TOM WALSH: SUVs unsafe at all times, author says

NY Times ^ | 9/17/02 | Tom Walsh

[E. Pluribus Unum]

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[OldFriend]

Our SUV saved my husband's life when a huge buck smashed into the front of the vehicle. Pushed the entire front of our RamCharger, including the steel brush guard, nearly into the passenger compartment. Everything damaged including the radiator.

Guess if you are tooling around in an urban area SUV's might be a bit unnecessary but when you live where the snow might reach a foot high in no time and the deer are running all year long.......

[inertia123]

Just my opinion, but I think it's ridiculous to drive an SUV in an urban setting. (Out in the country they make sense.) They don't even fit in most parking spaces, especially in parking garages. Some idiot with an SUV hit my fiance's parked car and didn't even leave a note.

I hate to generalize, but I'm going to anyway. Most people I see driving SUVs drive dangerously. And all the people I know who own them are complete jackasses.

I don't mean to offend anyone here. I'm sure if you own one you're a lovely person. You are on Free Republic after all. Just my .02

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

Read Ms. Ann Coulter's book to learn whose book gets to be reviewd by the New York Times and why.

[jra]

It's ridiculous in urban areas to see purpose-built (custom) 4X4's that have lift kits, etc...with the bumpers ending up at most folks' head height in other cars.

Most SUV's, however, have more in common with cars than with trucks. Station wagons for the new millenium, if you will...

BTW, if you weren't there to witness the collision, how do you know WHAT hit your gal's car?

[dljordan]

Well, you little people just need to stay out of the way. Do you have any idea how hard it is to use the phone, keep little Brittany in her seat and update your Daytimer while driving one of these things? I'd call that a MAJOR accomplishment. JEEZ, some people. :)

[CobaltBlue]

Depends on the SUV.

My Land Rover Discovery is a lot of fun to drive in city traffic because I sit high up so can see better. I have no problem parking it.

My hobby is gardening and landscaping. I haul a lot of trees, bushes, rocks, dirt, you name it, pretty much every weekend. You can't haul many trees in a Honda Civic.

Handles ice and snow very well. I expect to have an advantage if I ever hit a deer. My county has literally hundreds of deer-car accidents every year.

Different strokes for different folks.

[Adder]

"Bradsher spells out his premise,,,, and are dangerous to other road users, inflicting catastrophic damage to cars that they hit..." Big car/little car go boom. Me want be in big car. AND he thinks SUV's are "menancing" awwww, poor baby. Diddums Bwadsher see big SUV in his rearview and mess him bwitches? What kind of idiot is this and worse, what kind of idiots believe this gar-bahge?

[Diddle E. Squat]

I hate to generalize, but I'm going to anyway. Most people I see driving SUVs drive dangerously. And all the people I know who own them are complete jackasses.

Gee, I'd hate to hear what you think about most Black people, or most Christians, or most...

[inertia123]

He parked next to a big white SUV in a parking garage. When he came back, no SUV, but a very nice white scrape on the side of his car.

[Sans-Culotte]

Posted by inertia123: Just my opinion, but I think it's ridiculous to drive an SUV in an urban setting. (Out in the country they make sense.) They don't even fit in most parking spaces, especially in parking garages. Some idiot with an SUV hit my fiance's parked car and didn't even leave a note. I hate to generalize, but I'm going to anyway. Most people I see driving SUVs drive dangerously. And all the people I know who own them are complete jackasses. I don't mean to offend anyone here. I'm sure if you own one you're a lovely person. You are on Free Republic after all. Just my .02

Well, I live in a suburban setting, and mine works for me just fine. I am 6'5", and have had enough years of too little headroom and legroom. I also have chronic back problems, and it is a lot easier for me to step up up and in than to crawl down into a standard car, which for me is rather like a Mercury astronaut crawling into his space capsule.
Also, my Explorer has a small pickup bed (it's actually a SUV/Truck), so if I need to take my lawn mower in to the shop, or pick up some plants at the nursery, or buy a ladder at Home Depot, I can do so whenever I want. Try fitting that stuff in a standard car!

I don't know any jackasses that own SUVs, though there are almost certainly some out there. Of course, one can generalize the drivers who are jackasses as SUV Owners, women, minorities, foreigners, people on the phone, people eating, or whatever. If a guy cuts you off in a SUV, does it annoy tou more than if he's driving a Jetta? What if he's driving a Jag, or a BMW-then he's a rich jackass whou cut you off! I prefer to think that the drivers who drive like jackasses do so regardless of their vehicle.

[JohnYankeeCmpsr]

I got a jeep because it gives me pleasure, and for no other reason.

Is there a single thing you do in this world that you enjoy? If so, why?

[inertia123]

How do you know I'm not black or Christian myself?

Let me reiterate that I think SUVs can be useful, especially in the country (where I grew up). I find them to be a little obnoxious in the city, however.

Please don't exaggerate my statements. I'm not saying that all SUVs should be banned or something.

[Diddle E. Squat]

How do you know I'm not an SUV owner?

[Phantom Lord]

I had a 1988 Dodge Ram Charger. My father bought it brand new and then gave it to me 4 years later when I went to Buffalo for college so I would have a 4x4 for the winters. I was in 2 accidents with it. The first was a low speed head on collision with an idiot who turned right on red (legally) without checking to see if someone was coming the other way. I smashed up his front end. I didnt have as much as a scratch.

The next accident was 100% my fault. I was behind a car turning left at a green light. The oncoming traffic was heavy and he wasnt going to be going anywhere for a while. I decided to go around him, and without looking pulled around him into the other lane. BAM! I nailed a car in the drivers side door, pushed it off the road and onto the sidewalk, blew out all 4 of his tires and the front end of my Ram Charger was halfway into the drivers area. I started thinking "I wrecked my truck, I wrecked my truck." I got out and the guy got out the passenger side of his car and said "well, lets get em apart and look at the damage." I put it in reverse and backed out of his car. I got out and saw his car was totalled. I then looked at mine and I didnt so much as have paint on my bumper!

He looked at me and said, "well, this car was a piece of shit but I just put on 4 new tires. How about you pay me for the tires." I said ok! Gave him my contact info and i NEVER heard from him.

My truck was quickly nicknamed "The Tank"

[mewzilla]

I just pray to God that if I'm ever hit by some idiot, he/she's driving a compact.

[ikka]

LIBERALS Unhinged At All Times

[Phantom Lord]

How do you know an SUV hit her car? Did you see it happen? If so, why didnt you take down his plate info and track him down and report him?

The one time I know my car was hit in a parking lot it was hit by a buick! And you know how I know this? Because I was sitting in my car. Then the asshole started driving away and only stopped when he saw me get out of my car.

[N. Theknow]

As I posted earlier my advice to my daughter, who lives in an urban area, to buy an SUV saved her life and the life of her son and unborn son.

Accidents happen. What do you want to be driving when it happens?