| 12:03 pm - SfGate SUV Rant |
 marissacongusto It's political, but I still found it enjoyable.http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2005/06/01/notes060105.DTLDie Die SUVs Please Die Sales of the bloated monster trucks are in a huge slump. Time for enviro-lovers to rejoice? By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist Wednesday, June 1, 2005You hear that? That cheering and rejoicing and heavy exhausted sighing? Why, it's coming from the massively fatigued Prius-happy enviro-green set and it's all about the fact that sales of huge bloated oil-belchin' SUVs are in a major free-fall, down nearly 20 percent for the year and dropping faster than Jenna Bush can slam a bottle of Cuervo. Can we all just wave our Greenpeace flags high and scream an I-told-you-so and go spank an Expedition driver and be glad for that? Can I get a "Hell yeah"? Because indeed, it's the kind of minor but still gratifying news you want to sort of dowse yourself in rub all over your progressive brain and inject into your withered Bush-bashed spirit and say ahh, finally, finally people are coming to their senses and finally the world is waking up and finally some enlightenment is peeking through. This is the hope. Finally people are understanding just how inane and dangerous and pollutive and just plain stupidthese vehicles so very much are, and maybe, just maybe, there is a tiny bit of hope that the planet can finally begin to exhale and unclench and we can finally begin to progress, to move toward something akin to health and compassion instead of this painful devolution and isn't that all happy sounding and positive? Aren't good things imminent and abounding? And yet, no. Because just as these very shining and positive thoughts escape your brain like some sort of happy pink mist, still you are gnawed, as always, deep down. Still the other, less gullible, less perky voices in your head kick back with a six-pack of Skyy Blue and a boxed set of Jenna Jameson DVDs and a deep obvious roll of the eyes and say, yeah right, not so fast, sucker. This is the funny thing about this sort of good news -- it usually just isn't all that good. This is when you gotta sit up and take the medicine. This is when you gotta get slapped in the face with cold hard dumbass 'Murkin reality. Because the truth is, SUV sales are down not because people are becoming more politically aware and not necessarily because people are finally becoming more environmentally attuned and not because the population as a whole is finally realizing how BushCo has dragged us into a violent hellpit of screaming oily economy-gutted warmongering inarticulate debt. Wishful thinking, sweetheart. And it's certainly not because everyone suddenly realized the oil-soaked Saudis are just as bad as the Taliban and we should be investigating alternative fuels and rediscovering the joys of riding bikes and walking to work, and while we're at it let's all examine our souls and examine our motives and examine just what the hell it is we in this country think we're doing by being the most gluttonous, environmentally devastating resource-abusin' landmass on the entire hobbled whirling sphere. All this is but a fraction of the explanation. Nope, SUV sales are down for one reason and one reason only: high gas prices. SUV sales are down because when it costs upward of a hundred bucks to fill up your shiny clunky chrome-rimmed uber-bloated Escalade so you can burn donuts in the Wal-Mart parking lot for two hours on Friday night, dude, well, your sister's Dodge Neon suddenly looks like a worthy alternative. Even in Texas. Optimism, this ain't. I wish I could say that the Prius-led revolution is at hand, that signs are increasingly resplendent of a massive war-weary cultural awakening, but of course I'm afraid the proof is just all too obvious that we just ain't all that nimble of spirit or that interesting a species and we just ain't that enlightened as a collective brain. Not yet, anyway. Truth is, if gas prices were to suddenly drop to a buck fifty again and stay there for a few months, why, SUV sales would jump right back up. This has been proven. This has happened before. Hell, even the gas-starved Europeans indicated in a big poll a while back that if a gallon of Euro petrol suddenly dropped from five bucks to one, they'd be all over the big-bloated-American-car thing faster than Lynne Cheney on bad lesbian prose. It's all real simple: When resources are cheap and plentiful, we gorge, we indulge, we stop caring. About repercussions, about the environmental, socioeconomic, spiritual or karmic costs of our behavior. Ditto the CEOs, the corporations that feed our gluttony -- they go for profit uber alles, even if it means massive economic abuse, backhanded politicking or war. It's just the way of the species. However, when resources get scarce and expensive, we pay attention. We get scared. For our wallets. For our excessive habits. This is America, beeyatch: Fear and money are the only things that really trigger us. We respond only to crisis, change our behavior only when absolutely forced to, or because the GOP has pumped the nation full of bogus fear. Same as it ever was. See, it's not really about raised consciousness. Not yet, anyway. It's not about a deep concern for how we treat the air, the planet, each other. By and large, we don't seem to give much of a damn for the fact that SUVs roll and pollute and stomp the Earth like Karl Rove stomps live kittens, not to mention how they endanger your family's life, and every other passenger in every other car you can't successfully swerve around in an emergency. After all, it's all about the illusion of safety and machismo, baby. Who cares if it's actually true? And besides, SUVs aren't exactly going away. They're simply morphing into the new breed of crossover vehicles, essentially jacked-up trucklike cars on steroids, and one look at the upcoming manufacturing forecastfrom any automaker proves that, save for a handful of hybrid models, not a single automaker is eagerly rolling out a new fleet of small, sexy, environmentally friendly, gas-frugal vehicles. And why? Why don't automakers care? Because they don't have to. Not yet. Despite amazing new engine technologies, automakers haven't cared to improve MPG ratings for over 20 years, thanks in large part to the GOP yanking away all incentive or pressure for them to do so and essentially giving them carte blanche to gouge and pollute however the hell they want. Not to mention how the EPA's MPG ratings for most cars are, quite simply, way off. So then, let us celebrate the death of these silly monster tanks with only mild, muffled cheers, aimed mostly at those cute pseudo-macho hellbeasts driven by myopic jingoist love bunnies who stick little 'Murkin flags on the back of these 8-mpg Ford Excursions and call it patriotism. Because the good news is, as long as gas prices stay up -- and verily, they could be way up, forevermore -- huge numbers of the biggest of the dumb trucks will be sitting on the lots, unsold. But bad news is, the sad, misinformed, aggro attitude that spawned them has yet to shift much more than an inch. (comment on this) |
| Friday, February 11th, 2005 |
| 12:38 pm - My experience riding in an SUV..... |
 hellraisinwoman was yesterday after my 8 am class was finished. My uncle had picked me up from the college that I attend, and he was driving his Range Rover SUV. It was weird, I admit because I'm not used to sitting up so high since I normally drive a car. He had to stop at the gas station in Deepwater in Pennsville to fill up the gas tank. Anyway, while I was sitting there waiting for the tank to be filled and the bill paid, it was windy out, causing the SUV to shake a little and, of course, it really didn't help matters since my uncle was leaning against it as well while he was standing outside. I really got nervous, and for the rest of the ride I could feel my legs shaking. I was never so relieved in my life when he dropped me off at my grandmother's house. I don't see why he couldn't have at least gotten a Range Rover station wagon, I think they still make them. However, with Eileen's job having to haul boxes filled with her dance students' costumes and the fact that my uncle has three daughters, all under the age of 18, I can understand why. Somewhat, anyhow, I'm just not that crazy about SUVs I guess. I don't really hold it against my uncle though.current mood:  nervous (3 comments | comment on this) |
| Tuesday, February 1st, 2005 |
| 5:58 pm - Surrounded by SUVs |
hellraisinwoman I was driving home this afternoon from Pennsville when after I turned left off of Jenkins Ave, I almost rear-ended an SUV, it was a Ford Explorer, that I was behind because that big lug all of a sudden drove very slowly. The two cars in front of it were driving faster anyway. The car that was behind me blew its horn and I started to get pissed and I muttered,"You better not be honking that horn at me, smart guy." When I drove through Mannington for most of the way, another SUV was trailing behind ME this time. It was a Jeep; I wasn't even driving slow, it was done either at the speed limit or above it. That really pisses me off when these SUV drivers think that because the vehicle they drive is at a height that makes them look down on us pitiful car drivers, they immediately think that they are given carte blanche to tailgate behind us or drive very slowly. Doubleyou Tee Eff?!?!?!current mood:  annoyed (comment on this) |
| Wednesday, January 26th, 2005 |
| 6:11 pm - SUV Driver Derails Train |
 equiraptor Hi, I'm a new member. I hate the drivers of SUVs more than the vehicles themselves, but they both do a pretty good job pissing me off.With the intro over, to the meat of the post. In California this morning, a man attempted to kill himself by parking his Jeep Cherokee on railroad tracks and letting a train hit it. At the last minute, he decided he didn't want to die, and left the vehicle on the tracks. The vehicle caused the trail to derail and hit another train coming the other direction. At least 10 are dead, and 180 injured. Among the dead is a deputy in the Los Angeles County sheriff's department.Another link, claiming the man will be charged with murder.Why do I feel this relates to an anti-suv community? A number of reasons. This man chose a method of killing himself that had a high risk of injuring others. He likely didn't realise it would be so dangerous. This fits perfectly with the self-centered nature of so many SUV owners and drivers. The size of his vehicle likely also contributed to the risk in the crash - a smaller, lighter vehicle might have been more giving when it was hit by the train and caused a less deadly/dramatic incident. I find this a sad example of the self centered, SUV loving society the US has developed. (comment on this) |
| Thursday, December 30th, 2004 |
| 11:45 am - New Member |
| hellraisinwoman I'm Sarah and I'm new to this community. I was interested in this community because, like all of you here, I'm sick and tired of having to be a pretzel in a bowl of chips when it comes to driving a car on the highways. I am sick and tired of this SUV trend, hell I just wish that this were like the other trends out there, they eventually faded fast. Unfortunately, there are those who are threatened by change, so the SUV thing is here to stay. I never could understand what it was about the SUV that makes it so appealing to people. I don't have a problem with those who drive an SUV if they're hauling heavy things as a part of their business or if they're running a delivery business such as plumbing and whatnot or if they have more than three kids and they take those outdoorsy vacations. (6 comments | comment on this) |
| Wednesday, October 20th, 2004 |
| 1:15 pm - SUVs tried to kill me, twice! |
 zenkrak Back at the beginning of January my 1994 Honda Civic was slammed in the driver's door by a 2003 Ford Explorinater. Yeah, I have given it a new name based on the Terminator. The result of this was a compound lower leg fracture, 2 broken ribs, broken collar bone, COMA for about a month, and Traumatic Brain Injury. The only positive aspect about any on this is that I do not remember any of it. In fact because of the T.B.I. I don't remember most of last December through about the end of March. Oh, and in 1995 I was a passenger in a Ford Bronco II that rolled on the Interstate. I walked away with a 2 inch scar on my arm. I had two friends that were killed in that one. I have always been into bicycles, now I am all about them only. I don't drive anymore.So yes, SUVs are evil. Especialy Ford SUVs.current mood: here (1 comment | comment on this) |
| Tuesday, September 21st, 2004 |
| 10:21 am - Introductory Rant |
| marissacongusto I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them!!! *Ahem, if you USE the SUVs for their intended towing purpose, or you actually need nine seats (my family at one point did, although we refused to buy one) you're not who I'm mad at* Ugh! Let us all forget and forgive the fact that they tear apart the environment double time with their gas guzzling no, lets just think about SIZE for a moment shall we? Sidenote: I get 30MPG.. bitch. I have a Honda, and no not an itty bitty Civic, I have what USED TO BE (not that long ago either) considered a 'mid-size Sedan.' But noooooo! I'm sitting on the 101 surrounded by MONSTERS! Huge magambo sized faux trucks with wheels that are higher than my window, even on the stock models. So high, you need effing steps to get inside, STEPS. Thanks to this ingenious mix of height and yet somehow still narrowed (remind me who thought of that little rollover idea) if I were to say, rear end them I would just slide under the trunk and crash into the wheels... my car isn't an effing lowrider. If it were to hit me head on or to the side... I'd hate to even imagine. Which is pretty sad since my car is not a rust bucket or a tin can either. I sit in traffic surrounded by these demons, you bet I feel like crap. If I die because of being hit by another mommy running a red (from the rallies, I have been able to observe 9/10 SUV drivers are the ones to run reds) they can just either drive on or watch a DVD until the police come to take my poor carcass away. It matters little if the accident was my fault or there’s, they chose to drive that size vehicle. These drivers think that they own the road! Which is ironic since in Southern CA I'd honestly estimate... okay in my town that they literally are 70% of vehicles on the road. So every driver in every SUV thinks that they are 'the shit' and have an automatic right of way. Believe me, it happens. In fact, it happened eight times this morning. Cut off by a Yukon, nearly clipped by those hideous Mercedes SUVs that look like baby sneakers, tailgated by one of those ridiculously sized new F-150s which ironically add in bulk all over the vehicle, but not a huge addition of sqaure footage (really useful) and that woman had a 'hail to the princess' braket on her stupid truck, I was cut off (and flipped off) by a H2 covered in Bush/Cheney and 'we will never forget' memoralbilia... Although the stereotype is that these drivers are mostly women (it's true) I'd say it's only 60/40. There are horrible male drivers behind these monstrosities as well. But as for the women... ahh the women. Yes, for those I apply the label SmUV's (pronounced: es-moo-vee) provided for those with 1-2 kids and get those giants. I got in one the other day (with a woman that has 4 kids and USES it to tow, so I give her more of a pass) holy crap! Not only are these things weapons, but there... was no difference in interior space. I would have thought I was in a narrow station wagon... with even less leg room. Holy frijoles! I couldn't even believe that all of these women who claim the SmUV for their little sprogs don't even have that! Man, at least the Odyssey is a Honda and has like 12 cup holders. Oohh but back to these women, welcome to paranoia-ville where too fast is never enough and children mean much more than your stinky little life. "Baby on board?" By all means, you must get to that soccer meeting ASAP for little Timmy, feel free to run down my heathen self with your gigantic tires. Oh, please make sure that they are retrofitted with the most gaudy rims that you can, so I can have chards of chrome in my scull so I can sparkle in SUV goodness to the grave. After all, not only am I childless but I bear no fish on my car and to boot, a Kerry/Edwards sticker and a pentacle, so I must repent. Has anyone bothered to point out that these things are ugly? I mean sweet Moses, they are gas guzzling demons, they tear up the streets (Trucks over three tons are banned in many areas because the reverberation caused by them causes old buildings and streets to slowly disintegrate and crack, but no one applies this rule to SUVs), they actually DON'T provide a huge difference in room, they're never used for their purpose (except for the rare yuppie 'once a year' sport), fatalities are much more likely if you are hit by one and to BOOT... they're ugly. I know that's a matter of opinion but seriously there is nothing or sexy to be applied to a modified truck. A few weeks ago I saw a H2 stretch limo (privately owned, NOT a rental there are 4 of those I have seen out here) on fire down the street. Luckily, everyone was out of the car and safe just looking at the inferno. I couldn't help but think "burn baby, burn." (x-posted to my journal) current mood: bitchy (7 comments | comment on this) |
| Monday, July 19th, 2004 |
| 11:49 am - Hi, I just joined. |
 alucards_song I always hated these overly huge road-truncheons. They have no purpose other than consumption and loud, fiery deaths. Im still a little mad at some anonymous coward who felt it in thier best interest to respond to my anti-SUV post...titled "Got and SUV? I'll Killya!". Anyway Im just glad to see others who feel as I do.current mood:  relaxed (comment on this) |
| Sunday, July 18th, 2004 |
| 11:47 pm - Just being Brief |
 marleymaniak I just thought I should inform you guys since I pray you have an overall concern for the environment. This doesn't deal with SUVs, but does concern "gas guzzling and therefore environment destroying and war imposing". It's pretty frustrating since they try to make us percieve themselves as "Environmentally friendly". http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040114a.asp (comment on this) |
| Sunday, September 21st, 2003 |
| 7:48 pm - Filthy Americans |
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| Thursday, August 28th, 2003 |
| 12:37 pm |
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| Sunday, April 13th, 2003 |
| 12:43 am |
 layla515 I just wanted to comment on the discussion or, whatever you want to call it, that has been going on in this community. I understand  perceptes point of view, of being frustrated by what he sees as trolling. I also understand what people see as their right to free speech. Jason and I hate the idea of limiting access to this community. At the same time, this isn't the correct forum to get into a debate over the demerits/merits of SUVs. No one's going to change their opinion here. So argument is basically futile.I don't want to censor anyone but I also want this to be a civil place for people to voice their feelings. Calling people Nazis or Fascists is contrary to that, however, and I won't tolerate it. For now, I'm going to request that posts and comments stick to the purpose of this community which is located on the user info page. It is probably a waste of your time to try to debate the issues up for discussion here. You have every right to voice your opinion on your own journal, or better yet, create your own community on this subject that focuses on your own beliefs.Debate is a good thing but only if it can accomplish something. It's not going to accomplish anything here. (1 comment | comment on this) |
| Thursday, April 10th, 2003 |
| 1:46 pm |
 coraleycoral I hate SUV's!So I was cruising along down the freeway today, doing about 115 and smokin a fatty while racing an Accord V6, and these two SUV assholes get right in front of us, side by side, and make an 80mph rolling road block. Put your fucking latte down asshole! Can't you see we're trying to race here? What makes you think it's your job to keep us from going out on the freeway to have a little fun? What makes you think you're so righteous? I'm not the one killing people just so I can drive my car. So I called up my buddy on his cell phone and made a plan. And at the same time we both passed each of those wide ass bastards on the shoulder and flipped them off out our sunroofs before we took off flying back down the freeway. Hahahaha! That'll teach them! (13 comments | comment on this) |
| Tuesday, April 8th, 2003 |
| 8:26 pm - OK, That's Just Infuriating |
 perceptes I just saw the most horrifying thing I've seen in a long time. I was walking my dog and some idiot Republican in an SUV came down the street going like 35, with a little kid outside the car, standing on the little step that takes you up to the driver's door, hanging on through the window. The driver had his/her arm around the kid's shoulder, as if that was going to hold him on. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, PEOPLE. If you're going to be an idiot and buy an SUV, for the love of God, DO NOT REPRODUCE, your mental capacities are far too inept to handle the responsibility of raising a child well, let alone NOT KILLING THEM.current mood: angry (1 comment | comment on this) |
| Wednesday, March 26th, 2003 |
| 12:34 pm - The Detroit Project |
 pollen8 I found this website and thought I'd share.."I helped hijack an airplane. I helped blow up a nightclub. So what if it gets 11 miles to the gallon. I gave money to a terrorist training camp in a foreign country. It makes me feel safe. I helped our enemies develop weapons of mass destruction. What if I need to go off-road? Everyone has one. I helped teach kids around the world to hate America. I like to sit up high. I sent our soldiers off to war. Everyone has one. My life, my SUV. I don't even know how many miles it gets to the gallon."WHAT IS YOUR SUV DOING TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY? DETROIT, AMERICA NEEDS HYBRID CARS NOW. www.thedetroitproject.com (8 comments | comment on this) |
| Sunday, March 23rd, 2003 |
| 2:03 am - Instant GOtR fodder |
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| Wednesday, March 19th, 2003 |
| 4:48 pm |
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| Friday, March 14th, 2003 |
| 4:37 pm - why S.U.V.s should be off the road |
| layla515 Yes, we've been completely neglecting this community. Our bad.So here's my first post. It's not quite as artistic as the poem on yuppies but it'll do. =-)It's snowed here in CT at least once a week. The street that I work on is incredibly narrow -- it's amazing that two cars fit on it at all. The massive piles of snow crept onto the street, making it even more narrow.I was driving up the street the day after a snow storm when I started to skid on a patch of icy snow. I'm trying to gain control of my car when some asshole driving an SUV and talking on a cell phone speeds down at 50 miles per hour. He doesn't pay attention to me struggling and continues to plow down the road. I came THIS close to hitting him. Not only am I having a tough time controlling my car on this patch of ice, there's no room for me to at least drive away from him.First of all, no talking on the cell while driving.Second of all when the roads are still bad, don't speed.Third of all, don't hog the fucking road, especialy when the roads are bad.But the worst offense of all is that you would purchase an SUV that maybe gets 10 miles to the gallon and then you would continue to drive it when gas prices are $1.75 a gallon for regular unleaded. If you're going to be that wasteful, you deserve to be punished.current mood: annoyed (7 comments | comment on this) |
| 12:48 am - Stupid Ugly Vehicle |
| perceptes Here is a poem I made up one day last Spring when I was bored in class. While the theme is on several yuppie trends and not just SUV's, I felt the need to post it here since the lack of entries has been driving me insane. (OK, maybe not really.)Baby v2.0I'm electronic and digital right through to my coreMy blood flows through veins of IEEE 1394I'm building a new soul based on CDMAMy internal GPS shows me the right wayI am the prototype for a 2003 babyI was born in the back seat of a sport utilityI'm hiring Versace to design my GUIThrough cryogenic freezing, I will never dieI'm trading in my SCSI for thoughts of USBA $20 license code will set my spirit freeI'm carbonized for OS X, will work soon with XPJust SMS'ed my girlfriend, asked her to marry meMy sight is based on Bluetooth so I can't see far aheadIn some ways I'm immortal, but in reality I'm dead (comment on this) |