You Go Boy, Drop That Pump

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

What a load of crap. When people flipped me off in my H2 I just ran em off the road. Idiots.

Good job reinforcing the negative stereotype, there.

But the Hummer is not really the issue. It is all these supposed liberally minded anti-government people turning around and telling others what they can and cannont spend their money on all the while bitching about government interference in their lives...

You are right: the H2 really isn't the issue, here, although I have no idea what anti-government liberals have to do with it, either. (?) Gas guzzling SUVs are a drop in the bucket compared to the overall excessive American lifestyle and the refusal to live efficiently -- high gas prices are going to bite people in many more aspects besides their commute. The vehicle is the most easily noted example in people's lives and the easiest to see a direct connection. Environmental issues aside, a switch for many would be good. Even in this most obvious aspect, people aren't doing it despite the tax on their bank account and the stubbornness bewilders the rest of us.

I'm really interested as to why so many people, especially the complainers, are so resistant to switching. I have a whole crew of people at my office that exclusively drive pickup trucks and will not consider switching to a small vehicle. They:

...are not contractors or construction workers.
...do not regularly haul equipment or supplies.
...do not haul a trailer.
...are most often the only thing the truck is hauling.

Despite all of these points, each of them notes they have no plans to drive anything other than a pickup now or in the future. The high cost of gasoline has been enough to push several of them into financial difficulty because of long commutes to the point that one has been lamenting that he might "actually have to switch to a closer church" rather than the one he prefers. Do people think the soaring cost of fuel is temporary? Are all of these deluded drivers waiting for the impossible day the government does something to reduce the price of gas?