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i laugh at some of the neighbors in my neighborhood - TOTALLY "jones" type people. one will get a toyota sequoia, a few weeks later another will drive up in an escalade, a few months after that another will drive home in a BMW X5. a year or two later "sequoia" family drives up in a Lexus G470. meanwhile, i drive by in my corolla with 120,000 miles on it.
i wouldn't buy one of these honkin SUV's simply because of the cost and gas mileage, it's a waste in my eyes. if they feel the need to spend those kind of bucks on a depreciating asset, i could care less. i also have a CR-V, which, with 2 small-ish kids, is plenty big. whatever floats your boat.
I drive an SUV, but really miss my little Ford Focus (it got traded for the pick-up my husband does actually need so I got stuck with his SUV). He tries to convince me that I need the extra room because of our daughter, but the stroller fit fine in the focus, and groceries would go in the car instead of the trunk if the stroller was in there. I think people in general just buy into the whole "we need MORE" mentality-more space, more power, etc. If you have a big family, I can see it being a replacement for the station wagon, but really-there isn't all that much more passenger room in my SUV than there was in my car.
It makes me chuckle to remember my parents driving us to Florida for vacation in their Toyota Corolla. We all fit fine-just weren't allowed to bring everything we owned.
APV, Its a conversation piece thats kind of loud the mind your own business thing, but whatever floats your boat. I should have been a little more specific. I mean the largest of the large not the smallest and mid class SUVs. Come on your going to tell me that some of the moms and yes dads buy them big HUMMERS for the childrens safety. Give me a break, they are status symbols. And I am not trying to OFFEND anyone its a topic with many different views.
The funniest part for me is watching these big SUV's pull out of the subdivision that's directly across the street from the school to drop little Johnny or Suzie off for school. In the afternoon, those same SUV's are sitting in the parking lot with the engines running (to keep the AC cold) for 20 minutes so they can get "a good spot in line" to pick little Johnny or Suzie up. After picking up/dropping off, they then pull back across the street and head back to the house, so the "I drop them off on the way to work" excuse doesn't fly.
What happened to walking to school????? This is a semi-rural area, so some kids live too far to walk, but I'm talking about a door-to-door walk of less than 1/4 of a mile. And before anyone asks, there'sa crossing guard there at the school to stop traffic if necessary, though the only reason she has to stop traffic is to let cars out of the parking lot. We used to walk to/from school along a very busy road. Last time I was near the house we grew up in, I clocked the distance, and it was well over 1/2 a mile. I don't want to turn this into a Bill Cosby "we used to walk 10 miles, uphill, both ways" conversation, but have we really gotten that lazy???
I don't think it's a matter of being lazy-well for some it may be-but I think people are afraid to let their kids walk to school. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day. We're in our early 30s and when we were kids we walked to school-or at least the bus stop, but I'd be hard pressed to feel safe with my daughter walking to school alone when she gets to that age. Too many crazies out there now.
I just think it was a stroke of marketing genius when the SUV companies came up with the idea of convincing parents they NEEDED these vehicles whether they had 1 kid or 6. Not faulting those who want them, just saying....marketing genius!
I don't think it's a matter of being lazy-well for some it may be-but I think people are afraid to let their kids walk to school.
I'll agree with that, but here's a nutty idea most folks neglect to consider when they go from "I can't let Suzie walk to school- someone will abduct her" to "I have to drive Suzie to school"- you can walk with them!!! I'd even bet that it's faster to walk to the school, get there just as the kids are coming out, and walk back, than it is to get in the car, drive over, sit in the parking lot waiting for them, and then sit at the exit waiting to turn back into the subdivision. And on top of it, maybe Mom/Dad would even get a little exercise in the process...........
The funniest part for me is watching these big SUV's pull out of the subdivision that's directly across the street from the school to drop little Johnny or Suzie off for school. In the afternoon, those same SUV's are sitting in the parking lot with the engines running (to keep the AC cold) for 20 minutes so they can get "a good spot in line" to pick little Johnny or Suzie up. After picking up/dropping off, they then pull back across the street and head back to the house, so the "I drop them off on the way to work" excuse doesn't fly.
What happened to walking to school????? This is a semi-rural area, so some kids live too far to walk, but I'm talking about a door-to-door walk of less than 1/4 of a mile. And before anyone asks, there'sa crossing guard there at the school to stop traffic if necessary, though the only reason she has to stop traffic is to let cars out of the parking lot. We used to walk to/from school along a very busy road. Last time I was near the house we grew up in, I clocked the distance, and it was well over 1/2 a mile. I don't want to turn this into a Bill Cosby "we used to walk 10 miles, uphill, both ways" conversation, but have we really gotten that lazy???
Bob
I am the WORST mom on the planet. I make my kids walk to the bus stop (1/10 mi) in the......GASP.....RAIN! Sometimes they're like "But MOM! It's raining!". "Yes dears, the umbrellas are in the closet." Most of my neighbors drive the darlings down and let them sit in the car to wait for the bus, and 9 times out of 10, they'll pick my 2 up also. I should tell them not to. LOL I mean, really. This also happens when the temperature dips below 25.
I'll agree with that, but here's a nutty idea most folks neglect to consider when they go from "I can't let Suzie walk to school- someone will abduct her" to "I have to drive Suzie to school"- you can walk with them!!! I'd even bet that it's faster to walk to the school, get there just as the kids are coming out, and walk back, than it is to get in the car, drive over, sit in the parking lot waiting for them, and then sit at the exit waiting to turn back into the subdivision. And on top of it, maybe Mom/Dad would even get a little exercise in the process...........
Bob
Oh-I totally agree. I was thinking that as I posted, but just didn't type it-I would definately walk my daughter to school instead of driving. I'm just too cheap to waste the gas though.
I am the WORST mom on the planet. I make my kids walk to the bus stop (1/10 mi) in the......GASP.....RAIN! Sometimes they're like "But MOM! It's raining!". "Yes dears, the umbrellas are in the closet." Most of my neighbors drive the darlings down and let them sit in the car to wait for the bus, and 9 times out of 10, they'll pick my 2 up also. I should tell them not to. LOL I mean, really. This also happens when the temperature dips below 25.
I always knew you were evil!
I remember when we were walking back and forth to school, we'd do it in the rain as well. We used to have to go under a railroad underpass, and every time there was a decent rain, the underpass would flood. The only way home then was to use the stairs next to the roadway that went down under the train tracks and back up the other side. Well, on several occasions it rained so hard that the stairwell got around a foot of water in it as well- we just took off our shoes, rolled up our pants, and waded across to the other side. Can you imagine telling today's kids to do that???? lol
I remember when we were walking back and forth to school, we'd do it in the rain as well. We used to have to go under a railroad underpass, and every time there was a decent rain, the underpass would flood. The only way home then was to use the stairs next to the roadway that went down under the train tracks and back up the other side. Well, on several occasions it rained so hard that the stairwell got around a foot of water in it as well- we just took off our shoes, rolled up our pants, and waded across to the other side. Can you imagine telling today's kids to do that???? lol
Bob
Was the Horse & Buggy out yet? ohhhhhhhh!
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