This blog was born today of a discussion I had at work this afternoon (and one I've had before). At lunch, my colleagues started railing against owners of Hummers. "They're such *@#%$!?^!!!" Having heard such recriminations before against Hummers, I immediately countered with how unfair I found such a slam. It kind of seemed like prejudice to me -- judging the owner of the vehicle as being a blankety-blank without even knowing him or her. They talked about how arrogant the owners must be -- big and mighty. "Those cars are so outrageously expensive!" I asked how much they run. Someone tossed out a ridiculous figure of $120 grand. They were disgusted at how much gas Hummers use. I asked: "What is the gas mileage? Gee, I wonder what the gas consumption of vans and SUVs is. Why attack Hummers for being worse?"
So, following lunch, I got on the Internet and found a website that compared vehicles: www.edmunds.com. Interestingly, I found that the gas consumption and cost of the basic Hummer (and there are, indeed, the classier, more expensive models that can be purchased) was comparable to that of a mid-size mini-van. (I never knew there was such a creature.) I compared vehicles in the $30's (far below the guess of $120,000). The mileage of both the Hummer and the van was basically 15 mpg in the city and 18 mph on the highway. (Actually, the van was one mpg LESS for both city and highway!)
So, why is it OK to attack Hummers; but, it's hands off of van owners? Why are people so quick to make disparaging remarks of owners of Humvees, practically spitting on them, but we would never think of verbally attacking a mother with 3 toddlers loaded into a van. Why the double-standard? Is it because the Hummer started out as a military vehicle? Why aren't people then angry when they see a Jeep?
Are vans more respectable because they are commonly used by businesses and families? It seems just about every decade has had its gas guzzlers: in the 60's and 70's, it was the huge family station wagon. In the 70's and 80's, we had the big vans. These were followed in the 90's to present by smaller vans but big SUVs.
Yes, I am indeed all for getting better mileage with our vehicles, but why single out one particular group as being totally unacceptable? It seems our society freely targets select groups for ridicule and ostrasizing: Hummers, cigarettes, cellphone-using drivers, men. (God forbid you find a poor fellow who falls into ALL of those categories!) It smacks of a very intolerant PC society -- one that is supposed to be tolerant!! And, why do we do this?
I feel like we're focusing on trivial things while ignoring issues of far greater importance. Why? Is it because we can look and point at "that scumbag over there" and feel superior? Why aren't we more concerned about the REAL problems in society? With this new blog, I hope to voice similar inconsistencies, double-standards, and just plain dopey stuff about our society.
[P.S. Oh, by the way -- I am NOT the owner of a Hummer. But, I do feel like buying a Hummer just to annoy people. In reality, I drive a small SUV ... marginally acceptable, maybe? Maybe a tad unacceptably low in the mileage area, but yet not quite enough to make people go ballistic?]
5 comments:
I found your blog after googling for "hummer popular with women". I know you wrote it over a year ago but I just had to comment. I am a middle aged woman who drives a hummer and yesterday got the middle finger 3 times on my drive home. I enjoyed reading your blog, and very happy to hear there's at least one person out there who doesn't judge me by the vehicle I drive. I bought the Hummer after I recovered from a year of post-op physical therapy from an accident when my little commuter car was t-boned by a 1-ton pickup truck. I telework 2 days a week and carpool the rest of the week. I keep it well tuned to make sure I do get the best mileage. I'm content to put up with the occasional gesture, knowing that I am safe on the road. Thanks for doing the research and not judging this book by her cover!
the original hummer cost 120k - H1 i think they call it. Basically a stock military issue HUM-V.
The H2 and H3 are built on a truck chassis are not not a hummer but in name alone. The original is an awesome example of an off-road vehicle.
If you drive one you obviously have no regard for money, as gas, which as of this day is almost $4 a gallon. Enjoy!
You’re quite right about the folly of pointing self-righteously at Hummers and Ford Explorers while driving a family van as if one would just die without all that extra room. I have several times wilted with despair, riding in a friend’s van or medium-sized SUV, as they cursed the selfish Earth-wasting idiocy of somebody driving down the same road in a slightly larger vehicle. People who travel by jet to their vacation spots, buy vans, run air conditioners, live in 4,000-square-foot houses and think themselves greatly superior to those in 7,000-square-foot houses, buy second homes, build additions on perfectly adequate homes, etc., etc., etc., are simply soiling themselves, ethically speaking, when they bitch about the wasteful Others.
But none of this lets Hummers or other wasteful vehicles off the hook. The harm such dinomobiles do is real: it’s just that they’re not the only ones doing it. Globally, the transport sector’s contribution to global greenhouse emissions almost doubled from 1971 to 2000. There were two main reasons for this: one is the increasing use of cars and two-wheelers worldwide, and the second was growth in the size, weight, and power of automobiles, especially in the industrialized world. Translation: SUV sales. In 1975, SUVs accounted for only 2% of US vehicle sales; by 2003, the share was 23%. SUVs are heavier than cars, carry no more passengers, and get much lower mileage: in 2007, the American SUV fleet average was 19.2 miles per gallon (8.2 km/L), compared to 26.9 miles per gallon (11.5 km/L) for family sedans. (Go ahead, tar vans with the same brush -- they deserve it.) The average US new automobile of 2005 was 27% heavier than that of 1987, was able to accelerate 30% more quickly from 0 to 60 mph . . . and got 5% poorer mileage. Note that mileage did not get worse in proportion to weight and performance, thanks to improvements in technology: but increased average weight (a trend led by SUVs) and performance outpaced efficiency, causing a net loss. If the U.S. new-car fleet had remained at 1987 weight and performance levels while increasing in efficiency as observed, by 2005 it would have had 24% better fuel economy than it actually did. Ain’t no two ways about it: big fat vehicles, including vanity pickups, Hummers, SUVs, unnecessary vans, and the like, are polluting more than their share of the air, eating up oil, making the roads more dangerous, adding significantly more to climate emissions than small cars, and in general doing their bit to accelerate the demise of civilization. The hypocrisy of some Hummer-haters doesn’t change these facts.
Backup for the numbers in the previous paragraph can be found at http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/ustransp.pdf, http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05004.htm, http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/factsheets/ccfaq.pdf, http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Jun/RS22665.pdf, and http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg3/ar4-wg3-chapter5.pdf.
Sincerely,
Larry Gilman
www.larrygilman.net
Glad you brought it up.. agree strongly with the general idea that root issues are not being addressed but disagree about where blame is improperly placed and as to whether or not to feel badly for Hummer operators and/ or smokers.
I see no problem with anyone voicing dissent about any type of behavior.
OTOH, if they don't like it don't participate.
I DO, however, have a huge problem with people DOING Things that would prohibit or infringe on others' behaving as they see fit where that behavior does no harm.
For instance, why do so many motorists have and issue with bicyclists going for a bike ride?
Even if it does slow their, otherwise-frantic, motorized commute, they should afford 24-36" of space and slow down 10-20 mph in order to pass a (human being on a) bicylce safely.
Cheers and best wishes,
Mike S.
Great blog! Thanks for bringing up and providing videos and links so that tough, non- PC issues can enter into civilized discussion.
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