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[at-l] Why off topic, SUV'S
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allow me to get you wrong. ;-)
cyclists have every right to be on the road that you do. they follow the
same rules and laws as automobiles do. riding two abreast is legal. and
motorists do have to slow and pass when able, as they would for any other
slow moving motorized vehicle. bikes were around way before cars were. so
maybe cars should yield to the stately, time honored and simple
machines. bikes are actually the most efficient (thus effective) machines
ever created. and they're human powered.
but i don't get it. everyone is in such a hurry. to get where? having to
slow down for cyclists may cost you an added 2 minutes to your travel
time. 5 at the max. what's the rush? wheres the fire? especially on
this list. in such a hurry to get to the trailhead so you can slow down
and enjoy the nature.
if only society worked at the speed of a bike.
as for SUV's. they're a safety issue. they are considered a light truck,
and therefore only have to follow light truck regulations for safety and
gas mileage, emissions etc etc. the problem is people are buying and using
them for car specific purposes in car like mass quantities. if you can
justify purchasing an suv because you need to be able to have access to
rough terrain, then so be it. functionality is cool. but to drive the
kids to a soccer game? or a trip to the ski resort? or to the mall? it's
just an image. an illusion. imho. then there's the argument that well if
I need the 4WD at least once then its worth it. and I just find that point
very very weak. maybe i'm just a minimalist, and I can drive my 2WD Toyota
fairly well in the snow at reasonable speeds, but isn't that like carrying
a chainsaw with you on a thru hike in case you might have to cut a branch
out of your way?
SUVs are pure profit making machines. due to the light truck platform
they're based on, any amount more you pay for a SUV over a conventional
truck is basically pure profit. compare the S-10 to the Blazer (caveat:
I'm going on a limb here comparing those two as I don't know which models
are based on each other). the only difference is the body style. but you
pay a premium because they're SUV's, and a hot item. it's all about money.
SUV's are just a minor problem. our society has designed itself around the
automobile. it's in ordinances, laws, design manuals, and town
zoning. must have wide streets, and parking lots, and more pavement. and
WalMart and many other such big Box stores rely on cheap gas prices to ship
mass quantities of goods large distances in order to sell them, and sell
them cheaply while still making huge profits. 20-30-40 years from now,
heck, if war with Iraq happens, gas prices will/may go up. prices on
everything that is shipped via truck (see: gas powered) will go up, because
to ship it and maintain cheap prices, they need cheap transportation
costs. now, that's not even to say what will happen to those who rely on
cheap gas to drive to work. people are already sensitive to fluctuations
in gas prices. imagine gas at 4 dollars a gallon. how many people would
still commute that 50 miles to work? how many people would not be able to
afford to own and operate cars because it costs too much to fuel it? and
where does that leave them? since our society, our landscape, our towns
are all designed around the automobile. stranded. can we rely on
technology to save the day? to come up with solutions? I have my doubts
about that. we've screwed up enough ecosystems, air and water to show that
we're not using the right model or braincells for design.
can you imagine a world without cars?
throwing the rope off this box and rappelling to earth.
a. the lowly cat 3 bike racer
At 01:57 PM 1/7/03 -0500, Toritalk8@aol.com wrote:
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> >Cheesburger>????
>
>It is people like you, on 2 wheels, thinking they own the road, that cause
>the problems. Those who bike need to have consideration and MOVE over when
>the vehicle that the road was made for is coming.
>Don't get me wrong, I love biking too, but it's the guys that hang over in
>the lane and don't merge right when they know a car is coming. I don't care
>what size car your in, the biker should get out of the way.
>
>And POG, if your reading, hang in there with those SUV's. Now there's a real
>vehicle. May I make one suggestion, for your next purchase, get you a real
>SUV; Suburban, Excursion, Yukon. Lose those SUV "want-to-be's", and go for
>the Big Dogs. You can get a lot more hikers and packs in one of these.
>
>Tori
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