# Mini-vans **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2001, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198 "2001-10-23T23:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/61 "2001-10-24T02:25:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Between shimmery complaining about her step-mother and this one complaining about minivans, I’m ready to enforce a “No Minors” rule for the Pit. > > Who complained about her step-mother? \*\* Maybe this needs more emphasis. “Between _ **shimmery** _ complaining about her step-mother…” ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/62 "2001-10-24T02:26:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > $110. Really? Because I drive a less-worrisome vehicle than you, and for me to buy a used, non-sports/luxury car the insurance would be at least a thousand dollars every six months. My driving record is nearly spotless. And I live in an area very near yours (30 minutes south of DC). So I am wondering how it is possibly that I, who am two years older than you (which insurers care about), would get a higher premium for a less troublesome (in the eyes of insurers) vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/63 "2001-10-24T02:31:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Really? Because I drive a less-worrisome vehicle than you, and for me to buy a used, non-sports/luxury car the insurance would be at least a thousand dollars every six months. > > My driving record is nearly spotless. And I live in an area very near yours (30 minutes south of DC). So I am wondering how it is possibly that I, who am two years older than you (which insurers care about), would get a higher premium for a less troublesome (in the eyes of insurers) vehicle. I have no idea. My insurance is through Allstate, and I recieve a “good student” premium discount. I’m not sure what kind of a discount, but from what you say it can’t be too bad. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/64 "2001-10-24T02:32:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\*And among those you would be restricting from the Pit: > > **Mercutio > Ad\_Noctum > Lucki Chaarms > Scylla’s Daughter > Cartooniverse’s Daughter** > > I am positive there are people I have missed. > > You may want to rethink this:) \*\* Well, okay, I was making a generalization. I didn’t know that Mercutio, Ad Noctum and Lucki Chaarms were under 18. Probably because they don’t make ridiculous rants like this one. I didn’t know Scylla’s and Cartooniverse’s daughters posted in the Pit. I thought Cartooniverse’s daughter was quite small, but I guess I was wrong. > [@](#): > > \*\*I said: > Between shimmery complaining about her step-mother and this one complaining about minivans, I’m ready to enforce a “No Minors” rule for the Pit. > Civil Defense said: > Who complained about her step-mother? \*\* Uh, if you read what I said, **shimmery** complained about her step-mother. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/65 "2001-10-24T02:35:29Z")
Forgive me for not realizing **shimmery** was a handle. Also forgive my heavy eye-rolling at your generalization that those under 18 don’t have anything of merit to contribute to the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/66 "2001-10-24T03:05:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > \*\*Also forgive my heavy eye-rolling at your generalization that those under 18 don’t have anything of merit to contribute to the Pit. \*\* Okay, then let’s take up the driving point others discussed before, about following too closely, and not being able to see around others. > [@](#): > > \*\*That mixed with the surrounding trees and non-straightaways leaves much to be desired in terms of driving. \*\*If you can only see in front of you by looking through windshield of the car in front of you, YOU’RE TOO DAMN CLOSE! I’ve probably seen you, speeding down the road in your Camaro, radio blasting, tailgating and weaving in and out. SLOW DOWN AND BACK OFF! You’re 17, right? How long have you been driving? A year and a few months? I’m **37**. I’ve been driving for 21 years, okay? I’ve been driving longer than you’ve **been alive**. > [@](#): > > \*\*Two adults means one can stay home with the three kids while the other shops. Wouldn’t this be the ideal solution, anyway? \*\*What, Mom **and** Dad **and** the kids can’t all go out together? > [@](#): > > **Today I saw no less than 3 people driving them alone to or from their jobs** As I said before, how do you know they didn’t just drop off the kids at school or at the sitter’s? And why don’t you have a problem with pickups? All that wasted space in back? Full-size pickups are at least as big, if not bigger than minivans. They also sit higher than minivans. Should pickups be reserved only for people hauling lumber on a daily basis? {not a dig against PUs. Hubby drives one. Alone. To work everyday. All that wasted space. :rolleyes: } ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/67 "2001-10-24T03:12:13Z")
> [@](#): > > If you can only see in front of you by looking through windshield of the car in front of you, YOU’RE TOO DAMN CLOSE! I’ve probably seen you, speeding down the road in your Camaro, radio blasting, tailgating and weaving in and out. SLOW DOWN AND BACK OFF! Hmm… no, you haven’t seen me. > [@](#): > > You’re 17, right? How long have you been driving? A year and a few months? 2 years and 3 months. Why? > [@](#): > > I’m 37. I’ve been driving for 21 years, okay? I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive. Point being what? Someone who’s 86 has been driving for 70 years. Age does not necessarily equate to experience, and it’s pompous to assume it does. > [@](#): > > What, Mom and Dad and the kids can’t all go out together? Sure they can. > [@](#): > > And why don’t you have a problem with pickups? Pick-ups don’t block my view of the roadway. Don’t bother dredging up the “back off” thread until you can say with absolute certainty that’s what the problem is. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/68 "2001-10-24T03:16:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > I have no idea. My insurance is through Allstate, and I recieve a “good student” premium discount. I’m not sure what kind of a discount, but from what you say it can’t be too bad. It looks to be at least 50 percent. I think if you searched this MB you would find people willing to give up an organ for that kind of discount. And I am still dumbfounded at the fact that a teenager (and I say that because the insurance companies care) gets such low car insurance, with all the factors weighed in. ---
**Author:** ![Thumperdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Thumperdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumperdude)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/69 "2001-10-24T03:18:43Z")
Quote: And I didn’t get my car from my parents, either, if that was your implication. You’re only 17, and you managed to buy a 2002 Camaro SS on your own credit/income??? Damn dude, what do you do for a living? Are you a doctor, a crack dealer, or do you just hold down 5 burger king jobs? Seriously, I’m curious…do you have any income left after your monthly car payment? ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/70 "2001-10-24T03:18:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kinsey \* > **You’re 17, right? How long have you been driving? A year and a few months? > I’m 37. I’ve been driving for 21 years, okay? I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive.** Oops. Meant to say, I’ve been driving for 21 years…with **no traffic tickets or accidents**. Ever. One parking ticket. So there. _:::Kinsey childishly sticks out her tongue and walks away:::_ ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/71 "2001-10-24T03:19:29Z")
> [@](#): > > It looks to be at least 50 percent. I think if you searched this MB you would find people willing to give up an organ for that kind of discount. > > And I am still dumbfounded at the fact that a teenager (and I say that because the insurance companies care) gets such low car insurance, with all the factors weighed in. All I can say is ::shrug:: I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/72 "2001-10-24T03:20:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Two adults means one can stay home with the three kids while the other shops. Wouldn’t this be the ideal solution, anyway? \*\* Maybe Mom and Dad work different shifts, and one is at work, or at home sleeping. Maybe the adult you see driving the kids around is a single parent, and can’t afford a sitter for both the workday and evenings or weekends. Or, God forbid, likes spending time with the kids. Maybe the adult you see driving IS the sitter. Maybe after you’ve had kids of your own for a few years, you WON’T have all the snappy answers. And I bet you won’t be zipping around in a Camaro. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/73 "2001-10-24T03:20:25Z")
He has a brand-new Camaro and he pays less than what I paid for an '88 Cavalier. Piff. I envy. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/74 "2001-10-24T03:23:47Z")
> [@](#): > > You’re only 17, and you managed to buy a 2002 Camaro SS on your own credit/income??? Income, yes. Credit, no. > [@](#): > > Damn dude, what do you do for a living? Are you a doctor, a crack dealer, or do you just hold down 5 burger king jobs? I make $10 an hour, and run about 35 hours a week. That, and I write software. > [@](#): > > Seriously, I’m curious…do you have any income left after your monthly car payment? Let’s put it like this- I haven’t borrowed money from anyone, parents included, in at least 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/75 "2001-10-24T03:30:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > It looks to be at least 50 percent. I think if you searched this MB you would find people willing to give up an organ for that kind of discount. > > > > And I am still dumbfounded at the fact that a teenager (and I say that because the insurance companies care) gets such low car insurance, with all the factors weighed in. > > All I can say is ::shrug:: I guess… \*\* Well, forgive me for thinking **that** is fucking bullshit. Not so much on your part, but on whatever freak of natural mathematical law it took for you to get that kind of rate at your age. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/76 "2001-10-24T03:33:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > \*\*Don’t bother dredging up the “back off” thread until you can say with absolute certainty that’s what the problem is. \*\* Jesus Christ. Than why don’t you explain to us exactly what ALTERNATE FUCKING UNIVERSE you’re living in where, even though you’re not tailgating, YOU CAN’T SEE EXCEPT THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE CAR AHEAD OF YOU??? Because in OUR universe, Sparky, tailgating is the only way this can happen. You cannot simultaneously be 200+ feet behind a minivan and not be able to see ahead of it. There’s this little phenomenon known as THE LAWS OF PHYSICS that precludes that. [sub]Of course, we all know that Sparky’s problem is not safe driving distance, but rather his inabilty to go zooming around every vehicle that happens to be “in his way,” which means ahead of him and going slower than his desired speed. He’s made that perfectly clear. Sorry kid, you’ll have to share the road with the rest of us.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Thumperdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Thumperdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumperdude)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/77 "2001-10-24T03:34:08Z")
Quote: I make $10 an hour, and run about 35 hours a week. That, and I write software. That makes no sense. That’s $1,400 before taxes. Given the assumption that you’re single, after taxes you should have less than $900. If what you say is true, you’re only living for your car payment. Also, writing software…$10 an hour. Unbelievable. I do some software writing, very basic. Mostly I build systems and troubleshoot LANs and WANs, but I sure as hell wouldn’t do it for $10 an hour. I don’t work for less than $35 an hour. That’s just a little more than minimum wage. And you got a 2002 Camaro SS based on your income? Who’d you buy from? I want to buy my next car from that dealer. ---
**Author:** ![Thumperdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Thumperdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumperdude)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/78 "2001-10-24T03:41:14Z")
BTW, I meant that $10 an hour is just a little more than minimum wage, not $35 an hour…sorry about the confusing sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/79 "2001-10-24T03:41:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, writing software…$10 an hour. Unbelievable. I do some software writing, very basic. Mostly I build systems and troubleshoot LANs and WANs, but I sure as hell wouldn’t do it for $10 an hour. I don’t work for less than $35 an hour. That’s just a little more than minimum wage. And you got a 2002 Camaro SS based on your income? Nononono… I work 35 hours a week for $10 an hour. On top of that, I also write software for quite a bit more than $10/hour. ---
**Author:** ![LoverBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LoverBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoverBoy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198/80 "2001-10-24T03:53:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Thumperdude \* > Quote: I make $10 an hour, and run about 35 hours a week. That, and I write software. > > Also, writing software…$10 an hour. Unbelievable. I do some software writing, very basic. Mostly I build systems and troubleshoot LANs and WANs, but I sure as hell wouldn’t do it for $10 an hour. I don’t work for less than $35 an hour. That’s just a little more than minimum wage. And you got a 2002 Camaro SS based on your income? :rolleyes: You know, he was just answering someone’s question. He didn’t come out and say “I am rich, for a teenager. I have a pimp ride. Love me.” You don’t need to be an ass. No one gives a flying fuck about your $35/hr salary. (FTR, I disagree with the OP’s view on minivans.) > [@](#): > > That makes no sense. That’s $1,400 before taxes. Given the assumption that you’re single, after taxes you should have less than $900. If what you say is true, you’re only living for your car payment. He probably is only living for his car payment, and saving some money for college. Maybe you didn’t read his posts, but he’s 17 and as such he likely lives with his parents. Tends to cut down on your expenses. - Rob [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-vans/89198.md?page=5)