A Plea for Tolerance
November 10, 2005
Shocked, shocked I am to come across such hate speech (link not child-safe) on the Internet.
What is this country coming to? I tell ya, it’s a sad day when a fundamentalist minority can try to cram its narrow-minded, rigid automotive morality down the throats of others. What happened to tolerance and an appreciation of the automotive diversity that made this country great?
I believe in a man’s constitutional right to choose, and while I would never buy an H2 myself, I would never presume to tell a man what he can and can’t do with his own car loan.
I believe that H2s should be safe, legal, and rare.
Comments
Kate
You have utterly spoiled my plans to rant on my “Bleu” site about SUV’s. Mind you, it wasn’t to be “hate speech,” per se. First of all, I believe you can love people and hate their cars. Secondly, I have issues with the auto industry and their (I believe) lacking sense of societal responsibility.
Maybe I’ll do it ANYWAY.
Pam
Show me a Civic Hybrid that can carry four small children (3 in car seats) and tow a trailer and/or commute through snow, my friend. Then sign me up.
Kate
I understand, certainly, that with a family you cannot drive a in a wee sedan. Even a larger sedan, like the Honda Accord (now available in a hybrid model, by the way) wouldn??t cut it.
For families, I would vote for the minivan; call me a huge geek, but that??s my stance. My contention (and it is just my opinion, somewhat informed) is that minivans are safer (for the passengers AND for other cars potentially involved in a collision), usually considerably less expensive, somewhat more fuel efficient, available with better emissions ratings (the Honda Sienna, for instance, has AWD and is an ULEV ?? also approx. $10,000 less than similarly equipped SUV ?? and two of its four ??trim packages? seat 8 ?? the others seat 7), often seat more passengers (7 or often 8 passengers as opposed to the big SUV??s 5-7 passengers ?? rarely 8) and offer AWD options.
And if you don??t need as much room as a minivan or a big honkin?? SUV (though many families do ?? I know that it??s not just your kids, it??s your kids?? friends, too), there are lots of smaller wagon-type cars that do a good job - Subaru wagons, Honda Elements, etc. ?? that offer AWD (or 4WD), lower, safer bumpers than big SUV??s, better gas mileage, and have the head room and door access to more easily accommodate child seats and such.
Most importantly, remember that I can love YOU and just hate your car? And I believe that I deserve that luxury, as life??s circumstances have left me with only kitten children. So I can drive my wee Honda Civic Hybrid and bitch to high heaven about SUV??s and never actually be faced with the decision in terms of accommodating real children.
cooper
Grettir, I join you in that plea. Too many times in the past few weeks have I noticed the same kinds of ‘hate’ displayed through the net. It is unfortunate that we value each other so little. Thanks, for the reminder.