to think that 4x4 drivers are the most selfish w@*&(*&s ever???

[redrobin]

It makes my blood boil! They drive their big childcrushers whilst on the phone, they tailgate other smaller cars, they use enormous amounts of petrol, they block up roads, they look threatening...how can people choose to drive something like that? Do they have ha a selfish gene, do they think they are just better than other people so rules don't apply to them, or are they just thick?

(NOTE this is only about town drivers, i appreciate that they are useful in the countryside).

Sometimes, I think Jeremy Clarkson is winning.

they do look threatening, inzi. they're designed to. silly to say otherwise.

A lot of them round here have bull bars on them too.

Bull bars! That came from Australia to stop kangaroos doing so much damage to the jeep. So I suppose their purpose in the UK is to stop pedestrians doing the same amount of damage when they are mown down?

plenty of 4x4 drivers on this thread haven't been slated. the ones who live in the country, for example.

no, it's because you drive one that you don't find them threatening. try driving a small car for a week, then see if your opinion changes. didn't a 4x4 driver already say that on here, that they'd had a hire car and cringed when a 4x4 came near?

Not all 4x4 drivers are the same, indeed, as we've seen. Some justify their choices, some simply don't care. Some really do need them, most, sadly, do not. some can see why others find them offensive, whilst most are conveniently blind.

I think if you read the thread you'll find a lot of us stating facts about 4x4s and asking why they are necessary, and a lot of 4x4 drivers getting argumentative, not answering the question and then getting abusive and nasty - musicgirl's comments about the tot being run over was just nasty. Kerrymum's comments were taken out of context and she was being torn apart by sarcastic and ignorant posters.

Sure some anti 4x4s can be abusive and nasty, but then so can some 4x4 drivers.

Read Quad's posts, she works in a hospital and has seen injuries done to people first hand through collisons with 4x4s. They are dangerous. That's the only point we are trying to make. But one that 4x4 drivers seem very reluctant to accept.

Did anyone see that BBC documentary on 4x4s? That political comedian (I forget his name, John something I think) interviewed sellers of 4x4s, drivers and so on, he even got in one himself. They also had psychiatrists on reporting the "type" of driver that are drawn to them. It was interesting viewing. But then I guess not many 4x4 drivers would have seen it. It's hard when something you have chosen gets slated so often, of course you get defensive about your choice, but you have to be objective sometimes and look at it from a different perspective.

at how judgemental some people are.

By the same logic applied to slurring 4x4 drivers on this thread, you could also say "All women wearing mini skirts are sluts".

ROFL at the statistics as well. To actually think that the difference between 25% and 20% injury rates are so significant that it merits the character assassination going on here

Get a life, people.

Tut tut! I do wish you would read the thread!

The car has been slagged off the most, not the driver. But we have explained why it is that 4x4 drivers have a bad reputation. And how this thread kinda proves it.

haha, cotedazur looks stoopid in her big rich pig's car...

was that the kind of thing you were hoping for?

yeah, but the general idea is that if you drive a 4x4, you're a bit of a bastard. As a starting point, it's hardly the kind of basic argument that is going to have people floating in and smiling beatifically to dispute that...

Aitch - Yes, that was pretty much it

More seriously, 4x4s are hardly the biggest, heaviest, most scary, most polluting machines on the roads. OP et al are not in a fit over busses, trucks, people carriers etc but find 4x4s "offensive" basically because they believe their drivers don't need them.

"You don't really need it so you shouldn't have it" is not a new argument. It didn't work out too well for the Soviets but hey ho tomorrow is another day

Buses and trucks have a purpose, though.

Unfortunately for all the nice people who drive 4x4's, they do symbolise a lot of things that people find unpleasant in other people: not caring about others; lack of consideration for environmental issues; and an unattractive showy-off-ness. Whether that is true of a particular driver is not the issue, if you drive one that is what a large proportion of the population will assume of you, sadly...

Rhubarb - all this thread proves is that you have categorised all 4x4 drivers as "twats" and "f**kwits" unless they live in the countryside. Of course us 4x4 drivers are going to defend our choice of vehicle whether we live in the countryside or not because you are being personally agressive. Not a nice trait to have. You could not guess the car I drive by looking at me as I have owned all makes from Renault Clio to Landrover Defender. Just because I drive a Jeep right now does not mean I drive any less carefully or any more arrogantly. In fact my Jeep is safer in my hands than my small Puma where I couldn't see anything thru the back window.

Desiderata - at least I don't go around judging people based on the vehicle they drive.

I don't think its a nice trait to have to deliberately miss the point either nicecupofwine. Seriously though in terms of solution to problem, its about time the greedy arse manufactureres of such vehicles took a little responsibility for the damaging impact they can have on others. That goes for manufactureres of all cars with poor ratings not just 4 x 4's.

Need more coffee - if you have to park on the road could you get your Council to paint a disabled bay in front of your house so that if anyone parks within it you can get them towed away . Round here they do badge number specific spaces so can't even be used by other disabled badge holders.

You've probably already tried all this and sorry for butting in, just at the twat parked behind you earlier.

So I (we) have a 4x4, a ford fiesta van, and 2 old style minis (and nothing comes much smaller). Don't need 4x4 for any rural reason, just a nice car to drive on the motorway with big lorries.

All are driven at varying times (all are actually chosen by DH)

What does that say about him? ( Possibly personality disorder? Well now I come to think of it....

....and for what it's worth, I can scoot around the inside of a 4x4 on a roundabout before it's changed gear in the mini, nothing intimidating about them - just laughable!

No, but you do go around calling people twats