong but without intervention, medical and psychological assistance they are powerless to resist it. That is the very definition of addiction. Often there is a lot of denial involved but again that is part of the disease process. With regards to this subject you frankly don’t know what the fuck you are talking about. I suggest you attend a AL Anon meeting or get a fucking life rather that parroting those commercials that are all over the place. re: SUV drivers. People who own and drive these cars have their own reasons which are none of your fucking business. Period. They are not seeking your opinion nor require your permission to continue to do so. To sum up, we hear you but we do not have to agree with you. You can issue insults, spout dubious cites, and post asinine threads outlining your opinions until you drop dead from the effort but the fact remains that we do not have to agree with you, EVER. So give it a fucking rest already. ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/52 "2003-02-03T18:34:42Z")
:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jlzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jlzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlzania)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/53 "2003-02-03T18:36:35Z")
**Hamlet** The following is completely hypothetical-but let’s assume that 1) I’m a pot smoker and 2) I grow my own pot for my own consumption in the attic of my house. Please, may I get my free pass now? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/54 "2003-02-03T18:38:18Z")
**binarydome** and **stofsky** : Like I said in the OP: Once it is legal, go ahead, smoke all you want, but get rid of the fucking “It’s not my fault, it’s the War on Drugs!” bullshit and find another rationalization. I don’t care what your view on legalization of drugs is. Placing the blame for the evils of the illicit drug trade on the War on Drugs is simply a rationalization. I am just sick of people refusing to take responsibility for their actions and continuing to blame the WOD instead of forgoing that bong hit. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/55 "2003-02-03T18:40:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*So I should sell my guns and buy an SUV? Who knew? \*\* Not quite. You need to keep the guns, buy an SUV to store them in, and put a sticker on the driver’s side window that says “This vehicle insured by [gun manufacturer’s name].” That should do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/56 "2003-02-03T18:41:44Z")
So thousands of cars polluting the atmosphere is cool with you, but one dude’s SUV isn’t. Nice logic, there, Spock. and **jlzania** , don’t you know smoking pot makes you a pregnant 14 year old?? TV said so!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/57 "2003-02-03T18:52:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\*re: Drug use. Chemical dependancy is an illness. It doesn’t matter whether the chemical is pot, acid, coke or alcohol, this disease respects no boundries of age, race, gender or social status. To lump it in with your shared hate of SUV’s is ridiculous as has no basis in fact. \*\* But I’ve always been told by some people that marijuana, LSD, and Ectasy aren’t addictive. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\*Addicts KNOW what they are doing is wrong but without intervention, medical and psychological assistance they are powerless to resist it. That is the very definition of addiction. Often there is a lot of denial involved but again that is part of the disease process. \*\* While I may disagree with the level of culpability a drug addict has for his/her actions, you do have a point that they are less responsible because of their disease. That doesn’t necessarily make it O.K. for them to use though. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\*With regards to this subject you frankly don’t know what the fuck you are talking about. I suggest you attend a AL Anon meeting or get a fucking life rather that parroting those commercials that are all over the place. \*\* I like you, **Mermaid** so I’ll tone down my following comments: Don’t you dare tell me what I do and don’t know about the ravishes of chemical dependency. I have no interest in presenting you with my resume, but I suggest you may want to rethink your allegations. And I am not parroting the commercials, perhaps a reread of the OP would be in order. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\*re: SUV drivers. People who own and drive these cars have their own reasons which are none of your fucking business. Period. They are not seeking your opinion nor require your permission to continue to do so. \*\* Hell, nobody needs my permission except my 2 year old. But that doesn’t change the fact that I think they are either ignoring or don’t care about the consequences of their actions. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\*To sum up, we hear you but we do not have to agree with you. \*\* Fine. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\* You can issue insults, spout dubious cites, and post asinine threads outlining your opinions until you drop dead from the effort but the fact remains that we do not have to agree with you, EVER. So give it a fucking rest already. \*\* As I stated before, I like you **Mermaid**. But you’re really getting me pissed. My cites have not been dubious, check them out if you like. This thread, IMHO, is not asinine. And you don’t have to agree with me, but that doesn’t change the fact I’m right. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/58 "2003-02-03T18:54:39Z")
**Hamlet** : thanks for the link. I actually live in Canada, which apparently is also a source for America’s high-grade marijuana, and I’m not ashamed of that at all ! Now to jump in: it is certainly my business what people choose to drive, if I have to dodge them on my way to work, try to see aruond them when I am on my bike, and breathe in the shit they put into the air. It’s my road too. My right to breathable air, free from auto fumes, is not currently recognized, but your right to spew those fumes at your leisure is. The auto industry, the people who regulate emissions (BTW, in Canada SUVs are considered ‘light trucks’ and not subject to the same emission rules as cars, even though they are usually used as cars), the people who design urban and suburban neighbourhoods that REQUIRE the use of a car to get a pint of milk or the kids to their piano lessons, and the people who choose to buy SUVs, all have to share the blame. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/59 "2003-02-03T18:57:24Z")
Of course you are right. No more opinions are needed. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523/60 "2003-02-03T18:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamlet \* > \*\ ***binarydome** and **stofsky** : Like I said in the OP: Once it is legal, go ahead, smoke all you want, but get rid of the fucking “It’s not my fault, it’s the War on Drugs!” bullshit and find another rationalization. > > I don’t care what your view on legalization of drugs is. Placing the blame for the evils of the illicit drug trade on the War on Drugs is simply a rationalization. I am just sick of people refusing to take responsibility for their actions and continuing to blame the WOD instead of forgoing that bong hit. \*\* See, I read stuff like this and it just makes me sad. You seem like a pretty smart guy, based on the way that you express yourself but your logic is screwy. You started this thread as an attempt to change people’s minds, I suggest that you take a look at your own beliefs on the matter of the war on drugs. What is going on here is a pretty straightforward struggle for authority. I maintain that it is the right of the individual to refuse to recognize sovereignty over his or her body by an institution that is odious. I maintain that this is as true for drugs as it is for abortion, the right to assemble or any other expression of personal choice. I also reject your paradigm that I am somehow to blame because the goons that are trying to rob me of the expression of free choice have created a world in which there is needless violence and cruelty. The Karma for that is theirs alone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-users-and-suv-drivers-do-you-not-know-or-do-you-not-care/152523.md?page=4)