to get fed up with receiving more than the average amount of abuse on the road just because I drive a range rover?

[Mrs4x4]

I get the whole environment thing psses some people off but this seems out of proportion with the abuse. I am a considerate driver and really object to the abuse especially when my DC's are in the car and people are swearing. Recently parked car in a supermarket carpark to have someone who lived in a nearby flat on one of the higher floor start shouting that i should get back in my RR and pss off.

Thanks suey2. I am really really hoping they introduce it but I have found it difficult to find out precise details. It drives me absolutely insane that multimillionaires can drive all over London in enormous 4 x 4's for 80p a day while people who live in somehwere like Kennington face paying £8.00 to drive a mile.

Thought of this thread as had to bite my tongue when an enormous shiny 4x4 pulled up on a double yellow yesterday and mounted the pavement, narrowly missing DH and dd. We were in central London. A pregnant woman got out and sauntered into the chemist. Its the arrogance that sometimes accompanies the driving of these things in big cities that gets peoples backs up.

For the record am not jealous. Can't think of much more stressful than having to maneorve (sp) something of that size around a city when you could hop on a bus and read the paper/play with the baby.

YABU, if you dressed like Vicky Pollard would you expect people to jump to some conclusions about you? Well, when you drive a flash chav-mobile that is seriously more dangerous to pedestrians and other road users you will attract disgust and ridicule.

Perhaps you are a safe driver but incompetent drivers tend to like tanks because they are incompetent behind the wheel. On the two occasions I have witnessed abuse being hurled at a 4x4 driver, they seemed oblivious to having nearly killed pedestrians. Because they were unaware of what they had done perhaps those idiotic drivers went home whinging about people being jealous or environmentalists!!

Actually, given how 4x4s in urban environments increase the risks to other road users I think we all should verbally abuse them though I never have. After all, if some idiot insisted endangering others by drunk-driving, most of us would make our feelings known.

Upwind - although I can't say i agree that we should verbally abuse 4 x 4 drivers, i have to say that everything else you say is spot on. Tank drivers are often crap drivers - as you say, they often have a shocking lack of awareness of other road users (pedestrian and car) and are useless at manouvering and parking. Also agree that if you drink drive, use a mobile while driving, you deserve to be slated because you are greatly increasing the risk to others - well driving a 4 x 4 is also greatly increasing the risk. Even if you happen to be a very good driver, in the event of an accident, the heightened risk to others because of the design of a 4 x 4 is unacceptable. I'd like to see them banned apart from the very rare situations where people really need them - which is definitely not on the school run in the middle of town!

I expect you get abuse for a variety of reasons that range from environmental concerns to jealousy. Chances are that the people who don't abuse you are thinking abusive thoughts as well though. You must really love that car.

I suspect that 4x4 drivers want to think that others are jealous or that they particularly annoy fuddy-duddy lentil-weaving environmentalist types.

The ads play up that image - there is one on tv just now where a family, dressed for the outdoors, look smug as they drive past hikers on a mountainside. The point of the ad seems to be the evils from the boring people who go to the trouble of actually climbing a mountain and the self satisfied look of the woman in the 4x4.

This thread shows that almost everyone is more concerned about their own safety and especially their children's safety. Maybe the idea of being dangerous to others is also attractive to some 4x4 drivers?

Actually, I don't know anyone who's ever said "ooh, I wish I could drive a 4x4" or even hinted at jealousy. I think you're right Upwind. It's the 4x4 drivers' fantasy that everyone is green with envy.

One of the funny things about 4x4 drivers is that they tend to admire Jeremy Clarkson, who consistently questions the sanity of anyone who drives one. In the times last week he said:

"I sometimes look at people in London squeezing up narrow streets in these massive cars and I think: ?Are you completely bonkers?? Yes, you might need something big and tall for your monthly trip to the cottage in Suffolk, but for crying out loud, why put up with the misery for the other 320 days of the year? That?s like permanently wearing a condom for the one day a month you might get lucky."

I know this is becoming a bit 4x4 bashing but how can they bring themselves to buy something called Thunder or Warrior without laughing at themselves?

The one that really cracks me up is the "toyota intimidator"

pmsl

Or the one called Animal. I'd be embarrassed to drive something like that. Not least because I'd be scratching it and bumping it. Hence my preferences for old bangers which are probably just as environmentally damaging.

we've just driven for three hours and all the RRs we passed drove badly. Yes, all of them. They didn't indicate and it was pissing down. In face the thread title made me LOL as dp and I had been talking about how arrogant RR drivers were.

So sell the car and people won't abuse you for the reasons that Shergar outlined, if nothing else. Easy.

There are a couple of parents at our school driving HUMMERS.

Even more vulgar than a Range Rover.

(and, no, despite my nickname, i don't drive a 4x4)

Oh yes - there are a couple of humvee's round here too. Suburbia. Bloody ridiculous and for no reason other than to make a statement. I cannot cannot conceive of a single practical reason for owning one of these monstrosities.

Think you are being abit unsympathetic to the humvee drivers of suburubia. They are prepared for grenade attacks on the school run.
Rocket missile launches in Waitrose car park. You cant be too careful these days..

I think so long as you drive courteously and considerately, following the rules of the road, then no-one has the right to abuse you no matter what car you drive.

lol warrior is really silly. i especially like the toyota previa, as i had placenta previa it makes me wonder why they decided to call a car after a medical condition.