Monday, September 12, 2011

Travel Monday

I know that Tuesday is usually the "travel"-titled day, but I had a frustrating commute on the way home tonight and I had to share a question I have.

If you've bought a great big off-roading SUV thing that is bigger than the lane is wide, guzzles gas, and has never ever been off-road, why can't you at least drive it across road construction with - if not gusto - at least a little confidence?

You see, a couple of the streets I have to cross on my commute are being re-surfaced. Yes, it's a bit annoying, but at least they're not streets I would typically have to drive along, just across. The other day all of the manholes were sticking up about 4 inches above the pavement. And, yes, that can be bad for your car and its tires.

But, today, all of the manhole covers had very nice smooth collars of pavement up around them, making them perfectly fine for driving over. In fact, the worst part of the drive across the street was the 3-inch drop as you entered into the construction zone and the 3-inch ledge as you exited the construction zone.

If the people in front of me had had low-riding vehicles (say a sportscar of some kind, or a skateboard), I could see slowing down and gingerly crossing the intersection. But I was behind a Land Rover, a Ford Explorer, and a Lexus SUV. Each of which rolled, probably at a speed of "idle," across the intersection. I think a whole 3 of us got through on one cycle of the light, instead of 10 or so as would normally have made it.

And, you know, that's just wrong. Not driving one of those SUVs like it can survive a 3-inch drop is kind of like buying a Bugatti Veyron and never going over 30 miles per hour. (Christopher will be proud of me for spelling that car's name right. And, heck, just for knowing that it exists.) Either way, it's just a waste of money and, frankly - since this blog really is all about me - it's a waste of my time.

Next time, I honk.

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