>> IMHO, The lower middle class goes out of their way, and
>> into debt, to own an SUV. Think pimpmobile in the ghetto.
>
> More tut-tut'ing of peoples choices, but I think what you'll find is
> that these people own the largest group of older, less efficient,
> broken down (maintainence deferred, just like with healthcare),
> polluting cars and that they depend on them to get to work and child
> care. When you don't have all the money you want, the first things
> to go are things like maintenance, smog checks, registration,
> insurance ... it's a spiral, but there you have it.
>
> Squeezing these people can't help.
>
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You may call it choice... Is it "choice"? Or is the need for large cars dependent on marketing and psychology? Here's a heads up, the one person I know with a big "dually" pickup isn't construction contractor, he's a union cement truck driver who bought it because the other guys in the yard have one. He told me that... Same brand... Dodge.
Conformity sells. Kids have it the worst due to predatory marketing, and many Americans never make it past that... impulsive stage, no matter what age.
Very few urban dwellers *need* an SUV... They *want* an SUV. They desiiiire an SUV... and then they complain about the cost of operation... but only to close friends... sometimes.
I use embarrasment tactics on the street.
"Hey! Nice ride! How many Iraqis per Mile does *that* beauty use?" is one of my favorites... When I'm in a good mood.
I'm not saying it's an effective tactic, but it's fun to watch insecure conformists when they are publicly embarrassed.
"They understood that you didn't have to attack
the fortress anymore. You could just surround it,
make faces at the people inside and let them have
nervous breakdowns and destroy themselves."
-- Norman Mailer
Someone suggested a while back that the Mailer quote is good, assuming that one is serious about "making the faces", or some similar critique of that thought.
I'm seriously laughing, and asking whether SUV owners truly believe they are making a "free will" choice.
The last study I saw said the more you earn, the more you are likely to respond positively to advertising by making a product purchase... no cite handy, but the study is from a year or so ago.
Add the small winkie/weenie thing into the mix (girls too!), and you have a nation of SUV owners.
L http://www.leighm.net http://www.furl.net/members/leigh_m/rss.xml