I know it is premature, since I have no idea whether we will last 1 week or 1 lifetime. But, since I overanlayze everything else, here it goes...

He drives an SUV. And I imagine given his location in the province, that if we ever shacked up, I would end up driving it too. Picking him up at work, going to the next town over.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is a big difference between city and rural life, and vehicles reflect that.

[ 27 February 2004: Message edited by: Cougyr ]

Unless he lived in a rural area or had a job that made driving such a thing useful and appropriate (some people have vehicles like Jimmys or Jeeps to haul stuff, etc.) I'd really have problems with it, as it would tend to indicate a dire lack of concern for the environment. At the least, I'd find out why he was driving such a thing.

If he's the hottest thing out there, you should bang him like a drum. Don't worry about the SUV until you're getting bored and thinking of reasons to dump him. Besides, the back of an SUV is roomier than a subcompact.

Love,
Abby

Dot, you are funny.

Mr. Magoo, both are concerns. I care too much what other people think.

Gaia Babe! Quit worryin! If ya like the dude and yer fem fatale charm makes him swing then go for it.

Save the SUV question for one of those there's'nuthin-to-do-but-have-a-spat nights.

The problem with SUVs isn't the vehicles themselves. Rather it is how they are used.

For example, I drive a Chev Suburban. That ain't an SUV. It's an actual truck chasis with an extended seating cab made for carrying lots of people. I have a large family, and I often have to transport newspapers when needed.

I live in the city, but my work sometimes means I have to travel over mountain passes in very poor weather. In addition, we do go hiking and off-roading a lot for fun. So, the 4-wheel drive comes in handy.

So, I would say the Suburban is appropriate for my needs, although it's a damn pig on gas and obviously a polluter.

But I know many people, including some "progressives," who drive SUVs or light trucks who also live in the city, don't have large families, and never need to use the 4-wheel drive.

THis is wasteful and puts more fuel emissions into the air unnecessarily. If you look at much of the ads around SUVs, they are pushing the idea of some sort of fashion statement, rather than something you might actually need.

There's this tune, I believe it's by Sheryl Crow. The first verse is catchy:

My boyfriend's a communist
He holds meetings in his RV
I can't afford his gas
So I just sit around watching TV

quote:

---

For example, I drive a Chev Suburban. That ain't an SUV. It's an actual truck chasis with an extended seating cab made for carrying lots of people. I have a large family, and I often have to transport newspapers when needed.

---

Uhh..Dude, that is an SUV, the same way a Ford Expedition is a F-150 chassis and an Excursion is an F-250 chassis, and the H-2 is a GMC Sierra. All truck chassis with bigger bodies.

Wouldn't a minivan haul the family and cargo just as well? Better on gas too. Unless those mountain passes are unpaved, a van will do just fine. After all, I could take my old Civic hatchback to places trucks couldn't go.

I'm not picking on you Klingon, I'm just pointing out that no matter what choice people make, they can always find a justification for it. The excuse of "living in a rural area" sounds plausible until you think it through and realize that most rural roads in Canada are either paved or very well-maintained gravel. Unless the guy is hauling hay out to his 50 head herd in the back 40, he probably has as much need of a SUV as a Oakville soccer mom.

Besides, no self respecting farmer will be caught dead in something in which he can't haul a sheet of 4'x 8' plywood. Look at any farming community and you'll see lotsa 2 wheel drive pickups, few SUVs.

Oh yeah, dump his ass.

[ 28 February 2004: Message edited by: Jingles ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Klingon:
Gaia Babe! Quit worryin! If ya like the dude and yer fem fatale charm makes him swing then go for it.

---

Gaia is a dude, dude.

Klingons have no word for "gay", "queer" or "homosexual".

Anyone remember the TV show, Soap, and something some woman said to Billy Crystal's character about Texas?

quote:

---

They ain't got no homos on Klingon.

---

Sure they do. It's just the love that dare not speak its name there still. But look at them, traipsing about in their leather, looking deep into each others' eyes, loving the pain sticks.... It's clearly a race of gay S&M'ers.

G-C, my guy & me drove an SUV when we lived in a rural area. Needed the four-wheel drive and the hauling. I give all rural people a pass on all SUV-related dilemmas. I never paid much attention to the politics of someone over just hooking up, but it starts to matter more when it's looking like something more long-term.

quote:

---

no matter what choice people make, they can always find a justification for it. The excuse of "living in a rural area" sounds plausible until you think it through and realize that most rural roads in Canada are either paved or very well-maintained gravel.

---

Yeah, but then you encounter something called Winter in Saskatchewan.

[ 28 February 2004: Message edited by: Gaia_Child ]

quote:

---

but then you encounter something called Winter in Saskatchewan.

---

Sure, they have that in Alburda too. But the only time I ever "needed" a 4x4 was when I worked in the 'patch and drove the company truck on the lease roads (mud tracks, actually) to the rig. And the only reason I needed 4x4 then was because the damn thing kept getting stuck. If it was 2 wheel drive, I wouldn't have attempted those roads in the first place. Indeed, there were roads I slogged on foot rather than drive, get stuck, and try to get the Cat to drag me out.

Unless every day is a blizzard, the times that actual 4 wheel drive are needed are few and far between, even on the snowbound prairie. It makes more sense to get a mustang convertible, because the times you can use that are more frequent.

A kayak doesn't fit on a minivan or station wagon? Are they so heavy you need the extra suspension?

Everyone has a great excuse. "Oh, suburban accountants are selfish and overcompensating by owning that Hummer. They don't need such a terrible machine, but mine's different. After all, I wear a cowboy hat, and my Exhibition has the extra headroom I need. Besides, my curb in front of my house is really, really high."

[ 28 February 2004: Message edited by: Jingles ]

You are right, we ain't got no "gay" or "homosexual" on Kronos, which is the actual name for the Klingon home world, ye clueless Nadivads, and we ain't got no SUVs either.

Gaia is a woman's name on Kronos. And worrying about cars is useless and wasteful. Get off ye lazy fat arse and walk it. Never mind gas mileage.

Anything that don't involve bleeding, fighting, dying and crippling physical stress is considered weak and timid.

You drive a vehicle with a stereo, reclining seats, adjustable steering wheel and--A'L Q'poch--air conditioning!?!?!

I SHOULD KILL YOU ALL WHERE YOU STAND!

As for you Jingles, and your auto-wisdom, I did own a Plymouth Voyager mini-van. I went through three transmissions in four years because I kept going up long, steep inclines with over-capacity loads.

As for going over mountain passes with paved roads, I got sick and tired of waiting for four $&^(#R$^ hours in some cases for the snowplow to pass by.

ALas, I should give up on earthly vehicles and return to my Klingon roots of riding domesticated targs. Don't need no gas, no transmissions, no 4X.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Klingon:

Just some raw meet and a big heavy stick.

---

quote:

---

we ain't got no "gay" or "homosexual" on Kronos,

---

quote:

---

Just some raw meet and a big heavy stick.

---

quote:

---

Wouldn't a minivan haul the family and cargo just as well? Better on gas too. Unless those mountain passes are unpaved, a van will do just fine.

---

Actually lots of minivans are pretty terrible on snow, and lousy on gas. An Astrovan or Safari only get s a couple gallons more than a Suburban. Spacewise, other minivans I find don't have as much room as those two beasts.

My partner's parents gave us our minivan, after our tempo finally died. They now have a small SUV which they needed for their trailer. We can't afford another car, so we drive it, without guilt. Not to mention, trying to squeeze two large dogs in a back of a hatchback with camping equipment is not fun!

quote:

---

Yeah, but then you encounter something called Winter in Saskatchewan.

---

Bah. I used to haul firewood across snow-covered fields with a Datsun 1/2-ton.

I never saw an SUV in rural Saskatchewan. We all had 1/2 tons or cars.

The modern version is aimed at suburbia; power steering, stereo, carpeting, air conditioning, big engine and lousy fuel economy. These things need four wheel drive to go where their ancestors went with two.

The same with the Jeep, which made its reputation during WWII. That Jeep was small (1/4 ton), had a 4 cylinder engine, and was very maneuverable. It went anywhere and survived.

The modern 4x4 is bigger; even the CJ series Jeeps. Most 4x4's are gas guzzling monsters that don't even do well off road. They are designed for freeways, not the bush.

quote:

---

A kayak doesn't fit on a minivan or station wagon? Are they so heavy you need the extra suspension?

---

quote:

---

Gaia is a woman's name on Kronos. And worrying about cars is useless and wasteful. Get off ye lazy fat arse and walk it. Never mind gas mileage.

Anything that don't involve bleeding, fighting, dying and crippling physical stress is considered weak and timid.

---

I can see why you're upset.

Kronos, Gaia's child, castrated his own father, Uranus, with a sickle, and was thus for a while top God, until his own son, Zeus, killed him.

Speaking of which, GC, you need to decide whether the SUV represents a fundamental clash of values or something you can overlook. Good on you for being reflective enough to consider it, though.

Geez....

quote:

---

The turkey hasn't been returning my calls.

---

Now that Mr. Wonderful isn't calling....