to wonder what driving a 4x4 has to do with it?

[MasonPearson]

I was doing a couple of errands earlier, one of them was to pick something up from the chemist. They have closed the little car park outside it so I parked legally on the road.

Its cold, dark and rainy and its school run traffic. I need to do a 3 point turn so that I am facing the correct way to go back home. At this point there is no traffic coming, though there is a t intersection a few metres up the road.

As I am making my manoeuvre a car turns left out of this t intersection, and comes up so close to me that I can't complete my manoeuvre due to parked cars on the other side of the road.

She then winds her window down and comes out with a tirade of abuse about drivers of 4 wheel drives and got a bit personal, which made her sound very chip-on-shoulder bearing in mind she had caused the situation.

I retorted with a simple, "how classy are you! and politely asked her if she could reverse back. She wouldn't so I graciously did so myself by going on the pavement and waved her by - its not worth getting into scraps or mexican standoffs, I just want to get from a to b quickly and safely.

But it made me think - why do people have such ishoooos with 4x4's? My one is not all that big as they go, is not bad for the environment as far as cars go, it has new technology that I wont bore you with that means a very good miles to the gallon rate...but to be honest I'm not going to go on, there's no real need to justify my choice of car. I'd rather hear some 4x4 haters justify why its apparently acceptable to verbally abuse someone because of their choice of car...or isn't it?

AIBU, or was this a random mardy trout with a chip on her shoulder?

people have issues with 4x4's because most people who drive them don't need such a gas guzzling, road hoggingly large vehicle (IMHO)

If you want mpv or a vehicle that is 'high' off the road why not go for an MPV?
When I drove a normal car, all 4X4 drivers used to annoy me with their sheer bulk and because they used to tower over my Toyota corrolla.
Now I use a Zafira, I'm as high up as them and not feel so 'threatened'.

There is no need for a 4X4 unless you need to go and see to the horses. Most 4X4s are just seen as 'posh'and I'm in the countryside and not everyone has one, apart from the people in the most expensive houses.

So it does all boil down to jealousy I'm afraid

"I have absolutely no idea why people dislike 4X4s and have such a level of vitriol against them."

Because they are considered a status symbol and really aren't necessary in an urban environment. My BIL owns a Land Rover and complains that the overhead barrier at Sainsburys is too low to take it into the car park. You don't need a Land Rover if all you are using it for is the school run and the weekly shopping. (They also own a VW Polo and BIL won't drive it becasue it is beneath his dignity to do so).

I would like a 4WD car, I don't need a ginormous vehicle but the only 4WD cars are the top of the range versions which I can't afford. Around here it's a bloody nightmare as soon as winter comes and having all wheel drive would be a godsend for several months of the year.

It's not jealousy. As I said above, I wanted one until I had to drive in amongst them. I remember a steaming argument with my SIL because she had a rant about them and I defended them to the hilt. But they just don't belong in Central London. My brother has loads of kids...well, three and he drives a Grand Picasso. High up, lots of room, not a 4x4.

The Volvo 4 x 4 monstrosity that a small blonde woman was trying to park behind me in Dulwich Village this afternoon honestly felt about twice the size of my Zafira Ripeberry.

Lucky she had that car to nip to Phase 8 and the deli, eh?

Stripey, look at the Fiat Sideki, medium to small size 4 x 4 with 4 wheel drive, same size as a medium saloon

OP it's your choice to drive a 4X4, but you will get attitude from other drivers from time to time. Suck it up.

Oh and "So it does all boil down to jealousy I'm afraid" Ripeberry you are talking out of your arse

I'd love a 4x4 - partly because I've just moved to the country and I'm scared of what will happen with my Fiesta when it snows, but mostly because I just love big, chunky cars! I'm so glad I've moved to the country so now I can get one without getting a load of wank about how 'you don't need those, bloody Chelsea tractors, spoilt kids' blah blah blah...

Seriously, getting up a muddy or frosty rural road in the middle of nowhere without a 4x4 is dead scary and a bit stupid, tbh. You at least need FWD.

At my FIL's you can't physically do it in a less meaty car, as there's also a hill involved, so if you are visiting and have misjudged the weather at all, you are stuck in the back of beyond for the duration. Unless someone with a 4x4 or a truck tows you out.

OP needs to put a bit of mud on the thing and a Farmer's Union bumper sticker on the back and she will be fine, IMO.

The ones that baffle me are those weird BMWs that look as though someone made a hatchback soufflée.

@ OP, unfortunately people do make assumptions based on what car you drive. For example, every time I see an Audi coming up behind me on the motorway I start swearing even before the driver has started behaving like a *.

Mason - YANBU. She caused an awkward situation totally unnecessarily. The car you drive is irrelevant. Good on you for handling it with grace - she clearly has none. Just enjoy the fact you obviously really really wound her up just by being there!

Get this FU car sticker and support local food producers whilst feeling virtuous

Gosh, I genuinely am not jealous of 4 x 4 drivers. I could buy one if I wanted to but don't. I am more pert and nippy . I can see their value in certain locations or lifestyles ( I don't just mean dogging)

I guess when you live in town and you get incident after incident where 4x4 drivers seem to use their size just to drive at you, it is hard not to get sniffy about them.

I now make myself note that all sorts of wankers mount the kerb to park at DDs school, drive at me on narrow roads and leave no room anywhere in the car park - it is not just 4x4s. It just feels like it is always them.

I did watch in something approaching bliss as one drove straight into another outside school last term. One was reversing off the pavement they had parked on, the other had cut across the road to mount the pavement just behind. The driver of the second one even wore her gym kit and had a cappucino. It seemed emblematic to me. I am just not sure what of.

No problem with 4X4's - just wish they'd make them with indicators.

Hatchback soufflee

I judge 4x4 owners. However I would love to have one, not a massive ugly beast but a little jeep. I grew up in the sticks and they are not necessary. I hurl internal vitriol at the big ugly boxfresh things you get down in the suburbs.

Thanks for all your responses. Who knows what was going on in her life that she was so full of anger. I suspect more than just school run woes.

I'm not particularly phased by what she said, in that I handled it very calmly and was more bemused than upset, but I have seen a lot of vitrol about 4x4's and wondered I just got caught in the line of fire or if they were all made by Nestle or something and I didn't realise

I think she was having a bad day. Hopefully things will improve for her over the weekend. She needs a foot tickle and a big glass of wine!

Certainly not jealousy- id buy one if I wanted to, just think there are better things to spend my money on than a gas guzzling tank. Round here it tends to be precious mothers on the school run,- park on the pavement outside school gate style- or elderly gentleman of about 92 who drive them.

I dont think its always jealousy about the actual car, but possibly about the perceived wealth, depending on which 4x4 it is.

They might not actually buy one if you handed them 50k, they'd spend it on other things, which is why they are full of bile about the fact that you probably already have those things they would have bought AND a 4x4.

Well, it sounds like it in her case, anyway, either that, or she is just a bitter old bag of bile.

at a random person on the internet being able to say "4wd are not necessary" to other random people, without knowing anything about where they live/where they drive etc

I have had 4x4s for years now. all of them necessary.

and I'd like to point out that some (note, some) of the so-called glossy waste-of-time chelsea tractor 4x4s are actually quite efficient at, er, off-road stuff.

funny that

would also like to point out that just because a car is clean, has immaculate paintwork, and is not a Defender does not mean it is only ever driven around town/city streets.

I need (yes, need) a 4WD jsut to get dd1 to school. without one, she would be off school for a couple of months a year due to road conditions, and, believe me, what with her being severely ASD and all, that is not something I would wish on anyone...

Phew thanks Ripeberry. My 4x4 is Ok then as I always have to go and do the horses

So then silverfrog, why so defensive? You clearly need yours but I stand by my statement that most of the ones driving round London do not. Same as the bloke in the BMW saloon that proudly proclaims on the back that it has a 5 litre engine. I find myself behind him sometimes as he turns out of his road in Clapham Junction.

But it really, really isn't jealousy.
Why do people keep saying that. I can afford one but wouldn't have one as I don't need one and don't much like them. I have a mini which I love, and a passat for the dog.
when I buy my aspiration car one day it will be an Aston.

I can understand if people like them. I can certainly understand that people may need them. But finding them often annoying and often driven but ignortant twits is not envy. It is mild dislike.

"Seriously, getting up a muddy or frosty rural road in the middle of nowhere without a 4x4 is dead scary and a bit stupid, tbh. You at least need FWD." Boffinmum you are talking out of your arse as well.

I live in a rural village and have so far survived the daily peril of getting the dcs to school and myself to waitrose via rural roads in a - brace yourself - non-FWD and it is neither scary, nor stupid

I am talking out of my arse too. usually.