Saturday, June 07, 2008
Shed no Tears for Hummer and Other Gas Guzzlers
Sign of the Times
Not much good news these days. But reports about the declining sales of SUV's and General Motors' plans to unload the Hummer Division indicate that automobile manufacturers and lovers of SUV's are being forced to move away from the ugly, eco-unfriendly vehicles. That is cause for rejoicing.
On April 20, 2005, my blog read:
The Cars We Drive And What they Tell About Us
- The brutish, extra-wide Hummers make me think of the owners being mean, selfish and arrogant---typical Bush Republicans. This article from The NY Times confirms that I am not far from the truth. Too bad that some Democrats like the ugly, gas hogging monstrosity on wheels.
- "Among Hummer buyers, the Republican-to-Democrat ratio was a whopping 52 to 23."(NY Times)
Three years later, in Guardian UK June 7, 2008
*****
- The average SUV owner, according to studies cited in Bradsher's book, is "apt to be self-centred and self-absorbed, with little interest in their neighbours or communities." In addition, they are "insecure and vain. They are frequently nervous about their marriages and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often lack confidence in their driving skills ... they tend to like fine restaurants a lot more than off-road driving, seldom go to church, and have limited interest in doing volunteer work to help others.
