Sensitive ass SUV drivers

The BBQ Pit
161

OK, you want to know why SUV owners don’t start threads about Civic owners. It’s because my ownership of a small car doesn’t triple the chance of you getting killed in an accident. Now I know you’ll retort that your driving is always perfect, but even good drivers get into accidents, and your choice of vehicle puts me in danger.

Incidentally, it also puts you in danger, though SUV owners are apparently too stupid to check the facts. All have higher driver deaths per million vehicles than the industry average. But hey, if you think that bigger is automatically safer, why don’t you just take the Titanic to work?

I liked the story about the moose. My brother once helped combat deer overpopulation with a Prism at 70 mph and none of the 4 people in the car got a scratch.

162

Sorry if certain “SUV” drivers annoy you - they annoy me too. And don’t feel bad if you have nothing original to say - most of the opinions voiced here have been said many times over. Just keep an open mind around here and you might learn a few things.

163

You do understand how idiotic you’re being here, right?

I’m not making light of your loss (more on that in a minute); I’m trying to help you understand where to place blame. And then to let go of the hate.

This August 29, it will be 22 years since my sister died as a result of injuries she suffered in an auto accident. Her Toyota Corolla (in which I was a passenger) was hit by an 18-wheeler. It clipped the back bumper of her car as it swung out to pass us, sending us off the road and making our car roll multiple times. The guy driving the truck had been suffering from some minor mental problems, and had been in analysis. Nothing debilitating, and nothing that any reasonable person would have said was a contributing factor in the accident.

For years after that, I would get nervous passing (or being passed by) large trucks. But I never looked at them as an entity and said “These things shouldn’t be on the road.”

I also never came to the conclusion that people seeing a psychiatrist shouldn’t be allowed to drive. That makes no sense if their ailment doesn’t impact their driving abilities. And although a couple of lawyers tried to tell us differently, my parents and I never saw the driver’s condition as a contributing factor in the accident. He just miscalculated his speed and got too close to our bumper. That was it. It was an accident.

Would Jan be alive today if that guy had been driving a Geo Metro, or some other small car? Possibly. Would your girlfriend have died if the vehicle that hit you was smaller? I don’t know – there aren’t enough specifics in your post to tell.

Blaming all SUVs and their drivers for the loss of your girlfriend is wrong, just as it would be wrong for me to blame all truck drivers for the loss of my sister. You’re using an awfully large brush to paint a large number of people with your hate. The other person driving the SUV that struck you might be worthy of your hate – perhaps the accident was completely his or her fault. But transferring that hate to all people who drive an SUV isn’t healthy, and if you’re not careful it can affect you physically.

I’m no analyst, or even close – but if you want to discuss this via e-mail, I’ll be happy to talk with you.

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I don’t get your point. Are you saying that the car you are driving falls into the range of what is magically considered safest? You drive a Civic because you choose to, based soley on size and some knowledge of SUV safety? You claim that I put you at risk, but you mock those who think ‘bigger is safer’?

We should all drive Honda Civic sized cars? Is that correct?
Maybe we should all drive bicycles. My truck puts you at risk?

Maybe I should condem any fucking moron who doesn’t have anti-lock brakes, four wheel disk bakes and A rated tires. You gonna tell me that your Honda is just super better for everyone? What kind of tires do you have on there…what kind of brakes? Have good shocks? Are your windows clean? Can you afford to buy washer fluid? Can you afford to keep that car running properly? I don’t know all these things, and can’t overly concern myself with them.

Once you admit this fact, you’ll all be happier:

You can’t afford an SUV. Big whoop. SUVs are the transportation of many above average income people. SUVs are loaded with safety features and are usually maintained better than the average car (like your Civic) because the owners can afford to take care of them (isolated examples of your Aunt Bettsy aside).

I find it odd that beat up old pick-up trucks and cars in disrepair don’t get the Pit time they deserve. SUVs are the fucking anti-christ mobiles around here (because of the JEALOUSY FACTOR …get it?).

I got news for you chump: SUVs are the vehicles of above average people, who take better than average care of their cars, have better than average driving records, pay better than average insurance rates and spend more on safety features than any other car buying group.

Someone go start a “Jalopy Owners Suck” thread. Oooh…hard to get fired up about a group of people when envy isn’t busting your gut, isn’t it?

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PhilsterBuzzzzz…sorry wrong answer, would you care to try for double jeaopardy. The envy thing has been tried before. Without going into to much detail I CAN AFFORD A SUV no matter which model you prefer.

166

“Bzzzz” is very cute.

I don’t recall concerning myself with you, but maybe you could help adress the issue of why SUV owners seem to be the brunt of so much hateful diatribe when there are so many easy targets.

My guess is that people are losing their ability to be objective based on how they perceive SUV owners. Decrepit Jalopy owners don’t get as much attention, and they are all over the place. All things considered, the modern SUV is a pretty safe vehicle. Look at the trucks, rigs, pick-ups and other downtrodden transportation littering the roads, and look at the half-wits driving them. It’s just odd they don’t get the wrath like SUV owners do.

For crissakes, SUVs are not the problem. The perception of what an SUV owner is prevents any conversation from being objective.

You may not be envious, you might be able to afford a truck, you may not see SUV owners as pompous people who think they are safe driving bigger-than-average vehicles, but that stereotype is fueling a fire, and it’s not ironic that fire is in the Pit.

I can’t believe that some of you can’t concede that point. SUV owners are getting drubbed as a result of an unfair stereotype.

Why don’t we start a “Fucking Asian Drivers” thread? It wouldn’t be right, it wouldn’t be objective.

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Well Philster, you may have noticed that I started the thread. But hey, your argument may have some merit, but not to me. I live in the Bay Area where they’re just short of a menace. Anyhow, I covered my main arguments with them in a GD, I’d really rather not go into them again. i just hated the envy argument as it tends to belittle genuine issues (enviromental, saftey of other drivers, etc) others bought up.

168

But, then again, fatherjohn’s comments aren’t exactly loaded with intelligence, either. “People who drive them are (generally) assholes.”? “They think they’re invincible”? “a certain kind of person drives them - usually a macho asshole or the female equivalent.”?

I think I’ll join Philster in saying that 'John’s full of shit.

169

Why are Superfluous Unnecessary Vehicle owners the target of so much antagonism in the pit? Maybe it has something to do with their continuing denial regarding three facts.

  1. SUV’s are more dangerous, both for the people driving and for others on the road.
  2. SUV’s do cause more traffic congestion, parking woes, and plenty of other problems.
  3. The vast majority of SUV owner’s don’t buy these monsters for any practical reason.

Now I could easily afford any 3-ton piece of crap out there if that’s what we wanted. Instead we want something practical. Our Accord Station Wagon can transport 7 people (and it does, when the kids’ frineds are visiting), we can go off road (and we do, frequently), and we can move easily in the Winters when there’s plenty of snow around. Why on Earth would I want anything else.

As for the nonstop insult about us being envious. Yes, I’ll admit that I’m quite envious of SUV’s. I’ve always wanted a chance to have my tires blow up and send me to a fiery death on the interstate. :rolleyes:

170

Ummm…not every SUV does that.

171

Christalmighty, I don’t even own an SUV. Nor do I want one. But you SUV bashers are ridiculous.

fatherjohn, I don’t even need to bother addressing your bullshit.

“Superfluous Unnecessary Vehicle” – that’s really clever, as well as a first class knee-slapper. Did you think of that all by yourself?

It’s really nice you are so concerned with the safety of SUV drivers. Do you feel the same way about sports car drivers, compact car drivers and jalopy drivers?
I think the real issue here is that YOU don’t feel safe. That being the case, remember it’s all relative. To the person putting around in a Pontiac T1000, Chevy Chevette, or a Geo Metro, you in your big bad Accord Wagon represent a serious threat.

Traffic congestion? Maybe a bit. Minor point conceded. Parking woes? Care to elaborate? Plenty of other problems? Um, since I have no idea what you are referring to, not much discussion there.

Who the fuck are you to decide appropriate reasons for other people buying a car? Please make a list of what reasons are acceptable and which ones are not. I’d sure hate to be in violation of any of them.

Fantastic. Good for you

Ha! Mind taking a home video of that? I’d love to see it.

You may not. And that’s great for you. Fuck you very much for deciding what cars are OK for other people to want and buy.

Firestone? Who said anything about them? Way to make a relevant point.

172

This is without doubt the stupidest statement I have ever read.

The tires did not explode because they were on SUVs, they blew up because they were defective, much like your pitiful excuse for an arguement.

People like you should be put in cages with monkeys. You could sling insults, the monkeys could sling feces, and nobody would know the difference. Your parents should BEAT you for saying something so stupid. I’m sure, that if they read this, and had the ability to go back in time, they would have clubbed you over the head at birth like a harbor seal to keep you from sullying the good family name, and then sold your festering carcass to a maggot factory.

I hate you, and I hate everything about you. You waste my oxygen, and you litter my favorite message board with moronic statements that you either think are intelligent, or are witty. Clearly, you are a fucking moron, and should be sold as a rape toy to a Pakistani yak herder. Not for the herder, mind you, but for the yaks.

Fucking clown. I spit on you. If you were dead, I’d dig up your bones and spit on them. You aren’t even worth a good squicking, as nobody except an elephant could feel anything in there.

Next time someone serves you a bowl of Colon Blow, make sure the crap comes out of your asshole instead of your head. Granted, the two spend a lot of time together, but you MIGHT have a chance of figuring out the difference.

Never before have I seen such a display of ignorance. You should be filled with concrete and dropped to the bottom of the ocean. Sadly, the fish around you would probably get stupider from your presence, you fucking waste. You are devoid of merit, value, and intelligence, and I sincerely hope you are eaten alive, from the genitals to the brain, in agonizing pain.

To summarize, you are a fuck stick.

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I didn’t see that until mouthbreather pointed it out. That’s hilarious! I want pictures of that too.

OTOH, I wonder if your definition of “going off road” involves driving up on the curb at the supermarket? :smiley:

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Sorry if SUV’s annoy you - they annoy me too. As far as whether there’s new material in your posts - don’t worry about it - most of the stuff on this board is not original thoughts. Just read some posts, and you might learn a thing or two!

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Two words: roll over

A freakin’ Ford Explorer tailgated me on the highway again the other day.

Sorry if 60 mph in the slow lane is too slow for you, asshole.

176

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the Firestone issue not only defective tire material, but poor engineering on the design of the axel?

(Sorry, I was working in an auto manufactoring plant at the time of the issue and the minor points of liability in design are things auto engineers have nightmares about.)

Oh, and that staement has nothing to do with the poorly angled axel being on an SUV. I think SUV’s are unnessesary, but I’m far more facinated with design issues.

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Um, fatherjohn, HOW FUCKING STUPID ARE YOU?

See, did the truck roll over because of the tires blowing, or did the tires blow because the truck rolled over? Either way, you probably couldn’t discern the difference between the tire and the ferstering turd you think is your brain. You are a bigger fucking moron than that other idiot. I hope you fucking fall off a cliff and get eaten by vultures on the way down.

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Ok I’m not sure I understand. Is the problem with SUVs that they are big? Does that mean I’m an asshole because I drive a van and a station wagon? I just want to be clear here on whether or not I’m an asshole.

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The problem with SUV’s is that they’re an easy target for people who are so simple-minded and shortsighted that they need something to be mad about. 'Cuz, you know, they don’t have the ability to actually deal with it like a rational human being…

180

Heh, when I see a SUV (or any vehicle) parked in a place where they can’t really fit, or parked incorrectly, I will park as close as I can without getting on the line, to make it difficult for them to open their door. In one case where a guy was in two parking places (barely) I wedged my car in the space he was occupying maybe 6 inches of and crawled out through the passenger side. The guy apparently had problems getting out, from the dent on my bumper and the scratch along my side at about mirror level, but I didn’t give a damn, I don’t care about cosmetic damage on a 10 year old car with 185,000 miles on it.