to take the piss out of 4x4s

[JoanBias]

Picked dd up from school today, she pointed at I think a Landrover Freelander (I'm not an expert) in the car park, and said 'why is that there?'

I said 'maybe they're a farmer'.

Said vehicle had clearly been the subject of regular waxing, leather interior, and so on and looked the shiniest vehicle in the car park, so this was obviously not the case, certainly not in this area.

DD said 'maybe they built that building there?'

'Maybe', I said.

I could say 'because some people make inappropriate and antisocial car choices'.

But taking the piss seems better?

'are' a crass way to flash your cash, I mean.

Eh Rinder It would be a bit odd if I was 'banging on' with a totally different argument on the other thread. And why is only bothering to argue on one rather than both threads somehow 'better' than participating in both threads?? Your arguments are incredibly weak, if you don't mind me saying.

Nit A Rang Rover (not sport I agree) is a fabulous piece of engineering. And British engineering at that. Nothing blingy about them. Just sleek lines and wonderful comfort.

So many more flash cars no? Bentley? SLK?

DH's current pash is a Ferrari 458...now that is a seriously silly car.

A crass way to splash your cash, perhaps. But if it's my cash it's none of your business!

I will tell myself it's 'none of my business' the next time I'm straining to see around an SUV in the supermarket car park and praying that a pedestrian isn't hidden just out of my view about to walk behind my car just as I reverse out.

It is a massive issue everlong if you are concerned about other people's safety. If SUVs are regularly blocking other drivers' views in car parks that is a very real risk. I have no idea why it is a mystery to you. Are you denying that it is very difficult for drivers to have a clear view when exiting a car park space if there is a 4x4 parked beside them?

Well if you have never been aware of how much they obstruct your view in car parks that is even more worrying. By the way there is a big difference between careful and nervous driving. What an immature post.

When I had a small car it was never an issue to me, either.
My big car does get parked away from all the other cars in the supermarket though, because I'm tired of people banging it with their doors! But how many supermarkets have adequate parking? Well designed? Large enough spaces? Many, many cars are far wider than the spaces they were intended for, small cars are not that small these days!

It does seem that all 4x4s attract a certain amount of vitriol. I was genuinely shocked the first time someone shouted 'f*ing Chelsea Tractor' at me in the supermarket car park. I had my daughter with me, and there was no need for it, especially the language.

By contrast, I used to live in London and drove a 5.7 litre, 12 miles per gallon, crap-braking, crap steering monster of a sports car. It only had 2 seats. It was so long you had to back into parking spaces, and so low you couldn't see the end of the bonnet! You could hear me coming from miles away, and I felt like Penelope Pitstop in it! It was so expensive to run, I bought a bicycle, and only drove it when necessary. It truly was a vanity car - and a really polluting and pedestrian unfriendly one at that. Yet whenever I went out in it, people would come flocking to admire it, pay me compliments on it, and were generally interested in it.

There are plenty of modes of transport you could be cross about. 4x4s are just one and yet seem to be on the receiving end of so much stick. And yet, as with most things in life, 4x4s themselves are not the problem here. If 4x4s are being driven like idiots, it's usually because an idiot is driving it. However, not all 4x4 drivers are idiots. I've seen plenty of idiots driving BMWs (I can guarantee if you have a car sat right under your bumper on the motorway flashing his headlights at you to get out of his way, it will be a BMW!) and I've seen them in other makes of car, and on pushbikes. And, yes, you get them in 4x4s sometimes too.

It would seem a better thread title to say 'AIBU to take the piss out of idiots!'

Its not about fitting into the space impty. Its about obscuring the view of other drivers when they're trying to exit their spaces.
It really is frightening how some 4x4 drivers are completely oblivious to this problem and obviously, even when not driving an SUV, don't seem to realise when their vision is being blocked.

Aesthetic disagreement on the niceness of range rovers, they don't do it for me at all!

Yep of course there are other blingy cars, but they're perhaps a bit thinner on the ground and therefore less obviously bothersome.

I repeat justfloating that when I drove small cars it was never an issue I proceeded with care. One of my cars was so small EVERY car would block the view.
It's not that I'm oblivious it's that there was no actual problem, to me -only to you it would seem.

I agree Backinthbox , not all idiots on the road are in 4x4s. There are lots of idiots driving all sorts of cars who see nothing wrong with speeding, tailgating, not indicating etc etc.

But 4x4s do cause a specific problem because of their size. Sometimes that is outweighed by the necessity to own one because of the nature of your job or the conditions where you live. But sometimes it is not, and they are annoying and obstructive in suburban areas. However, I would never shout abuse at someone driving one. That was not on.

Eh, not only to me impty. I have heard many, many people comment on how obstructive they are to people's views in car parks. But carry on denying that fact if you like.

I've never heard complaints in real life about 4x4's. Only on MN

It doesn't matter how slowly you do it Everlong. If a child suddenly appears behind you or another car coming along is being blocked from your vision, there is going to be an accident. Thinking that just because you are reversing slowly means all is okay and it doesn't matter if there's a big bulky SUV making it very difficult for you to have a good view of what's happening is worrying and ill judged. Even an impact at slow speed can hurt a child or do expensive damage to another car.

You really do sound like someone who lives in a bubble, unaware of anyone else and motivated purely by self interest and dismissive of anything that might get in the way of that self interest. In fact a bit like those annoying people who plough around the suburbs in totally unsuitable juggernauts..... oh, wait a minute.

Then how come you're such an expert on whether or not 4x4s are a nuisance for people who do live in the suburbs

Anyway, can't be bothered arguing with someone who's idea of a response to any argument is to bark 'nonsense' 'ridiculous' 'never heard of such a thing'. Particularly when they then admit they don't even have day to day experience of the issue.

Like trying to argue with some tweedy bossy matron from the WI.