Yuppies in Escalades (Pittsburgh, Liberty, Lawrenceville: rental car, rental, credit)

[RyanR]

Originally Posted by airwave09

Trucks, SUVs and Vans should not be allowed to park in normal sized parking lots or spaces.

Why not? Also, what's "normal sized"? BTW, where are they to park if all the spots are the same size?

[julian17033]

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Kippy

I understand what you are saying, and I agree with you to a certain degree. However, out in the exurbs, there is no real association between the ghetto and the Escalade; it is simply viewed as a luxury SUV for upper middle class.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by sskink

And I'd argue that those folks aren't the pioneers who start the revitalization. They move in once the profit potential has been established and the neighborhood has already changed significantly toward "safe".

Pioneers or not, they're responsible for maintaining/expanding this positive phenomenon.

[robrobrob]

I think I saw Brian parking his Escalade at the bus stop this morning.

[SolitaryThrush]

I think we can all agree people who drive Hummers need a good punch in the throat.

[julian17033]

I agree wholeheartedly!!

Originally Posted by SolitaryThrush

I think we can all agree people who drive Hummers need a good punch in the throat.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by UKyank

The class warfare is tiring.

Don't know if I'd call it "class warfare". Lots of people in all social strata manage to only buy what they need. Lots of others just have to buy more than what they need. In my personal experience, conspicuous consumption is more a trait of the insecure than the wealthy.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by sskink

Don't know if I'd call it "class warfare". Lots of people in all social strata manage to only buy what they need. Lots of others just have to buy more than what they need. In my personal experience, conspicuous consumption is more a trait of the insecure than the wealthy.

Most everyone (save for monks and the utterly destitute) buys more than "what they need." They're called luxury items. Of course, there's a difference between buying things you'll actually use and spending for the sake of spending.

[AnneWest]

Originally Posted by RyanR

They come that way.

On the subject of it being in a parking lot, what's the issue? Yea, bigger vehicles take up more of the area between the lines. In most lots, I can't fit in those little spaces so I'm way out in the lot.

As for reserved parking based on vehicle size or fuel efficiency, that's pretty funny. First saw that at a mall in Butler. After I parked my truck in the spot , I went into the store to talk to the manager about why they think they should have special spots right up front for "fuel efficient vehicles". She couldn't define what qualified as "fuel efficient", nor could she defend the practice and subsequently said it was the mall management that came up with it. After I showed her my family of 4, with 2 full buggies of stuff from his store alone, I asked her to tell me what's more efficient, 4 people in a loaded down truck getting 17mpg's or 1 person with a candle or whatever in a 24mpg car being on the road. She conceded.

I prefer smaller cars and right now, I have an Altima. When I'm parked between 2 large vehicles, it's nearly impossible to see any traffic coming when I'm trying to slowly inch out of my space.
I can't count the number of times I've nearly been creamed by somebody zooming down the row and I couldn't see them because of the SUV and truck I was parked between.

Whatever people choose to drive, it is their choice, for whatever reason. I just don't like SUVs and larger cars personally, I feel more in control when driving something smaller. Plus, my environmental conscience nags at me, so I have to go smaller.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by sskink

Don't know if I'd call it "class warfare". Lots of people in all social strata manage to only buy what they need. Lots of others just have to buy more than what they need. In my personal experience, conspicuous consumption is more a trait of the insecure than the wealthy.

But this applies nearly across the board. If everyone purchased only what they needed everyone would be driving mostly the exact same vehicle. Likewise everyone world wear the same inexpensive, functional clothes suited for that days particular weather, own the same small tv, have the same house, etc, etc.

But we don't do that, we all buy more then we need in some aspects of our lives and if some people choose vehicles as their avenue of wasting money, while it may be financially foolish, I don't see why I should care 1 iota that they don't necessarily need it.
I own a convertible, should I likewise feel ashamed of the excess I spent above what a similar car would have cost me, or is the stigma only attached to SUVs for some reason & not other areas of people's lives.

And I mentioned class warfare because enough people keep associating these evil pickup & suv drivers with people of means, but as I noted earlier, terrible drivers come in all classes & vehicle types.