More Tickets for Big Stupid Cars
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.24.06
Here is another version of the ticket for poor vehicle choice, like the one that riled readers in February. Its from the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, a UK based group whose goals are "to make driving a big 4x4 in town as socially unacceptable as drink-driving, and to increase taxes on the most polluting vehicles, including increases in road tax and a higher congestion charge in London." London Mayor Ken Livingstone agrees: "When you see someone trying to manoeuvre it round the school gates, you have to think, you are a complete idiot." Before everyone starts writing about how useful 4x4's are, we point out that a) the Alliance is against Urban 4x4's and b) this treehugger drives a lovely 4 cylinder powered Subaru 4x4 that is very useful for getting through snow and carrying lots of stuff that we need for our day job. It is all about scale. ::Alliance Against Urban SUV's via Bonnie in London
Where does my Highlander Hybrid fit in with all of this? I'm getting better mileage than most SUVs (however, much lower than my wife's Prius), and am giving off less emissions (at least from the car itself)...
These are much better than the last Hummer ticket you reported on. More respectful and humorous =)
I just wish they had an Americanized version without all the UK references and MPG in US gallons.
Around here a lot of churches stick 8.5x11 advertisements under people's windshield wipers... "Got Jesus?"
Maybe I'll make one that says, "Got sense?" with a similar setup as the 4x4 campaign and keep a few in my wallet. Business card size of course =)
-Riskable
http://www.riskable.com
"I have a license to kill -9"
Oh oh oh!!! I so want to see one of these with statistics from American auto pollution listed.
This is a great idea.
If your SUV gets 31/27 (Hwy/City) you're not really the prime target for this "anti-urban 4x4" campaign. As they point out, if you read the text on the back of the ticket.
Other aspects of the accusation still stand though.
People buy SUV's to feel safe. However, their decreased handling makes them more prone accidents and rollover. While at the same time, just these larger vehicles' presence on the road makes the world more dangerous for smaller cars and pedestrians.
how is this a good idea? seems to me like a waste of paper that will likely only piss people off without having any impact. are the same people who place them on cars also volunteering to come back and collect the ticket once the owner of the vehicle has unceremoniously tossed it on the sidewalk?
I'm not in favor of these "tickets." The same person that is distributing these tickets might be travelling aroung the country by plane, and thereby impacting the environment more than the SUV driver. People need to change their mindset about conservation and consumption, and not just either point or have a finger pointed at them. If I drive an SUV with four people inside, would we have a lesser impact than one person in their Honda? Yes of course we would. I really do equate these tickets (in a way) with the crazy E.L.F. movement. Neither is productive. P.S. Love the website!
I live in a ski town in Alaska and drive my little Honda Civic everywhere. 35mpg in summer 29 in winter. Winter is 6 months long and we get tons of snow. Urban folks "need" SUV's only because they are afraid and watch too many TV commercials. I routinely see SUV's in ditches on snowy and icey days, often on their roofs. Adapting to the conditions with what you have is the smart choice,not buying bigger in the hopes of outpowering nature.
" If I drive an SUV with four people inside, would we have a lesser impact than one person in their Honda? Yes of course we would."
Depends on the Honda and depends on the SUV, now wouldn't it?
"I really do equate these tickets (in a way) with the crazy E.L.F. movement. Neither is productive."
I do agree pointing the finger and singling out does draw a line which usually leaves onlookers choosing sides. Then again those lines are allready there usually from other areas. It would be great if people thought the same way then it may be easier to come to a common ground. But people dont think the same, and I have learned to generalize people who have bought fully into thier role in consumer culture; Need a big car for presence and status, money is their driving force, and a complete lack of empathy for things that dont directly concern them.
The way i see it the only way we are going to see productive environmental change on mass is someone higher (the government) forcing people into it.
I was getting fed up with all of the Jesus fish on the monster SUVs where I live (Dallas, Texas), so I made up some magnets using my rubber stamps. I slap them on a vehicle that is particularly ticking me off. It would probably be bad for the environment if I was doing this in any large quantity, but I have probably only used 5 or so in a year.
I grew up in the snow belt of Ohio, so I know plenty of people who have 4x4s for traversing snowy country roads. I don't see much need for one in a city that is almost completely flat and snow-free.
SUV bumper magnets
To Paul:
It is not just about conservation and consumption but also about safety. SUVs (ones that are not car-based) are "light" trucks, not passanger vehicles. As a result they get to bypass all of the safety regulations exclusive to passanger vehicles. If you need to drive a large number of people around get a car-based mini-van.
Too often people only recognize the freedom to act and not other people's freedom from the consequences of their actions.
Maybe you all Tree huggers should start a campain to get my car off the road. It's 1967 Mustang that was cut in half once. It's been on the road for the last 10 years ugly as ever getting 14 mpg city. Drive it every day still. Sorry I drive such a bad car but you can pay me to stop lets start a fund. Pay me $3000 dollars and I'll let you crush it completely! California had a bounty on these old cars $2000 they would pay the owner to let them crush it. As no one will anti up $$ guess you just like to whine about the air quality, not do something about it directly? Kenny
Ok Kenny, if your 'stang is worth $3,000 to get it off the road then I think my beat up 72 Continental is worth $6,000. Gets around 8-10 mpg and pours out thick smog. Any takers? ;)