Mumsnet Talk

I live in a relatively affluent area so M Class Mercs and and other giant SUVs are fairly common on the streets. This morning at the train station car park I watched a driver struggle for 5 minutes to park her giant Range Rover. On Saturday I saw another driver nearly taking off the wing of a parked car as she struggled to park her M Class at a meter bay.

If you drive a people carrier then one can argue that you need the extra seats for the school run or after-school activities. But a SUV seats 5. The only thing you are getting over a 'normal' car is a higher driving position and a bit more boot space. And don't get me started on my eco rant.

Your money, your choice. But you would think that if you struggle to park such a monster then perhaps your should trade in your giant SUV for something smaller or is the SUV required for maintaining your School Gate Creds?

Yanbu

It's effing annoying

YANBU

There should also be an extended driving test before you are allowed to drive one, including a 'how wide is your car?' section.

[has the arse after sitting behind woman who was too scared to drive her tank through width restriction gates this morning, despite having a foot clearance on either side]

YANBU!!!

Here its all a status over practicality thing in their landrovers that are all shiny and clean with personalised number plates.

No farm or horse box, no landrover IMO!

YANBU.........BUT
If you had the cash you'd get one
They are fab..........

YANBU!

I would like a bigger car, if I could afford it, but wouldn't get one because it would mean almost certain bumps and crashes if I attempted to park one.

Oh love a good 4x4 bashing thread - we haven't had one for a while. I hate 4x4s for a million reasons (unless you live in the arse end of nowhere or on a farm). Totally agree & YANBU.

UANBU
I live out in the sticks, people may have more reason to own SUVs. However, I still wish some of them would realise they are wider than me.
I also wish they'd remember I haven't got their ground clearance.
The number if times they stop on our lane and think that I can get up the high bit of the verge. I can't back up 20 ft you prats!

Well my rant was to do with people who can't park their choice of cars but I can do Slag Off SUV Drivers

The other day I was on the left lane of a side road, trying to join the traffic. Next to me was a SUV trying to turn right. Because of his height, I couldn't see over/thru his SUV to see if there was traffic coming from the right. I was stuck there for a minute until he completed his turn [Grrrrrr!]

yesterday I took my dds to school in my giant SUV (not actually very giant at all, but an average sized car, if you ask me - have driven far bigger, and far smaller).

all was fine. school drive is quite a steep incline, and is shared property (ie not school's responsibility to clear it of snow). systems were inplace for those parents who did not want to drive up the incline, and children were collected from the bottom of the drive.

I had the misfortune to turn in behind a Fiat Punto. which took 10 minutes (I kid you not, and wish I was exaggerating) to execute a 3 point turn at a part of the drive which is practically a crossroads (house driveways on either side mean loads of space). the driver (male) had a clear fear of getting any closer to low walls/kerbs/signposts than about, oooh 3 feet. and shuffled backwards and forwards, inch by inch, trying to complete his million 3 point turn.

and then just stopped in the middle of the drive. at least 2 feet from the kerb, blocking the driveway.

whole queue of (adequately driven) 4x4 and SUVs behind, who couldn't pass - not because I (or any of the others) were unable to judge the width of our cars, or because we couldn't park/drive/see/whatever else, but because of the crap driving and parking skills of the Punto owner.

moral?

some people are crap drivers, whatever car they drive.

My pet hate is drivers of larger vehicles who straddle two spaces in a car park because they are not able to park properly.

Agree with Pushy. IMO the driving test is too easy. Futhermore if I had my way learners would not be allowed to pass until they had passed a driving in snow module.

Where I live it seems to be the smaller the car the worse the parking is.

Well, thats both my driver prejudices confirmed them.....4x4 and Fiat lol...that said i am about to take delivery of a bus large people carrier to accomodate my growing family and am a little anxious about the change from tiny little hatchback to monster despite being extremely confident of my driving skills.

I can't park a mini. I could park my SUV when I had one though

Can someone please tell me the attraction of 4x4's in the city? Is it because they are expensive? Bigger? Driving position enables you to literally "look down" on the plebby cars nearer to the ground? Appropriate transport to use during weekends away to one's country estate? All of the above?

Serious question

Marquise it is a way of letting everyone know you are rich enough to afford £150 each time you fill up your tank!

Ah, they are just as bad in those huge long people carriers

I'll never understand why people buy SUVs if they are not going to go off-road.

We used to have a Honda CRV. Couldmpark it on a postage stamp. Now have a Passat estate. Have already ripped the wing off trying to park. V cheap to run, other than bodyshop bills.......

I have a 4x4 but it is a proper working vehicle I swear. I once had a woman moan at me because she was unable to park her car next to mine (correctly parked in the bays) and said I should have got a smaller car. I then asked how I was expected to pull a horse trailer with a mini. My car us clearly not a spanky SUV. IT is filthy and dented and I like it that way

I also agree, small car = small dog syndrome. Enough said.

£150 to fill one up? Christ on a bike.

there are a handful of drivers who park on the double yellow lines near school when there are perfectly good parking spaces about 1 minutes walk up the road... why?

YANBU.

I drive a huge 4x4 (well a RR Sport) but I can park it, no problems. And I know how to drive it. I did a course shortly after buying the car as I realised it is not the same beast as the cars I have previously owned and requires different techniques.

I am generally a courteous driver and if driving down a single track lane and see a smaller car coming, I move onto the verge - because I can and the car is more suited to it than a little Fiesta or whatever. It is one of the reasons I got my car. I do live down a farm track and would have been totally buggered the last few days if I'd still had my previous car.

I realise I will now go on someone's spreadsheet as a poster to be avoided at all costs as I dare to drive a 4x4, but I don't care! <sticks tongue out>

(non of them seem to be 4x4 though)