3518 4x4

[QUOTE=alan haynes]You know the type - out at weekend, churning up local tracks and making them impassable to locals/walkers[/QUOTE]

Walkers complaining about horse riders and 4x4 destroying the country side. Horse riders moaning about walkers getting in the way when they are trying to gallop and 4x4's destroying the country side. Then 4x4 owners whining that walkers and riders have enough paths without trying to close the few that they can use. Hang-on I forgot to put the mountain bikers and the motorbikers in there:D

We are close to Florence in a very affluent town and the new Range Rover Sport seems to be the favoured 4X4 whereas it used to be the Porsche thingy - apparently the key is a profile shape of the car itself - now how impressive is that?

I don't buy into the argument used by the gang that draws silhouettes of children on the driveways of 4x4 owners. The case that they are murdering machines favoured by would-be murderers is far from proven. The statistics simply don't support that viewpoint.

The killing machines are in fact poorly maintained cars overloaded with teenagers who have been out for a night on the tiles - even with a "nominated driver" the egging-on effect of a bunch of alcohol and testosterone fueled peers can have disastorous results.

However, I do think most people are wrong to buy 4x4s because they are an uncomfortable ride on long journeys. At high speed on motorways they tend to bob up and down like a boat. Although I could be branded a hypocrite for owning a Panda 4x4 but it was bought when we lived in the mountains and is the sweetest little car I have ever owned.

Must say I agree with you on the dangerous drivers, Sdoj.

However, passing 2 inner city schools on my way to work (car share), I get very irate on trying to pass a large number of 4x4s blocking the lane while waiting to get into the school car park and mostly carrying just 1 child!!

I manage to pass family saloons waiting to turn off but many city 4x4 drivers don't seem to give a monkeys whether they block the road or not. :(

On the other hand, people like my fiance's parents drive 4x4s - but they live near Loch Ness and need it in the winter. Whilst I think them unnecessary in the cities, they're most useful in their natural habitat - the countryside.

[QUOTE=sdoj]We are close to Florence in a very affluent town and the new Range Rover Sport seems to be the favoured 4X4 whereas it used to be the Porsche thingy - apparently the key is a profile shape of the car itself - now how impressive is that? [COLOR="Red"]Not at all, A real 'Landy Owner' is not impressed with by a toy 4x4's. In fact a piece of rusty wire as a handle or switch is classed as a status symbol
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I don't buy into the argument used by the gang that draws silhouettes of children on the driveways of 4x4 owners. The case that they are murdering machines favoured by would-be murderers is far from proven. The statistics simply don't support that viewpoint. [COLOR="red"]True, but I have always fancied putting little pictures of the things I have killed(accidently) on the drivers door, Like the fighter pilots in the war. The ford who decided to stop without any warning and I parked on top of would get one.[/COLOR]

The killing machines are in fact poorly maintained cars overloaded with teenagers who have been out for a night on the tiles - even with a "nominated driver" the egging-on effect of a bunch of alcohol and testosterone fueled peers can have disastorous results. [COLOR="red"]In Britain this could be the case, but when you think you are behind one here, it normally turns out to be a 80 year old granny.
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However, I do think most people are wrong to buy 4x4s because they are an uncomfortable ride on long journeys.[COLOR="red"]This stops you falling asleep at the wheel, good safety point.[/COLOR] At high speed on motorways they tend to bob up and down like a boat.[COLOR="red"]You forgot about the weaving from side to side as well, stops the bu...r in the Porsche from overtaking[/COLOR]. Although I could be branded a hypocrite for owning a Panda 4x4 but it was bought when we lived in the mountains and is the sweetest little car I have ever owned.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR="red"]Not going to say anything about the Panda as I think....with the right encouragement. you too could become a landy owner :D [/COLOR]

I think there is a tinge of that in the debate about 4x4s just as there was in the debate about fox-hunting. I don't want ever to hunt foxes myself but the distress they caused us as a family when all the chickens were slaughtered (not eaten) has left me with the firm notion that they are vermin and need controlling. I don't have the same feelings towards fox-hunters or 4x4 owners. Children should walk to school, cycle, take the bus or car pool that should be written in law but then perhaps I am being envious.

[QUOTE=Iona]Must say I agree with you on the dangerous drivers, Sdoj.

However, passing 2 inner city schools on my way to work (car share), I get very irate on trying to pass a large number of 4x4s blocking the lane while waiting to get into the school car park and mostly carrying just 1 child!!

I manage to pass family saloons waiting to turn off but many city 4x4 drivers don't seem to give a monkeys whether they block the road or not. :(

On the other hand, people like my fiance's parents drive 4x4s - but they live near Loch Ness and need it in the winter. Whilst I think them unnecessary in the cities, they're most useful in their natural habitat - the countryside.[/QUOTE]

Come on you lot, this is about drivers in general, not just 4x4 owners. I happened to be close to a school the other day and it was bedlam. But this was mainly due to the fact everyone wanted to drop their kids at the gate, rather than parking down the road and walking. A 4x4 is actually very practical for taking your kids to school, you don't have to block the road, it is no problem to park on the pavement or someones garden.:D

A common complaint in our town is "vedi le marcia piede sono rote come in Albania!" that is because of 4x4 owners. The kerb stones are made from unforgiving granite so if I so much as scuff up against them with my poncy low profile alloys - I will have done about 300 Euro worth of damage. However, 4x4s can just mount the pavement and dig it up with gay abandon.
I had taken to folding in their big ugly mirrors which could actually be a hazard to a blind person but the thoughtful folk at BMW invented the auto-folding mirror. So one less hazard.

[QUOTE=Markcarter]Come on you lot, this is about drivers in general, not just 4x4 owners. I happened to be close to a school the other day and it was bedlam. But this was mainly due to the fact everyone wanted to drop their kids at the gate, rather than parking down the road and walking. A 4x4 is actually very practical for taking your kids to school, you don't have to block the road, it is no problem to park on the pavement or someones garden.:D[/QUOTE]

Hmmm practical if you do car-share & ferry a group of kids around... :)

Agree completely with the parking further up the road. Unfortunately the majority don't although there are plenty of spaces around 500 yards up the road from the school.

[LEFT][quote=Markcarter]I happened to be close to a school the other day and it was bedlam. But this was mainly due to the fact everyone wanted to drop their kids at the gate, rather than parking down the road and walking.....[/quote]

Ooh! Ooh! You've got me going now!! :mad:
This happens outside my kids' school [B]every[/B] morning! The bl***y car park is 100m away but most of the parents can't be bothered so they drive up to the gate and chaos ensues! No room to turn so they start reversing while others are trying to get in.. up on pavements, double-parking, kids jumping out of their way to avoid them!! Nightmare.
I've even seen parents regularly stopping in the middle of the main road to unload their kids and their bags, so they don't have to turn off into the side-road where the school is! :rolleyes:
Ok, I've calmed down now....

Must get on the parents committee next year. :)
[/LEFT]

I think some of these posts belong in "the other place".

Yup... sorry ... is one of my bugbears...

Now with which post shall we start a new thread in the CdC?? ;)

Difficult decision - were the complaining horseriders in Italy?

[QUOTE=sdoj]Difficult decision - were the complaining horseriders in Italy?[/QUOTE]
No, it was back in England where I used to walk,ride and 4x4. Whichever I was doing the only thing you could be sure of was when you stopped at the pub for lunch. You would be sat next to one of the other groups complaining about what you had just been doing.:mad:

Here we go... :)

which will run on longest?:)

I think you will find the paddy fields of China together with the fact they are opening one coal powered power station each week - with old dirty technology burning the most dreadful sulphurous coal is destroying the planet far quicker than 4x4s.

If you consider the advances made in diesel engines since the 1970s you would have to admit that it is a move in the right direction - wouldn't you?

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]my favourite rant....great!

My daughters are sooooo embarassed as I cut out of The Guardian a heading "4X4s' are killing my planet".Too right.

But now I've found out about Bio Diesel and am looking at a bigger car shock horror. I'm still keeping the sticker though.

Guardian reading,leftie,vegetarian 4x4 hating.....

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]