Censoring myself--an SUV rant

Wow,

There's some serious lord-of-the-flys shizzle going down in New Orleans. There are all sorts of nasty truths on display. Makes one think that when a larger grade terrorist attack happens in the US the federal government is not really able to respond....at least not for a while. For a while, you are on your own and it's some Hobbes-ish man v. man action. Hairless apes.

The resulting spike in gas prices is sparking quite a bit of discussion about conservation, consumption, and the whole cars/suv debate.

The giant, longterm crush americans have had on sport utility vehicles embodies a tremendous amount of what I can't f__king stand. I think that something that takes up that much visual and physical space, endanders other vehicles due to it's size and shape, and generally consumes resources in a wildly excessive fashion (from the energy required to fabricate their enormous bulk to the gas they consume and emissions they spew.)

I understand that in certain situations a four wheel drive truck is the right tool for the job. Think of how many people drove suburbans, pickups and vans back in the 1980s. I bet most of those horse-trailering, boat towing, snow plowing etc. folks will continue to need giant vehicles, and they'll just have to deal with how much it costs to run them (although I would assume they would all become turbodiesels)

For the teeming masses that bought SUVs because they wanted a giant intimidating vehicle, or to not have to shovel snow a few times a year, or because everyone else is doing it....it seems judgement day is near. I am experiencing pretty giagantic schadenfreude as I ride by gas stations and watch the numbers rise. It makes me giddy, really. I would love to hear people bitching about gas prices nowadays as they fill up the tank of their escalade. I want to hear them thinking abot selling it. Ooooh yeah. G.M. and Weight Watchers would very much like for you to not own a shovel, and just use your SUV to blast your way out the driveway.