Hummer Owner Gets Angry Message

Washington Post ^ | July 18, 2007 | Allison Klein

[3AngelaD]

Vandals Batter D.C. Man's SUV, Slash Its Tires and Scratch In an Eco Note

On a narrow, leafy street in Northwest Washington, where Prius hybrid cars and Volvos are the norm, one man bought a flashy gray Hummer that was too massive to fit in his garage. So he parked the seven-foot-tall behemoth on the street in front of his house and smiled politely when his eco-friendly neighbors looked on in disapproval at his "dream car."

It lasted five days on the street before two masked men took a bat to every window, a knife to each 38-inch tire and scratched into the body: "FOR THE ENVIRON."

"The thought of somebody vandalizing it never crossed my mind," said Gareth Groves...

Now, as Groves ponders what to do with the remains of his $38,000 SUV, he has been the target of a number of people who have driven by the crime scene in his upscale neighborhood and glared at him in smug satisfaction...

Neighbor Lucille Liem, 37, who owns a Prius hybrid, said that a common sentiment in the neighborhood is that large vehicles are impractical and a strain on the Earth -- and Hummers in particular are a symbol of consumer excess... Liem added quickly that she does not condone violence...

Investigators said they are searching for the vandals but don't have many leads. Witnesses saw two men about six feet tall with bandanas or masks over their faces smash up the car about 3:30 a.m. Monday and then run off...

He bought the used 2005 vehicle a month ago from a dentist in Fairfax County..."I'm worried about what I do now," he said. "If I get it fixed, do I put it back in the same spot three weeks from now?"

[the OlLine Rebel]

When my dad sometimes drove it to his work long ago, his co-workers would call it the “Mafia staff car”. It is black. Yes, even in the ‘80s it was noticeably different from other cars.

[MEGoody]

You are President, obviously. ;)

[the OlLine Rebel]

A Crown Vic would do it. I know from having the old Lincolns. The 4-bbl 460s were the best. I never had the Police Interceptor, though. Probably even scarier.

[ElkGroveDan]

I have on occasion made loud remarks about posers who drive an SUV that’s used neither for utility nor sport.

What business is it of yours? This is America where we have freedom to buy and own whatever we can afford.

[MEGoody]

Because you are so fun to rile up. ;)

[Xenalyte]

I am daring anyone to show me where on this thread I advocated taking away people’s vehicles of choice.

I don’t care what you drive, and you ought not care what I think about what you drive.

[xsmommy]

Foggy Bottom is where the State Dept is located, George Washington University, and the hospital where President Reagan was taken when he was shot. so if you have been near any of those things you have been to foggy bottom. it is just down Pennsylvania Ave from Georgetown.

[Xenalyte]

I am daring anyone to show me where on this thread I advocated taking away people’s vehicles of choice.

I extend that challenge to you.

(I don’t care what you drive, and you ought not care what I think about what you drive.)

[xsmommy]

I';m the only FReeper I can name whose actual real-life side job makes other FReepers think ill of me without even knowing me

xena, hon. how bout us lawyers : )?

[Frapster]

Did I really need a /sarcasm tag? lol

[Lx]

You need to determine which type you want. The C1 through C2 versions can buy a house. The C3 which I had is within a normal person's income unless you want an L88. The C3 is the coke bottle shaped ones and they were made from '68 to '82.

Having had a 69 roadster with a four speed, my next one would be an 82 fully loaded with T-tops since they stopped the roadster in either 74 or 75. I don't know if ANY states offered it for sale with a four speed. My '69 looked beautiful, LeMans Blue, perfect body.

Here's an almost exact match to it:

It's what's underside that ruined it for me. In 1969 there wasn't any law for side beams in the doors so if you get t-boned, what's between you and the car that is about to kill you is a thin piece of fiberglass. Plus it didn't have ANY heat shielding so driving in the summer was torture (it didn't have A/C and from what I've heard, it wouldn't have helped much). They over heat stock so I had to put a complete '80 coollent system to keep the heat under control. Always keep the stock parts since they matter big time when you sell. The chrome bumpers ran from '68 to '73 but the 73's only had rear chrome bumpers. These cars demand a premium.

Next up is the C4 which was made from '84 to I think '96 there being no '83 model. They look like this:

I dislike the years from I believe 1984 to 1989??? because they have a funky all digital dash that is prone to problems. You most likely can find one in this style for your price range. Corvettes tend to get hammered on so take it in to a Vette specialist for a complete inspection before you buy.

Vette's are fun, they have a lot of clubs and rallys you can participate and get tech help. Good luck, the small block is one strong reliable engine and after the 1984 models, they went to real fuel injection so avoid the first years with cross point injection.

[Ignatz]

Where were YOUR state's NFL teams last Superbowl Sunday?
What world-renowned Indy car race do YOUR state's host?
Do your states even HAVE a racing car name-sake?
And we have a huge NASCAR race, too, coming up.
I can drive to Chicago or Louisville in a couple of hours, I can fly to New York or Mexico in about an hour and a half.
Southern Indiana in the Fall is a huge tourist destination, with rolling hills covered in beautiful, colorful foliage that rivals anything in New England.
And we executed Timothy McVeigh.
I can still get a dbl. cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $2.00; and buy a nice, big, 4-bedroom, 2 and 1/2 bath house for $100,000. And property taxes (until just recently) are very low.
Thirteen MORE "skyscrapers" than Illinois (including Chicago).
Indiana leads the nation with more nationally recognized school counseling programs.
Indiana leads the nation in terms of biodiesel blending capabilities.
Indiana itself has the nation's highest percentage of workers in manufacturing (20%) and is second in percentage of gross product attributable to manufacturing. It is the number two steel producer with its giant, heavily automated steel mills on the south shore of Lake Michigan and mini-mills scattered across the state.
Indiana leads the nation in making elevators, refrigerators, engines, engine-electrical equipment, recreational vehicles, mobile homes, and truck and bus bodies.
It gave the world canned pork and beans, tomato juice, the Coca-Cola bottle and Alka-Seltzer.

We have art and history museums, amusement parks, symphonies, zoos....
There is much to recommend here!

[Lx]

Nice cars, now to have a heart attack, look at the going prices. Small blocks are merely astronomical, big block, forget it.

[ElkGroveDan]

My question was: "What business is it of yours?"

Since you are prone to harrass people minding their own business with "loud words":

have on occasion made loud remarks about posers who drive an SUV that’s used neither for utility nor sport.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Who ARE you and what have you done with Xenalyte's body?

I don't believe you're Xenalyte. I think you're her HUSBAND and you've broken into her FR account.

Bring back Xenalyte!

[AFreeBird]

Oh I saw the price. $200K and as little as 75K for a 427, 67 conv. I figure the discrepancy might be due to numbers, and other issues.

But the second gen vettes are my favorites.

[Lx]

On principle, I refuse to live anywhere where someone can tell me what to do with my property that I paid my money for and that I personally went into debt for.

And pay extra for the privilege! I'm with you on that. When we bought our last house that was #1 on the list to avoid.

[BritExPatInFla]

Maybe this guy needs to call for a:

[GatorGirl]

Thank you for the voice of sanity on this thread.

There’s always an element of the green eyed monster on SUV threads—and apparently in this poor guy’s neighborhood!

Is it just me, or is he the spitting image of Eminem???

[Xenalyte]

Free country. Last time I checked, I could say what I want, as long as I’m willing to accept the consequences.

Perhaps I’m mistaken.