Dear O Sung Wu,

Thank you for your great comments (as always).
And, I agree with you. These vehicles are undoubtedly
here to stay.

Dear Suse,

I'm so glad that you've found your perfect ride.
And, I fully understand, it being work related.
I'm due to get a new car as well for work.
But I have to wait and see what's on offer.
I'll let you know.

<< Yes Luddy, I think they [RVs] are safer. >>

Probably right, Hazza.

But as I said earlier; the type of vehicle is a pretty minor consideration compared to the poor driving skills of a very large portion of the population, and the god-awful terrible policing regime when it comes to road safety.

THESE are the things that everyone who is concerned about their safety and that of their family on the road should be addressing!

If we could just rein in those people who have no qualms about driving or riding a motorbike or bicycle in a risky manner, as though speed limits and safety margins are only things for ‘other people’ to worry about, and those inexperienced or otherwise inattentive drivers who just don’t understand what the risks are and what safety margins they can implement or increase when driving…. then we’d all be much better off.

And this includes morons who drive too fast and carelessly in carparks!

o sung wu & Foxy,
I drive a Hummer H2 (mainly on the weekends) it is a tax dodge vehicle that is 10% tax deductible and all my expenses (gas and service etc) are business deductions. When the lease runs out I will pay out the residual and sell it for a good profit because of its low mileage and condition.
Foxy you would seek to limit my freedom of choice and my investment program because you have a fear or phobia when it comes to large RV and their like.
My simple answer is stay off the road( your freedom of choice) or buy one yourself and compete for the space.
Incidentally my wife drives a BMW Series 5 4x4 so do you want to put her off the road as well just because she is exercising her freedom of choice.
Or could it be a little bit of jealousy or envy coming out.

o sung wu,
My old mentor, Roger, seems to have blown it this time.

Luddy most of the car park accidents around here are cars from each side of a laneway backing into each other. One of my neighbors got the corner of a Hilux table top ute right in the center of the boot of her new Mazda 3. I don't know if she will ever get over it.

She thought it was the other drivers fault, but the law said it was down to each equally. These bumps are more common than a moving car hitting one backing out.

That is why I like my convertibles. I can no longer turn my head right round to look out the back of a hardtop vehicle, so have to depend on monitoring all three mirrors. You can only really see in one at a time, giving a fair chance another car could start to back out unseen, just as you did.

In a convertible, top down, you get a wide enough spread of vision to cover any other cars that may be dangerous to you.

This getting old & stiff is a bit of a pain, but no where near as bad as the alternative. Not waking up one morning would be a less desirable alternative.

Hi there CHRISGAFF1000...

The 'dodger' if convicted will do the 'lot' I expect, and at seventy three he'll only be released to the Coroner. I dunno mate, I'm a bit ambivalent about the bloke, his early reputation was beyond reproach until he started associating with the likes of Ned Smith and his mate Abo Henry et al. Interestingly, if I'd passed him in the corridors of the old CIB, he'd always say g'day ?

A Hummer Chris ! May I ask how many gallons do you get to the mile ? Sorry I'm being a bit facetious with the remark, as well as just a tad amount of jealousy if truth be known ? I like everything about them. There's no doubt about the Yanks, they can design and build some fantastic military vehicles, and some brilliant 'civilianised' versions of those same vehicles too ? Yours would be a large, V8, or is it a V12 ? To be honest, I've no knowledge at all of the mechanics of the vehicle, in fact I've only seen a TV presentation of the military version being put through it's acceptance trials, I think it was ?

The vehicle's capabilities appeared almost limitless, in terms of traversing all manner of rough country including protracted deep water crossings, and negotiating impossibly steep angled inclines ? Notwithstanding the immense width of the vehicle, I was quite surprised how narrow the accommodation was, for both driver and front passenger access seemed ? Both were separated by this massive engine/transmission well or access. Still, the seats looked as if they were capable of holding you securely, and relatively comfortably also ?

In conclusion, you would've paid a quid or two for it I'd imagine, even though it's subject to a leasing arrangement ? Further, I bet you'd have infinitely more fun in the Hummer, than your good wife in her BMW 4x4 ? Be careful not to upset FOXY please Chris, though she does have a very good point in terms of been almost 'suffocated' by these most aggressive SUV's drivers !