Aibu to hope that this is the start of a major backlash against SUVs?

[gingganggooleywotsit]

Just seen this on the BBC news website.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone in motoring speak out publicly against suvs. I pray this is the start of a major backlash and rightly so! Before anyone says..”you’re jealous” as I usually see on these threads, I would just like to say-I could afford one myself but I wouldn’t be seen dead in one!
Also I am only talking about city suvs. In the countryside/farming it’s of course a different matter.

Have SUV, eat meat, fly long haul, have more than 2 kids here. Why do people feel the need to apologise or justify to strangers about their life choices?

@Dongdingdong last long haul flight was in 2013 to a relative, don't have more than two children, though do eat meat. Don't have a car at all, have electricity from renewable sources.

Valid point about larger cars for families with someone with disabilities as with those who live in the deepest countryside. So that's probably about 5% of those with SUVs, so asking for a separate driving test for them to drive large cars would not be impractical.

@Macncheeseballs

Rickitarr, we need to find a solution to reducing our reliance on cars that benefits everyone including the less abled, sorry that angered you but its a huge problem that needs addressing

Oh I’m not “angered” and I’m concerned about climate change.

I’m just bored with ableist people like you.

Just ban cars except for essential vehicles. Get public transport or find a job closer to home.
I'd love this, the roads would be far better, less traffic and fewer entitled drivers.

Rickitarr, cities of the future should be easier for less able bodied people to get around, I'd like to see cars banned from city centres except for less able bodied people, a bit like the blue badge system. Not sure what is ableist about that.

@Devlesko

Just ban cars except for essential vehicles. Get public transport or find a job closer to home. I'd love this, the roads would be far better, less traffic and fewer entitled drivers.

But everything is essential for someone 😁

I am not going to cash and carry by bus even if it's shopping for home😂

I'd like to see cars banned from city centres except for less able bodied people, a bit like the blue badge system. Not sure what is ableist about that.

As we've already said, disability and lack of mobility is on a wide spectrum for the large group of people affected. Not everybody who doesn't qualify for a blue badge (or whatever your alternative would be) is perfectly fit and able-bodied, 100% of the time.

Even plenty of the most severely disabled people who should easily qualify for a blue badge (or PIP) are callously tossed aside by power-hungry, medically unqualified 'assessors' with incentives or targets to blatantly lie and discriminate against some of the most vulnerable people.

Webuiltthiscity, sure, but isn't that only one of the challenges to overcome in making cities more sustainable in the future.

Schrodinger, i think the point would be to move over to having shopping delivered rather than many individual vehicles sitting in traffic jams

sure, but isn't that only one of the challenges to overcome in making cities more sustainable in the future.

I'm not disagreeing at all that we need to make cities more sustainable - just pointing out that most of the measures that are usually proposed as easy no-brainers are absolutely not that for the large group of people with disabilities and mobility problems.

Yes, so maybe looking at ways to address that rather than writing off the whole idea

@poppycat10

There's intense dislike for those selfish, polluting "yummy mummies" driving SUVs at school pickup - but haven't seen any for men driving sports cars,. A man picking up their kids in a porsche, taking up room would most likely just get admiring glances

only from other men.

And when a car goes past in the street with a moronic noisy exhaust, women look disgusted, only men look impressed.

Juvenile males perhaps. The grown ups roll their eyes.

I have one as i need 7 seats but also a big boot. My tax on mine is less than my poor old people carrier.

I would really love there to be a maximum width on cars. Parking is such a nightmare when these vehicles just do not fit in standard width spaces. If people knew they wouldn’t be allowed to park these anywhere except their own enormous drive without getting a ticket, that would swiftly cut down their popularity.

@bridgetreilly

I would really love there to be a maximum width on cars. Parking is such a nightmare when these vehicles just do not fit in standard width spaces. If people knew they wouldn’t be allowed to park these anywhere except their own enormous drive without getting a ticket, that would swiftly cut down their popularity.

Would that also apply to vans?

@bridgetreilly

I would really love there to be a maximum width on cars. Parking is such a nightmare when these vehicles just do not fit in standard width spaces. If people knew they wouldn’t be allowed to park these anywhere except their own enormous drive without getting a ticket, that would swiftly cut down their popularity.

Lol. Audi would bankrupt 😂 But I get you. Passanger cars up to x people.

Why are people justifying having one? I love mine for loads or reasons and that's enough. If you don't like them who cares?

@peak2021

Car parks are not designed for them, too many people end up paving front gardens because they struggle to reverse into or out of garages, many people are poor at driving them (though the latter not exclusive to SUVs).

However, having a car and driving badly is almost seen as a human right by too many people.

Trouble is, in London many front gardens aren't big enough for the cars. There's lots that block half the pavement because the back half sticks out.

@osbertthesyrianhamster

Have SUV, eat meat, fly long haul, have more than 2 kids here. Why do people feel the need to apologise or justify to strangers about their life choices?

Because they know that what they are doing is bad for the environment. I am actually surprised that people with kids care so little about their future. Just in denial and no imagination, I suppose.

As for parking width, they should have free spaces for little cars and expensive spaces for SUVs. And do away with P&C spaces - you have to use the expensive SUV space if you want space. I suspect all those parents who must have an SUV (and use a P&C space) would suddenly find a Ford Focus and a standard space was just fine, after all.

Because they know that what they are doing is bad for the environment.

Well let them then. More fool them.

@poppycat10

As for parking width, they should have free spaces for little cars and expensive spaces for SUVs. And do away with P&C spaces - you have to use the expensive SUV space if you want space. I suspect all those parents who must have an SUV (and use a P&C space) would suddenly find a Ford Focus and a standard space was just fine, after all.

Some of these "suvs" are not as wide as modern non suvs... 🙈

Ford focus
4,378-4,672 mm L x 1,825-1,844 mm W x 1,458-1,502 mm H

Qashqai
4,394 mm L x 1,806 mm W x 1,590-1,595 mm H

They should, ban this, punish people by blah blah blah. Dream on. Thankfully such puritans don't rule over us, not that I'd vote for them.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Electric cars should be legally (and automatically) required to play a tinny version of Greensleeves or Fur Elise all the time when in motion, so that people know they're there - it seems to work well for ice-cream vans! Mark my words: before long, individual ringtones for cars will become A Thing

I am so using "In the Hall of the Mountain King"!

Osber, they banned smoking, changes do happen in society