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?

In general, YANBU. Yes, occasionally people buy these cars due to need - at least they used to - but now, they tend to be status symbols and rarely see any offroad activity. I can't stand them as UK parking spaces aren't made for 4 x 4s and like BMWs, they are often driven by idiots.

He may have a right to be on the road, but he also has to take some responsibility for his own safety. I'm pretty sure out here that those types of bikes must have a safety flag that sits at least a certain height so that they can be seen. Like This They also tend to wear fluro safety gear. Should have lights at night, etc. Fine if you want to ride around on one, but don't ride something that can't be seen by the average driver and then complain when they get upset about not being able to see you. Take some responsibility for yourself.

The councillor said he had a safety flag. I would be very surprised if he had no lights either.

Maybe you resent the fact that there are people out there who are possibly 'considerably richer than you'..

Or do you just have a burr up your ass?

I dislike that more and more people have 4 x 4s and it's got jack all to do with wealth. They're just a nuisance, hogging the road and parking spaces.

Looks quite visible to me:

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FlOQ3D0FsQs#t=15s

Not read the whole thread but YANBU. I had a land rover in Africa where you do actually need one. Certainly would not have one here for the school run

The road is theirs to 'hog' just as it is yours, should you wish to hog it.

And parking spaces were always first come first served -- unless you have your name on one you need to get up a bit earlier if you find they're all gone by the time you get your day started.

Doh ... they are wider than average cars. It has nothing to do with not getting up early enough ....

YABVVVU to judge people in front of your children.

I don't have a problem with not getting up early enough to park like a cunt, because I have a bicycle. Problem solved.

Unfortunately if I do try to hog the road people are in my experience liable to overtake me anyway, into the face of oncoming traffic, before turning left 50 yards up the road.

Some problems have solutions. Others you just have to live with.

OP Only if I WNBU to take the piss out of someone who feels justified in taking the piss out of people's choice of car. And if my DD had asked "why is that car there?" I would have said, because it's parked, in the car park.

Would you prefer to have the traffic all go at your speed then, JB?

That's a non sequitur mathanxiety.

Somewhat akin to 'I wish cars would stop driving past the school at 50mph'
'Oh so you want a man with a flag walking in front of the car do you?'

None of the vehicles linked to previously have been pick up trucks by the way.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1655&bih=970&tbm=isch&tbnid=d8DwbeczSwAqnM:&imgrefurl=www.recycler.com/used-cars-and-vehicles/all-subcat/-/Sierra_1500/detroit-mi%3Fsellertype%3DDealer&docid=kzeBwaohyzNy5M&imgurl=cimages.carsforsale.com/247768/DAA02B20-5F2F-4CDD-B3D7-E5B3EBFB967E_2.jpg%253Fdt%253D091820121500&w=640&h=480&ei=iY-QUNWNF-TwigKn6oCgBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=543&vpy=228&dur=6592&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=154&ty=132&sig=107395877400159695134&page=2&tbnh=140&tbnw=178&start=33&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,i:174" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This is a typical pick up truck.

You'd be pretty unlikely to find many in the UK because they don't really fit our roads.

I spent 15 years using a bike/public transport in London and I drive a pick up truck now, as do probably 80% of my neighbours. I've not noticed that the driving standards/politeness is vastly different, but the roads and parking paces are much much bigger. I love my truck. We can pack all our camping gear into it in about 20mins and drive pretty much anywhere. It's also got much better all round visibility than many cars I've driven.

I have to admit though I did find the flocks of 4x4s that congregated around the Dulwich schools when I cycled past them on my way to work a bit of a hazard as they did take up a lot of the road.

If you insist on sharing the road with cars that now travel much faster than they did back in the days when velocipedes ruled the road you should expect them to overtake you occasionally.
And turn left wherever they have to. There is no law against making a left turn.

Actually there are quite a few laws about overtaking.

The Highway Code rule 167 says for example:

DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users.

• approaching or at a road junction on either side of the road
• where traffic is queuing at junctions or road works
• when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down
• where traffic is queuing at junctions or road works when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down

etc.

I don't care about your puny little crapheap so why should you care about my lovely car. I have a new Cadillac Escalade and have bought a secondhand hummer to drive in the sand and dust (in ME) so my beautiful truck doesn't get to mucky. www.cadillac.com/escalade-suv.html

And as for "considerably richer than you" it is definitely true that most of the anti nice car people I have known drove old and dangerous falling apart jalopies. My richer champagne socialist acquaintances find a reason why they had to get it rather than just admit they are nice.

I think a large percentage of 4x4s are unnecessary, as unless they are used for towing, or actual off roading, they are unecessary. Personally I find the larger ones are ugly, impossible to see past, often parked badly, and dangerous for other road users (yes it is intimidating to be tailgated by one, and fucking scary when my children are in the back).

I do think they are often bought because people think they look good, and it makes me laugh on some mn threads when the drivers pile on to justify their reasons for buying them: "but we had 2cm of snow last year", "I live in the middle of nowhere", "I feel safe" (never mind the other road users though eh?! ). Why not just say it's because you think you look, well, pretty damn sexy and invincible in one and that you rather like your lofty position which would be somewhat let down if played out behind the wheel of a Galaxy?

I'm not jealous, I was recently looking at cars and could choose pretty much whatever I wanted. I looked into SUVs, actually considered one of those smaller ones, a Tiguan, because if I'm honest it looked a lot better than a Touran, although I wasn't sure if it had a greater purpose! (I settled on a v nice luxury estate if ou're interested). Personally I couldn't stomach the thought of driving a large 4x4 not only because i thought them poor economy (and at the risk of sounding even more pious i do have a conscience for the environment and other road user's safety!) but ultimately it just wasn't me.

I'm normally very live and let live about such things, if such things aren't harming anyone else, but the fact is is that 4x4s would harm somebody else, quite badly in fact, if involved in an accident with one. And I won't bang on about the environmental impact again...!

Two things, bloody useful for towing the boat, and has anyone actually seen the price of tractors, they should bloody well be a status symbol!!

Oh and a tractor does a pretty good job of towing a boat too, heehee

OP I think you need to read math post again, she said there's no laws against turning left. she didn't mentions laws on overtaking