Hummers

[snoochface]

Hahah I didn't notice you lived in Marcos. I was just as the Lowe's off SM Boulevard today doing work in the nursery.

That's funny, we were at the Home Depot basically across the street

 

[GolfingMom]

There are quite a few Hummers around here. Actually, one lady drove one onto our lawn. I guess she was trying out what it can do...
I don't mind them. I prefer seeing a Hummer over a mini van

 

[Million Pieces]

We're in the heart of oil country up here, so I see a few of them on our roads. I know exactly how they do it, a lot of them are leased by the oil companies for their employees. Gas here is over $5 a gallon, so you'll have to pardon me for a moment while I snicker behind my hand at "nearly $4 a gallon" LOL

 

[felinity]

I guess. Maybe I'm not the one to ask. I see a guy with a car like a Hummer, and wonder what he has to prove, or what he feels he's lacking that he has to purchase a car like that to compensate.

This is pretty well my take on it, too. I once dated a guy like that. (He didn't have a Hummer, but he had the biggest pickup he could buy and never hauled anything. )

 

[FatBurger]

We're in the heart of oil country up here, so I see a few of them on our roads. I know exactly how they do it, a lot of them are leased by the oil companies for their employees. Gas here is over $5 a gallon, so you'll have to pardon me for a moment while I snicker behind my hand at "nearly $4 a gallon" LOL

Just don't snicker loud enough for Europe or Hong Kong to hear you


Mrs Burger and I were talking yesterday about the absurdity of people in the US talking about high gas prices or high taxes. Gas prices have risen incredibly quickly in the past few months, but it's still cheaper than a lot of places in the world.

 

[fuzzymel]

Yeah no offense but $5 a gallon is nothing. I laugh in the face of $5 a gallon.

Gas here is around £1 per litre. There is approximately 3.79 litres to a gallon (US gallon not UK gallon). So its currently £3.79 a gallon. Exchange rate is currently 1.97 so a gallon of gas costs us around $7.47.

So there you go. Americans are getting a bargin really.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

Yeah no offense but $5 a gallon is nothing. I laugh in the face of $5 a gallon.

Gas here is around £1 per litre. There is approximately 3.79 litres to a gallon (US gallon not UK gallon). So its currently £3.79 a gallon. Exchange rate is currently 1.97 so a gallon of gas costs us around $7.47.

So there you go. Americans are getting a bargin really.

On that thinking though you mention your island is 20 some miles large. A lot of places in the US you've no real option to live closer to work and end up driving 45 minutes or about 20 miles one way to work. The US is a large spread out nation with a really sad public transit system that leaves most of the people dependent on gas. Not saying I like it and I'd love to find an option but when you are forced to drive 200 miles a week or more just to go to work you get a bit peeved at even the littlest increase. Urg Urbans sprawl has done so much damage.

 

[fuzzymel]

Gas is more expensive on the mainland and public transport is pretty rubbish. Only today there was a truck driver protest in London over the taxes on gas.

America has had it pretty easy for a long time with that. Its still so cheap compared to Europe. In two weeks I am off to California. The trip is so much cheaper two weeks in Europe would be. The weak US dollar is part of the reason but even when the dollar was stronger the gas, food, clothing prices were all cheaper in America.

 

[felinity]

I think you're both correct. Part of the contributing factors to urban sprawl was 50-cent per gallon gasoline.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

I think you're both correct. Part of the contributing factors to urban sprawl was 50-cent per gallon gasoline.

Isn't that the truth.

 

[mont974x4]

Dunno. Haven't seen many here, but I think Australia only started importing them recently.

I hate 4WDs (SUVs to most of you) In the city at least...and research shows that people who drive them are more likely to be aggressive drivers. They require greater skill to drive, but you can use one on a regular licence. In an accident with a car - the people in the 4WD are less likely to be injured - but the people in the car are way more likely to be injured - and more seriously.
Pointless unless you live rurally or require one for work, more damaging to the environment....

I should stop there, or I'll go into a full-blown rant :o

This reminds me of the illogical bias of the media that people swallow so easily.

I noticed a few years ago that the vehicle of choice determines how the headline goes when an accident is reported. If it's a car then the headline goes "Local woman dies in single vehicle rollover" if it's pickup or SUV it reads "SUV kills one, damages field"



I'd wager that the bottomline is that my v-10 powered F-250 has less impact on the environment than any hybrid.

 

[gracepaints]

I think they are tacky. If ever there was a useless, blazing piece of bad taste and wanton materialism, it's a Hummer. I would not date nor be seen with a guy who had one.

Sports cars, I understand. At least, you can drive them fast. Hummers? They aren't even really that great for off-roading. Jeepers love to post videos of tiny Wranglers hauling Hummers out of ditches.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

I think you're both correct. Part of the contributing factors to urban sprawl was 50-cent per gallon gasoline.

QFT.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

I think they are tacky. If ever there was a useless, blazing piece of bad taste and wanton materialism, it's a Hummer. I would not date nor be seen with a guy who had one.

 

[Oblivious]

Kudos to Redguard for starting an automotive thread in MM!

I think Hummers are "okay" IMO but I'd never personally own one because they're just that - "okay". This is my SUV of choice. It's quick and it handles better than most cars. Plus it's cool.

 

[Mr.Cheese]

.

 

[sparassidae]

Yeah no offense but $5 a gallon is nothing. I laugh in the face of $5 a gallon.

Gas here is around £1 per litre. There is approximately 3.79 litres to a gallon (US gallon not UK gallon). So its currently £3.79 a gallon. Exchange rate is currently 1.97 so a gallon of gas costs us around $7.47.

So there you go. Americans are getting a bargin really.

On that thinking though you mention your island is 20 some miles large. A lot of places in the US you've no real option to live closer to work and end up driving 45 minutes or about 20 miles one way to work. The US is a large spread out nation with a really sad public transit system that leaves most of the people dependent on gas. Not saying I like it and I'd love to find an option but when you are forced to drive 200 miles a week or more just to go to work you get a bit peeved at even the littlest increase. Urg Urbans sprawl has done so much damage.

Just to continue the 'horizon widening'- here in Sydney at the moment petrol is the equivalent of US$6 a (US) gallon.

And driving 45 minutes to work would be a short commute for 1/2 of Sydney's workers- it's more like 1-2 hrs (each way).

And yes, there are plenty of people absolutely furious at each price increase. I'm not one of them. Finding alternatives to our dependance on oil needs this sort of incentive.

 

[Andry]

Some of you seem to think that purchasing cars is purely a rational thing....it's not. When money is not a big issue, it becomes more of an emotional decision, yet some of you are more than willing to trash someone's emotional choice.

Rationale is a left-brain bias that invokes logical and practical choices which presumes to determine our choices when purchasing, which contemporary neuropsychology does not support. Instead, right-brain bias which is based on emotionally-generated feelings actually influence consumers' much more than rationally-derived thought does. IOW, our right-brain bias aims to fulfill our aspirations to experience and feel certain feelings, irrespective of the "logical" choice.

Hence, the reason why some people choose to drive certain vehicles that we would never own even if we had the money. And that's because our right-brain, emotionally-charged bias does not aspire to experience the same feelings that others may aspire to.

IOW, who are we to crush another person's experiential aspirations - particularly when those aspirations are not based on any sin or wrong doing?

I don't own a Hummer and am not envious to the lifestyle imagry those vehicle portray. But I wouldn't go so far as trashing them. Otherwise I can probably rationally trash those of you who drive cheap, thrifty, little economy cars.