Convince me that having a larger car than you need is not selfish.

[Rooners]

Because I cannot think of a single reason why it's not. I'm talking about cars that are huge for the sake of it, not cars that carry wheelchairs, or loads of people, in a relatively compact and utilitarian manner.

But something that only has 4/5 seats yet is the size of a small tractor - and no, I don't think this is wrong if you live somewhere with poor terrain. But if you don't?

1. They take up more space when the last things we need on our crowded roads are unnecessarily supersized vehicles.

1. You can't see past them because they are often much higher than 'normal' cars - great for the person driving the thing, rubbish for everyone else

1. They tend to use a larger amount of fuel than a 'normal' car - which is, unarguably, utterly unfair given the fuel crisis the world is facing.

1. They don't fit into a normal parking space which causes untold problems in car parks.

1. They don't fit in a narrow road so cause hold ups as people try to pass each other.

So please convince me, if you can be bothered, that I ought not to be so cross when I am trying to use the roads and one of these massive tanks makes it difficult, dangerous or just really bloody awkward.

I am willing to listen. It's that or spontaneous combustion really.

'I think a lot of people would snatch your hand off if you offered them a 4x4 to replace their own car.'

If everyone drove a Landy the roads would be a lot less navigable than they are even now. Not everyone can have one, for this reason among many.

MrsBennetsEldest, you've done nothing to convince me that it isn't selfish.

Rooners, I have admitted that (in your eyes at least) I am selfish.

I think putting children in nurseries etc when you don't HAVE to work but choose to do so is selfish BUT that's just my opinion and accept that everyone is entitled to do as they see fit. I wouldn't start a thread about it as I don't need other people to agree with me to enable me to have an opinion.

RangeRovers are the Bees Knees [Grin]

'Why shouldn't you and your car be under discussion if you are criticising other people's choice?'

No reason whatsoever, but you seem to want the finer details of how messy it is and I don't think it's at all relevant to go into that.

'What makes your choices exempt from this discussion?'

Nothing - I haven't figured out why you need to know who arranges delivery of large items, me or the vendor, or whether I always have things delivered - I don't, I've described the sink I bought at the weekend in a previous post.

' And why did you ask me to describe how I would deal with getting a large delivery from 200 miles away if you didn't want to know?'

Er, I didn't. I asked how it would save me money to do that in my own car - whatever size it was. You haven't answered that.

' And no, my answer was not to spend hours arranging some strange shared logistical delivery, but simply to pay for delivery to be included in the price and leave the seller to sort it out, like virtually everyone else does.'

Whatever - that's great. I'm sure everyone else does things just like you do.

'tbh I don't really think you are someone whose example I would follow.'

Well, the feeling is almost entirely mutual there.

WelshMaenad.......chwarae teg :)

'I think putting children in nurseries etc when you don't HAVE to work but choose to do so is selfish BUT that's just my opinion and accept that everyone is entitled to do as they see fit. I wouldn't start a thread about it as I don't need other people to agree with me to enable me to have an opinion.'

I'm with you on the nurseries thing, kind of - not selfish perhaps but I don't like the idea - not that you need me to be with you.

But what other people do with their children doesn't affect my life very much. I started this because I wanted to argue it out, I wanted to make people think about the way it impacts on other drivers.

You know, when there is barely any fuel left in the world, and vehicles are too expensive to run, and we're unable to have ambulances or other essential vehicles - maybe then people will get it.

Meanwhile keep on doing your 10MPG and just leave it to the kids we have to sort out the consequences of fuel decadence.

10mpg......crickey that's shocking. I get at least 32 urban. That's beside the point.

Mae RR Defender yn wych, MrsB!

LR, even. Tup iawn.

Ours looks like a baby monster truck but I don't care because ... Safety first :)

My car does about 45mpg. In town :) I've had it up to 60 rurally. And it's large.

I love my big car. If that makes me selfish then so be it. I would love an even bigger car, just for the beefiness of it.

Beautiful.

If you don't like it then feck off!

Newer big cars can be much more fuel efficient than smaller old cars.

I'm trying to ignore the fact that the person across the road has just bought a fuck off big Range Rover which now takes up 1.5 spaces in our massively overcrowded narrow little road. The fact that she is a cow is beside the point...

Gwendoline - what makes it a "fuck-off" car (your words) just because it is a car you don't like? You say she is a cow - is that more to the point? You simply don't like her, so her car becomes the problem. Just wondering

We don't "need" children or pets - but we have them (and love them)anyway.

I don't really mind whether it's selfish or not. People pay for them, and they pay for the fuel they use.

I very much doubt that my 4x4 will cost the planet more than other people's excess children.

You are right op. I think everyone should have smart cars where possible. Why you'd want a massive car is beyond me. Also they are dangerous.

'Excess children' WooWoo ? What a horrible phrase. Which one of us is excess to requirements then? There will be complaining about the poor being allowed to breed next...

itsbetterthanabox why are they dangerous? I wouldn't have a smart car if they were giving them away with a pint of milk.

My Defender runs on Veg Oil, when the world runs out of fossil fuels, I'll give lifts if you'll cover the cost of the oil. But this offer is only available to those that don't give a shit about what others drive.

yes I have a spreadsheet

1. They take up more space when the last things we need on our crowded roads are unnecessarily supersized vehicles. - the roads where I live are not crowded.

1. You can't see past them because they are often much higher than 'normal' cars - great for the person driving the thing, rubbish for everyone else - you can't see past buses either.

1. They tend to use a larger amount of fuel than a 'normal' car - which is, unarguably, utterly unfair given the fuel crisis the world is facing. - mine doesn't.

1. They don't fit into a normal parking space which causes untold problems in car parks. - parking spaces where I live are designed for bigger cars.

1. They don't fit in a narrow road so cause hold ups as people try to pass each other. - no narrow roads where I live.

I think I've just justified keeping my 7 seater Honda Odyssey.

In fact I think I've just convinced myself to go and buy a pickup truck :-D

wobbly your sound! nice one. :)

You're not your....

I don't know Rooners. I think the 'need' (greed) for cheap 'designer' clothes and shoes and the impact that has on societies across the globe with sweatshop etc is far far more selfish than driving a bigger (not big - the cars in the US are big) car than others . I really don't think the big car issue impacts road users in the same way as cheap clothes impacts sweatshop workers. Perhaps it's a first world problem?

Of course bad driving/parking is a different issue and not reserved for big car drivers.

I honestly think that of a driver can't cope with having bigger cars, vans and trucks. on the road they should not be driving.