Actually, I liked the part where it pissed you off.
You seriously need to dial your sensitivity-o-meter down several notches. You’re seeing things that aren’t there.
And I’m wondering why you elected to single me out when Mr. B and BubbaDog also praised Euthanasiast’s rant.
OK, I will fully admit that the “limp wrested” connection may be a stretch, but I was not aware that the term “Rice Burner” was anything but racist. YMMV.
Street cred. You’re like the stretch-Hummer of the SDMB.
Well, there are several theories that we could explore here.
[ul]
[li]I could have missed those comments in going over the thread as I was drinking my first cup of coffee this morning.[/li][li]It may be that the first two times that a post that I saw as boarder line offensive, I chose to let it go as I did not want to validate it, but eventually chose to say something as I thought that the sentiments in it were going unexamined. [/li][li]Depending on your sensitivity meter, I could just be singling you out because I think you are an asshole.[/li][/ul]
Haven’t you ever seen someone driving with their wrist draped over the top of their steering wheel? That is to what ‘limp wristed’ referred.
Rice-burner isn’t racist. I’m sure some could/would find it offensive, but it’s hardly racist.
Priceless. (Nothing against Dewey Cheatem Undhow - I don’t know if he’s an asshole or not. I just thought that was funny.)
Hey Binarydrone, the “argument” you made in your first post doesn’t make any damn sense. It does not necessarily follow from the fact that the average SUV driver does not “need” the extra capability of an SUV that the only reason the average SUV driver buys an SUV is for the “status” value of it.
My wife doesn’t need to go off-road, but we didn’t buy her an SUV because we thought that other people would think we were cool. We bought it because she likes it, and I believe it makes her safer; I could give a shit what other people think about how much money we have or whatever.
Insert your own bad blow-job joke here. 
I think you are confused. I am not arguing anything; I am making observations as to why I think that many people hate the SUV. There is no A leads to B, rather they are for the most part separate points.
Also, ** JuanitaTech**, in my 100% subjective experience I have always seen the term Rice Burner used in a racially charged and pejorative manner. If the consensus is that this is not the case, I am willing to reconsider.
Sure they do! I drive one! Toyota Matrix. It’s either a SUV, a station wagon, or a minivan. I think it’s a station wagon.
Mercedes has the very nice Vision.
Subaru’s wagons are legendary… including the very nice WRX wagon that’s actually cheaper than a sedan WRX.
Ford’s got the Focus ZX5 four door hatchback, or the actual Station Wagon version.
How the hell is that racist? It’s a common enough term for a car made in Japan. Humorously derogatory, yes; cliched, yes; outdated humor, yes; racist, no. Would you think calling a Mercedes a saurkraut burner racist? Get a grip.
In my experience, the term ‘rice burner’ is not racially motivated. It is descriptive, signifying both the country of origin and the generic tendency towards high-RPM 4 cylinder engines. It’s no more a slur than Detroit Iron is.
Read.The.Fucking.Thread.
Or to say that is a slightly more polite way: As I have explained to other posters, my experience in encountering this term has always had elements of racism (or at least bigotry) as an overtone. That said, I am more than willing to entertain the notion that this is somehow a strange anomaly that is unique to my experience.
Binary, “Rice”, “rice-burners”, “rice boys”, and almost any colloquial term for an asian-made vehicle can be applied to no matter whom is piloting said rice-vehicle. See www.riceboypage.com and here’s a shining example of what the euthanasiast was referring to: http://www.riceboypage.com/shame/hall_of_shame_11/crx_quarter.jpg
Anywho, Binary, in your first posting to this thread, you represented the entire thing as reasons you were anti-SUV. Then you recanted that first post as reasons other people dislike SUVs. Which is it?
Sam
This is my first post to this thread. I have bolded parts that may help you. I am confused as to how you can read this as more than a general attempt to show why many people do not like SUVs.
As far as I can tell, I was pretty careful to keep this general, however, if you want my specific opinion I will state it now (for the record, as it were). Generally speaking, I do not hate SUVs. That said, I do find them more annoying than other cars for the following reasons:
[ul]
[li]They are difficult to see around or over when I am in traffic. This can mean that I can not see if a light is about to change, and am unable to tell if it is safe to make a turn. [/li][li]When I am driving at night, their light shine much more brightly in my eyes than other vehicles. [/li][li]Because of the size of many of them, they tend to take up much more room than other vehicles, making parking a pain in the ass when there are limited spaces.[/li][/ul]
As a rule, I have no problem with people buying what they want. Where I start to get annoyed is when I (or others) point out how these choices have discernable and legitimate negative impacts and we are either met with disproportionate scorn, or treated as if we are loonies. The bottom line is that these vehicles are much higher impact than other kinds of vehicles. If the various factors in your life have made this a choice that you are comfortable with, so be it, but it is irritating when folks pretend that this is not true (and again, I am speaking in a generalized way. It is not my impression that you specifically are doing this).
There was an SUV thread not too long ago (and I can’t find it at the moment) where one of the posters that was on the pro side was straight up enough to pretty much say “yes, these objections are true but the reasons for me owning this car are more important than the inconvenience and danger that this car may expose others to”.
While I may not find that attitude to be the most considerate, I applaud the honesty.
I love how some rants eventually break down into the symatics of ranting.
Anyhow, quick story. Some years back I was driving north on Rt93 toward New Hampshire when it suddenly began to snow. In short order the snow turned into this white out condition mini blizzard of sorts and in no time there was a bunch of spinouts to contend with.
I bet you all see where this is going.
Right you are. All of the vehicles that I saw that had spun out and run off the highway where of the SUV/4X4 variety. In fact, to my horror, one of these (a smaller 4X4 in fact) began to piruet(sp) right beside me, spinning crazily close to my car before it finally stopped facing wrong ways around in traffic.
It’s unfortunate because in all likelihood the drivers of these vehicles are easily lulled into a false sense of security and are less likely to heed the conditions of the road, as this natures experiment proved.
Oh, there was one Porche run off the road as well but that’s a different rant.
Drone-
I’m referring to statements like this: “I am just saying that in the vast majority instances where someone buys an SUV, they are engaging in nothing more that conspicuous consumption and status seeking.”
That’s from your first post, and it seems to be pretty clearly your opinion. Whatever.
FritoBeyou- That’s a terrible exaggeration. If I had to sit here and tell you how many people in little cars, luxury cars, passenger cars and Econocars were off the side of the road, spun out, involved in one-car accidents IN BROAD DAYLIGHT let alone inclement weather, I’d be here all fucking day.
Maybe little cars lull their drivers into a false sense of security and are less likely to heed the CLEAR and DRY conditions of the road, as “this natures experiment proved.”
Sam
Another issue here: people automatically assume that SUV = 4X4. This is not always the case–just about every SUV made today has two-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive models; lots of people get the two-wheel drive model to save money.
And then there are the people who have 4-wheel drive but have no idea how to engage it…
I will admit I have no problem with SUVs at all. I just turn up the volume of my stereo to a level appropriate for the behemoth: the bigger the SUV, the louder the sound goes at the stoplight.
I figure if THEY don’t care that their truck is getting shitty mileage and polluting the air, then I guess it is okay if I pollute the air with the extra loud bleatings of the Reverend Horton Heat. Likewise, if the size of their car makes traffic inconvenient for me (ala not being able to see above/around them), then the inconvenience I create with Disturbed turned to ‘11’ seems just, especially when the top is rolled back.
Hell, when I
I will admit I have no problem with SUVs at all. I just turn up the volume of my stereo to a level appropriate for the behemoth: the bigger the SUV, the louder the sound goes at the stoplight.
I figure if THEY don’t care that their truck is getting shitty mileage and polluting the air, then I guess it is okay if I pollute the air with the extra loud bleatings of the Reverend Horton Heat. Likewise, if the size of their car makes traffic inconvenient for me (ala not being able to see above/around them), then the inconvenience I create with Disturbed turned to ‘11’ seems just, especially when the top is rolled back.
