Posted on 11/16/2001 1:23:49 PM PST by Pokey78
Yes Arianna, you dunce, thats why anyone who takes their Second Amendment responsibility seriously will ensure that they do have one, and maybe an ATV, dirtbike or horse also.
Why she ever held any measure of respect amongst conservatives, Ill never know...
C'mon. What do you need a car for at all? Just take the subway.
From the Huffington piece:
SUVs are actually risky to drive: four times more likely than cars to roll over in an accident and three times more likely to kill the occupants in a rollover.
And I dispute your premise. When gas prices first rose in the 1970s, demand for high-mileage cars rose. At that time, increasing gas prices were a larger "cut" of the average family income than they are now. The increase in family income combined with relatively cheap gas (cheaper when adjusted for inflation) than in the 1970s has been part of the reason that more people are driving lower-mileage vehicles: they can afford them.
What has been advocated by independent studies is an increase in the average mpg of minivans and SUVs. Increasing mpg for these vehicles would save about 1 million barrels of oil a day. The studies indicate that this is possible with current technology. So it's the best of both worlds: keep the performance, save gas. The problem is that the automakers don't want to shave any profits due to the fact that SUVs and minivans are the hottest selling sector. I.e., a higher mileage SUV would cost a few hundred dollars more. Well, if decreasing dependence on foreign oil is a patriotic priority, perhaps it's time for the automakers to cut their profit margins a bit.
No they were all replaced by the mini-van. I had a minivan that got totalled from being rear ended at about 35 mph (I was at a complete stop in a turn lane, and the driver of the Toyota that hit me thought she was in a thru lane). My third seat went completely forward and pinned against the second row seat. (Fortunately no one was sitting back there). That's why I no longer drive my kids in one. PaDad and I replaced it with an 'elephantine sports utility vehicle.'
I drive the 'stripped down' version of Ms. Huffington's Navigator...the Expedition. The gas mileage is admittedly poor, BUT...and this is where I have the problem with the Arianna and her ilk...its MY decision to pay the extra $$$ for gas and car payments. Obviously a better gas mileaged mini-van would be cheaper in payments as well as at the pump, and carry my five kids, BUT I CHOOSE not drive one. Isn't that what a free economy means? Consumers making choices? Don't tell me what to drive and I won't tell you...thats my theory.
Of course rollovers are still relatively rare. Only a fool buys a car with the intent of choosing one form of death by crushing with another...except perhaps those who want if fast rather than slow. SUVs are more likely to roll over in an accident and "kill the occupants" in an accident - but they're less likely to "kill their occupants" in an accident. You're more likely to die if struck directly with a meteor than either, but do you make decisions based on that?
1)We like to take our dog a lot of places and he is a 70 lb 'puppy' that needs a little room.
2)We live hundreds of miles away from family, and when we go visiting, we go for 2 weeks, so there is a lot of stuff to be hauled with 2 adults, a dog, and a 3.5 year old.
3)We are remodeling our house, and so we make frequent trips to the home improvement store to pick up some not-so-small items.
4)We live almost in the middle of nowhere, and on a gravel road off of a dirt road. I see some of the little cars try to handle mud and snow and it ain't pretty.
5)It is the first car my husband has driven in years that doesn't make his 6'3" frame contort into all sorts of weird positions.
I feel pretty stupid having to justify driving the type of car I do, especially since it's really nobody's business but my own. I just thought I'd throw in my $.02 for those who feel the need to downgrade those of us who really appreciate bigger vehicles.
BTW, I do support our troops, especially since my husband is a veteran of special forces. Let me tell you, they don't use too many Volvos or compacts in the military (from what I saw in my 5+ years as a military wife).
The best we can do is no oil. We can put the terrorists and the Saud family out of business permanently if we make their black gold worthless.
And there's also the clean air business, which would be a nice by-product.
Yeah, sure.
President Nixon said that building the Alaska pipeline and conserving energy would make us energy independent.
We built the pipeline.
Hey, if you want to drive your vehicle only in your backyard, I'd say you have a point there.
Guess this clueless woman never flies anywhere and never purchases merchandise that was transported via airplane.
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