what the FUCK is that advert for 4x4s doing at the top of this page????

[CountessDracula]

I cannot believe it

How about one for air rifles too?

Oh and I drive a people carrier - probably the largest one available - and not for the status, but because I have four children and often a large amount of luggage. I personally cannot understand why anyone with one or two children would want to saddle themselves with a minibus-sized car - they are hell to park, even in car parks, are frequently scratched by other drivers unable to negotiate past it when it is parked, and cost a fortune to service and repair - but if that is what anyone wants, then I respect their right to make a free choice in the matter.

i do eat sausauge rolls sometimes, but more so macdonalds.
and also ribena, probably worse than frootshoot.
although may i add ds doesnt! so im a good mummy!!

I think the bonnets of 4x4s are much higher off the ground than people carriers, and that front bar increases fatalities too.

I have no idea, all it said on the back was smart forfour
it was red and black and dd named it the ladybird car.

I'm not remotely upset with you , but I did find your comment about being hit by a car quite patronising.

Sounds like the Pure, which was base model. The black buts give it away as they are standard on the Pure. Smaller engine.

oh and what wankers we are as we now have a volvo! they are built like tanks no?
very dangerous.
but inside we have side impact protection etc!! wooo....

sorry again Nom de Plume. It wasn't meant to be, but i can see how it might have looked that way.

Stop apologising, woman !

bullbars are a different issue altogether. I'd never have bullbars on the front of a car I drove.

I found that about reversing too. I couldn't reverse where small kids were around, and always reverse parked, so I didn't have to back out where people were walking, it would be so easy to hit a child. It was a pita cos I would have to jump out, get the buggy out then reverse the rest of the way in but it was the only safe way to park.

i thought the bull bars on the front were going to be made illegal anyway?

My DH has a 4x4, but it is normal estate car sized.

Dunno what the point of that post was, just wanted to add it....

i was always taught to stand by mother in car parks so i would not get run over by people reversing etc.

I see, so we prob had the 1.1? They go up to a 1.6 or somethign I think. Now that would be nippy! The steering on them and gear changes are wonderful, so that would be fun.
Do you ever get strange looks? I got a few shouts in slough from van drivers. The smart is rather unique!

NO. I want to say sorry AGAIN.

Someone gag her !

me too.

im sorry.

[hanging head in shame]

"The greater height and weight of 4x4s, as well as their flat fronts and stiff bonnets, means they are bottom of the class in Euro-NCAP crash tests for pedestrian safety. "

Ruty, there are small cars which score as badly as 4x4s too. The Pathfinder which is (I believe) the one advertised at the top, is actually safer for pedestrians than some of the small cars. Look at the EuroNCAP site.

The issue should not be 4x4s at all, it shoud be improved pedestrian safety on all cars.

I nearly got mown down last week by a 4x4. Was walking my bike on the pavement (with ds strapped into the seat on the back) as I had just walked over a bridge (with the bike) and was walking along a pavement to get to Bushy Park.

Heard a woman arguing with someone. Heard a door slam and that's the last thing I properly remember. I can remember hearing her putting her foot down and thinking 'wow a car somewhere is going fast' and then something clipped (by a hair's width!) the front wheel of my bike.

It didn't knock me over but I lost my balance. She had put her foot down at the top end of her driveway, put her 4x4 in reverse and reversed out as fast as she could (obviously after the argument) - she didn't even see us once she was in the road.

Her husband came out next in his massive merc (he saw the whole thing) and muttered some expletive about me cycling on the pavement (which I wasn't, I was walking the bike) and about 'how I should be more careful' and when I used a few chosen words, he just stuck his finger out the window and drove off.

I think the government should bring in legislation that bans any non-commercial use car where you cannot see properly out the back window, I really do.

And didn't you used to have a Toyota people carrier ?

TBH, I think the law should be changed so that twats cannot buy cars. That would save a lot of aggro for everyone.

(the ppl carrier was to add to fios post for CD )

thinking about it, had I been a foot further forward, neither ds or I would be here today

quite often though (esp in London) is it is not the vehicle itself but the way it is driven