Today's NYTimes has an article on how declining sales of Hummes is threatening to put dealers out of business. If General Motors doesn't find a buyer for the brand, it may discontinue the line. "The demise of Hummer would be cheered by environmentalists, who have relentlessly criticized its model lineup, which gets, on average, less than 10 miles a gallon. Other brands, such as Land Rover, have similar mileage ratings, but Hummer came to be viewed as the quintessential gas guzzler."My own displeasure with Hummers relates not so much to their gas consumption, but to the tendency of such vehicles to contribute to "trail braiding" on rural unpaved roads (as suggested in the photo from the NYT above). The Mpls. Star Tribune had an excellent article last fall on the role played by ATVs; I'll probably blog the topic this summer when I get back out into the woods.
In addition to the environmental damage Hummers cause, their drivers seem intent on intimidating other drivers with the size of their vehicles. They also seem oblivious to any rules of the road or common courtesy.
ReplyDeleteLand Rovers may not be great on gas either, but they are of sane size and are actually used as off-road vehicles. The only Hummers I see these days are used by Soccer moms and other people with brains smaller than their wallets, i.e. Rapper retards.
ReplyDeleteone thought comes to mind every time I see one of these vehicles:
ReplyDelete"what in the world does a civilian need a military vehicle for?"
The most four wheeling or "off road" a typical Hummer owner will ever do is when they hit the mail box in front of the house.
Color me unsurprised.
ReplyDeleteI recently heard that there is one market for the Hummer Civilian model opening and going strong: That of the Iraqi automobile market. At least that IS a war zone.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't already, I recommend a documentary titled Who Killed the Electric Car? (IMDB)
ReplyDeleteIn it, they explain how GM at one point produced a line of super efficient electric vehicles, but instead promoted the Hummer to please the big oil industry, even though the EV was better for everyone else. They took back all of the EVs and destroyed them, and then went on a big SUV-promoting spree. It's horrifying how much control big corporations like that have. I hate to say it, but I'm pretty glad to see how much they're suffering now, and I hope increased public awareness will help change their ways in the future. [/hippie] :)
To "anonymous" - I deleted your 6-word post because the 6th word was an insult to the other commentors, NOT because I disagree with your viewpoint. You're welcome to rewrite it with the first five words and I'll let it stand...
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