Paris close to banning SUVs

[RobBob]

It's about attitude more than looks! A chica who's more fixated on being the center of the social scene than bein' with you is, by definition, going to be bad in bed.

[iain]

I love how the Paris Hilton subject line brought RobBob out of the woodwork.

[EWolfe]

 

[JoshK]

yeah, I've heard the same thing, but that picture has always been super hot.

[RobBob]

Hey, Iain, I'm over here livin' the dream, but I can't sit idley by and let you poor misguided wretches get led astray into thinking that's seductive or attractive!

[JoshK]

It's about attitude more than looks! A chica who's more fixated on being the center of the social scene than bein' with you is, by definition, going to be bad in bed.

 

Maybe she's gotten better. If she tried to answer the phone the ol' hate fuck would be on.

[assmonkey]

She couldn't talk on the phone if you stuffed her mouth with your...oh, never mind.

 

- a s s m * n k e y

[Bronco]

[bunglehead]

This is a fucking hilarious thread.

Paris Hilton and pikemup trucks.

[Bronco]

Butt rockers!

 

[RobBob]

Paris Hilton and pikemup trucks

 

I'd picture her in an ugly-ass orange Avalanche.

[E-rock]

Clearly you didn't see "the simple life" last night. She and Nicole were delivering dead animals in a country-compenstator the likes of which would make Bronco drool.

[scott_harpell]

Get a life

[Fairweather]

Yup, better standards of living, more acceptance, less intolerance, better relations with the rest of the world, a more educated society, reasonable health care, less violence...it's a horrible thing to desire that.

 

...and less freedom too. Does that factor into your equation? Fuck Western Europe. Fuck Chirac too. The power hungry bastard is simply trying to make the UN and EU his personal imperium. The newly liberated euro "east-siders" appreciate our freedoms more anyhow.

 

 

Let's also get something straight. I dont really give a shit that some people have trucks. If you enjoy your truck, good for you. The thing that is ridiculous is that you go to downtown bellevue and you are surround by vain, image concious, clueless tools driving escalades, hummers, or whatever else the trend of the day is. They don't think, they just follow like a little lemming. It's pathetic and thanks to our silly auto laws, they drive giant communter vehicles that get worse milage, pollute more, and are less safe to the occupents and others on the road. We need to get rid of the "light truck" classification for SUVs. I ford pickup is one thing, but you can't convince me somebody is driving an escalade to haul gravel for their construction project.

 

Surprisingly, I don't disagree with this part of your post.

FTR, I drive a 2WD 1996 Toyota T100 3.4ltr V6 pick-up truck that gets about 22mpg on the hwy. When I finally get around to replacing it someday, I'll get a higher mileage vehicle, for sure. Maybe a Toyota Tacoma Quad cab (4cyl) @27mpg, or one of those Honda Elements ... roomy and get about 28mpg hwy.

 

30 mpg should be the goal, but ultimately the free market will decide. I don't think the "shaming" of SUV owners that is constantly being dished out by the left has been successful at all.

[Fairweather]

Ya gotta hand it to the advertisers, they've done a fantastic job of providing an image, a commodity, for the wanna-be yupster set.

 

Try this exercise: Stand on some corner in Puget Sound, Seattle, Mercer Is. etc. Count the number of SUVs that go by and look at the people inside. How many of them do you think could actually get to the top of Mt. Si nevermind Das Toof.

 

But somehow that vehicle makes them feel like they COULD! The Eddie Bauer interior, 4x4, the new Patagucci parka. Maybe they will lose that 15 lbs and train for the Cleaver route next year. Then again, maybe they'll just drive around and go shopping.

 

It's rather pathetic how susceptile people are to this stuff. What is it - something to do with a longing for westward expansion, exploration of new lands? Or just filling up that empty space in their lives that needs the continual diet of the latest fashion statement?

 

Of course you NEVER see a wealthy Seattle liberal driving a Volvo VX XC 70 wagon or a Subaru wagon, or a mega-polluting 1970-80's era VW mico-bus. Oh no! Marketing/image has NO EFFECT what-so-ever on the 'educated' metro-dweller.

[graupel]

Not sure if this thread is about cars anymore, but just in case, you might find this "Rave" post from Craigslist entertaining:

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/32010873.html

[Matt]

I was in Paris 6 months ago and the pollution was horrible-- much worse than any American city. The problem is they don't have catalytic converters in their cars. Stupid French. Very little recycling done too. I was surprised.

 

I knew Fairweather couldn't reisist this thread. He loves the Audi A4.

 

[Fairweather]

The Audi A4 is one nice ride! I see it comes in convertible now too. If my employer takes my company car away and goes the 'milage payment' route, I'm looking at the Acura RSX. Great milage and a little power too.

 

No catalytic converters on cars in France?? I had no idea. Certainly not a picture of progressive society.

 

How you been, Matt?

[JoshK]

Yup, better standards of living, more acceptance, less intolerance, better relations with the rest of the world, a more educated society, reasonable health care, less violence...it's a horrible thing to desire that.

 

...and less freedom too. Does that factor into your equation? Fuck Western Europe. Fuck Chirac too. The power hungry bastard is simply trying to make the UN and EU his personal imperium. The newly liberated euro "east-siders" appreciate our freedoms more anyhow.

 

 

Let's also get something straight. I dont really give a shit that some people have trucks. If you enjoy your truck, good for you. The thing that is ridiculous is that you go to downtown bellevue and you are surround by vain, image concious, clueless tools driving escalades, hummers, or whatever else the trend of the day is. They don't think, they just follow like a little lemming. It's pathetic and thanks to our silly auto laws, they drive giant communter vehicles that get worse milage, pollute more, and are less safe to the occupents and others on the road. We need to get rid of the "light truck" classification for SUVs. I ford pickup is one thing, but you can't convince me somebody is driving an escalade to haul gravel for their construction project.

 

Surprisingly, I don't disagree with this part of your post.

FTR, I drive a 2WD 1996 Toyota T100 3.4ltr V6 pick-up truck that gets about 22mpg on the hwy. When I finally get around to replacing it someday, I'll get a higher mileage vehicle, for sure. Maybe a Toyota Tacoma Quad cab (4cyl) @27mpg, or one of those Honda Elements ... roomy and get about 28mpg hwy.

 

30 mpg should be the goal, but ultimately the free market will decide. I don't think the "shaming" of SUV owners that is constantly being dished out by the left has been successful at all.

 

I don't know what there is that I wouldn want to do that wouldn't fall under wastern europe's definition of freedom. Last time it was us holding "enemy combatants" without giving them the rights afforded under our idea of freedom. The gun thing doesn't bother me cause I'm not into guns.

 

Funny, I was just thinking about alternative vehicles...I bet electric drivetrains would be awesome for trucks. Imagine a single motor mounted to each wheel. You could completely do away with clunky old-tech 4WD systems. Navigating off road would be much easier if the vehicle's computer could independently power each wheel to gain the best traffic. On the highway only two motors would run. That would be really neat.

 

It's too bad the element is pretty ugly, cause I really like the concept. It's a perfect climber's ride. I dig the easy rinse out deal.

[Fairweather]

 

Funny, I was just thinking about alternative vehicles...I bet electric drivetrains would be awesome for trucks. Imagine a single motor mounted to each wheel. You could completely do away with clunky old-tech 4WD systems. Navigating off road would be much easier if the vehicle's computer could independently power each wheel to gain the best traffic. On the highway only two motors would run. That would be really neat.

 

 

Sounds like a locomotive ...or a U-Boat! How would you generate the electricity for the motors? Diesel? I've recently read an article that diesel/bio diesel soot has been found all over Greenland's icecap and may be more responsible for it's annual loss than global warming. (I'll see if I can find a web-version of the story.)

[JoshK]

I think fuel cell technology is going to really change things in the way of electric vehicles. Waper vapor for exhaust...that's cool.

 

it's true, older desiel vehicles put out a ton of particulates. Diesel isn't the smoking gun by any means. APparently the new deisel engines like the VW TDIs are nearly particulte free. I dont know what the difference in the engines is. Obviously watching any big desiel truck it's pretty obvious the amount of soot they put out.

[Dru]

i did the math last night converting from liters to gallons, and km to miles, and figured out my 90 subaru gets consistently over 20 mpg (It depends what grade fuel I use on the exact mileage). also it passes emissions testing every year with flying colours. so all you "my H2 is cleaner and more efficient than your old Subaru" guys can suck it

[Greg_W]

[quoteFunny, I was just thinking about alternative vehicles...I bet electric drivetrains would be awesome for trucks. Imagine a single motor mounted to each wheel. You could completely do away with clunky old-tech 4WD systems. Navigating off road would be much easier if the vehicle's computer could independently power each wheel to gain the best traffic. On the highway only two motors would run. That would be really neat.

 

This technology has bee in use for years in large-scale minehaul trucks. Electric traction motors are a killer way to get low-end power/torque, not to mention the "dynamic braking" is killer. These trucks were carrying 120-tons to 240-tons of ore at a shot. It was great fun as a draftsman in college, climbing all over truck frames 20' in the air mapping hydraulic lines. 8' tall tires, radiators the size of two pool tables, 16-cylinder Detroit Diesel powerplants...

[Dru]

Off topic but while I was driving in to work this AM I was wondering why they don't make cars available with transparent body panels? They make bodies out of as much plastic as metal now. maybe i am just thinking of those Apple IMacs and transparent phones but wouldn't it make it easier to figure out what was wrong with your car if you could see from the driver seat into the engine and brakes and stuff while youy were driving? not to mention the wonder woman - invisible jet effect

[EWolfe]

stupid stinky french