Chelsea is choking on its tractors - 4x4 drivers in London take note pls.

[CountessDracula]

HERE

Arent we whinging about 4*4s in London/other urban areas tho rather than people who live in the arse end of the bog (as 'twere) and tow horses round behind them?

And can anyone explain these huge pick-up truck type things that are now invading the streets? WTF are they all about and why would anyone want to drive them?

Peahead is great but I think maybe she mistook your meaning and slightly jumped down your throat, 2manypimms. Is it you who are on the Anthea show soon, btw?

Yeah. Tats me!

Anywho....offering a virtual Pimms (with mint and all the trimmings) as a peace offering to QPH! (Or a tea, as the sun isn't over the yard-arm yet!)

Whats up with the American pick-up trucks anyway? They are scary machines!

But if someone genuinely needs a 4 x 4, what should they do when they need to go into a city occasionally, if public transport isn't feasible?

Bring on the ban!

Let's see one up here, too!

I can see what the problem with that would be fj. Needs must and all that. the problem isnt a few people who need to occasionally travel into the city. the problem is the huge number of city dwellers who own large 4*4s etc who drive them round the city ALL the time.

And drive like utter knobs in them, too, 'gator .

I think it would be interesting to look at the efficiencies and emissions of a big variety of cars / SUVs and at different speeds. I don't actually know the figures, but of course petrol is used very inefficiently at high speeds. So, who is worse, the person in a BMW racing down the M4 at 100 MPH, or person transporting six kids in an SUV in Chelsea to school a mile away?

I hate SUVs. Hate them hate them hate them. Ditto pick-up trucks! (sorry peahead, your circumstances excused obviously) But, I do wonder if they are getting more than their share of the blame when it comes to preserving the environment.

I think I'll see if I can find some useful emissions info.... Be back later.

PPH I don't think there is ANY issue with you having a 4x4. Honestly you live in the middle of nowhere and you pull a bloody horse!

Equally I don't think there is any issue with having two cars, it's not like you can drive more than one at a time is it? As you say if there are fewer of you then you can use the smaller car.

Re people carriers, I don't know if they are better or worse than 4x4s I guess it depends on the individual car.

Not suggesting that PrincessPeaHead's situation doesn't warrant a 4x4, but before they were widely available, country dwellers managed fine.

I grew up on a small farm, in the middle of nowhere, down an unmade country track & we towed a two ton double horse box behind all sorts of cars. We used a trailer behind a car to bring the hay in, to take the sheep for dipping etc etc etc.
A few of the farmers had land rovers or jeeps, but most of them drove around in knackered old bangers like we did. They couldn't afford to run LR's or jeeps on a a regular basis.

Thing is Bugsy, those old bangers probably threw out more emissions than anything on the road today.

Bugsy
I, too, lived in the middle of nowhere w/a normal car. It's incredibly doable! In fact, I know plenty of people who do right now - they live off single track roads, on farms, etc.

I even know a guy who lives in Michigan in a home on the banks of one of the Great Lakes.

They get a LOT of snow.

And yet he's able to drive a normal car w/snow tires.

I've also seen many people outside Canmore, Canada driving around in normal cars in the dead of winter - ice and snow all around. As we said in Boulder, '4 wheel drive = 4 wheel slide.'

'It's my right to drive what I want!'

To me, no it isn't when you live in a society and your actions affect other people. It's not my right to blow cigarette smoke in your face in a public place in Scotland - no, I'm not a smoker - b/c it pollutes your lungs.

So does your unnecessary 4x4.

Ban them entirely. Restrict them to multi-occupant use, business use, search and rescue, military, etc.

They were designed to win WWII, not to take your kids to Sainsbury's.

OMG, Expat, do you go to Sainsburys WITH your kids? I leave mine at home.

No, I don't go to Sain's at all. I'm a farmer's market person.

Unfortunately, my fav, LARGE Boots is next to a Sainsbury's in a poncey part of town, so I get to see all the BMW 4x4s battling it out over P&C parking bays.

If the SUV had 6 kids in it then that seems reasonable. However most seem to hold 2 (3 on occasions) people one of whom is the driver. Sure I can understnad there are people who need people carriers and suvs but they are in a minority and a very small minority at that.